Canadian Politics Today

Beyond Politics => General Discussion => Topic started by: Michael Hardner on April 18, 2018, 09:41:25 am


Title: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on April 18, 2018, 09:41:25 am
HOW ARE YOU ?

Personal stuff from me:

I moved on Sunday.  During the worst ice storm in a couple of years.  It went well. 

We got flooded in the basement on Monday, and Bell f*cked up our move and Mrs. Joan Hardner was in tears.  Living out of boxes still, which is stressful.

I am less stressed as time goes on, though. 

More big changes coming soon: employment for me & Mrs.; other things

Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: SirJohn on April 18, 2018, 02:30:14 pm
I had to spend the day without power because of the ice storm. Not pleasant. And the IPhone drains very rapidly without WIFI when you use it. If I'd known how long the power would be out I would have gone to my brothers and not lost a day of work. But hydro always says "soon". On the plus side, I do have an emergency battery charger for the phone, and lots of batteries for lights and the radio. Now I'm looking into getting a generator or at least one of those big backup batteries which could power both my computer and my modem. They're kind of ridiculously costly, though.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest4 on April 18, 2018, 02:34:36 pm
I was the successful applicant for a permanent position in the job I have been doing as a temporary assignment since last August.  The position is challenging and very, very busy but I do enjoy it a lot.  Also comes with more money, though being government, not much.  Anyway, I am thrilled to have won this competition.  :)
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Goddess on April 18, 2018, 03:05:07 pm
I was the successful applicant for a permanent position in the job I have been doing as a temporary assignment since last August.  The position is challenging and very, very busy but I do enjoy it a lot.  Also comes with more money, though being government, not much.  Anyway, I am thrilled to have won this competition.  :)

Congratulations!  That's awesome!  :)
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Goddess on April 18, 2018, 03:21:49 pm
Last Saturday, we were invited to go along in a hummer-limo thing with 10 other people, driving 1.5 hours away to have a steak dinner for someone's birthday.  It was totally worth the drive - google Bruce Hotel and check out their steak dinner, mine was the size of a softball.

Anyhoo......it was mostly neighbours of the birthday girl (us) and some of her friends.  One neighbour (I'll call him George) brought his girlfriend of 6 months who also happens to be a neighbour (I'll call her Evelyn).  I've met George on a number of occasions when we've helped neighbours move or put up quansets, etc., never met Evelyn before Saturday.

Evelyn had no interest in getting to know me at all, which was fine.  I kind of hit it off with another lady there.  But Evelyn did seem to have a real interest in my boyfriend.  I didn't think much of it until on the drive home, she was sitting next to him and I was on the other side.  I was facing away from them because I was talking to someone else on the other side of the limo.  When I looked back, she had her leg draped around my boyfriend's leg.

I thought, "Hmmmm......my best girlfriend could do that to my man and it wouldn't bother me, but I don't **** know YOU."

I don't think I'm a jealous person.  I considered reaching over and flipping her leg off him. 

They will be at another birthday party we're going to this Saturday, so I'm going to chalk this one up to lots of booze and the loss of inhibition that sometimes goes with it.  But I'll be keeping a bit of an eye on her.  HAHA
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on April 18, 2018, 03:26:51 pm
Wow, Goddess.  Very mature.  Keep watching tough.   ;D
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: ?Impact on April 18, 2018, 03:30:00 pm
I considered reaching over and flipping her leg off him. 

I finally understand what flipping someone off means, I am slow that way.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Goddess on April 18, 2018, 03:33:00 pm
Wow, Goddess.  Very mature.  Keep watching tough.   ;D

In her defense, I don't blame her.  He's very handsome.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest4 on April 18, 2018, 03:36:30 pm
@Goddess.  As MH, kudos to you for not making a scene, and yeah keep an eye out. 

My approach has been that my partner/spouse will keep unwanted ladies at bay.  If he does not, thats on him, not my job to keep the ladies off, imo.  Can't anyway, if he returns her interest.   
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest4 on April 18, 2018, 03:37:33 pm
In her defense, I don't blame her.  He's very handsome.

Clear case of media bias right there!  :)
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on April 18, 2018, 03:38:27 pm
I was the successful applicant for a permanent position in the job I have been doing as a temporary assignment since last August.  The position is challenging and very, very busy but I do enjoy it a lot.  Also comes with more money, though being government, not much.  Anyway, I am thrilled to have won this competition.  :)

I wish you well in your endeavor.
I recently got a nudge from a fellow I used to work with who's current business keeps expanding and he want's me to get my ass off the couch and help him manage and teach at his flight school. I'm thinking seriously about taking him up on it so I'm just now trying to recall just how to engage in the classroom part of that. I'll admit I'm nervous.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Goddess on April 18, 2018, 03:59:08 pm
@Goddess.  As MH, kudos to you for not making a scene, and yeah keep an eye out. 

My approach has been that my partner/spouse will keep unwanted ladies at bay.  If he does not, thats on him, not my job to keep the ladies off, imo.  Can't anyway, if he returns her interest.

I did glance at him -  both hands on his drink, sitting still, not talking. I think he wasn't sure what to do either.

We have an agreement but I realize now it's a bit one-sided - he doesn't step in and make a scene unless I indicate I need help.  My last booyfriend before him, used to cause scenes everywhere we went if anyone so much as looked at me and that was a large part of why we broke up.  We will have to come up with something for when the shoe is on the other foot, LOL
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest4 on April 18, 2018, 04:40:38 pm
I wish you well in your endeavor.
I recently got a nudge from a fellow I used to work with who's current business keeps expanding and he want's me to get my ass off the couch and help him manage and teach at his flight school. I'm thinking seriously about taking him up on it so I'm just now trying to recall just how to engage in the classroom part of that. I'll admit I'm nervous.

If you've done teaching before, I bet it comes back quickly.   Could be fun and I wish you the best.  :)
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on April 18, 2018, 04:49:39 pm
If you've done teaching before, I bet it comes back quickly.   Could be fun and I wish you the best.  :)

Well if I was still in Nfld. I would head to the front of the class and say "Ok bys, off wit your glits" but I'm on the west coast now so they wouldn't know what the hell I was talking about, so I'll have to think of something else.

Thanks
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on April 18, 2018, 05:55:25 pm
Evelyn had no interest in getting to know me at all, which was fine.  I kind of hit it off with another lady there.  But Evelyn did seem to have a real interest in my boyfriend.  I didn't think much of it until on the drive home, she was sitting next to him and I was on the other side.  I was facing away from them because I was talking to someone else on the other side of the limo.  When I looked back, she had her leg draped around my boyfriend's leg.

I thought, "Hmmmm......my best girlfriend could do that to my man and it wouldn't bother me, but I don't **** know YOU."

I don't think I'm a jealous person.  I considered reaching over and flipping her leg off him. 

They will be at another birthday party we're going to this Saturday, so I'm going to chalk this one up to lots of booze and the loss of inhibition that sometimes goes with it.  But I'll be keeping a bit of an eye on her.  HAHA

Evelyn sounds like a real winner.  You could have asked her assertively but calmly to please take her leg off your bf, totally appropriate in that instance, she was clearly flirting, booze or no booze she had interest.  And why did your bf let her do that?  I'd be dead if i did that LOL.  One to keep an eye on for sure, and i hope you had a chat with your bf LOL though i don't know the whole context.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on April 18, 2018, 11:07:50 pm
HOW ARE YOU ?

NOT GREAT, BOB


Since breaking up with my beautiful girl I have been trying to build new romantic relationships, and they are all blowing up to varying degrees.


And my doctor has found that my blood pressure is so high that I could blow up at any moment and take a city block with me.  I'm supposed to avoid alcohol, which is unfortunate because my craving to self-medicate is as high as I can remember.


I have been giving my rice-bag a real beating lately.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on April 18, 2018, 11:18:37 pm
NOT GREAT, BOB


Since breaking up with my beautiful girl I have been trying to build new romantic relationships, and they are all blowing up to varying degrees.


And my doctor has found that my blood pressure is so high that I could blow up at any moment and take a city block with me.  I'm supposed to avoid alcohol, which is unfortunate because my craving to self-medicate is as high as I can remember.


I have been giving my rice-bag a real beating lately.

 -k

Here's my advice: yeah maybe cut back on the booze a bit (and boy as I say that I'll admit I'm the pot calling the kettle) and then disregard posts from sir argus. :D
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on April 19, 2018, 05:42:34 am

Since breaking up with my beautiful girl I have been trying to build new romantic relationships, and they are all blowing up to varying degrees.

Aw..  Well, you said relationships plural which means you are getting chances.  If you think you are doing something wrong do a big reset and try again ?  Anyway my advice is probably next to useless, good luck.  <3

Quote
my craving to self-medicate is as high as I can remember.
 

I know a few people who have found peace in weed.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: cybercoma on April 19, 2018, 06:21:14 am
I have been giving my rice-bag a real beating lately.

 -k
This is the worst euphemism I’ve ever heard.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on April 19, 2018, 09:03:13 am
This is the worst euphemism I’ve ever heard.

 ???

It's literally a 25 pound bag of rice, that I hang from my ceiling, and tape up my fists, and literally pummel.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: ?Impact on April 19, 2018, 09:09:20 am
It's literally a 25 pound bag of rice, that I hang from my ceiling, and tape up my fists, and literally pummel.

That sounds like a big mess awaiting to happen
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Goddess on April 19, 2018, 09:34:28 am
Relationships are hard.  We've been together almost 3 years and I still sometimes fantasize about being single again.
There's advantages to both. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on April 19, 2018, 09:36:25 am
I'm going to spend the rest of the day worrying about what "beating my rice bag" is supposed to be a euphemism for.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on April 19, 2018, 07:26:05 pm
Jesus....   get your **** together people....    you’re all relatively healthy, working and living in a western democracy!   Thank your frickin’ lucky stars every day that you’re here to enjoy it! 

I bought another boat.  This one packs away small and can get into nooks and crannies in almost any weather and I don’t have to paddle it.  I still have my canoe, but I scared myself with the conditions I went out in, so now got something powered and safer.  Will take the canoe out on smaller lakes on calmer days. 

This boat will get me to the end of Buttle Lake in a gale. 

I want to get a sailing kayak and get rid of the canoe. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on April 19, 2018, 07:49:13 pm
???

It's literally a 25 pound bag of rice, that I hang from my ceiling, and tape up my fists, and literally pummel.

 -k

thats an awesome idea!  save some money lol

i think you and i would get along just swell lol
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: waldo on April 19, 2018, 07:53:17 pm
I'm going to spend the rest of the day worrying about what "beating my rice bag" is supposed to be a euphemism for.

I thought rice bag was an odd thing to call your lady bits!
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on April 19, 2018, 08:04:55 pm

Yeah most women are complex.  There's a lot of crazy p**sy in this world too.  Just make sure you know the difference and stay the hell away from the 2nd one LOL...sometimes they hide the crazy really well for awhile until they got their claws firmly embedded & then you're screwed, just know it when u see it & GTFO if that happens lol.

Sometimes i wish i could take a beautiful woman and stick a man-brain in her and all will be good LOL ah well there's a reason we need ying and yang.  The good thing is, there's lots of sweet wondeful women out there, i feel bad for them cuz we're aholes and it seems hard to find a good fella.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: ?Impact on April 19, 2018, 08:07:56 pm
Sometimes i wish i could take a beautiful woman and stick a man-brain in her

You do know how to put your foot in your mouth
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on April 19, 2018, 09:54:03 pm
Women and men are EXACTLY THE SAME
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Goddess on April 20, 2018, 10:07:40 am
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwbKYcBdVyk

Not sure how to post youtubes on here......

But here's a little help for you fellas ^^^   ;D
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Goddess on April 20, 2018, 10:08:47 am
Oh, look at that!  It posted!
I thought I had to delete part of the code, and couldn't remember which part to delete.....

Happy 420, everyone  :)
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Goddess on April 20, 2018, 12:33:53 pm
Every board I've ever been on, no matter what the purpose of it was, we've had a "Chit Chat Thread".  It's nice.   :)
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest4 on April 21, 2018, 03:07:15 pm
In other news, I'm selling my car, a red PT Cruiser.   I loved the look of a PT Cruiser from the first time I saw it and was thrilled to be buying a red one a few years ago.    I'm sad to let it go, but BF has a car that is better for the dogs, is a year newer and has remarkably low kms, is much more fuel efficient with a better safety/repair reputation.   Thought about keeping both cars, but both the environmental and financial cost seemed excessive for the convenience.  Hope the next owner gets as much use and pleasure out of it as I did.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on April 25, 2018, 11:57:06 pm
In other news, I'm selling my car, a red PT Cruiser.

I remember seeing an "AskReddit" thread on Reddit called "PT Cruiser owners: what sequence of events led to your tragic state of affairs?"

I don't know enough about the PT Cruiser to know whether owning one should be considered tragic, but the title made me laugh, so I read the thread.

My favorite response was from a young man who had always dreamed of owning a Mini Cooper. He had posters of Mini Coopers on his wall. On his 18th birthday, his parents took him out onto the driveway, and there, with a big red bow on top...  was a beautiful, slightly used...  PT Cruiser.

He did what any son would do.  He thanked his parents profusely, hugged them and kissed them and told them how grateful he was.  And then he went to his room and disposed of all his Mini Cooper posters and never spoke of Mini Coopers again, because he didn't want them to realize that the PT Cruiser wasn't the car he'd always dreamed about.


 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on April 26, 2018, 12:09:49 am
Hey I have a '63 GMC half ton pickup with a completely rebuilt 283, 3 on the tree. Selling cheap.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on April 26, 2018, 12:15:04 am
I went to one of my favorite local watering holes, the Kim City Roadkill Bar and Grill, after work tonight to watch the hockey game and attempt to flirt with sexy bartenders.

Some middle aged drunk guy with a horseshoe moustache came over and sat down with me and decided he was my new best friend. It was extremely unpleasant.  He was very loud and very dumb. I didn't want to cause a scene, but was sorely tempted to tell him to **** off, or to put my right fist under his left ear and give him a nice nap to sleep it off.

After about 15 minutes-- it seemed much longer-- of this Heironymus Bosch style torment, the manager showed up and sat down nearby with a couple of friends.  I told Horseshoe Moustache guy "oh! My friends are here!" and went over and sat with them.  The manager is a 350 pound guy who looks like a Hell's Angel wearing a suit, so he's pretty intimidating.  And I go there often enough that he is at least casually friendly with me and recognized the problem.  And Horseshoe Moustache Guy didn't follow me. So that turned out ok.

There are few things you could do to make yourself look as seedy as a horseshoe moustache makes you look.  What more visible symbol of bad judgment is there?  Possibly a Truck-Nuts trailer-hitch cover on your truck, but that's about all I can think of.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on April 26, 2018, 06:00:40 am
Douchemen need to be dealt with.

Personal Harner stuff:  I moved 10 days ago.  Starting to look like a settled place now.  We went from a 1 bedroom flat to a 3 bedroom house.  Rent has tripled. AMA.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: cybercoma on April 26, 2018, 06:52:22 am
I went to one of my favorite local watering holes, the Kim City Roadkill Bar and Grill, after work tonight to watch the hockey game and attempt to flirt with sexy bartenders.

Some middle aged drunk guy with a horseshoe moustache came over and sat down with me and decided he was my new best friend. It was extremely unpleasant.  He was very loud and very dumb. I didn't want to cause a scene, but was sorely tempted to tell him to **** off, or to put my right fist under his left ear and give him a nice nap to sleep it off.

After about 15 minutes-- it seemed much longer-- of this Heironymus Bosch style torment, the manager showed up and sat down nearby with a couple of friends.  I told Horseshoe Moustache guy "oh! My friends are here!" and went over and sat with them.  The manager is a 350 pound guy who looks like a Hell's Angel wearing a suit, so he's pretty intimidating.  And I go there often enough that he is at least casually friendly with me and recognized the problem.  And Horseshoe Moustache Guy didn't follow me. So that turned out ok.

There are few things you could do to make yourself look as seedy as a horseshoe moustache makes you look.  What more visible symbol of bad judgment is there?  Possibly a Truck-Nuts trailer-hitch cover on your truck, but that's about all I can think of.

 -k
A MAGA hat.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on May 01, 2018, 06:06:31 am
Okaaaay.

So my contract ended yesterday and they bobbled the extension and finally got me a 2-month extension in the afternoon to sign.

They had previously pleaded with me to come on full-time, which changed to a dual offer of full-time or contract "if I prefer", which changed to a 3-month contract offer, which changed to a 2-month contract offer. 

So you can see where this is going, right ?  ( They can't afford me and are trying to figure out what to do. )

.....

So, since the guy who understood the value I bring was let go 2 weeks ago (my old boss who brought me in), I now am in a pickle and so are they.  Good news is, my old friend at the L bank is reaching out again.  And the new contract has a 3-week notice clause if either side wants to terminate.

So this is what I am going to do:

Meet my new boss today and say "This job makes sense to both of us with me as permanent employee. I had discussed the terms with old-boss and I understood that they only needed some time in May to set it up.  I also need to decide in May if I am staying or not, so please let me know asap if you intend to offer full time or if you want to get rid of me after our launch May 7th."

This is necessary also because I want full-time, as my wife and I are expecting now.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on May 01, 2018, 07:45:47 am
Babies are scary. cute but very scary.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on May 01, 2018, 08:21:58 am
This is necessary also because I want full-time, as my wife and I are expecting now.

OMG OMG congratulations!   ;D

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest4 on May 01, 2018, 08:31:45 am
This is necessary also because I want full-time, as my wife and I are expecting now.

Congratulations, that is awesome.    ;D
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on May 01, 2018, 08:52:04 am
Good luck and congrats on the impending new addition.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on May 01, 2018, 10:47:09 am
Thanks :)
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Goddess on May 01, 2018, 11:36:40 am
A new little human!  Congrats  :)
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Goddess on May 03, 2018, 02:18:23 pm
Today is the 2 year anniversary of the Fort Mac fires.  I haven't been able to bring myself to go back yet, but I am planning to go back next month when my friend from there has her "Yay! I beat cancer!" party.

Random tears today.   :'(
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on May 05, 2018, 12:58:15 pm
****.  I am starting to realize how vulnerable I will be soon, with a little one.

Case in point: our specialist has been trying to get us an OB since March.  This process involves calling a phone # and leaving a message and faxing the hospital in question.  There is no way to follow up on a response. 

So on Thursday evening, Joan woke me up sobbing for not having heard back.  She does this - defers stress until it boils over.  I didn't know what to do so Friday I went to the hospital in person before it opened... and it worked !  A few more calls and emails connected the fax-ers to the fax-ees and we have an appointment.

I am pissed off, though, that such a simple and yet crucial process takes weeks, and requires an in-person visit.  Another thing: FAX ??? How much time is wasted with that.  If you saw the fax we received, it's abhorrent in its indescipherability... :(

Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on May 05, 2018, 01:00:46 pm
FAX?  Did they also have quill pens and briefcases??

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on May 05, 2018, 08:04:29 pm
FAX?  Did they also have quill pens and briefcases??

 -k

No kidding eh...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on May 05, 2018, 09:30:26 pm
Faxes are legal, emails not because they can be altered.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on May 06, 2018, 06:26:59 am
Faxes are legal, emails not because they can be altered.

The receiving clinic just scanned the fax and emailed it to us :(

Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: ?Impact on May 06, 2018, 03:08:58 pm
Faxes are legal, emails not because they can be altered.

Yes, the legal community is full of morons. A fax is just as easily altered as an email, but the brain dead liars (lawyers) are so full of themselves that they couldn't extricate themselves from a wet paper bag.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on May 06, 2018, 03:24:38 pm
Yes, the legal community is full of morons. A fax is just as easily altered as an email, but the brain dead liars (lawyers) are so full of themselves that they couldn't extricate themselves from a wet paper bag.

Imagine the judges.... Like those Senators questioning Zuckerberg about Facebook, who clearly hadn't seen a computer in their lives.

 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on May 09, 2018, 08:42:13 am
Faxes are legal, emails not because they can be altered.

Yup, you can do electronic signatures and realestate transactions by email and never physically see an agent.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on May 11, 2018, 06:33:52 am
Well, my product launched but... it's been bumpy.  My offshore team has been a little skimpy on preparation for certain things and it shows.  A few small security issues, some data issues. 

We're getting through it, however they have also hired a young manager to assist me and usurption is in the air.  I am ok with it.  :)
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: waldo on May 11, 2018, 08:28:12 am
so... you're that kind of PM, hey!  ;D

(https://cdn.iwastesomuchtime.com/92720130150149.jpg)
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on May 11, 2018, 08:47:50 am
Not sure how you got that but you are right.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on May 11, 2018, 09:50:23 pm
I met a bartender who is either really into me, or really good at convincing me that she is.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on May 11, 2018, 09:52:14 pm
I met a bartender who is either really into me, or really good at convincing me that she is.

 -k

Hmmmm.... there's always the danger that they are just doing their job, albeit in a friendly way.

Also.... how big is Kim City that you seem to meet a new person every few months ?  I thought it was a tiny town.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on May 11, 2018, 09:57:20 pm
Hmmmm.... there's always the danger that they are just doing their job, albeit in a friendly way.

Also.... how big is Kim City that you seem to meet a new person every few months ?  I thought it was a tiny town.

I may on occasion exaggerate how small Kim City really is.  There are over 125,000 people in Kim City itself, plus roughly 30,000 more in nearby municipalities and unincorporated areas, and it's also the regional hub of a pretty large area.  It's also one of the fastest growing communities in Canada, behind just a handful of cities in Alberta and Saskatchewan.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on May 12, 2018, 07:13:42 am
Ah ok.  It's a biggish city then...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on May 12, 2018, 10:34:58 am
Well, big enough that the dating pool is a pool and not just a fishbowl.  And with the amount of people arriving and leaving, there's always new people to meet.  Unfortunately most of the new people coming and going are young people, often arriving for college or to start their careers. Now that I'm no longer exactly young  I am not sure about dating people in their early 20s. 

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on May 12, 2018, 10:35:36 am
I am not sure about dating people in their early 20s. 
 

Yeah, but I'll bet they are...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: cybercoma on May 12, 2018, 06:56:25 pm
I may on occasion exaggerate how small Kim City really is.  There are over 125,000 people in Kim City itself, plus roughly 30,000 more in nearby municipalities and unincorporated areas, and it's also the regional hub of a pretty large area.  It's also one of the fastest growing communities in Canada, behind just a handful of cities in Alberta and Saskatchewan.

 -k
Kim City is double the size of the capital of New Brunswick. hah
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on May 13, 2018, 10:50:26 pm
Yeah, but I'll bet they are...

Sure about what?


Based on my own adventures and misadventures at that age, I suspect that many of them aren't actually sure of anything.     You're young and attractive and the world is full of possibilities and there are many things you're interested in or curious about, and you're excited to experience as much of it as you can.  And some of the things that seemed interesting when you were reading about them or saw them in a movie turn out to be not quite what you were expecting. 

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on May 14, 2018, 05:10:55 am
Sure about what?

What they want to do in the moment.

Quote
Based on my own adventures and misadventures at that age, I suspect that many of them aren't actually sure of anything.     You're young and attractive and the world is full of possibilities and there are many things you're interested in or curious about, and you're excited to experience as much of it as you can.  And some of the things that seemed interesting when you were reading about them or saw them in a movie turn out to be not quite what you were expecting. 
 

I think I wrote about dating a much older women when I was younger.  I knew I wanted to try it, and she was wise enough to know what I was up to when she bought in.  It was quite a romance, although short.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Goddess on May 16, 2018, 09:42:10 am
I'm going to Slayer on Sunday.   ;D
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest4 on May 16, 2018, 11:33:07 pm
Won a new position at work, it's a challenging job but I'm loving it.  Also a promotion in that it's 5 levels above my previous position and that does translate into a bit more money.  Yay me!  I'd buy you all lunch, but it would probably just end up in a huge food fight.    ;D   ;D  ;D
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on May 23, 2018, 03:20:02 am
What they want to do in the moment.

I feel like "in the moment" is an important disclaimer when you're talking about people in their early 20s. It certainly was for me, at least. I never did anything I didn't want to do, but I did lots of things that made me think, later, "what the heck was I thinking..."  Life was like Disneyland, and I wanted to go on all the rides. Some of them were great, some were fun, some were scary, some made me barf...

I had mentioned the bartender, who is a quite a bit younger than me.  And there's a waitress at a place I often go... we've never talked, but the eye contact and smiles and amount of mutual checking out... it makes my heart beat quicker. She's probably about 20, which makes me feel dirty and old.

But instead...

I think I wrote about dating a much older women when I was younger.  I knew I wanted to try it, and she was wise enough to know what I was up to when she bought in.  It was quite a romance, although short.

 ...I went to an open house this weekend and ended up giving the realtor my number.  Considerably older than me, divorced, has adult children out in the world. MILF, cougar type. She texted me today, and I've been on pins and needles ever since.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on May 23, 2018, 03:55:53 am
Having trouble sleeping.  Lots of shouting going on somewhere close by.  Followed by 15 minutes of quiet.  Followed by the RCMP arriving with sirens blaring.  Followed by more shouting. It's a vicious cycle.  Lots of partying going on tonight for some reason.  Drunk mooks and woo-hoo girls.  Mook season runs basically from May long weekend to Labor Day and really picks up in July and August, so things are just going to get louder.   


 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on May 23, 2018, 06:17:37 am

I had mentioned the bartender, who is a quite a bit younger than me.  And there's a waitress at a place I often go... we've never talked, but the eye contact and smiles and amount of mutual checking out... it makes my heart beat quicker. She's probably about 20, which makes me feel dirty and old.

Well, sure ... but curiosity didn't kill the cat, at least not right away...

Quote
...I went to an open house this weekend and ended up giving the realtor my number.  Considerably older than me, divorced, has adult children out in the world. MILF, cougar type. She texted me today, and I've been on pins and needles ever since.
 

You seem to be at that age where you can trade up to older, or down to younger... or something.  When I was 32 I took a break from my 24-year old girlfriend to date a 50-year old.  The 24-year old was quite jealous and they almost met up at a play I was in.... hoo-boy. 

I just met up with a girl pal (never dated) from university last night.  Don't know how she does it - she is in her 50s and chubby and never goes without a guy for long.  She is on a break with her boyfriend, and right away met a younger dude who is pleasuring her while the boyfriend (none the wiser) figures out if he wants to commit to a relationship.  To those of you singles who meet people at the rate of one a year or more, congratulations.  I know many who go years without a date.  Maybe they don't try.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on May 23, 2018, 06:22:08 am
When we last tuned in on my career, usurption was in the air... and... it HAPPENED.

Not sure why, but the new guy has effectively shut me out of communication and decision making.  I attend conference calls, but I am a ghost... I say 'hello' at the start then sit there for an hour.

Between meetings I have one task: forward emails that come to me automatically from a ticket system.  I forward them to the new guy to do the work.  Other than that, I surf.

Yes, it is bugging me.  They are paying me many thousands every week to do nothing.  And it kills me because I like the company, and they really need me to organize their projects.  But they don't know what they don't know... so they give me nothing to do.

I told my grand-boss that they should make me a project organizer guy... and he said he'd let me know next week.  If the answer is 'no' then I'm going to find something else.  I have an interview with a bank on Friday and then a phone interview for a fancy job on June 1st.  The bank seems the most likely choice right now.

I don't like feeling useless.  It is actually depressing.  My old boss and underling were fired, and the new guy is socializing and making friends while simultaneously shutting me out and being cold to me.  Surprising how much stuff like that can affect you, even in middle age.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on May 23, 2018, 06:24:18 am
Separate discussion with my gal pal from last night:

She said she would end a marriage over lack of sex, no question.  Would you ?  I would not.  I would end it through cruelty, or desperate circumstances but not that.  If love is there then I am showing up.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest4 on May 23, 2018, 08:19:34 am
Separate discussion with my gal pal from last night:

She said she would end a marriage over lack of sex, no question.  Would you ?  I would not.  I would end it through cruelty, or desperate circumstances but not that.  If love is there then I am showing up.

When I was younger, I might have since I conflated love and sex to some extent.   Not so much any more, so depending on the reason for "no sex", it wouldn't be a deal breaker.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on May 24, 2018, 12:26:19 am
When we last tuned in on my career, usurption was in the air... and... it HAPPENED.

Not sure why, but the new guy has effectively shut me out of communication and decision making.  I attend conference calls, but I am a ghost... I say 'hello' at the start then sit there for an hour.

I'll have to work this into an upcoming episode.   I'm suspicious of this new guy. Maybe he works for Ooblik? 

Sorry to hear you're on unsteady ground. :(

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on May 24, 2018, 01:05:57 am
Well, sure ... but curiosity didn't kill the cat, at least not right away...

I know... I just don't want to get caught up in some kind of Patrick Brown type of thing.

You seem to be at that age where you can trade up to older, or down to younger... or something.  When I was 32 I took a break from my 24-year old girlfriend to date a 50-year old.  The 24-year old was quite jealous and they almost met up at a play I was in.... hoo-boy. 

This encounter kind of caught me by surprise. I didn't go in with the intention of becoming a MILF-hunter. And the idea of being with someone that much older than me isn't normally something I'd be that interested in.  I had just sort of on a whim decided to view the property, as it's close by and I have always liked the house from the outside. I thought this might be my only chance to see the inside.  She's charismatic and engaging, as sales-people often are. She obviously puts a lot of work into her appearance... my guess is that she's in her early 50s, give or take. She's good looking for her age.  Tan, bleached hair, fairly fit, probably spends a fair amount of time on a treadmill or doing yoga or something like that. Implants, but not comedy-sized ones.  I don't have a lot of experience with real estate people, but it seems like many of them put a lot of work into their appearance. Anyway, she looks pretty good with clothes on, and I found myself wondering if she'd look good naked or if she'd have old lady wrinkles everywhere. Maybe she picked up on my curiosity, I dunno.  So we're getting together for drinks tomorrow. 


I just met up with a girl pal (never dated) from university last night.  Don't know how she does it - she is in her 50s and chubby and never goes without a guy for long.  She is on a break with her boyfriend, and right away met a younger dude who is pleasuring her while the boyfriend (none the wiser) figures out if he wants to commit to a relationship.  To those of you singles who meet people at the rate of one a year or more, congratulations.  I know many who go years without a date.  Maybe they don't try.

Some people are blessed with personality and people-skills that let them navigate social situations with ease.  Others are blessed with kim-bobbles.  If it came down to social skills and personality, I'd be so screwed.

Separate discussion with my gal pal from last night:

She said she would end a marriage over lack of sex, no question.  Would you ?  I would not.  I would end it through cruelty, or desperate circumstances but not that.  If love is there then I am showing up.

As I've mentioned before, I'm a severe introvert at heart, and the idea of wanting a constant companion is pretty alien to me. That makes the idea of marriage itself pretty alien to me... so maybe I'm not qualified to say what I'd end a marriage over.  When I do crave companionship, physical intimacy is one of the things I crave most.


 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on May 24, 2018, 06:18:57 am
I'll have to work this into an upcoming episode.   I'm suspicious of this new guy. Maybe he works for Ooblik? 

Sorry to hear you're on unsteady ground. :(

 -k

I have 2 other interviews and I have never been in more demand.  It's more the sadness of having to leave again... and of being shunned.  It really does hurt.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on May 24, 2018, 06:21:57 am
   When I do crave companionship, physical intimacy is one of the things I crave most.


 -k

Me too, but that's not sex either.  You can have physical intimacy and sex, but not from the same person... or from one person and yourself...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on May 24, 2018, 09:07:38 am
Me too, but that's not sex either.  You can have physical intimacy and sex, but not from the same person... or from one person and yourself...

I have been an angry incel for like 2 months, and it's getting to me.  I'm not quite agitated enough to rent a van yet, but I definitely need to get things sorted out quickly.  Especially with summer here... I'm running and rowing and cycling and lifting, so my body is just constantly full of energy. And now it's beach season, which is driving me even more mental.  Pretty much every time I venture outside.  hnnnngggggghh.   At this point, when I say I'm craving physical intimacy, I pretty much mean sex.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on May 24, 2018, 09:19:16 am
Ah well... at least you're exercising.  You have options and for an introvert you seem to get a few.  Stick with it - you're winning !
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on May 25, 2018, 01:08:09 pm
Interview this afternoon.  Wish me luck !   ;D
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on May 25, 2018, 05:17:16 pm
Wow.  Well that sucked.  I think I feel worse about myself after that interview.  Two asian ladies, much younger than me and with not much experience but holy **** they were smart.  I bombed but... worse... my view of my recent project experience is downgraded.

Old dog needs a new trick....  :'(
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on May 25, 2018, 10:18:25 pm
Wow.  Well that sucked.  I think I feel worse about myself after that interview.  Two asian ladies, much younger than me and with not much experience but holy **** they were smart.  I bombed but... worse... my view of my recent project experience is downgraded.

Old dog needs a new trick....  :'(

No!  Mikaru not sucko!  Mikaru goodo! Mikaru greato!


Sorry to hear your interview was not a success.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on May 25, 2018, 10:54:48 pm
On the bright side my date turned out pretty good.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on May 26, 2018, 06:42:01 am
On the bright side my date turned out pretty good.

 -k

Oh ?  Well that's nice.  Do you have a new friend ?  What's the story ?  The cougary real-estate lady seems like a different breed from you.  Is she a kindred spirit ?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on May 27, 2018, 05:23:51 am
Oh ?  Well that's nice.  Do you have a new friend ?  What's the story ?  The cougary real-estate lady seems like a different breed from you.  Is she a kindred spirit ?
We're polar opposites, personality wise.  She's a talker, the kind who needs to talk even if she doesn't have anything interesting to say. I guess that's not surprising considering her line of work. She seems like the sort of person who loves being the center of attention, loves being with loud groups of friends and being at loud parties.  I don't see relationship potential, and I don't think she has any interest in that anyway.  I think she sees this as a booty-call while she's between relationships with men. Which is completely fine with me.  She's energetic and assertive and fun, and definitely not new at this.  After spending months with FOB types, that's a nice change.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on May 27, 2018, 06:36:13 am
After spending months with FOB types, that's a nice change.
 

Ok.  FOB... Free on Board ?  or Fresh off the Boat ?   ???
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on May 27, 2018, 11:21:28 am
Ok.  FOB... Free on Board ?  or Fresh off the Boat ?   ???

Fresh Off Boat.    I don't mind being a tour-guide, it can be fun.  But being with someone who is experienced and confident and can take charge is exciting.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on May 27, 2018, 12:24:56 pm
OOlp  I missed the context.  Thought you were talking about immigrants.

 :-[
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on May 27, 2018, 12:39:00 pm
OOlp  I missed the context.  Thought you were talking about immigrants.

 :-[

hahah, no!  Not that I'd be opposed to that. Just that it seems like people I was meeting were very new to the sex part of things. Curious, or inexperienced, or unsure. 

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on May 27, 2018, 01:01:12 pm
From my gay male friends I have heard both sides of those encounters.   Somehow relatable even to cis straight people.  Awkwardness is universal maybe ?  At least to me...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on May 27, 2018, 11:49:16 pm
There are some people I can't picture ever having an awkward moment.

Maybe some people maybe the sex is the awkward part.  For me, it's the easy part, and everything that happens prior to clothes coming off is awkwardness. Luckily she mad that part quite easy and fun.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on May 28, 2018, 08:40:17 am
How did she make the awkward part easy ?  I'm glad it's the talking part because as an awkward person that is what I am interested in.

Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: cybercoma on May 28, 2018, 10:26:05 am
How did she make the awkward part easy ?  I'm glad it's the talking part because as an awkward person that is what I am interested in.

She slid her glasses down her nose, looking over the rims while biting her lip and said, "Well, Miss Kimmy. Your library books are 2 weeks overdue. You've been a very bad girl."
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on May 28, 2018, 10:45:08 am
She slid her glasses down her nose, looking over the rims while biting her lip and said, "Well, Miss Kimmy. Your library books are 2 weeks overdue. You've been a very bad girl."

Cut that out.

Plus, she's a real estate agent.  She probably only reads "Personal Power" by Anthony Robbins
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: cybercoma on May 28, 2018, 11:22:38 am
Cut that out.

Plus, she's a real estate agent.  She probably only reads "Personal Power" by Anthony Robbins
In that case, she probably said, "let me show you how spacious the master bedroom is....and call me master."
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on May 28, 2018, 11:45:49 am
In that case, she probably said, "let me show you how spacious the master bedroom is....and call me master."

(https://media.giphy.com/media/yQEmQSOasdG36/giphy.gif)
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on May 28, 2018, 10:38:43 pm
She slid her glasses down her nose, looking over the rims while biting her lip and said, "Well, Miss Kimmy. Your library books are 2 weeks overdue. You've been a very bad girl."
Not gonna lie... that's hot.

(https://i.imgur.com/oApHucP.gif)

Cut that out.

Plus, she's a real estate agent.  She probably only reads "Personal Power" by Anthony Robbins

 ;D  :D

In that case, she probably said, "let me show you how spacious the master bedroom is....and call me master."

I'm not sure if this is more cheesy or less cheesy than what actually happened.

How did she make the awkward part easy ?  I'm glad it's the talking part because as an awkward person that is what I am interested in.

So... she's a natural talker, as sales people often are.  Some people just have a gift for it.  I have tried to observe them and learn their ways, but it will just never come natural to me. Being assertively interested in the other person, or at least faking it. That sort of thing.  Another big part of it was her being confident and taking the steps that people are often nervous about taking.  When we got to the part of the evening where it was time to move along, she says "let's go back to my place" with seemingly no fear of rejection. She gave me the grand tour, and mixed drinks for us, and we talked more, and when it's again starting to feel like time to make a decision, she says "let's play strip poker!"  Which is silly and ridiculous, but also kind of genius. I lost quite badly, and had to perform "dares" to keep playing after I ran out of clothes, and we were both pretty riled up before she even ran out of clothes.  I think the most important thing she did was to confidently take the initiative at points where dates sometimes fizzle out (like the part where you've paid your tabs and aren't sure what next and somebody chickens out and says "wellll, I have to get up early tomorrow...")  She didn't let it get to those points.


 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on May 29, 2018, 06:28:42 am
Ahhh... simplicity is almost always the answer.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on May 30, 2018, 01:15:27 pm

Sorry to hear your interview was not a success.

 -k

So turns out I was wrong and they liked me... at least a little bit.  The only thing that makes sense is if they liked me because they are going to offer me 50K less to go work for them.  I think my utter obsequiousness by the end of this may have worked for me as in....

"This Michael guy must be at least a LITTLE smart to realize how much dumber he is than us...."
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on May 31, 2018, 07:20:26 pm
okaaaay.... so I am not getting renewed at my company... after saving the world over there.

At least they were nice about it. 

Now the interview I thought I bombed says they are putting together an offer.  Now I am starting to realize that I pretty much need 6 figures to live in this city.  And I have a 20-year old car.  I don't understand how people live here....
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on May 31, 2018, 11:29:54 pm
okaaaay.... so I am not getting renewed at my company... after saving the world over there.

What a bunch of jerks!  >:(  If you need anybody's knees broken, just send me a PM. 

At least they were nice about it. 

Now the interview I thought I bombed says they are putting together an offer.  Now I am starting to realize that I pretty much need 6 figures to live in this city.  And I have a 20-year old car.  I don't understand how people live here....

So why?

I read an article recently about Millennials abandoning the biggest cities, in droves, to move to "second tier" cities that still offer most of the perks of living in New York or LA or San Francisco, without the exorbitant cost of living. People graduated from college and moved in with romantic ideas about these places, but after the excitement of living in a "prestige" city wore off, people found it wasn't as great as they imagined, and left.

I had this fight with the previous significant other many times. Obviously, Kim City isn't a "second tier" city, it's not even in the top ten tiers... but I have a job and a home and everything I need here, while she's struggling to make ends meet in Vancouver.    Why? What's so great about it?  I just don't see the point.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on May 31, 2018, 11:31:27 pm
I had forgotten how exciting it can be to receive naughty text messages out of the blue.   ;D

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on June 01, 2018, 06:25:06 am
I had forgotten how exciting it can be to receive naughty text messages out of the blue.   ;D

 -k

OOPS.  Sorry about that.  :D
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on June 01, 2018, 07:08:07 am
What a bunch of jerks!  >:(  If you need anybody's knees broken, just send me a PM. 

So why?

I read an article recently about Millennials abandoning the biggest cities, in droves, to move to "second tier" cities that still offer most of the perks of living in New York or LA or San Francisco, without the exorbitant cost of living. People graduated from college and moved in with romantic ideas about these places, but after the excitement of living in a "prestige" city wore off, people found it wasn't as great as they imagined, and left.

I had this fight with the previous significant other many times. Obviously, Kim City isn't a "second tier" city, it's not even in the top ten tiers... but I have a job and a home and everything I need here, while she's struggling to make ends meet in Vancouver.    Why? What's so great about it?  I just don't see the point.

 -k

Meh.  The company paid me well.  Now that I have succeeded they can't afford to keep me.

I am 50_50 on the city.  It's still fun for now.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on June 02, 2018, 09:25:32 am
Need a baby name.  Male.  Irish. 

Go !
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest4 on June 02, 2018, 10:14:47 am
Kelly, Kerry, Aiden (or Aedon), Sean, Dylan, Liam, Braden, Brendan, Reilly (or Riley).
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on June 02, 2018, 11:40:17 am
I think you should name the baby "Bubber" if it's a boy, and "BC_Cheque" if it's a girl.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on June 02, 2018, 12:21:38 pm
I think you should name the baby "Bubber" if it's a boy, and "BC_Cheque" if it's a girl.

 -k

It's a boy.  How about Bush Cheney ?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on June 02, 2018, 12:46:56 pm
Only if you want him to get beat up at school.

By the teachers.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Goddess on June 04, 2018, 09:47:46 am
I know some people here who just had a baby boy and named him Declan.  Seems like a nice name.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on June 04, 2018, 10:32:52 am
I know some people here who just had a baby boy and named him Declan.  Seems like a nice name.

It just made the suggestion list.  Also I am a fan of Declan McManus.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on June 05, 2018, 12:47:05 am
I think "Coonlight" would be a lovely name for a child.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on June 05, 2018, 07:53:15 am
It just made the suggestion list.  Also I am a fan of Declan McManus.

Great news.  Joan went for it, although she cooled off quickly.  So far it's our #1.  Goddess may have named my child !  ???
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on June 05, 2018, 01:25:13 pm
Yeah.  Soooooo bored right now.  I am done here at end of June and just waiting for some irons in the fire on a new job.

Can't facebook at work so I am hitting 'refresh' on the old politics sites and listening to news radio :(
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on June 05, 2018, 02:45:43 pm
Hey speaking of personal stuff, anybody else out there a sailboat freak? I got hooked many years ago when I was invited down to the Bahamas during a time off from work in mid winter, and what a lovely change to go from Labrador snow banks to Caribbean waves. (water and heat) The friend of the friend who invited me who owned the boat also owned a yacht dealership on the East Coast. Next thing I know I'm making a deal to buy a boat of my own. Hoping there are boat stories out there.   
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on June 05, 2018, 02:48:55 pm
Hey speaking of personal stuff, anybody else out there a sailboat freak?

My dad-in-law is a sailing nut on the Bay of Quinte.  I never saw the appeal, but going out with him is just fantastic fun.  Very special way to relax but a little expensive.  He shares a boat with 3 others I think.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on June 05, 2018, 03:12:51 pm
My dad-in-law is a sailing nut on the Bay of Quinte.  I never saw the appeal, but going out with him is just fantastic fun.  Very special way to relax but a little expensive.  He shares a boat with 3 others I think.

Yes they can be expensive and I didn't have the dough for a fancy ass big boat but I was able to afford a small sloop which could sleep 6 but most of the time there was just the two of us aboard. That yacht dealership I mentioned was just north of Boston and I had a bee in my bonnet that I was going to sail this thing back to that same dock in Nassau where I had first ever set foot on a sailboat. Took us a while but we finally got there. I was in a job where I could work 7 days a week and stack up my vacation time and take it all at once and so we might have a couple of months to inch our way down the US east coast and then tie up. It was a more interesting way to integrate with the country than through hotels and airports. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on June 05, 2018, 03:18:20 pm
Oh yes, going by the shoreline is fascinating.  It's really a great thing.

Hard to afford for a working man :(
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on June 05, 2018, 03:19:57 pm
Well, speaking of work.  It looks like the bank wants to hire me full time.  Pay will be something like $30K-$40K less than now but there is potential for bonus and the team seems amazing.  Also... there is this little parental leave thing I would be taking up in the next few months.

I had to ask the HR person about that today.  I hope that it doesn't scuttle my offer.  I think I could sue them though ?  Right ?   ???
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Goddess on June 05, 2018, 04:20:39 pm
Sorry, I was thinking of the Irish boys' names again.......

We have a radio DJ here named Lochlan Cross.  Lochlan sounds nice.

I have friends down south who named their little boy Finn.

Or maybe Ronan......good Irish name.

Haha, okay that's it.  :D

I was thinking though that a lot of Irish names for boys seem to serve well for them as children and also names that serve well as adults.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on June 05, 2018, 04:38:20 pm
I like Ronan but it didn't fly.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on June 06, 2018, 09:41:19 am
Happy Kim Day to everyone!



 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on June 07, 2018, 09:30:53 am
This year's Kim Day was a bit of a dud. Stayed home, by myself.  Not even a birthday spanking this year.  :( 

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest4 on June 07, 2018, 01:27:53 pm
This year's Kim Day was a bit of a dud. Stayed home, by myself.  Not even a birthday spanking this year.  :( 

 -k

I have had birthdays and Christmasses like that.   Most years I could care less, but this year, turming the big 6-0, I decided to organize my own BD party, including planning my own gifts.   Went pretty well and was exactly the right people, food and length of time.  Huge advantage of planning your own - you really get what you want.  :)   
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: JMT on June 11, 2018, 04:04:11 pm
So John and Kayla are a thing again...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on June 11, 2018, 04:55:17 pm
Who?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: cybercoma on June 11, 2018, 05:16:47 pm
So John and Kayla are a thing again...
Boo.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: JMT on June 11, 2018, 07:49:19 pm
You and some of my family have a similar opinion.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: cybercoma on June 11, 2018, 08:24:04 pm
I just hate to see someone take advantage of your kindness and generosity.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on June 12, 2018, 01:35:46 am
So John and Kayla are a thing again...

 You've both been through a lot, and it might be hard to get back to the way things used to be. I hope things work out for the best, but I am concerned for you. Best wishes.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on June 12, 2018, 05:03:01 am
You've both been through a lot, and it might be hard to get back to the way things used to be. I hope things work out for the best, but I am concerned for you. Best wishes.

 -k

OOhhhh....

You should write down a note for yourself, and in that note write down the limit of how much grief you will put up with and how exactly you will delimit where you decide that enough is enough.  Then make a promise to act if that limit is passed.

Take care.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest4 on June 12, 2018, 08:45:15 am
So John and Kayla are a thing again...
I did this once.  I really loved the guy, still do 20 years on, but the issues that broke us up the first time were still there the second time.  They weren't just his issues, but mine as well.  Really good counselling might have helped but we didn't try that.  Anyway, I hope things go better for the two of you.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on June 12, 2018, 11:50:28 am
OMG this is mind-crushing... I literally have nothing to do.  I feel embarrassed walking the halls at "work" here.  I am done June 29th :(
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: cybercoma on June 12, 2018, 11:53:34 am
OMG this is mind-crushing... I literally have nothing to do.  I feel embarrassed walking the halls at "work" here.  I am done June 29th :(
Jesus. Why don't they just give you leave?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest4 on June 12, 2018, 11:57:45 am
OMG this is mind-crushing... I literally have nothing to do.  I feel embarrassed walking the halls at "work" here.  I am done June 29th :(

Sounds to me like you're getting a bad flu.   ;)
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on June 12, 2018, 12:03:24 pm
Sounds to me like you're getting a bad flu.   ;)

Yeah but I can't charge for sick time.  I have to be ready for work.  i am working from home one day a week but that's about as much as I can likely get away with.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on June 12, 2018, 01:33:24 pm
OMG this is mind-crushing... I literally have nothing to do.  I feel embarrassed walking the halls at "work" here.  I am done June 29th :(

And they say government is inefficient.....
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on June 12, 2018, 01:57:25 pm
And they say government is inefficient.....

Oh they all are...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: JMT on June 12, 2018, 08:10:00 pm
False alarm I think.  Life is strange.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: cybercoma on June 13, 2018, 05:57:10 am
False alarm I think.  Life is strange.
Dude. Don’t be the guy who doesn’t let her leave.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: ?Impact on June 13, 2018, 07:10:09 am
False alarm I think.  Life is strange.

Well I've been following, but ingoring this thread for quite some time, because you never really understand someones life from the Internet. It does seem however someone needs to have some sense slapped into them.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on June 13, 2018, 07:58:09 am
And they say government is inefficient.....
I had a government job working as a proofreader for the Manitoba Legislature once. It was an assembly line of constant work and when the work ran out, your work day was done and you punched the clock and went home. They were really strict about production too and you had to do a certain number of words per hour. Brutally efficient with the taxpayers' money, they were.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: JMT on June 13, 2018, 05:14:06 pm
Dude. Don’t be the guy who doesn’t let her leave.

She can leave - id rather she didn’t.  Then again she’d rsther she didn’t too so.  She still very damaged - I have to let things be and just be cool with whatever, unfortunately.  Her attitude is a daily surprise.

Last week she told me, if two people can’t stay away from each other, maybe they shouldn’t.  She was referring to her and me.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on August 15, 2018, 06:15:23 am
HOW ARE YOU ?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on August 15, 2018, 06:18:06 am
I am enjoying the conversations on here, and am sad that I don't have time to go through the 'safe injection thread' in detail this morning as I have to get to work.  So busy now in the new job and getting ready for baby.  I am still off cigarettes completely and mostly feeling energetic and balanced.

Last night I did a comedy show on a boat in the harbour.  Joan came too.  It was funny, and we drove home via downtown.  Kinda magical.  Then I started feeling sick and she put me to bed early with some Tylonol.  I am glad to have her.  I'll try to post a picture I took of some urban sites on the way home.

How the hell are you anyway ?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: cybercoma on August 15, 2018, 09:28:12 am
I am enjoying the conversations on here, and am sad that I don't have time to go through the 'safe injection thread' in detail this morning as I have to get to work.  So busy now in the new job and getting ready for baby.  I am still off cigarettes completely and mostly feeling energetic and balanced.

Last night I did a comedy show on a boat in the harbour.  Joan came too.  It was funny, and we drove home via downtown.  Kinda magical.  Then I started feeling sick and she put me to bed early with some Tylonol.  I am glad to have her.  I'll try to post a picture I took of some urban sites on the way home.

How the hell are you anyway ?
I'm good. Thanks for asking.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on August 15, 2018, 10:01:32 am
I'm dandy. Service Engine Soon light comes on intermittently though.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on August 15, 2018, 10:06:53 am
I spent the weekend in Vancouver and visited my last two significant others. Separately. (They both live there, but are not together. They don't even like each other.)

I cried a lot and made a complete fool of myself. I am wishing there was a way to travel back in time and undo this extremely poor decision. I have spent the last roughly 60 hours in a state of constant cringe at how embarrassing this was.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on August 15, 2018, 10:08:28 am
I'm dandy. Service Engine Soon light comes on intermittently though.

My "ABS" warning comes on intermittently. Like, about one time in ten, when I start the vehicle, the yellow ABS warning comes on and stays on until I stop the engine.  Next time I start it, ABS warning is gone by itself. No idea why.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on August 15, 2018, 10:10:50 am
My "ABS" warning comes on intermittently.

Maybe I need to do more sit-ups and crunches?

Also the extreme poor air quality is playing hell with my sinuses and I am thinking of staying home from work today. Should I call in sick?

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: ?Impact on August 15, 2018, 10:39:57 am
I guess I am clueless to all these double entendres like check engine light and ABS warning.

Seriously though, visiting not one but two former significant others in one weekend, that is just plain nuts.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on August 15, 2018, 11:10:12 am
I didn't mean it as a double entendre. I meant it in the context that the code is 0404, which probably means the EGR valve is dirty with carbon because I ride my bike everywhere and never drive (odometer just passed 50k on a 2005 vehicle) and it tends to accumulate when that happens. I'd fix it myself but the bolt holding it on is really tight and I tend to strip when I'm screwing.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on August 15, 2018, 11:11:11 am
I spent the weekend in Vancouver and visited my last two significant others. Separately. (They both live there, but are not together. They don't even like each other.)

I cried a lot and made a complete fool of myself. I am wishing there was a way to travel back in time and undo this extremely poor decision. I have spent the last roughly 60 hours in a state of constant cringe at how embarrassing this was.

 -k

Wow.  My question would be if you were honest with yourself about why you went and what you could reasonably expect to get out of those visits.

If so then it's an honest failure.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on August 15, 2018, 11:13:29 am
Nope, no double entendre there. and I'd suggest you be more careful when wrenching your nuts.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on August 16, 2018, 09:57:54 am
Wow.  My question would be if you were honest with yourself about why you went and what you could reasonably expect to get out of those visits.

If so then it's an honest failure.

... not a whole lot of thinking went into the whole operation.  "This smoke is gross! I should go away for the weekend! I have friends in Vancouver! It would be nice to see them!"  was about the extent of it.

I thought I was a grown-up and could handle seeing them in person without being an idiot but apparently not.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on August 16, 2018, 11:38:18 am
... not a whole lot of thinking went into the whole operation.  "This smoke is gross! I should go away for the weekend! I have friends in Vancouver! It would be nice to see them!"  was about the extent of it.

I thought I was a grown-up and could handle seeing them in person without being an idiot but apparently not.

 -k

Plenty of smoke in Vancouver too. 

What you should do is a country-wide ex tour.   Take a motorhome and visit them all!   That sounds like a ton of fun!   Only good things could come out of that! ;D
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on August 16, 2018, 08:04:11 pm
A few Burning Mans ago we were in the desert and California was on fire, as it is now.  The moon came up a bright orange.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on August 16, 2018, 10:10:44 pm
Do people eat peyote at Burning Man?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on August 16, 2018, 10:19:42 pm
I bet they do while the spirit of Carlos Castaneda hovers o'erhead.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on August 17, 2018, 07:19:23 am
Do people eat peyote at Burning Man?

They have online forums where they *design* drugs specifically for the event.  I am sure people have done every drug.  The only things that I can think of that didn't happen are a murder... and a birth.  Which is why we didn't go this year.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on August 17, 2018, 07:19:40 am
I bet they do while the spirit of Carlos Castaneda hovers o'erhead.

Reference=missed
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Goddess on August 17, 2018, 09:29:29 am
Just found out I'm going to be a grama again  ;D
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on August 17, 2018, 10:20:51 am
Reference=missed
Really? I know virtually nothing about it, but what I have seen reminds me of the shamanism that Castaneda talked about in his Teachings of Don Juan book.

Anyway, everybody's having babies! Babies are excellent.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Goddess on August 17, 2018, 11:19:36 am

Anyway, everybody's having babies! Babies are excellent.

Grandchildren are the best!  My granddaughter just turned four and I just got back from visiting her.  Actual conversation we had:

Grandbaby:  Come to my room, Grama T-Wow, I will paint your nails.
Me:  OK.  Do I get to pick a color?
GB:  No.  I'm going to do rainbow nails.
Me: OK.
GB: **gets a stool**
Me:  Is that your toilet stool?
GB  YA!
Me:  Perfect!
GB:  Put your hands flat on it, like this.
Me:  Wonderful.  I love it.

She has an interesting technique - starts painting at the tip and doesn't stop til she gets to halfway to the first knuckle.  Fixes the blobby parts with toilet paper, so I have little bits of TP stuck to them.   :D

Anyways, the service was terrible and the prices were outrageous but I give this nail salon 5 stars.   :-*
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on August 17, 2018, 11:27:23 am

Anyway, everybody's having babies! Babies are excellent.
Last night I tried to hum a tune into Joan's belly.  A pause... Then WHAP the biggest damn kick we ever felt!
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on August 17, 2018, 11:38:27 am
Last night I tried to hum a tune into Joan's belly.  A pause... Then WHAP the biggest damn kick we ever felt!

Maybe baby was already listening to Aretha.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on August 20, 2018, 06:15:56 am
And now a new thing: anxiety  >:(  I have rational reasons to feel it, I guess, but it's hitting me nonetheless.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on August 20, 2018, 04:26:30 pm
A little grand dad bragging. Oldest grand daughter just got back from England where she was with the BC U18 women's rugby team. They were there for ten days and won all three of their games, including beating the reigning English club champions 24-5. They also visited London, Bath, Oxford and Brighton while they were at it.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on August 20, 2018, 04:34:07 pm
Congrats to you and them. Sounds like a fun trip. Now did they get to sit down to enjoy a feed of that traditional English dish....curry?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on August 20, 2018, 04:42:57 pm
Congrats to you and them. Sounds like a fun trip. Now did they get to sit down to enjoy a feed of that traditional English dish....curry?

Ya, they had a lot of fun. Don't know about the curry, haven't talked to her since she got back on Sunday.

The Brits were in India for more than 300 years and has a lot of the best Indian food, so I guess it could be called traditional
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on August 20, 2018, 04:51:46 pm
The kid is damn good. To be picked as a 17 year old to tour with the U18's was quite a coupe. Last March, she went to Vegas to play with the BC U18 Sevens. They came second. During the tryouts, the UBC coach stopped by and told her to keep her marks up because she could be in line for a scholarship. She is just going into grade 12. This summer at the provincials, the U Vic coach invited her to their tryouts.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on August 25, 2018, 08:45:28 am
HOW ARE YOU ?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on August 25, 2018, 08:48:06 am
I got some feedback on my communication practices on Friday...

Poor posture, resting **** face and cutting people off are things I do.  I have been somewhat aware of these in the past and worked on them but it was kind of tough hearing it, especially from a much younger woman with a lot less experience.  Still, she could have said nothing.  I actually owe her a huge debt of gratitude.  (Side note she IS supposed to be coaching me as I am onboarding into a new environment using new methods but often times people leave this kind of thing out because it's personal and awkward.)
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on August 25, 2018, 11:14:28 am
HOW ARE YOU ?

NOT GREAT, BOB


The heavy smoke in the air is a big reason why.  It's affecting my eyes, my sinuses, and my lungs. Normally at this time of year I would be out swimming, running, paddling my kayak, and biking in the hills. I love being physically active outdoors. Being asthmatic, trying to do those things right now with the current air quality would cause me to die.  It's sucking the joy out of life right now, affecting my mood and my energy level.  Everything feels like a chore.  This is worse than last summer, which was worse than I'd seen since I've lived here. If this is the way things are going to be every summer, I am going to have to rethink living here.


 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on August 25, 2018, 12:10:00 pm
Sore back today...   

Weather Report:  smoke has cleared.  Raining here today! 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on August 25, 2018, 04:19:11 pm
NOT GREAT, BOB
  I am going to have to rethink living here.


 -k

Come to TORONTO !  LOLs ! (Loads of Lesbians)
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on August 25, 2018, 04:27:37 pm
Sore back today...   

Weather Report:  smoke has cleared.  Raining here today!

Wx report here was light rain in the am, then a breeze, blue sky, then more smoke, luckily fairly high up. It reminded me of my time in Nfld., "if you don't like the weather, just wait five minutes".
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on August 31, 2018, 11:34:04 pm
Come to TORONTO !  LOLs ! (Loads of Lesbians)

I get the impression that the scene in Toronto is mostly women who look like Al Franken.  Is it all flat-tops and thick-rim glasses?

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on August 31, 2018, 11:51:23 pm
I am off to Edmonton for a brief visit with my family and some  friends.  I'll be back mid-week, unless I get arrested or stabbed.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: cybercoma on September 01, 2018, 06:49:26 am
Is it all flat-tops and thick-rim glasses?

 -k
Nah. It's a lipstick lesbian buffet in the Six.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest4 on September 01, 2018, 12:33:38 pm
I am off to Edmonton for a brief visit with my family and some  friends.  I'll be back mid-week, unless I get arrested or stabbed.

 -k

Hope things go well for you.  Family can be challenging. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on September 01, 2018, 01:12:39 pm
NOT GREAT, BOB


The heavy smoke in the air is a big reason why.  It's affecting my eyes, my sinuses, and my lungs. Normally at this time of year I would be out swimming, running, paddling my kayak, and biking in the hills. I love being physically active outdoors. Being asthmatic, trying to do those things right now with the current air quality would cause me to die.  It's sucking the joy out of life right now, affecting my mood and my energy level.  Everything feels like a chore.  This is worse than last summer, which was worse than I'd seen since I've lived here. If this is the way things are going to be every summer, I am going to have to rethink living here.


 -k


The way things are going, there is no escaping it anywhere in the province.

We just got back from Kim City but we almost didn't go because of the smoke.  My husband wanted to cancel but I looked it up and air quality was just as bad in Vancouver so we went. 

Luckily there was some rain while we were there and the skies cleared up.  We got to breath while tasting wine, yay.

Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on September 03, 2018, 08:29:26 am
Well, we're in September and it's Labour Day.

I am trying to remember to breathe as a way to deal with anxiety of going back to work.  We may also visit a couple we know who just had a kid - a boy who will eventually be friends with ours I am sure.  We got a pile of onesies donated.  Baby is 10 weeks away now.   :o

The commute will be hell the first week of Sept.  It always is.  I'm in a show Tuesday night and taking out a friend for dinner who was laid off from tech at another bank after 28 years.

HOW ARE YOU ?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest4 on September 03, 2018, 11:22:14 am
A couple of weeks ago, I worked in a largish, square box into which 4 other work stations were crammed.  People have been complaining about that set up for years and it was part of the reason for a lot of turnover in that position.   The manager told me the same thing she's told previous employees: that if we came up with a plan, she'd support changing it.  So myself and a coworker did just that and we now have separated cubicles.  They're still pretty small but they provide better privacy and more natural light, so a definite improvement.   Feeling pretty good about that.

Our next door neighbor moved, and took his big dog whom he'd let run offleash..  The dog was nice enough but he and my dog got into a couple of scuffles, so I was always on the lookout to make sure he wasn't loose when I took my dog out.  Neighbor also had a nightly toke, which would drift into our windows so I won't miss that either.  Other than that they were good neighbors, helped us out by watering our yard when a flood forced us to live out for a few months last summer.

The new couple has moved in, got a little boy and maybe a baby.   She wears an abaya and hijab, so after the stories I read on these forums, I wondered if there'd be a huge cultural divide.   We ran into her outside our back door, and introduced ourselves; she had no hesitation shaking my (male) partner's hand and offered her hand to me.   So far, no attempt to force us to convert or die, but early days yet I guess.   
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on September 03, 2018, 11:24:01 am
We have maybe the most mixed neighbourhood I have lived in, or will.  All major races and religions.

No problems, of course...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest4 on September 03, 2018, 11:35:24 am
We have maybe the most mixed neighbourhood I have lived in, or will.  All major races and religions.

No problems, of course...

Middle Eastern to the left of us, Columbian to the right.  Korean (?) top left, East Indian top right.   The neighbor who moved was Mexican.  The Middle Eastern and East Indian neighbors are both clearly devout.  Not sure about the Coumbian or Korean (?) neighbors.  The only person who ever caused trouble was a Canadian "White Nationalist"; his violence got him a court date and banned from this complex. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on September 03, 2018, 11:52:10 am
The new couple has moved in, got a little boy and maybe a baby.   She wears an abaya and hijab, so after the stories I read on these forums, I wondered if there'd be a huge cultural divide.   We ran into her outside our back door, and introduced ourselves; she had no hesitation shaking my (male) partner's hand and offered her hand to me.   So far, no attempt to force us to convert or die, but early days yet I guess.

I have several Muslim friends.  Most are very modern.  One female doesn't wear any headcovering, another is gay.  Another female wears a hijab.  I have met Muslim women who wouldn't shake my hand though.  Nice enough people, but different beliefs.  Like Christianity, there's a huge variety in what people believe and how strictly etc.

Modern Muslims are like most lazy Christians, they won't eat pork and they celebrate Eid but another than that they're like you and I.  I don't care about generalizing labels ("Muslims"), it all depends on what and how you believe.  I may think not eating pork because pigs are dirty swine so says some holy book is an illogical belief, but it's harmless.  Like Christianity, other ideas are less harmless.

I also got a tour inside a Mosque once by a Muslim acquaintance.  I got some odd stares from some people lol.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest4 on September 03, 2018, 12:12:44 pm
I have several Muslim friends.  Most are very modern.  One female doesn't wear any headcovering, another is gay.  Another female wears a hijab.  I have met Muslim women who wouldn't shake my hand though.  Nice enough people, but different beliefs.  Like Christianity, there's a huge variety in what people believe and how strictly etc.

Modern Muslims are like most lazy Christians, they won't eat pork and they celebrate Eid but another than that they're like you and I.  I don't care about generalizing labels ("Muslims"), it all depends on what and how you believe.  I may think not eating pork because pigs are dirty swine so says some holy book is an illogical belief, but it's harmless.  Like Christianity, other ideas are less harmless.

I also got a tour inside a Mosque once by a Muslim acquaintance.  I got some odd stares from some people lol.

There are several Muslims where I work.  A girl who was born in Pakistan and lived there til she was 8 talked about celebrating Christmas, so I wondered and eventually asked her about her religious beliefs.  She said she was Muslim, but not really practicing - like most Muslims she knows, even in Pakistan. 

My sister thought, when she moved to Egypt, that she'd find a lot more devoutness but said that it wasn't  a lot different than Christans in Canada; some people are very religious, but most people are fairly casual about it.   There is a kind of lip service to Islam that may not extend to actual behaviour beyond what can be publically seen.  What is different from Canada is that reputation matters a lot, who you are related to, who you know and what they say about you. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on September 03, 2018, 12:14:34 pm
When I first moved from hicktown to Hogtown in the late 70's, I landed in an area called "The Beaches", near Lake Ontario. A quick ride in the elevator from my floor to street level could have you in the company of quite a variety of languages, skin colors, dress codes. I don't recall during the ~ 2 years I called that building home there ever being any noise of friction between those cultures. As I got to know a number of them I could see that they were all happy and proud to be, or on their way to becoming Canadians. It made me think a little more seriously of my citizenship I acquired simply by being born. It also made me happy they brought aspects of their previous cultures with them as often when I was heading down in that elevator, I was off for a stroll to the Danforth to sample the foods, the music, and to take a crack at enhancing my non English language skills. Always had fun.       
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Goddess on September 05, 2018, 11:59:46 am
Our company has undergone some restructuring.  We are hiring as we are quite short-staffed right now but so far have only received a few resumes.   :(

Part of it is caused by some upheaval in the municipal world, which has brought us 27 new clients in the last 2 months.

I'm taking on some of the travel duties, in addition to heading the communicaqtions department here - we have clients in 3 provinces - so I'll be doing a bit more travelling for work.  Good side of it is that we have a large client base in Manitoba, where my kids live, so I'll get to see them more often.  And on the company's dime!  And I get a new laptop to travel with.

First trip is next week.  :)
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on September 05, 2018, 04:59:53 pm
What is different from Canada is that reputation matters a lot, who you are related to, who you know and what they say about you.

That's interesting.  They still have an honour culture.  The west used to have this.  Ie: in the 1800's you still had people (mostly men) challenging others to duels for disgracing their honour.  Alexander Hamilton, the US founding father, was fatally shot in a duel with another politician.

I find that in developing countries they have much bigger families usually, so many aunts/cousins etc. and so family talks and gossips a lot more ad things spread to more people.  Developing countries also tend to have communities where people know each other and talk to neighbours more often, like Canada use to be like.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on September 05, 2018, 07:04:58 pm
Got semi-ambushed into a "team review" meeting with the whole team, wherein we were given an online questionnaire to fill out anonymously and talk about how the team is "doing".  My worst fears were that I would get lambasted as my team doesn't know me but I did pretty well.  :D

Baby is 10 weeks away...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest4 on September 05, 2018, 07:06:19 pm
That's interesting.  They still have an honour culture. 

Some stories illustrating that "honor" culture.

My sister rides the public transit buses and tells me about riders passing fares up to the driver via other riders, and having their change returned to them. 

My sister entered into an agreement to purchase a yet-to-be-completed flat at a certain price.  A few weeks later the builder came back and said he couldn't do it at the agreed upon price and my sister replied that she couldn't afgord the new price. Her husband was pretty furious and contacted  the builder's Bedouin tribe/family about it.   The builder was informed that he was honor-bound to complete the deal at the agreed upon price, even if he lost money.   They then "asked" what my sister could afford extra and eventually came to a deal that they w coukd both live with.   My sister is pretty happy with her flat, which is in her name.

Of course, not everyone is honorable.  My sister has had her phone stolen (but then the thief called her husband to let him know where she was), she's been harassed on the street and had people treat her poorly due to being female and/or not "Muslim" enough.  But by and large her experience with Egyptians has been positive, or she'd be back home.  Her husband is nothing but doting and generous.

Quote
I find that in developing countries they have much bigger families usually, so many aunts/cousins etc. and so family talks and gossips a lot more ad things spread to more people.  Developing countries also tend to have communities where people know each other and talk to neighbours more often, like Canada use to be like.

Her husband's family tends to smaller sizes.  I don't think any of the brothers have more than 3 kids.  Education and economics affect family size.  But still lots of talk and veey strong family bonds. 

I never liked Canadian small town life because of that talking/gossipping thing.  Too much of a free spirit to meet the social expectations I guess.  I probably wouldn't do well in Egypt just because of that.   But my sister loves it there.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest4 on September 05, 2018, 07:09:09 pm
Got semi-ambushed into a "team review" meeting with the whole team, wherein we were given an online questionnaire to fill out anonymously and talk about how the team is "doing".  My worst fears were that I would get lambasted as my team doesn't know me but I did pretty well.  :D

Baby is 10 weeks away...

Will you get parental leave?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on September 05, 2018, 07:15:34 pm
Will you get parental leave?

I feel that it's doubtful at this point.  I am happy enough to work in IT in a 40-hour workweek job. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on September 05, 2018, 11:28:50 pm
Baby is 10 weeks away...

You got a baby coming?  Congrats that's great man!
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on September 06, 2018, 05:28:27 am
Yep.  I am stressed but happy !
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on September 06, 2018, 12:42:13 pm
Are you still planning to name him "Coonlight"?  I think that would be lovely!

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on September 06, 2018, 06:09:57 pm
I just asked Joanie if "Kim" was possible....
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on September 06, 2018, 11:29:30 pm
Kim Possible would be a great name for a girl!

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on September 06, 2018, 11:38:09 pm
How about Graham?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on September 06, 2018, 11:38:36 pm
Wait, it's a girl, I'm an idiot.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on September 06, 2018, 11:41:18 pm
Wait, it's a girl, I'm an idiot.

No, Michael's child-to-be is a boy.  That's why they're going with Coonlight rather than Kim Possible.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on September 06, 2018, 11:48:00 pm
I have to ask, is this a serious discussion with regard to actually naming a real child "coonlight"?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on September 06, 2018, 11:48:38 pm
Of course, obviously.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on September 06, 2018, 11:50:32 pm
Of course, obviously.

 -k

My fear is you could actually be serious. (from what I've seen)
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on September 07, 2018, 05:20:06 am
Seriously we are running out of options.  I have suggested John (after SirJohn of course) but I haven't tried Vlad or Karl yet.

Waylon, Junior and Declan were all in consideration at some point.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on September 07, 2018, 07:41:08 am
When I was naming children, I didn't want a name that would say anything about the parents' personalities, because who would want a name like that? So I didn't stray too far from the top 10 most popular.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: cybercoma on September 07, 2018, 08:53:12 am
Seriously we are running out of options.  I have suggested John (after SirJohn of course) but I haven't tried Vlad or Karl yet.

Waylon, Junior and Declan were all in consideration at some point.
You seem like the type to name a child Xavier, Arlo, Van, Edison, Miller, Holden, Ryder, Van, or Beckett. Then your baby will fit in at Burning Man.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on September 07, 2018, 09:16:23 am
Weird that you said Van twice and Joan reacted to that one.

At the ultrasound clinic.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on September 07, 2018, 09:21:58 am
While he's small, you could call him minivan.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on September 07, 2018, 09:34:48 am
We live vans and talk about them a lot so Joan doesn't want to add to that.  Van is out as a name.

If anyone gives us a name, Joan and I will take you to dinner in Toronto, our choice.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on September 07, 2018, 09:42:29 am
I like the idea of a common but flexible name with a lot of variations to choose from. That way they have options. For example, Alexander can be Al, Alex, Xander, Sasha, Lex, or just the full name.
I don't know how they get Sasha out of that, but they do.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest4 on September 07, 2018, 10:04:13 am
If anyone gives us a name, Joan and I will take you to dinner in Toronto, our choice.

Will you pay for the flight to Toronto though?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest4 on September 07, 2018, 10:06:24 am
Also how about a list of rejected names so we don't go over old ground. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: ?Impact on September 07, 2018, 11:44:10 am
Donald
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on September 07, 2018, 11:47:15 am
You seem like the type to name a child Xavier, Arlo, Van, Edison, Miller, Holden, Ryder, Van, or Beckett. Then your baby will fit in at Burning Man.

I like Arlo!  Like Arlo Guthrie!  You can get anything you want, at Alice's Restaurant!

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on September 07, 2018, 12:07:22 pm
I like Arlo!  Like Arlo Guthrie!  You can get anything you want, at Alice's Restaurant!

 -k

I don wana pickle, just wana ride my motor sicle.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on September 07, 2018, 10:13:41 pm
Will you pay for the flight to Toronto though?

No.  You have to get your company to pay.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on September 08, 2018, 03:08:44 am
You should name your child after a Greek god.  There are no more badass names for a male.

Possibles:  Apollo, Hyperion, Achilles, Oceanus, Prometheus, Orion ?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on September 08, 2018, 03:10:24 am
How about Batman?  Or Wolverine?  Logan?  The kid would love u.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on September 08, 2018, 06:29:29 am
These are fun to read but I won't be saying those out loud :D
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on September 08, 2018, 01:55:43 pm
How about DeShawn, Shaquille, or Jevante?

How about Aiden,  Brayden, Hayden, Jayden, or Kayden?

How about Helmut, Hans, Joergen, Jens, or Franz?

How about George?


 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on September 08, 2018, 03:54:23 pm
I liked George but it got a flat no.  She liked Hans and Hayden.  Those don't make sense to me. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest4 on September 08, 2018, 05:34:17 pm
I liked George but it got a flat no.  She liked Hans and Hayden.  Those don't make sense to me.

My great-grandson's father's name is Hayden.  My great-grandson's name is Dominic.  How about Hayden Dominic Hardener?   Or maybe Dominic Hayden Hardener?   

Have you considered Claude?   
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on September 09, 2018, 12:46:36 am
Claude sounds like Clod. 

Hardner will not be part of this child's name if his parents have anything to do with it.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on September 09, 2018, 04:27:23 am
Henry?

Charles?  Greg?  Shady?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on September 09, 2018, 09:13:28 am
I like 'Henry'... I'll try it out.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on September 09, 2018, 09:42:23 am
"Do you like the name Henry ?"
"No"
"Why not ?"
"I don't really like 'H' names"
"YOUR name is an 'H' name"
"I know"

:(
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on September 20, 2018, 06:31:35 am
Still no name... but wife is really expanding so i hope that the hot weather stays away.

Pre-Natal classes tonight and I'm getting nervous... I can feel it. 

How are YOU doing today ?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on September 20, 2018, 12:30:23 pm
Have been home sick from work for the past day and a bit, but I think I might go back this afternoon because I'm really bored.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: ?Impact on September 20, 2018, 04:36:24 pm
I might go back this afternoon because I'm really bored.

Take up knitting, your colleagues will appreciate it.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on September 20, 2018, 05:10:08 pm
I decided to stay home.  I stopped at a store on the way to work and I was physically exhausted after 5 minutes of shopping. I took that as a message.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on September 20, 2018, 05:11:54 pm
Have been home sick from work for the past day and a bit, but I think I might go back this afternoon because I'm really bored.

 -k

Been sick too.  There's a bug going around.  I was bored too i was off a few days so i went back, i was feeling not horrible though.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on September 20, 2018, 08:58:13 pm
Pre-natal class tonight.  Very weird.  Ten couples and we are there because we're all expecting very soon... all of us our first kid.  They did a great job... told us what we would have to do... tried to allay our fears but showed us some birthing videos.

I had never seen that before.   :o
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest4 on September 22, 2018, 01:57:00 pm
Granddaughter is now homeless, has a bed in an emergency shelter, but wanders during the day in a town where she doesn't know anyone.  Some of this is a result of her own choices, and some is the result of things she has no control over.   It just breaks my heart.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on September 22, 2018, 02:05:47 pm
Granddaughter is now homeless, has a bed in an emergency shelter, but wanders during the day in a town where she doesn't know anyone.  Some of this is a result of her own choices, and some is the result of things she has no control over.   It just breaks my heart.

That's a tough one. Does she communicate with you?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on September 22, 2018, 02:23:09 pm
That's awful...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest4 on September 22, 2018, 03:06:53 pm
That's a tough one. Does she communicate with you?

Yes.  I have offered her some space and time here but she declined because she wants to be independent.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: SirJohn on September 22, 2018, 03:08:56 pm
Big storm locally, tore up a bunch of houses and buildings, tore the **** out of the electric grid. Half the city was down, and much of it still is.
I was down about 24hrs. Had heat and lights, but no computer so no work. Need to get battery backup for my laptop and router if I can get my idiot brother in law to explain which of them I should buy (electrician). The roads have been in chaos since yesterday because there's no street lights. Every hotel that has power is fully booked. My brother came here to recharge his phone, a 20 minute drive. Took two hours. Some people won't get power back for days.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: ?Impact on September 22, 2018, 03:44:45 pm
Yes, the wind was howling very loudly in Montreal late last night and into the early hours. No power outage here, perhaps all that investment since the ice storm 20 years ago paid off. The neighbours deck chairs were blown around, but I didn't see a lot of damage; maybe the wind reduced somewhat as it headed east. I havn't watched the local news, so perhaps other parts of the city didn't fare as well.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on September 22, 2018, 03:48:51 pm
Yes.  I have offered her some space and time here but she declined because she wants to be independent.

Well let's hope with a little time she will reconsider and take you up on the offer. Bless you for providing it.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest4 on September 22, 2018, 04:37:55 pm
Well let's hope with a little time she will reconsider and take you up on the offer. Bless you for providing it.

Thanks. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on September 22, 2018, 04:42:00 pm
Good luck everyone with today's challenges.   :-\
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on September 28, 2018, 06:22:41 am

My new job is very strange.  I found out my boss was born 202 days after I started my first job !  :o

I'm very busy, but the new management style (called 'Agile') means your deadlines are constant, every 2 weeks, and so you don't have big stressful deadlines on the horizon.  It's just a constant hum of work, which is more like what regular people (ie. people who don't do projects) have in the way of work.  It's also more collaborate and... ahem.. empowering.  And it's really about 50-50 women and 'diverse'.  I'm the classic Canadian part of the diversity mix.

Of course, I took about a $20-$40K hit to take this job but... it's regular work and a giant recession may well be coming.  With baby 6 weeks away I need a regular paycheck.  Still, it's hard to see emails from recruiters offering far north of $200K  >:( >:(.  All this and we still can't afford a house believe it or not.

BUT.... baby seems pretty healthy, Joanie is off work now and we started the baby course at Mt. Sinai.  (The black lady who gave us the delivery ward tour struggled to explain what a 'Sabbath' elevator was  ;D  "It's a religious elevator..." )  You can't leave the hospital with a baby without showing them a baby car seat, even if you don't own a car !

HOW YOU DOIN' ?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: ?Impact on September 28, 2018, 11:23:47 am
I'm very busy, but the new management style (called 'Agile') means your deadlines are constant, every 2 weeks, and so you don't have big stressful deadlines on the horizon.  It's just a constant hum of work, which is more like what regular people (ie. people who don't do projects) have in the way of work.  It's also more collaborate and... ahem.. empowering.

That sounds interesting. Certainly the biggest work stress seems to be having too many projects with competing priorities and trying to balance them. Not sure how effective 'Agile' management may be in different scenarios, but might be worth exploring.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on September 28, 2018, 05:51:24 pm
That sounds interesting. Certainly the biggest work stress seems to be having too many projects with competing priorities and trying to balance them. Not sure how effective 'Agile' management may be in different scenarios, but might be worth exploring.

Well, for one thing you get ONE task to work on at a time.  You estimate it, and you pledge to get your tasks done within a two week timeframe. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on September 29, 2018, 07:08:49 pm
I have a new co-worker.   He worked with my other bosses back in the stone age, and recently retired from his long-time job. He is now joining us on a semi-full time basis for something to do, I guess.  He no doubt brings a wealth of information, experience, and contacts.  He will be a valuable addition, if I don't murder him.

The past week has brought a steady diet of unintentionally condescending patter, unintentionally patronizing remarks, stale jokes, and daily reminders that he's "on his best behavior" now that he's "sharing the office with a lady."  Like, my presence is a burden that prevents him from being himself.  He'd probably tell cruder jokes....they'd still be stale, but they'd be cruder.  I've already received a "you'd make somebody a great wife!" and a "how'd a girl like you stay single?" and I'm sure he'll offer to set me up with his idiot nephew at some point.  It could be worse. He's an unwitting boor, but at least he's not a deliberate pig. 



One of the bartenders I see a lot has been very flirty the last few times I've been through.  She's very ... sensual. The way she walks, the way she leans over the bar when she talks to you, the way she stands while she's mixing a drink... somehow everything she does just seems suggestive.  Monday she came and sat in the stool next to me and leaned into my personal space while she asked about my day, about work, and the usual things. It wasn't so much the questions as her posture, closeness, several touches, and the eye contact that made it feel ... intimate.  Thursday I stopped in for a quick drink on the way to my hair appointment, and when I was almost done my drink she came up behind me and ran her fingers up and down my back as she leaned over me and asked if I wanted another drink.  It made my heart beat quicker.

My brain is telling me that she's heterosexual and is probably like this with all her customers. My heart, and parts below my heart, are hopeful that there's more to it than that.   I've made a fool of myself before by misinterpreting signs women were giving me and it's extremely embarrassing. I am not ready to go out on the limb yet.


 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on September 29, 2018, 07:33:39 pm
My brain is telling me that she's heterosexual and is probably like this with all her customers. My heart, and parts below my heart, are hopeful that there's more to it than that.   I've made a fool of myself before by misinterpreting signs women were giving me and it's extremely embarrassing. I am not ready to go out on the limb yet.

If you don't end up having sex with this woman let me know so that I can come out and have sex with this woman.

Kidding aside, yeah it's tough reading signs sometimes, some people are naturally playful flirty, especially bartenders, i'd imagine it's x2 harder for non-heteros. I've misread women before, but as embarrassing as it is I don't have any regrets, I'd rather get embarrassed than miss an opportunity.  Maybe casually mention in convo about "my ex-gf did yadda yadda", see how she reacts.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on September 30, 2018, 08:11:03 am
I have a new co-worker.   He worked with my other bosses back in the stone age, and recently retired from his long-time job. He is now joining us on a semi-full time basis for something to do, I guess.  He no doubt brings a wealth of information, experience, and contacts.  He will be a valuable addition, if I don't murder him.

The past week has brought a steady diet of unintentionally condescending patter, unintentionally patronizing remarks, stale jokes, and daily reminders that he's "on his best behavior" now that he's "sharing the office with a lady."  Like, my presence is a burden that prevents him from being himself.  He'd probably tell cruder jokes....they'd still be stale, but they'd be cruder.  I've already received a "you'd make somebody a great wife!" and a "how'd a girl like you stay single?" and I'm sure he'll offer to set me up with his idiot nephew at some point.  It could be worse. He's an unwitting boor, but at least he's not a deliberate pig. 



One of the bartenders I see a lot has been very flirty the last few times I've been through.  She's very ... sensual. The way she walks, the way she leans over the bar when she talks to you, the way she stands while she's mixing a drink... somehow everything she does just seems suggestive.  Monday she came and sat in the stool next to me and leaned into my personal space while she asked about my day, about work, and the usual things. It wasn't so much the questions as her posture, closeness, several touches, and the eye contact that made it feel ... intimate.  Thursday I stopped in for a quick drink on the way to my hair appointment, and when I was almost done my drink she came up behind me and ran her fingers up and down my back as she leaned over me and asked if I wanted another drink.  It made my heart beat quicker.

My brain is telling me that she's heterosexual and is probably like this with all her customers. My heart, and parts below my heart, are hopeful that there's more to it than that.   I've made a fool of myself before by misinterpreting signs women were giving me and it's extremely embarrassing. I am not ready to go out on the limb yet.


 -k

I read this thinking the two stories were going to tie together somehow with old dude seeing the flirting and exploding.  My friends told me of a mutual acquaintance who melted down when she saw them kissing.  I guess she didn't know about them, and her reaction was - get this - alternately crying and laughing.   I guess her world split in two there....

----

First flag in your post "One of the bartenders I see a lot "  ... is your drinking ok ?  I am 99% sober these days (I had a beer on Thursday that was already poured for me) so I don't want to be one of those people but take care.

Second flag is that you are still getting a lot of action for a small down gal with limited prospects, so good for you.

For the old dude, maybe you haven't had to deal with this before.  If not, then you have to start developing some tools to deal with this type of thing.  I suspect you are valued by your boss.  I would go to him/her and find some kind of way to get them on your side with respect to things impacting you.  You need to take this situation as a challenge to learn some new social tools in the workplace, IMO.  What are your boss' motivations ?  Use those as leverage to explain why your work environment is now going to cause you to not meet your boss' goals.  My unasked for 2 cents...

As for the second person, it sounds like 100% come-ons to me but maybe women act like this with each other and not with men.  Not that I have been great with signs myself.... good luck...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on September 30, 2018, 08:13:03 am
If you don't end up having sex with this woman let me know so that I can come out and have sex with this woman.

Kidding aside,

You weren't kidding. 

Quote
yeah it's tough reading signs sometimes, some people are naturally playful flirty, especially bartenders, i'd imagine it's x2 harder for non-heteros. I've misread women before, but as embarrassing as it is I don't have any regrets, I'd rather get embarrassed than miss an opportunity.  Maybe casually mention in convo about "my ex-gf did yadda yadda", see how she reacts.

I have been exasperated by my work mates who thing that bartenders and wait staff "really like them".  One of my friends even asked out and dated a checkout lady at his grocery store.  So, yes, there is that aspect that they are 'friendly' as part of their job.

But not actually touching.  That is a pretty big line to cross in my circles.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on September 30, 2018, 01:57:25 pm
I read this thinking the two stories were going to tie together somehow with old dude seeing the flirting and exploding.  My friends told me of a mutual acquaintance who melted down when she saw them kissing.  I guess she didn't know about them, and her reaction was - get this - alternately crying and laughing.   I guess her world split in two there....

I find this hilarious for some reason.

First flag in your post "One of the bartenders I see a lot "  ... is your drinking ok ?  I am 99% sober these days (I had a beer on Thursday that was already poured for me) so I don't want to be one of those people but take care.

Second flag is that you are still getting a lot of action for a small down gal with limited prospects, so good for you.

My drinking is frequent, but moderate. A couple of days each week I stop for a beer or two and some food after work. I have a handful of favorite bars and kind of alternate amongst them.  As for getting a lot of action... I'm actually not getting any action right now.  I fear I may turn into an angry incel.  :o

For the old dude, maybe you haven't had to deal with this before.  If not, then you have to start developing some tools to deal with this type of thing.  I suspect you are valued by your boss.  I would go to him/her and find some kind of way to get them on your side with respect to things impacting you.  You need to take this situation as a challenge to learn some new social tools in the workplace, IMO.  What are your boss' motivations ?  Use those as leverage to explain why your work environment is now going to cause you to not meet your boss' goals.  My unasked for 2 cents...

The new guy has known my boss and most of my co-workers for a very long time. They've been friends since the 1980s. So I would be on thin ice going to my boss to complain about him.

The second is that I don't have anything specific to complain about. I'm not sure how annoyed I'm actually should actually be.  I can't go to my boss and say "his jokes are stale" or "I have a vague sense that he doesn't respect me, even though he hasn't actually said anything concrete."    I think mostly my antipathy right now is just that I have to go through the whole process again... prove my value to yet another stranger. Probably over the upcoming days and weeks I will get accustomed to working with him, and get him accustomed to working with me and set boundaries and so on.  Many co-workers who rubbed me the wrong way at first became friends later. I have to assume that this will turn out the same.

Haven't been through anything like this before?  My whole life has been like this. 


As for the second person, it sounds like 100% come-ons to me but maybe women act like this with each other and not with men.  Not that I have been great with signs myself.... good luck...

This gives me hope. I will see how things go.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on September 30, 2018, 02:16:36 pm
I find this hilarious for some reason.

So did I, but the people who were there were kind of shocked to see her mental software producing this result.  Clearly she didn't think gayness was real or hadn't seen it... not sure.

Quote
My drinking is frequent, but moderate. A couple of days each week I stop for a beer or two and some food after work. I have a handful of favorite bars and kind of alternate amongst them.  As for getting a lot of action... I'm actually not getting any action right now.  I fear I may turn into an angry incel.  :o

I know lots of single ladies who go years without any leads... let alone action.  They're usually older than you but sometimes not.

Quote
The new guy has known my boss and most of my co-workers for a very long time. They've been friends since the 1980s. So I would be on thin ice going to my boss to complain about him.

****.  can you wear ear buds at work ?  Find some way to avoid him ?  Go to the basement and do inventory ?  Get a headset and be on 'phone calls' a lot...

Quote
The second is that I don't have anything specific to complain about. I'm not sure how annoyed I'm actually should actually be.  I can't go to my boss and say "his jokes are stale" or "I have a vague sense that he doesn't respect me, even though he hasn't actually said anything concrete."    I think mostly my antipathy right now is just that I have to go through the whole process again... prove my value to yet another stranger. Probably over the upcoming days and weeks I will get accustomed to working with him, and get him accustomed to working with me and set boundaries and so on.  Many co-workers who rubbed me the wrong way at first became friends later. I have to assume that this will turn out the same.

OK Well that's a plan.

Quote
Haven't been through anything like this before?  My whole life has been like this. 
 

It seems I mistook your post as asking for advice rather than just venting.  You have a plan, so you know what to do.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on October 01, 2018, 09:51:21 am
It seems I mistook your post as asking for advice rather than just venting.  You have a plan, so you know what to do.

It was mostly just venting.  But just writing it down and expressing it helped give me some perspective on the issue.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Goddess on October 01, 2018, 10:09:17 am
Quote
The second is that I don't have anything specific to complain about. I'm not sure how annoyed I'm actually should actually be.  I can't go to my boss and say "his jokes are stale" or "I have a vague sense that he doesn't respect me, even though he hasn't actually said anything concrete."

Those kind of men are dinosaurs in the workplace.  Hopefully they go extinct soon.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on October 01, 2018, 06:56:40 pm
Those kind of men are dinosaurs in the workplace.  Hopefully they go extinct soon.

I'm 20+ years older than anyone in my department.  I attribute this to my need for continuous punishment and not finding an easier career.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on October 02, 2018, 01:11:37 am
"Good morning, young lady!"

 ...

"Whatcha working on?"
(brief summary of my task list)
"The correct answer was: 'same ****, different day.'  HA! HA!"
(blank look)



STALE

...

"I can't connect to the network. Why can't I connect to the network?"

...

"I can't connect to the network printer. Why can't I connect to the network printer?"

...

(cheerful whistling.)

...

(cell phone, ringing away on desk, unattended.)

...

"Is the wifi down? I can't connect to the wifi. Did somebody forget to pay the electrical bill?"

...

"OH HI, HONEY!  I'm here at work! WORKING! That's right! ... Yeah! Remember Tom? I talked to Tom today! He said I should have stayed retired! HA! HA!"



 OLD PEOPLE

...

I feel like there must be a tired office humor bingo card that I should have at my desk. If he says "Working hard, or hardly working?" or "Is this a safety meeting? Nobody moves, nobody gets hurt?" I am going to throw my arms in the air and shout "BINGO!!!"


 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on October 02, 2018, 05:56:11 am
Quote
Is this a safety meeting? Nobody moves, nobody gets hurt?"

That's a new one.

Yesterday one of my workmates said he wanted just me to talk in our meetings because I'm "interesting".  It's a compliment but this is really the young'ns need for war stories.  I worked with generation 1 of IT people.  I worked with punch cards.  That's what they want.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on October 02, 2018, 06:38:40 am
Get in shape now. Do lots of core strengthening. Toddlers are hard and you're going to need stamina, old man.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on October 02, 2018, 06:46:18 am
Get in shape now. Do lots of core strengthening. Toddlers are hard and you're going to need stamina, old man.

I hear you, but there are two of us.  I will be returning to the gym after the baby but I have excellent energy for my age.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on October 02, 2018, 09:43:47 am
That's a new one.

No.  It's not.

Yesterday one of my workmates said he wanted just me to talk in our meetings because I'm "interesting".  It's a compliment but this is really the young'ns need for war stories.  I worked with generation 1 of IT people.  I worked with punch cards.  That's what they want.

Yikes! You ARE old!

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on October 03, 2018, 01:27:52 am
I've been off work for a year and a half other than a couple of small clients.  The pregnancy wasn't easy and then I've been home with baby.

I threw my resume out to four places and landed three.  First one didn't really interest me but the other two are really F-ING amazing.  Two completely different industries and  two different aspects of accounting. 

Neither of them gets to ride helicopters though no matter how much CPA Canada may portray that in their commercials.

I'm so excited.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on October 03, 2018, 01:33:42 am
Granddaughter is now homeless, has a bed in an emergency shelter, but wanders during the day in a town where she doesn't know anyone.  Some of this is a result of her own choices, and some is the result of things she has no control over.   It just breaks my heart.

Oh no, dia, I'm so sorry to hear that!   :'(
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on October 03, 2018, 01:34:56 am
With baby 6 weeks away [...]


Ha, looks like our babies are gonna have very close birthdays.  Mine's gonna be 1 in about 6 weeks.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on October 03, 2018, 06:53:42 am
I've been off work for a year and a half other than a couple of small clients.  The pregnancy wasn't easy and then I've been home with baby.

I threw my resume out to four places and landed three.  First one didn't really interest me but the other two are really F-ING amazing.  Two completely different industries and  two different aspects of accounting. 

Neither of them gets to ride helicopters though no matter how much CPA Canada may portray that in their commercials.

I'm so excited.

Wow - back to work so soon ?  What about the 1 year old ?   Are you gonna take 'em with you in your chopper ?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest4 on October 03, 2018, 07:57:22 am

I threw my resume out to four places and landed three.  First one didn't really interest me but the other two are really F-ING amazing.  Two completely different industries and  two different aspects of accounting. 

Neither of them gets to ride helicopters though no matter how much CPA Canada may portray that in their commercials.

I'm so excited.

I am happy for you, having a job that you are excited about is awesome.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: ?Impact on October 03, 2018, 01:11:12 pm
Neither of them gets to ride helicopters though no matter how much CPA Canada may portray that in their commercials.

Do you at least get to wear a cape?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on October 03, 2018, 11:46:36 pm
I'm surprised to hear that the CPA lifestyle isn't as action-packed as the commercials make it seem.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on October 04, 2018, 06:36:03 am
Ok - what are your work environments like ?

I am with about 12 people in a large, bright, quiet open area... 80s office cubicle decor but we are seated at two looong tables with lots of space.  26th floor with nice view of uptown...  I spend most of my time listening to music on Sirius XM and almost no time on here.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on October 05, 2018, 10:08:50 pm
Wow - back to work so soon ?  What about the 1 year old ?   Are you gonna take 'em with you in your chopper ?

Haha. 

She's going to a really nice daycare, but it'll be short days.  I only applied to part time jobs and I'll be dropping her off late and and my husband starts work ridiculously early so he's done by early afternoon.

I love her so much and I feel like a jerk saying this, but mat-leave isn't easy.  What the working partner usually doesn't understand is that in some ways it's easier to go to work.  It's pretty isolating staying home with a baby for a year.  I miss grownups.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on October 06, 2018, 01:57:50 am
Ok - what are your work environments like ?

I am with about 12 people in a large, bright, quiet open area... 80s office cubicle decor but we are seated at two looong tables with lots of space.  26th floor with nice view of uptown...  I spend most of my time listening to music on Sirius XM and almost no time on here.

My cubicle has a majestic view of Kim City's "hobos and auto-parts" district.

The back half of our office has a small production floor, where my happy little minions are hard at work assembling our wonderful products.  They're not literally those little yellow one-eyed **** from the Disney movie, but that's how I visualize them as I interact with them. It's one of those little techniques I've picked up to develop confidence.  Kind of like imagining your audience naked when you're doing public speaking.

The front half of the office is management, sales, applications engineering. I have come to think of this as the stale male area. We have cubicle dividers, but it's somewhat open.  Depending who is working from home or whatever, there are typically five or six of the males in the office, ranging in staleness from "not really" to "extremely." Most of them are okay and sometimes even fun to work with.  However, sometimes there are some very loud and boring conversations about work-related issues that go on forever and make me want to shoot myself. The new guy in particular is intent on questioning every single procedure. "Why do you do that this way?"  "We do that this way because it is efficient and works well." "Well at my old place we used to do this that way, and I think we should do that here as well because of reasons." "But we already do that this way, and we don't want to revise our process." "But I did this that way for 40 years, and it works very well and I think that we should do this that way here as well."

And at the nexus of these two areas is the Kim Zone, which is sort of the all-important hub that keeps everything linked together and functioning as a cohesive unit.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on October 06, 2018, 07:44:45 am
So I found out that my company has been intentionally vague about parental leave for fathers for a reason: there is none.  Joan doesn't care about things like that normally but she is hormonal now and cries for no reason, or gets angry for no reason, and gets angry if there is a reason so she got angry.  I am trying to explain to her that my taking a job that pays $40K less still makes sense for reasons, but I didn't put a lot of time into the discussion as she was pissed off.

One thing I know is that I do not want to have debt over my head.  We are debt free and saving money, and have enough for a down payment as well as a healthy nest egg for pension.  We have never been a "keeping up with the Joneses" type couple, so I want to redouble my efforts to explain why keeping this job is a good idea for now.

---   ---   ---   ---   ---   ---   ---   ---   ---   ---   ---   ---   ---   ---   ---   ---   ---   ---   ---   ---   ---   ---   ---   ---   ---   ---   ---   ---   ---   

I think if I had to go to work in a smallish company I would flip out.  The story of the guy saying "we did it this way at my old company" drives me crazy both ways: either his criticism is apt, which I doubt, and there are obvious improvements and that happens.... OR... it doesn't make any difference and he should shut up and work. 

I get this look on my face when people suggest shitty options for managing things, and people recognize it and start stammering.  Even though it's a natural asset, it's possibly my greatest one. 

--------------

Here's a story.  I'll try to making it unboring and brief as possible but I don't think I will succeed:


Most of my job consists in trying to mind-meld with technical guys who are having problems that they can barely express in any language... and figure out if I can help them, or who I have to alert or escalate to.

The way it works at my business, metaphorically, is that my group builds the foundation for some work... and an internal group (we call them internal customers) put a building on the foundation.  They just brought in a new manager for the internal customers, and he seems very slick, very talky, well-dressed but incompetent.  His first move was to call for a weekly 1.5 hour meeting with me and my three technical leads EVERY Monday to "coordinate" between the groups.

Now, the thing is that yes - SOME coordination is necessary.... MAYBE.  To continue with the metaphor of building: we say we are preparing the concrete for the pouring foundation on Feb 1, and we have explained that it will be this long and this wide, and the internal customers can build your building on it 3 days after the pour, for the concrete to dry. 

So, for coordination... maybe their engineers may come back and need to meet with us occasionally with questions we didn't anticipate like "what kind of concrete is it ?" "you said it could hold this weight but what about temperature fluctuation" "what if we need to poke some iron beams into it as it dries" etc.  Unanticipated things and new questions that come up.  So, yes, maybe.  But NOT 1.5 hours EVERY MONDAY with Five of us.  That's 7.5 man-hours or one day.

But... fine... the new incompetent guy is new so maybe we can just do it a few times then he'll figure out after awhile that we are wasting time with those meetings and drop them to monthly or whatever.  With that in mind, and generally trying to work with him, we met the last two Mondays to "coordinate" BUT the meetings were all about their internal planning, with my most productive team members just sitting there listening.  Our stuff barely came up, and when it did they just asked us about our promised delivery dates which are already published and known.  It was a good thing my guys brought their laptops and were tapping away the whole time.

So it made zero sense to meet and most people at this level know better than to call useless meetings, but there's more: we had to listen to him talking to his own guys in the room, and he was clearly f***cking up: assigning tasks to people and setting due dates without discussing dependencies, work flow, or how long the tasks would take.   His people didn't really seem to be buying in to his plan.

AND THAT is bad enough, but there's even more: later in the week he sends us a bunch of dates we're now supposed to meet, that we never heard of before.  As in "prior to February 1, we will need XYZ done by mid-November in order to provide ... yada yada yada".  We don't know where he got his required dates from, and he never communicated those needs to us IN THE MEETINGS HE SPECIFICALLY SET UP to discuss such things!

I know that this kind of thing happens sometimes, but we are supposed to be more careful with peoples' time than this.  I was livid, but got talked down by the lady who is managing the relationship between the groups.  So, instead of making a stink, we got them to publish that the dates they are promising for THEIR items are tentative.  And also - my group won't be promising anything those dates.  Basically he has promised something that he can't deliver in any way but covering his ass by writing the word 'tentative' on the promise.  Just ridiculous.

My relationship manager lady will be escalating this to people on our side, telling our VP what they're doing and stating that their approach is just dumb.  They're promising things to their people that are dependent on dates from us - dates that we aren't promising.

All of this noise caused an extra 2 hours of meetings on my back this week beyond the 1.5.   >:(  As I told my relationship manager lady, I can do 60 one-minute tasks in an hour, such as updating a task board with important details, or sending one of the dozens of emails I send to Microsoft or other vendors daily to get them to escalate something they're dragging on.  3.5 hours wasted in a week of 37.5 hours is not ok.

----

Don't know if this is of interest, but I put some effort into it anyway, in case anybody is interested.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest4 on October 06, 2018, 09:04:34 am
I'm in a team of four, within a larger team of about 20 people.  Our small team used to work in an area with four small work areas enclosed by cubicle walls; it was noisy and distracting.  People hated it, and it was part of the reason for high turnover in the last few years.  But earlier this year I led the reconfiguration of that space and now we have tiny but private cubicles with natural light, which we didn't have before.  It's a bit tight, but an improvement over the previous arrangement. 

The biggest issue we have is a two-year backlog due to a doubling of workload a few years ago, and another doubling just this year, and high turnover due to low pay which isn't enough to compensate for the stress related to the high volume of work, unhappy clients and the physical work space.   The employer has been hard to persuade that more staff and better pay would go a long way to meeting their (claimed) #1 goal of customer service, so we spend lots of time letting people know that there is still a backlog.  We are a taxpayer funded organization, but we also generate revenue and the backlog means that we are losing that revenue.  (To give my manager her due, she has worked extremely hard to get another permanent person, and she's finally been successful so we will be getting an extra pair of hands.   She's also been able to finagle temporary staff, but each time we get a new temp, there is months of training needed so it's a mixed blessing.)

In the private sector, this situation would have been remedied long ago, through more staff and a wage that reflected the requirements and workload of this position.   Given that there is about a year of training needed to know the basics, and another year to learn the more complex stuff, high turnover has been a significant factor in the situation we have today.   

But on the plus side for our customers, BC has among the lowest rates for personal income tax, no doubt helped by the previous government's cost slashing through elimination of jobs, resulting in the smallest public sector in Canada.  Tax reductions do have trade-offs, and for us and the public that we serve, it's a two-year wait for a service that should take 3 to 6 months.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on October 06, 2018, 12:14:40 pm
I don't understand why a long wait time like that is even acceptable.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: ?Impact on October 06, 2018, 03:43:07 pm
His first move was to call for a weekly 1.5 hour meeting with me and my three technical leads EVERY Monday to "coordinate" between the groups.

I don't think the idea of a regular meeting is the problem, it is holding it for 1.5 hours. If that is simply to reserve that time on everyone's calendar that is one thing, but to need to fill the time because it is there is a problem. If things are well run, which includes ensuring punctuality from everyone, then the meeting could be over with quickly most times. While there are some benefits to meeting in person, weekly would be far too often with today's technology as most of those meetings could be conference calls (eg. skype). When a topic comes up that involves half or less of the people present, then that should be taken offline quickly.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on October 06, 2018, 03:58:24 pm
1. I don't think the idea of a regular meeting is the problem, it is holding it for 1.5 hours.
2. If things are well run, which includes ensuring punctuality from everyone, then the meeting could be over with quickly most times.
3. While there are some benefits to meeting in person, .
1. If we were using the time productively then ok.  But as per my story we're not.  If I had 5 minutes to waste during the day then I would come on here more often.
2. Yes, except the discussions often lead to side discussions.  It's hard to moderate those.
3. We do meet offline whenever we can.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: cybercoma on October 10, 2018, 12:08:00 pm
So I found out that my company has been intentionally vague about parental leave for fathers for a reason: there is none.
I thought Ontario required it.....

Oh right. Doug Ford tore up the labour laws.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on October 10, 2018, 12:36:32 pm
I'm taking about Top-Up.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on October 10, 2018, 02:02:20 pm
Apparently, paternity leave is coming next year by the Feds.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/parental-ei-leave-benefit-march-2019-1.4839097
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on October 10, 2018, 07:28:23 pm
Nice.  I just missed it :D
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on October 11, 2018, 05:47:19 am

But on the plus side for our customers, BC has among the lowest rates for personal income tax, no doubt helped by the previous government's cost slashing through elimination of jobs, resulting in the smallest public sector in Canada.  Tax reductions do have trade-offs, and for us and the public that we serve, it's a two-year wait for a service that should take 3 to 6 months.

I still don't get why a 2 year wait is ok ?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest4 on October 11, 2018, 08:39:53 am
I still don't get why a 2 year wait is ok ?

It isn't "ok", but its more "ok" than spending tax dollars on more staff, as far as I can see.   There are other ways we could create better efficiencies that would help, but the primary issue is simply too many files that need to be processed for the people available and trained.

The situation only affects about 900 people/lower level governments/businesses at any given time and most of them wait, under protest. Those who do escalate to a minister tend to get prioritized to the best of our ability, especially job and revenue-producing clients.  But at least the wait in our Ministry isn't life threatening for people, though people are often concerned about their ability to carry on their business. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on October 11, 2018, 09:37:25 am
I just don't understand how it doesn't change.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest4 on October 11, 2018, 10:03:07 am
I just don't understand how it doesn't change.

Me neither.  I suppose if everyone affected contacted their minister, it would change.  Maybe. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Goddess on October 16, 2018, 10:23:17 am
A friend of mine from Fort Mac posted this article today from the latest issue of YMM Magazine.  It's an article about the problem in Fort Mac of taxi drivers taking women down Tower Road and raping/robbing them.  For those who don't believe it's pretty damn bad up there.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest4 on October 16, 2018, 02:19:59 pm
A friend of mine from Fort Mac posted this article today from the latest issue of YMM Magazine.  It's an article about the problem in Fort Mac of taxi drivers taking women down Tower Road and raping/robbing them.  For those who don't believe it's pretty damn bad up there.

Aren't cabs dispatched by a central dispatcher?  Doesn't the dispatcher log time, location and (usually) name?  Wouldn't a cab driver who assaulted or robbed someone be pretty easy to track down through the central dispatch?   How do they get away with it multiple times?  I really am curious.

The article seems like a plug for Uber, which I think would be even more risky given that you are directly contacting a stranger rather than going through a dispatcher and there have been **** and assaults involving Uber drivers.  I am not sure what safety
 protocols Uber has, so is there something that would make them safer than a taxi service?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: ?Impact on October 16, 2018, 02:28:51 pm
Aren't cabs dispatched by a central dispatcher?  Doesn't the dispatcher log time, location and (usually) name? 

Certainly if the cab was scheduled to make a pickup then yes, but it is also common to hail down cabs. Yes, they are "required" to check in with the dispatcher and record their fare but if they don't then there would be no record. Often cabbies try to scam the system, both to get unrecorded revenue and also if it is a short fare they don't want to miss out on their sequence in the queue.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest4 on October 16, 2018, 02:34:55 pm
Certainly if the cab was scheduled to make a pickup then yes, but it is also common to hail down cabs. Yes, they are "required" to check in with the dispatcher and record their fare but if they don't then there would be no record. Often cabbies try to scam the system, both to get unrecorded revenue and also if it is a short fare they don't want to miss out on their sequence in the queue.

Good point.  I looked for news stories about women/anyone being assaulted or robbed by a cab driver in Fort Mac to see what other details there were, but didn't find anything.  Means nothing though, since not every crime makes the news although I would have thought several similar crimes might have merited a mention.

Any insight on the safety of Uber rides?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Goddess on October 16, 2018, 04:36:00 pm
Good point.  I looked for news stories about women/anyone being assaulted or robbed by a cab driver in Fort Mac to see what other details there were, but didn't find anything.  Means nothing though, since not every crime makes the news although I would have thought several similar crimes might have merited a mention.

Any insight on the safety of Uber rides?

I have my opinion on why this issue is pretty much ignored by everyone in Fort Mac except for by women.

All I know is the first thing I was told when I moved up there was to NOT take taxis unless I had found a reliable driver that wasn't going to **** me.  Women up there find a decent taxi driver, get a card from him and you only call that driver when you need a ride.

The last few years I was up there, I had a renter who was a cabbie and I used him all the time.  I gave his card out to the young ladies I went to school with and he told me one time that me and my freinds were a large chunk of his business.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on October 17, 2018, 09:34:22 am
Arriving for work yesterday...

Old Economy Steve: "Did you get your homework finished?"

Me: (blank look)

Old Economy Steve: "The teacher will be mad if you didn't bring your homework!"

Me:  (blink.  blink.)

Old Economy Steve: "HA!  HA!"

I ignored him and wandered off.  I literally don't even know the **** what he was on about.  Is he poking fun at me for being 30 years younger than him?  Is this the onset of senility?  I have no idea what the **** that was, aside from vaguely creepy.


Later on I heard him say "she's pretty stand-offish..." which I don't even know was in reference to me but I am assuming it was because I am now somewhat stressed about this.


 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on October 17, 2018, 09:19:57 pm
Maybe pretend to be socially awkward ?  Go to him and say "sorry about that thing earlier but my XYZ was XYZ yesterday " ?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on October 17, 2018, 09:31:33 pm
Arriving for work yesterday...

Old Economy Steve: "Did you get your homework finished?"

Me: (blank look)

Old Economy Steve: "The teacher will be mad if you didn't bring your homework!"

Me:  (blink.  blink.)

Old Economy Steve: "HA!  HA!"

I ignored him and wandered off.  I literally don't even know the **** what he was on about.  Is he poking fun at me for being 30 years younger than him?  Is this the onset of senility?  I have no idea what the **** that was, aside from vaguely creepy.


Later on I heard him say "she's pretty stand-offish..." which I don't even know was in reference to me but I am assuming it was because I am now somewhat stressed about this.


 -k

More than vaguely creepy and that's coming from an "old economy" guy.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on October 17, 2018, 09:32:37 pm
Creepy but it doesn't seem like he's making a play or anything, from the text. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on October 18, 2018, 12:12:01 am
Maybe pretend to be socially awkward ?  Go to him and say "sorry about that thing earlier but my XYZ was XYZ yesterday " ?

I don't feel inclined to do anything to cover up for his weird behavior.  If I do anything to accept blame for the awkward interaction I feel like I'd just be inviting more.

More than vaguely creepy and that's coming from an "old economy" guy.

But you're an airline pilot, so you're much cooler than normal "old economy" guys. :)

Something about the whole interaction just felt very strange and off-putting.

Creepy but it doesn't seem like he's making a play or anything, from the text. 

I don't think he was trying to hit on me or anything like that.  I just don't get where it was coming from.  Like, the dude is talking to me as if I'm a school age child, so that's somewhat insulting already.    Is he just making light of me being much younger than most of the others in the office?  Is there something more sinister? Is he picturing me in a little plaid skirt? Is he imagining telling me to stay after school for a "special detention"?   I really don't know.  I'm just not sure what to make of this.

I do know that if he does say anything about plaid skirts or detentions or corporal punishment, I will kung-pow his head right off his body.   It will be the kind of violence you would normally only see in Japanese animation. Like, One Punch Man, Fist Of The North Star type violent. I will go Super-Saiyan on him. 


 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on October 18, 2018, 06:44:31 am
I don't feel inclined to do anything to cover up for his weird behavior.  If I do anything to accept blame for the awkward interaction I feel like I'd just be inviting more.


Well that's true.  Why play games, I guess...

Quote
But you're an airline pilot, so you're much cooler than normal "old economy" guys. :)

Huh ?  Oh... you're quoting other people in here too...

Quote
Something about the whole interaction just felt very strange and off-putting.

Maybe he's trying a new tactic to get you on his side.  Since his "way" is so alien to you, you didn't pick up on the motivation and it seemed weird ?


Quote
I don't think he was trying to hit on me or anything like that.  I just don't get where it was coming from.  Like, the dude is talking to me as if I'm a school age child, so that's somewhat insulting already.    Is he just making light of me being much younger than most of the others in the office?  Is there something more sinister? Is he picturing me in a little plaid skirt? Is he imagining telling me to stay after school for a "special detention"?   I really don't know.  I'm just not sure what to make of this.

The last few suggestions would be a 'hit on' thing.  It sounds like he desperately wants to be liked.  And you do not like him.

Quote
I do know that if he does say anything about plaid skirts or detentions or corporal punishment, I will kung-pow his head right off his body.   It will be the kind of violence you would normally only see in Japanese animation. Like, One Punch Man, Fist Of The North Star type violent. I will go Super-Saiyan on him. 
 

Or just quote some Anime to him and look at the confused look on his face.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on October 18, 2018, 09:33:33 am
Maybe he's trying a new tactic to get you on his side.  Since his "way" is so alien to you, you didn't pick up on the motivation and it seemed weird ?

I have a sense that this was just another in his series of attempts at witty banter, and he's just oblivious as to how lame they are.

The last few suggestions would be a 'hit on' thing. 

Comments can have a sexual tint to them without being a pick-up attempt.  In this case I think it was just trivializing and dismissive, without being sexual on top of that.


It sounds like he desperately wants to be liked.  And you do not like him.

I hadn't considered this.

I have been feeling like the ousider... he's known many of my co-workers for ages, and I have been feeling insecure all over again.  It hadn't occurred to me that maybe he's feeling insecure as well.


 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest4 on October 18, 2018, 09:42:32 am
I am curious so I looked agile workspaces up.   This article provided a broad overview of pros and cons. https://www.zenefits.com/blog/agile-workspace-small-businesses/

 An article from Harvard Business Review about how to foster employee enthusiasm for the type of workspace.  From your comments so far, it sounds like your company could have done better.
https://hbr.org/2018/01/sgc-research-when-moving-to-an-open-office-plan-pay-attention-to-how-your-employees-feel
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on October 18, 2018, 10:10:01 am
I am curious so I looked agile workspaces up.   This article provided a broad overview of pros and cons. https://www.zenefits.com/blog/agile-workspace-small-businesses/

 An article from Harvard Business Review about how to foster employee enthusiasm for the type of workspace.  From your comments so far, it sounds like your company could have done better.
https://hbr.org/2018/01/sgc-research-when-moving-to-an-open-office-plan-pay-attention-to-how-your-employees-feel

Wrong topic....
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest4 on October 18, 2018, 10:40:11 am
Wrong topic....

Oops.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on October 18, 2018, 12:11:47 pm

But you're an airline pilot, so you're much cooler than normal "old economy" guys. :)

Something about the whole interaction just felt very strange and off-putting.


 -k

I've never been accused of being cool before but I kind of like it. ;D


I've never had an office job so I can't relate. Before I flew em I fixed em and in a predominately male world so good natured ribbing and practical jokes were an enjoyable part of the job. With larger companies I spent my life working with different people every day but we still had to work as a team doing things exactly the same way, basically as interchangeable parts of a bigger machine. Any relationships with fellow workers were pretty superficial unless they were pursued outside of the job.

I would find it a strange way for for a fellow worker to act unless it was part of a relationship we had developed over time. Throwing insults back and forth can be a lot of fun but that is something you do with people you know and respect. It isn't mean spirited. My maintenance and smaller company days were a lot like that. Maybe you should fire the odd broadside back in a good humoured manner and see how he reacts.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: SirJohn on October 18, 2018, 05:47:44 pm
I don't think he was trying to hit on me or anything like that.  I just don't get where it was coming from.  Like, the dude is talking to me as if I'm a school age child, so that's somewhat insulting already.    Is he just making light of me being much younger than most of the others in the office?  Is there something more sinister? Is he picturing me in a little plaid skirt? Is he imagining telling me to stay after school for a "special detention"?   I really don't know.  I'm just not sure what to make of this.

30 is a lot. If he didn't have kids, maybe he was trying to figure a way to relate to you? When I was working, I was in an office with a lot of girls, most of whom were twenty years younger than I was. There's an old philosophy of male/female interaction which says men can treat women in one of three ways; potential dating material, maternal types (older women, aunts, mothers) or sisters. I chose the last for obvious reasons. And several of the women I met back then, going on eighteen years ago, are still kind of like my sisters. But in most cases it was me who interacted with them initially. In at least two cases, they thought I was weird at first (they have since confessed). They weren't really used to interacting with people my age either, except as parental figures, teachers or bosses.  And they sort of expected me to act very stern, and official and businesslike, rather than joking around or teasing them.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: SirJohn on October 18, 2018, 05:51:40 pm
I would find it a strange way for for a fellow worker to act unless it was part of a relationship we had developed over time. Throwing insults back and forth can be a lot of fun but that is something you do with people you know and respect. It isn't mean spirited. My maintenance and smaller company days were a lot like that. Maybe you should fire the odd broadside back in a good humoured manner and see how he reacts.

Depends on the atmosphere. I remember sitting in on some job interviews where I asked people how they felt about having a double fistful of elastic bands tossed over their cubicle wall onto their heads just to see their reaction. We were that kind of office.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: SirJohn on October 18, 2018, 05:56:36 pm
So ankles can support a lot of weight but they don't like being shifted into odd positions. Not sure if mine is sprained or broken, but I'm leaning to the former. The vote is 4-1 for sprained (was 4-2 but I convinced one), but the remaining 1 is a cautious type. And it's easy for her to say 'you should go to ER and have that X-rayed'. She doesn't have to spend hours in a waiting room.

Had to crawl back to the porch, despite someone there who tried to help me stand, then hop up the stairs.  Now icing it and have a compression bandage and hoping I an avoid doctors.

I really wish I had a robot body, though.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: ?Impact on October 18, 2018, 06:13:19 pm
Not sure if mine is sprained or broken

If it hurts to touch, is the pain in the soft part or the bone?
Did you hear anything when you hurt it?
Other than swelling, do you see any other misshaping of your ankle?
Is there any numbness or tingling, or just pain?

Hopefully it is a sprain, to avoid the hospital visit.

Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on October 18, 2018, 06:31:45 pm
I had a severe penile laceration and a sprained wrist this summer. Guess which one hurt more.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: SirJohn on October 18, 2018, 06:44:19 pm
If it hurts to touch, is the pain in the soft part or the bone?
Did you hear anything when you hurt it?
Other than swelling, do you see any other misshaping of your ankle?
Is there any numbness or tingling, or just pain?

Hopefully it is a sprain, to avoid the hospital visit.

No, it doesn't hurt to touch. Anywhere. No numbness or tingling, and as long as I don't move it around too much ... I can move it around, and wiggle my toes. And now, after several hours, I can (gingerly) put weight on that foot, and even stand and limp - a bit. Yeah I  did hear a crackling at the time, which is not a good sign. But I don't think I'd be able to put my weight on it at all if it was broken.

There no urgent care clinics anywhere near us, and no walk-in clinics (thanks government!). So anything remotely urgent means going downtown, or near enough downtown, to the hospital. Another reason to be unimpressed by our health care system.

The irony is there is a privately operated X-ray clinic two blocks away. But you have to get a doctor's order to use it so I'll have to make an appointment, drive half an hour (or be driven) to my doctor, for a piece of paper I can then come home with and take to the clinic. I hate inefficiency like that.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: ?Impact on October 18, 2018, 06:58:29 pm
Yeah I  did hear a crackling at the time, which is not a good sign.

Tendons and ligaments can also make noise when stressed, but generally you are right that it is not a good sign.

I thought Ottawa would have good walk-in clinics. The last time I lived in a larger center in Ontario, we had a very good walk-in clinic a few blocks away that had x-ray on the premises. My current rural Ontario address does send me 60+km to the hospital, so the last time I had anything I self diagnosed and prescribed over the counter polysporin for an eye infection. Haven't had any need at my Montreal address since I moved here part time about 4 years ago.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: SirJohn on October 18, 2018, 07:16:47 pm
Tendons and ligaments can also make noise when stressed, but generally you are right that it is not a good sign.

That's what almost convinced me to go. If I hadn't tested and found that my foot would now bear my weight without much pain I would have gone in - and still be sitting in the waiting room now.

Quote
I thought Ottawa would have good walk-in clinics.

It used to. I used to use them all the time. You could go into one and usually not wait more than 15 minutes. The one near where I used to live was also upstairs from an x-ray clinic and lab. Sometime after I got my own doctor things started going downhill. Now almost all the clinics require that you make an appointment, and most require you be a patient of one of the doctors on staff. There are a couple of clinics very close to me, but when I called, after moving down here I was told they weren't for walk-ins, and weren't taking new patients and their wait-list was full. Should they even call themselves clinics then? There are also almost no outcall services, so forget about getting a doctor to your house, even if you want to pay.

The after-hours clinic my doctor's office referred me to is on the other side of the city, an hour or more away.

By comparison, several dental clinics have opened up nearby (it's a growing area). All are taking new patients. It's never hard getting a dental appointment or finding someone to do dental surgery fairly quickly.

As long as you can pay.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on October 18, 2018, 07:43:22 pm
They had me out of the waiting room and in a doctor's office in literally less than a minute. I had a morphine drip, a very sympathetic nurse, and a doctor within 20 minutes, and a Russian urologist was brought in in less than 2 hours to make me whole again. I don't think he came all the way from Russia though. Altogether it was a very efficient, professional system. My sprained wrist still hurts like a **** though. There's nothing you can do about that but suck it up and heal.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on October 18, 2018, 08:20:39 pm

I have been feeling like the ousider... he's known many of my co-workers for ages, and I have been feeling insecure all over again.  It hadn't occurred to me that maybe he's feeling insecure as well.
 

Everything you write about him... he's telling jokes and acting weird... sounds like he is needy.  I don't see him so I am basing it on the facts I read here only.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on October 18, 2018, 08:21:43 pm
I am curious so I looked agile workspaces up.   This article provided a broad overview of pros and cons. https://www.zenefits.com/blog/agile-workspace-small-businesses/

 An article from Harvard Business Review about how to foster employee enthusiasm for the type of workspace.  From your comments so far, it sounds like your company could have done better.
https://hbr.org/2018/01/sgc-research-when-moving-to-an-open-office-plan-pay-attention-to-how-your-employees-feel

It's on another thread but I will look at this.  'Agile Work Space' isn't a thing though. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on October 18, 2018, 08:24:10 pm
Get Well SJArgus....

Don't take advantage of your time off to out-post me on here... although my work busy time and coming baby busy time mean forum time is dwindling.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on October 18, 2018, 08:24:46 pm
Maybe the irony is that my time on forums will wind down with me voting for a conservative for the first time ever...  ??? ??? ???
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on October 19, 2018, 12:21:25 am
Depends on the atmosphere. I remember sitting in on some job interviews where I asked people how they felt about having a double fistful of elastic bands tossed over their cubicle wall onto their heads just to see their reaction. We were that kind of office.

Sounds like a company where I might want to work.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on October 19, 2018, 05:28:40 am
I had a severe penile laceration and a sprained wrist this summer. Guess which one hurt more.

 ???  Not to make light, but ... I guess the question hangs in the air of how ...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on October 19, 2018, 05:31:17 am
I am curious so I looked agile workspaces up.   This article provided a broad overview of pros and cons. https://www.zenefits.com/blog/agile-workspace-small-businesses/

 An article from Harvard Business Review about how to foster employee enthusiasm for the type of workspace.  From your comments so far, it sounds like your company could have done better.
https://hbr.org/2018/01/sgc-research-when-moving-to-an-open-office-plan-pay-attention-to-how-your-employees-feel

"an agile office also operates on tenets that workers need both open, collaborative time with coworkers as well as quiet, more private areas to individually focus on and execute projects."

Actually that sums it up, and the zenefits article was pretty concise.  The dumb part is that 'agile' is not to be confused with 'Agile', which is a new practice and maybe even the 20-years-later iteration of Japan's Total Quality Management style, and something I am excited about.  But they have common elements.

The new space I'm moving into at work is 'agile' but doesn't fit with 'Agile' practices.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on October 19, 2018, 08:05:40 am
???  Not to make light, but ... I guess the question hangs in the air of how ...
Horrible bike accident where I landed well but the force of landing essentially tore it half off.
It was a trick question about which hurt more. The sprained wrist still hurts but the pain between injuries was incomparable. Full-out loss of consciousness pain, which I didn't think was possible.
The nurse was very nice though. She even called me "sweetheart" and " love" while dressing my wound. I guess she knew it was safe that I wouldn't be trying to do anything with it for a while.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on October 19, 2018, 12:07:23 pm
Truly cringeworthy. Hope everything is back functioning properly.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on October 19, 2018, 12:31:11 pm
Yes, the urologist was excellent. Didn't make the many, many stitches hurt any less though.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: SirJohn on October 19, 2018, 01:26:42 pm
Sounds like a company where I might want to work.

It was the best place I ever worked. Because we had an absentee manager and were left alone. Unfortunately, we mistakenly hired a term who was a drug user. When we moved to fire her she complained of harassment. Senior management ran away as far and fast as they could, and instead hired an outside firm to investigate. What they found was there was no harassment, and even if the things she claimed were true, that wasn't harassment. But at the same time they said we were acting immature, and violating multiple HR policies related to workplace conduct. She was fired. We got a zealous manager who reminded everyone of 'the pointy haired manager' on Dilbert (only female), and fun disappeared. Within a year everyone was gone, and that unit's effectiveness plummeted.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: SirJohn on October 19, 2018, 01:59:40 pm
???  Not to make light, but ... I guess the question hangs in the air of how ...

I assumed it was a joke about ****, actually...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on October 19, 2018, 02:11:37 pm
I have never, ever injured myself masturbating.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: ?Impact on October 19, 2018, 02:37:27 pm
Horrible bike accident...

I wish I could unread that story.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on October 19, 2018, 04:52:14 pm
Sorry. Be thankful I didn't share the photo I took while waiting for the specialist.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: JMT on October 19, 2018, 06:55:50 pm
Someone needs to cheer me up.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on October 19, 2018, 06:59:27 pm
Someone needs to cheer me up.

What do you like, my friend ?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: SirJohn on October 19, 2018, 07:01:38 pm
Someone needs to cheer me up.
You don't have a sprained ankle. And you didn't burn the thumb on your right hand while distracted by your ankle and don't have a burn blister on it...

Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on October 19, 2018, 07:07:03 pm
I don't think that will work.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on October 19, 2018, 07:10:38 pm
Someone needs to cheer me up.
I could show you the picture I took. Then you could at least be thankful you're not that ****.
I suggest mushrooms, which always make you happy. It's the next frontier of legalization (and would actually even make more sense to legalize over cannibis). Don't get drunk though. Nothing worse than a sad drunk.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on October 19, 2018, 07:14:24 pm
Someone needs to cheer me up.

Be happy that you don’t have a lacerated dick. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on October 19, 2018, 07:19:38 pm
Someone needs to cheer me up.

Relief from unhappiness is best remedied by regularly taking anti-depressants while completely ignoring any attempts at solving your problems.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on October 20, 2018, 06:19:59 am
Relief from unhappiness is best remedied by regularly taking anti-depressants while completely ignoring any attempts at solving your problems.

Seriously.  I know a lot of vain and self-focussed people.  Many of them regularly post that they are done putting up with vain and self-focussed people. 

Life in the world, I say.  It's easier  But you don't have to be 'depressed', except temporarily.  Since I quit smoking I have found my worst moods are boredom, frustration or anxiety - all temporary.  The exception is the pervasive terror that I will soon be responsible for a little human but it is mixed with a hopefulness and sense of purpose.

I am also convinced that I was born as I am... with the possible exception of my risk-averseness.  If I hadn't been so risk adverse I think I would have worked less in the corporate world and done more arts.  Of course my friends who did so had to rely on their parents helping them out, even into their 40s and 50s...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest7 on October 20, 2018, 11:30:07 am
The exception is the pervasive terror that I will soon be responsible for a little human but it is mixed with a hopefulness and sense of purpose.

It's really not that difficult.  They pretty much bring themselves up if you don't overthink it.

Of course, you have cell phones and the internet to worry about, so who knows?

Well, I hope that helped...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on October 20, 2018, 12:12:22 pm
It's really not that difficult.  They pretty much bring themselves up if you don't overthink it.

Of course, you have cell phones and the internet to worry about, so who knows?

Well, I hope that helped...

Hey, long time no see! :D

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest7 on October 20, 2018, 06:39:47 pm
Hey, long time no see! :D

 -k

Yeah, insanely busy summer.

Lots of OT though...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on October 20, 2018, 09:30:21 pm
Yeah, insanely busy summer.

Lots of OT though...

I wanted to make a joke about sailors here....
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on October 20, 2018, 11:46:52 pm
Yes, the urologist was excellent. Didn't make the many, many stitches hurt any less though.

This all sounds extremely terrible and I'm sorry you went through it.  Hopefully you had some herbal medicine to help with the pain.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on October 21, 2018, 01:51:32 am
I've never been accused of being cool before but I kind of like it. ;D


I've never had an office job so I can't relate. Before I flew em I fixed em and in a predominately male world so good natured ribbing and practical jokes were an enjoyable part of the job. With larger companies I spent my life working with different people every day but we still had to work as a team doing things exactly the same way, basically as interchangeable parts of a bigger machine. Any relationships with fellow workers were pretty superficial unless they were pursued outside of the job.

I would find it a strange way for for a fellow worker to act unless it was part of a relationship we had developed over time. Throwing insults back and forth can be a lot of fun but that is something you do with people you know and respect. It isn't mean spirited. My maintenance and smaller company days were a lot like that. Maybe you should fire the odd broadside back in a good humoured manner and see how he reacts.
...
30 is a lot. If he didn't have kids, maybe he was trying to figure a way to relate to you? When I was working, I was in an office with a lot of girls, most of whom were twenty years younger than I was. There's an old philosophy of male/female interaction which says men can treat women in one of three ways; potential dating material, maternal types (older women, aunts, mothers) or sisters. I chose the last for obvious reasons. And several of the women I met back then, going on eighteen years ago, are still kind of like my sisters. But in most cases it was me who interacted with them initially. In at least two cases, they thought I was weird at first (they have since confessed). They weren't really used to interacting with people my age either, except as parental figures, teachers or bosses.  And they sort of expected me to act very stern, and official and businesslike, rather than joking around or teasing them.


I hope I haven't given the impression that I'm a no-fun co-worker.  I like my co-workers and we make each other laugh every day.  My issues with Old Economy Steve aren't that he's trying to have fun and tell jokes (except that he's so bad at it...)    My concern is that he seems to see me as a peon. Which I sort of am, but I'm not his peon and I won't let him treat me that way. I might be the one who buys office supplies and makes coffee and restarts the wifi when it's not working and all that stuff, but I do that stuff to help my co-workers, not because I'm a doormat.


Friday, Steve shows up in my cubicle and starts complaining about some templates that he didn't like the layout of. I told him I'd mention it to Greg, and didn't think any further of it.  Later that morning Steve shows up again and says  "Are you going to update those templates?"  and I said "Not unless Greg asks me to." And he wandered off without another word... but I have a hunch he wasn't happy.

I have a vague sense that he envisions himself as a boss around the office, but I know who I report to and he's not it.  I understand that he has been in the industry for a very long time and feels that his ideas should therefore be listened to, but my role isn't to listen to him.  If he wants the templates changed he can talk to Greg and Greg can come tell me what he wants done.   I have a sense that Steve envisions himself being a manager and being able to order me around. But I report to Greg and Pete, and those are Greg's documents, and I'm not altering them without Greg telling me to. 

I have a hunch that Steve's delusions of grandeur are going to cause conflict between me and him, and I don't like conflict.

---

My co-workers:

Technical Sales Tom-- he is in the cubicle next to me, and we talk over the wall constantly, except for when he's on a call. I really enjoy working with him.  Tom and his wife were the ones who took me to see the singer last week. Tom is tremendously good at relating to people.  Listening to him interact with customers on the phone or watching him with people around the office has taught me a lot. I sometimes struggle at dealing with people and try to mimic what works for other people who are good at it, and Tom is probably the best at it that I have ever been around.

Good Boss Greg--  Greg is pleasant, quiet, and mostly focused on work. He's the brains of the operation, and designs our wonderful products along with Boring Stories Bob, Engineer Ed, and Ted Technician.  He's an introvert and workaholic, and he doesn't often join in the fun, but when he does have something to add it's always funny. He has a great dry sense of humor. When he needs something from me, he's always clear about what, when, and how. He's very easy to work for.

Boring Stories Bob-- Bob is a good guy, but he likes to talk a lot, and if you want to talk with him you need an exit strategy. He often joins in when Tom and I have come up with some idea we think is hilarious.  Bob will typically join in, revolve the idea around until he's found the least funny, most obvious interpretation of it, and beat the joke to death until it's not funny anymore.  Bob likes to give a play by play of his thought process from the moment he heard something to how he arrived at the conclusion he arrived at, even if there's nothing remotely interesting about the entire journey. "When I heard you say... my initial thought was ...  and then I thought, ah-ha! ...but then I heard...  ...and so then I knew for sure that yes, you were ordering parts and not a pizza. So I was right all along!"   Bob is good natured and fun loving, but I think he is just painfully unaware of how uninteresting his stories are.

Production Chief Pete-- along with Greg, Pete is the person I work most directly for. He is gruff and no-nonsense. Pete is deeply religious, and I'm sure that in secret he wishes I'd find Jesus, find a husband, and have babies-- but he would want all of that for me because he would believe in his heart that it's what would make me happy.  I feel loved and respected by Pete.  He is not demonstrative, but I know that deep down he has a soft spot for me and really appreciates me. In a sense I was hired to be an apprentice Pete, to take on his more menial duties as the business grows. 

the Minions-- one of the things I have taken over from Pete is managing the minions.  These little yellow one-eyed stress-factors would have Pete tearing his hair out, if he had any left. I act as a buffer between Pete and the minions. It's hard to describe the minions without using phrases like "offbeat shenanigans", "wacky hijinks", and "zany antics". They always keep me on my toes.  One thing I can say about the minions is that I have not yet killed any of them.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on October 21, 2018, 07:01:35 am
Questions:

Why add Steve ?

Also, are you doing operations ?  Is it like a production line ?  Or are these mini projects, like custom made products ?  I don't need to know what you're making just what class of thing.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: JMT on October 21, 2018, 08:07:01 am
I cheered myself up and forgot I even posted that....
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on October 21, 2018, 08:10:29 am
I cheered myself up and forgot I even posted that....

How'd you do it Taylor ? 

Riding a horse along the beach until you saw the Statue of Liberty sticking out of the sand ?

(https://cdn3.whatculture.com/images/2015/11/PghmLQjI-600x400.jpg)
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on October 21, 2018, 10:55:47 am
Questions:

Why add Steve ?

Also, are you doing operations ?  Is it like a production line ?  Or are these mini projects, like custom made products ?  I don't need to know what you're making just what class of thing.

It's small volume manufacturing for industrial applications. Some of it is pretty standard, other stuff is modified to specific customer demands. We have some of the parts manufactured for us, we custom build others on our CNC machine, and all of it is assembled and finished in-house by my team of highly skilled experts.

(https://i.imgur.com/PfYC3zH.png)


Old Economy Steve was brought in to do technical sales and support to take some of the load off Technical Sales Tom.  As with Tom, Steve knows more about what the customer needs than the customer themselves do.  He has decades of experience in the industry, and a wealth of contacts as well.  I can certainly understand what he brings to the table.    His desire change all kinds of stuff so that it would be more like he used to use at his previous employer is pretty annoying.   Phrases like "well I did it this way for 30 years..." and pointless arguments trying to illustrate some perceived shortcoming with our current system have become pretty common around the office.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on October 21, 2018, 11:39:33 am
Sounds like you are just venting right now.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: SirJohn on October 21, 2018, 11:57:23 am
Sounds like you are just venting right now.

Venting is when you're angry. She doesn't sound angry.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on October 21, 2018, 12:10:01 pm
You can vent over frustration.  Why not?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on October 21, 2018, 12:54:25 pm
I guess to some degree I'm venting. I'm feeling insecure right now as this new arrival has created fresh uncertainty for me. I feel like I need to prove myself all over again, stake out my territory all over again, and I felt like I had done that already and was happy with where everything was.  I have a strong sense that Steve sees my role as being somewhere in the range of coffee-maker, general-purpose peon, phone-answerer, typist, this sort of thing... so I am somewhat resentful of that as well. 

And we keep having these conversations where he shows up at my desk and says "Question for ya:" and the question is always some variant on "why do we do that this way, when we did things differently at my old job and I like my way better."  Whether it be the templates he wanted changed Friday or some process or procedure or document, he always comes to me to bellyache about it. And I have told him that he should discuss that stuff with Tom or Greg, not me.   Tom and Greg aren't receptive to changing things... they developed all these documents and processes, and they've been using them for years before I even started here, and they're happy with them, and they don't want to change anything. So I feel like Steve has taking to griping to me about this stuff because maybe he thinks he can bully me into changing things without instruction from the people I actually report to, which I won't.  Tom will generally jump in if he overhears these gripe sessions and "manage" Steve gently but firmly out of my hair, which I appreciate.

And yeah, the stale jokes and awkward personal interactions are also pretty grating.

Overall this Steve situation is not specifically too good, and has been weighing down my usually happy work-day.


 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on October 21, 2018, 01:12:56 pm
Having a person assigned to making coffee is very 'old economy'.

Do you guys have a secretary too?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on October 21, 2018, 01:22:07 pm
I usually make coffee because I'm the one who needs coffee the worst.  Other people make coffee too if they get to it before me. Usually the people who need the coffee make the coffee.  Ed Engineer and Ted Technician often make coffee.

We don't have a secretary... a lot of the office manager type stuff is split between myself and Pete.  Phones are usually answered by either me or Boring Stories Bob, and are often just transferred to Tom and Steve because usually the calls are for them.  Maybe we should get a secretary.  It would be nice to have a Christina Hendricks type around the office. Also, Boring Stories Bob does bring a briefcase to work. He just carries his lunch in it, though. It's just a big leather lunch-box, really.  Nobody at our office has quill pens or muskets, though.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on October 21, 2018, 02:19:33 pm
I thought Christina had the prettiest face...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: ?Impact on October 21, 2018, 03:21:32 pm
We need a job/personality description for Minion buffer Kimmy
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest7 on October 21, 2018, 04:53:32 pm
I wanted to make a joke about sailors here....

I've racked my brain, asked family and friends, and even been on the phone to the Admiralty in Westminster (they hung up on me! Snooty bastards) but I can not think of a sailor joke to go with my comment.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: JMT on October 21, 2018, 09:06:07 pm
What are your thoughts on Bhuddism?  It's not incompatible with atheism, and I really like what I'm learning about it so far.  I'm thinking of becoming one....
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on October 21, 2018, 09:16:21 pm
I'd say you can't go wrong with a guy smiles even though he has a bit of a fat belly and says things like:
Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest4 on October 21, 2018, 11:49:51 pm
What are your thoughts on Bhuddism?  It's not incompatible with atheism, and I really like what I'm learning about it so far.  I'm thinking of becoming one....
Why?

I liked Buddhism too, it did seem more humanistic when I read some stuff.  Nonetheless, some adherents have still been able to make genocide compatible with their belief. 

Perhaps you are kidding?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on October 22, 2018, 12:39:28 am
Those non-religious westerners who need religion seem to like Buddhism.   Ooooh...   a religion for atheists!

I don’t think one needs a religion to implement good philosophies.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on October 22, 2018, 12:52:21 am
I thought Christina had the prettiest face...

She has lovely eyes...


We need a job/personality description for Minion buffer Kimmy

"Diversity Hire"

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on October 22, 2018, 06:19:46 am
Buddhism and Christianity are close, actually.  I did a beliefs test online, and Buddhism-Christianity came 1&2 but Christianity only lost because I don't believe in the divinity.  Christianity has defacto become a descriptor for a certain kind of person, because most self-described Christians are not Christians.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on October 22, 2018, 09:21:51 am
Buddhism and Christianity are close, actually.  I did a beliefs test online, and Buddhism-Christianity came 1&2 but Christianity only lost because I don't believe in the divinity.  Christianity has defacto become a descriptor for a certain kind of person, because most self-described Christians are not Christians.

But that's like THE defining belief of Christianity. 

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on October 22, 2018, 06:43:15 pm
Buddhism and Christianity are close, actually.  I did a beliefs test online, and Buddhism-Christianity came 1&2 but Christianity only lost because I don't believe in the divinity.  Christianity has defacto become a descriptor for a certain kind of person, because most self-described Christians are not Christians.

LOL

No, Buddhism and Christianity are not close.  And Christianity is not a description of personality traits.   ::)

You’ve just rendered the meaning of those terms as useless.

“What’s a Christian”?   
“someone who’s nice....   sort of like a Buddhist”. 
“Oh, what about a bad person who’s a Christian?”
“They’re not really a Christian”.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on October 22, 2018, 08:14:04 pm
But that's like THE defining belief of Christianity. 

 -k

That's why I came in 2nd.  I would say that I'm Christian but most rank the divinity part higher than the philosophy.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on October 22, 2018, 08:16:38 pm
LOL

No, Buddhism and Christianity are not close ...

I dunno... I got almost identical points... maybe 1 less for Christianity....

How are they different exactly ?  I read Siddhartha but I didn't study Buddhism
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on October 22, 2018, 11:21:29 pm
I dunno... I got almost identical points... maybe 1 less for Christianity....

So you think some online test gives an accurate representation of which religion you should be?

Quote

How are they different exactly ?  I read Siddhartha but I didn't study Buddhism

Well, Buddhism doesn't have a belief in a divine Jesus....  Christianity does.  That's kind of a big difference...   I'm sure there's a thousand others you can google...

Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on October 22, 2018, 11:28:46 pm
That's why I came in 2nd.  I would say that I'm Christian but most rank the divinity part higher than the philosophy.

I think most would say that you can't really call yourself a Christian if you don't accept the central premise of Christianity, no matter how much the general philosophy appeals to you. It would be like saying...

"I don't have any aboriginal ancestry, but I still consider myself an aboriginal Canadian because I care about the environment" ...

"I still like to eat meat, but I consider myself a vegan because vegetables are an important part of my diet" ...

"I don't believe that we should destroy industrial machinery, but I still consider myself a Luddite because I feel like people spend too much time on their cell-phones" ...

"I don't believe that the World Trade Center was destroyed by a US or Israeli government conspiracy, but I do consider myself a 9/11 Truthie because they make an important point about the importance of questioning what we're told"...

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on October 22, 2018, 11:51:28 pm
I supppose you can be a “cultural Christian”....   
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on October 23, 2018, 12:03:55 am
I don’t think one needs a religion to implement good philosophies.

Western civilization seemed to figure this out a few centuries ago with the Enlightenment but apparently we still have some hangers-on who still believe religion > rationality.

Some people like easy answers ordered on them instead of using their own brain.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on October 23, 2018, 12:06:26 am
I'm just so happy I kicked that religious crap out the door so long ago.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on October 23, 2018, 12:19:58 am
"I believe this and this and this, and I'm looking for a religion that fits my views" is kind of the opposite of how a religion is supposed to work, isn't it?

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on October 23, 2018, 12:57:14 am
I believe that if there is a God in heaven and I one day get they he or she will welcome me and and say thanks for not buying into the bullshit people there use to run around killing people in my name. How 'bout a beer?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on October 23, 2018, 05:48:11 am
I think most would say that you can't really call yourself a Christian if you don't accept the central premise of Christianity, no matter how much the general philosophy appeals to you. It would be like saying...

Yeah but I think if Jesus could comment on this, he would say that his divinity was NEVER the central premise.  The teachings were.

Quote
"I don't have any aboriginal ancestry, but I still consider myself an aboriginal Canadian because I care about the environment" ...

Bad analogy.

Quote
"I still like to eat meat, but I consider myself a vegan because vegetables are an important part of my diet" ...

Bad analogy.

Quote
"I don't believe that we should destroy industrial machinery, but I still consider myself a Luddite because I feel like people spend too much time on their cell-phones" ...

Better, but still bad analogy.

Quote
"I don't believe that the World Trade Center was destroyed by a US or Israeli government conspiracy, but I do consider myself a 9/11 Truthie because they make an important point about the importance of questioning what we're told"...

Bad analogy.

It's more about the deterioration of epistemic integrity.  A guy shows up, takes Rabbi Hillel's teachings and transforms this and says ... "if you follow me, then you need to do this above all things: treat people as you would like to be treated".  It's brilliant, as it turns subjectivity about how you are treated by others on its head, and turns it into how to treat others.  If everyone followed this, the world would be a better place.  If HALF of people followed it, then the world would be better.

Then Saint Paul shows up, and starts promoting this idea.  He's on commission so the more converts he gets, the more fame and fortune for him... he eventually martyrs himself but his work ultimately converts the Roman Emperor.  Along the way, rumours of his magical powers eclipse the message but the message is still there, intact.

By the 20th century, the message is corrupted and people are using it 180 degrees incorrectly.

.....

Now, should I be blamed for following the initial message and declaring myself a true Christian ?  I say no.

.....

Another way to look at it: if my mom told everyone she was a hussy would she be right ?  Hussy is an old word meaning 'housewife' that changed meaning.  Maybe she is right, but maybe she should only tell her friends she is a hussy.  I don't tell people who don't know me I'm a Christian, only people who know I am socially liberal and never go to church.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on October 23, 2018, 05:49:06 am
I supppose you can be a “cultural Christian”....

I convinced by beautifully debauched Burner buddy... a bisexual acid lover... that Burning Man is the most Christian festival there is.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on October 23, 2018, 09:46:12 am
I convinced by beautifully debauched Burner buddy... a bisexual acid lover... that Burning Man is the most Christian festival there is.

He was wrong. 

And you seem to ignore everything Jesus said, except for a couple passages.  Divinity is central to Christianity, which you also ignore. 

 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on October 23, 2018, 11:19:18 am
He was wrong. 

And you seem to ignore everything Jesus said, except for a couple passages.  Divinity is central to Christianity, which you also ignore.

Jesus is unique in history for the amount of effort analyzing, interpreting and rewriting his words.

Luckily, over all the contradictions he said 'this above all'.

I think that interpreting such things is personal, and subjective.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on October 28, 2018, 06:49:16 pm
Oops.  Baby time !  :o
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest7 on October 28, 2018, 07:24:04 pm
Oops.  Baby time !  :o

All the best...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on October 28, 2018, 10:18:08 pm
Oops.  Baby time !  :o

OMG OMG really?  Best wishes Michael!    :-*

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on October 28, 2018, 10:27:05 pm
Holy doodle! We wait with bated breath. Get back to us when you can.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest4 on October 28, 2018, 10:46:40 pm
Oops.  Baby time !  :o
Sweet!
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Goddess on October 29, 2018, 10:51:45 am
Best wishes for the safe arrival of baby Hardner  :)
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: ?Impact on October 29, 2018, 04:15:32 pm
Oops.  Baby time !  :o

21 hours later, and ....
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on October 29, 2018, 10:10:59 pm
Slow going...
Maybe tomorrow...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Rue on October 29, 2018, 10:15:56 pm
All we need another guilt ridden liberal born unto this world. Bah but that aside I wish your family the best. Babies, they leak you know.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on October 29, 2018, 10:22:29 pm
All we need another guilt ridden liberal born unto this world. Bah but that aside I wish your family the best. Babies, they leak you know.

WOW. You must be off your meds.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on October 29, 2018, 11:19:28 pm
Good luck Mikey and to the Mrs Mikey.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on October 30, 2018, 12:01:30 am
I can't handle the suspense!  I hope everything is ok!

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on October 30, 2018, 06:52:45 am
Baby is here and all is well.  Stories later, but first we need to finish feeding him and rest.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on October 30, 2018, 07:03:43 am
The weirdest thing is your brain chemistry readjusting to the fact you aren't its most important human anymore.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on October 30, 2018, 09:43:00 am
Congratulations Michael!  I am glad everyone is well!


 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on October 30, 2018, 11:04:54 am
I woke up from a nap and was like '*... Oh... Right...'
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest4 on October 30, 2018, 11:21:14 am
I woke up from a nap and was like '*... Oh... Right...'

Size? Hair? Name?  Pics?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: cybercoma on October 30, 2018, 11:28:30 am
Good job, dad! You procreated!
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on October 30, 2018, 12:17:53 pm
Size: 7 pounds 10 ounces
Name: Ewan Zebra Hardner (jk no name yet but that works for now)
Mission: Enjoy life and make sure to not worsen this messed up world.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: ?Impact on October 30, 2018, 12:40:11 pm
Congratulations to the new parents, and welcome new Canadian boy EZ (born of the Taxus baccata).
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on October 30, 2018, 01:06:04 pm
Congratulations.
That's a pretty good sized baby.
I hope Mom is getting her well deserved rest.
Welcome to the world EZ.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on October 30, 2018, 04:17:04 pm
Easy it is.

So we had a visitor, little naps and now adjusting to the vaunted 23-hour-no-sleep baby lifestyle.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on October 30, 2018, 04:33:18 pm
Congrats Mikey!

Name the child Graham.  It has been decided.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on October 30, 2018, 05:58:00 pm
Gratulations to you and Mrs. Mike on your new life, for all of you.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on October 30, 2018, 06:16:18 pm
Zebra is unusual. Is it zeh-bra or zee-bra? Is he mulatto? Some friends of mine had a mulatto child they called Gray. I thought that was cute too, but I'm not sure whether they did it on purpose. I didn't want to ask.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on October 30, 2018, 07:52:23 pm
Zebra is unusual. Is it zeh-bra or zee-bra? Is he mulatto? Some friends of mine had a mulatto child they called Gray. I thought that was cute too, but I'm not sure whether they did it on purpose. I didn't want to ask.

Gray seems to be a name now. Our daughter in law's sister named one of her girls Gray. Both parents are Caucasian Anglos.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on October 30, 2018, 09:16:12 pm
I think 'Easy' will be his portmanteau name.

Also so far an easy baby.  But holy crap the stuff we have had to learn already.  Nursing and wrapping for sleep maybe the most important things.  Also washing.

I am a man who needs his sleep and I had 3 hours.  Ok though.  I am managing.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on October 31, 2018, 06:11:05 am
It was over two years before my daughter slept through the night. Just saying.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on October 31, 2018, 09:07:04 am
It was over two years before my daughter slept through the night. Just saying.

It’s a crap shoot. They’re all different.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on October 31, 2018, 09:20:54 am
I think 'Easy' will be his portmanteau name.

Also so far an easy baby.  But holy crap the stuff we have had to learn already.  Nursing and wrapping for sleep maybe the most important things.  Also washing.

I am a man who needs his sleep and I had 3 hours.  Ok though.  I am managing.

I thought we'd settled on "Coonlight".    Naming your child "Easy" seems like a surefire way to send him on a path to becoming a rap musician. Are you comfortable with that?  Are you ok with the idea of Suge Knight showing up at your house and demanding your son's lunch money?  I am concerned, Michael.

Glad to hear everyone is doing ok, though. :)


 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest4 on October 31, 2018, 09:28:41 am
It was over two years before my daughter slept through the night. Just saying.
My daughter slept from midnight till 6 am by the time she was a couple of months old.  Son took a little longer, but was sleeping through the night well before a year. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on October 31, 2018, 02:56:29 pm
Well, I made it through day 1. *Edit: WE made it through day 1* Random observations:

1. All the annoying things people tell you about parenting are true, but also unique to you.  The feeling I had when I held him for the first time after a difficult, if not precarious night of trauma ... that feeling wasn't bliss, but just a peaceful, blank, stunned kind of disbelief.  It wasn't a Hallmark moment.  I just felt like I couldn't believe this had finally happened after many years of trying.  It felt like an ending as much as a beginning.  I was relieved more than joyful.

All of that just to get this little peanut head guy out and get him to hopefully enjoy some good music with us soon.

2. I promised not to be like other parents, but have failed and am already trying to start a black market in photos to manipulate my and Joan's family members.  I am evil I guess.

3. I don't like much of anything but I really like this boy.  Also he is very cute and seems to like soft rock.  He's just over a day old, so I'll allow it for now.  We'll transition him from James Taylor through Joni Mitchell over to Neil Young, then jump ahead to Kurt Vile and work backward to Meat Puppets, Grateful Dead, The Band and then back to Alan Lomax recordings.  That's my plan for now, but I haven't written it down anywayer.

4. This is the least sleep I have had since university exam days and I have no idea what I'm writing.

5. There's no way I will have much forum time, as baby will take a lot of time and Facebook...... so I will probably only post here and not a lot of other places.  Eventually I'll get interested in politics again, although when I last looked closely at the news it was as bad as ever, with anti-Semitism now.  We're at Mt. Sinai and a large Jewish presence in our lives so this feels dark.  We gave Easy a Jewish name too.  I hope the world is ok, and if not I hope he can help.  Or it gets better and people just talk to each other. 

6. The facebook announcements have got hundreds and hundreds of wonderful mentions ... including from old friends who are too old to be on Facebook, who heard from friends that are.  Our hearts are floating out of our bodies with the kindness. 

Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on October 31, 2018, 06:25:32 pm
Don't be all judgy if he likes contemporary pop music. I found it took years for me to develop a taste for Charlie Parker. The first album I bought was Abba's Greatest Hits and I turned out okay and able to enjoy Up on the Sun by the Meat Puppets.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on October 31, 2018, 06:52:22 pm
Don't be all judgy if he likes contemporary pop music. I found it took years for me to develop a taste for Charlie Parker. The first album I bought was Abba's Greatest Hits and I turned out okay and able to enjoy Up on the Sun by the Meat Puppets.

Well THAT album is a rare gem.  It's proto-grunge doing Grateful Dead and *meaning* it.  This needs all purpose music post.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on November 02, 2018, 12:09:58 pm
Definitely learning a lot about how little people function.  It's been a tough few days but we're rolling with it.

The ward here is funny.  Full of tired looking guys 20-40 with the same exhausted/determined look on their faces.  I expect they would probably look 'hot' to most women, so there's maybe a magazine article in this.  They're definitely in it for the long haul.

We're semi-private which is not as bad as it sounds as the entire floor of the hospital is a writhing pit of hormones and milk splatter anyway, ie there isn't much privacy or much to hide anyway.  Our room-mate snores.  Also, sadly, she doesn't seem to have a guy helping her.  She had a young lady stay over for a day or so, and there was a sheepish looking dude, young like her, but mostly just her and baby. :(
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on November 02, 2018, 12:24:47 pm
wow... I just heard her say she has a husband, but he's home taking care of baby #1.  tough.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Goddess on November 02, 2018, 12:29:09 pm
Wait til everyone starts asking you when you're having another one..... :D
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on November 02, 2018, 12:53:26 pm
Wait til everyone starts asking you when you're having another one..... :D

My plan is to coyly smile and say "We'll see !  hee hee hee" as I visualize myself dumping a large plate of spaghetti onto their heads...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: cybercoma on November 02, 2018, 07:09:38 pm
My plan is to coyly smile and say "We'll see !  hee hee hee" as I visualize myself dumping a large plate of spaghetti onto their heads...
tell people, “oh no...we couldn’t do that. What if they cancel each other out?”
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on November 02, 2018, 07:33:27 pm
Well THAT album is a rare gem.  It's proto-grunge doing Grateful Dead and *meaning* it.  This needs all purpose music post.

WTF are the meat puppets?  Post some good tunes in the music thread if u have time.

Kimmy & I will show your boy some Slayer when he hits 15 y/o  8)
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on November 02, 2018, 09:26:34 pm
Definitely learning a lot about how little people function.

The don't come with a manual?

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on November 02, 2018, 09:42:34 pm
The don't come with a manual?

 -k

They do and it says eat, burp, poop, sleep/ and then theres a more complicated one later on
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on November 02, 2018, 10:16:31 pm
This week's Stale Male Fails included...

---

 ...Stale Steve puts his lunch in the microwave, I hear a bunch of beeping, and he wanders off.  A couple of minutes later he goes back and says "Hey, how come my lunch is still cold?" and Ted Technician says "you just set the clock to 3:33."

---

 ...he goes up to Technical Sales Tom and Good Boss Greg and says "hey, we've got a customer asking what delivery is for Product X. Can I quote him 3 months?"   Tom and Greg explain that Product X is low priority and there are a lot more pressing things in line ahead of it, and it's basically so far down the list that we can't even estimate when it'll be ready, this sort of thing.  Steve listens to all this, and says "ok. I'll just tell him 3 months."   Tom and Greg both shout at him, almost in unison: "DON'T QUOTE HIM A DATE!!!"  And Steve is like "oh, okay, I just figured, I'd take whatever engineering tells me and double it, HA! HA!" and wanders off. 

A moment later Engineer Ed sticks his head above his cubical wall and does basically this face:
(https://i.imgur.com/IH4fZyx.gif)

---

So many conversations that start out with "Question for ya:"

---

So many unfunny jokes, followed by that same annoying "HA! HA!"   On Monday Ted Technician wanders by and says "is it Friday yet?" and Steve shouts "Ted! Don't get ahead of yourself! Ask if it's Wednesday yet! HA! HA!"   Like... that's not even remotely funny or clever. I just felt very sad for him.

---

On the bright side, he has not been bothering me personally as much.  Also no creepy interactions this week.



 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on November 07, 2018, 07:05:46 am
Holy ****. I think I might be Steve.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on November 13, 2018, 08:36:26 pm
One of the bartenders I see a lot has been very flirty the last few times I've been through.  She's very ... sensual. The way she walks, the way she leans over the bar when she talks to you, the way she stands while she's mixing a drink... somehow everything she does just seems suggestive.  Monday she came and sat in the stool next to me and leaned into my personal space while she asked about my day, about work, and the usual things. It wasn't so much the questions as her posture, closeness, several touches, and the eye contact that made it feel ... intimate.  Thursday I stopped in for a quick drink on the way to my hair appointment, and when I was almost done my drink she came up behind me and ran her fingers up and down my back as she leaned over me and asked if I wanted another drink.  It made my heart beat quicker.

My brain is telling me that she's heterosexual and is probably like this with all her customers. My heart, and parts below my heart, are hopeful that there's more to it than that.   I've made a fool of myself before by misinterpreting signs women were giving me and it's extremely embarrassing. I am not ready to go out on the limb yet.


OMG OMG this might actually be happening!  She gave me her business card for her day job!  I think she wants me to contact her!

OMG OMG what do I do now???


 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on November 13, 2018, 11:09:55 pm
Call her & go for a drink and then have sex with her.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: JMT on November 13, 2018, 11:12:15 pm
Call her & go for a drink and then have sex with her.

And then tell us about it in vivid detail the next day.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on November 13, 2018, 11:13:34 pm
Call her & go for a drink and then have sex with her.
I guess you'll be looking over the fence?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on November 13, 2018, 11:15:01 pm
And then tell us about it in vivid detail the next day.

Try to get **** pics of this seductress if possible I'd say.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on November 13, 2018, 11:18:38 pm

OMG OMG this might actually be happening!  She gave me her business card for her day job!  I think she wants me to contact her!

OMG OMG what do I do now???

But seriously, maybe wait until thurs or fri and then call her and then go for a drink or fri eve.  The worst case scenario is you have a drink and nothing happens, or she says no & you embarrass yourself.  Best case is love-making.  So doing a cost-benefit analysis, you have to call her.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on November 14, 2018, 12:18:03 am

OMG OMG this might actually be happening!  She gave me her business card for her day job!  I think she wants me to contact her!

OMG OMG what do I do now???


 -k

Don’t call her for several weeks...  you don’t want to seem desperate.  And maybe have some of your coworkers jokes lined up...   the old guy who annoys you...   it sounds like he’s got some good stuff there. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on November 14, 2018, 05:51:15 am
And then tell us about it in vivid detail the next day.

No... friends don't actually do this.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on November 14, 2018, 05:53:29 am
aaaand... back to work today.

Let's see how THIS works.   :D
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: cybercoma on November 14, 2018, 07:05:38 am
No... friends don't actually do this.
He was being facetious.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on November 14, 2018, 10:21:00 am
But seriously, maybe wait until thurs or fri and then call her and then go for a drink or fri eve.  The worst case scenario is you have a drink and nothing happens, or she says no & you embarrass yourself.  Best case is love-making.  So doing a cost-benefit analysis, you have to call her.

Yes, this sounds like a plan. I will do this.

Don’t call her for several weeks...  you don’t want to seem desperate.  And maybe have some of your coworkers jokes lined up...   the old guy who annoys you...   it sounds like he’s got some good stuff there. 

YES! This is the kind of advice I count on you guys for! Thanks, Squidward!

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: SirJohn on November 14, 2018, 11:54:36 am
No... friends don't actually do this.

You don't have the right kind of friends.

Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on November 14, 2018, 01:29:25 pm
You don't have the right kind of friends.

I guess I DID, but in grade 6.

Feel free to share SJ sex stories in another thread btw.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: ?Impact on November 14, 2018, 01:30:10 pm
Don’t call her for several weeks...  you don’t want to seem desperate.

A couple of days is fine, a couple of weeks says you tried elsewhere and then became desperate.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: JMT on November 14, 2018, 02:50:29 pm
Never more than 7 days should you wait, and 4 is more than enough.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest7 on November 14, 2018, 02:55:17 pm
I would join the French Foreign Legion without delay...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: JMT on November 14, 2018, 03:05:04 pm
He was being facetious.

....... ;D
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on November 14, 2018, 04:11:21 pm
A couple of days is fine, a couple of weeks says you tried elsewhere and then became desperate.

What I remember about dating you could write on the back of a stamp but this makes sense to me.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on November 14, 2018, 05:20:34 pm
Yes, this sounds like a plan. I will do this.

YES! This is the kind of advice I count on you guys for! Thanks, Squidward!

 -k

ya maybe wait until next week to call.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on November 14, 2018, 05:22:05 pm
Never more than 7 days should you wait, and 4 is more than enough.

If she likes her then she'd want her to call her asap.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on November 14, 2018, 05:43:03 pm
Once you call, you should keep doing so every 15 minutes or so just to check in.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on November 15, 2018, 09:33:49 am
Thanks, that's a great tip too!  Where would I be without you guys?

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest4 on November 15, 2018, 09:48:26 am
Once you call, you should keep doing so every 15 minutes or so just to check in.

Also important to get passwords to social media accounts as soon as possible, second date by latest.  Otherwise you know she's just stringing you and has dozens of others she's messing with.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on November 15, 2018, 10:52:27 am
A small gift on the 1st date would be nice....   maybe a ring.  Not too expensive though...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: cybercoma on November 15, 2018, 10:59:03 am
Also, tell her you're a millionaire celebrity. I hear they just let you grab 'em by the **** if you do.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: SirJohn on November 15, 2018, 02:21:51 pm
I usually take first dates to see my mom. It's a very nice cemetery, after all.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on November 15, 2018, 06:12:51 pm
AMUSING !
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on November 16, 2018, 03:14:30 am
"Hi, this is Kim! From the bar! You gave me your card the other day!  I was just imagining my face between your thighs thinking about going out Saturday, and wondering if you'd like to join me?  You seem like a really fun person, and I'd like to take off your clothes and do strange things to you hang out with you sometime!  Would you like to get together Saturday for some orgasms drinks?"

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: SirJohn on November 16, 2018, 11:24:17 am
I want to hear more about the strange things. :o
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on November 16, 2018, 04:44:07 pm
Yeah, this thread is too hott.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on November 16, 2018, 04:51:32 pm
Ah but it's kind of fun, in a weird sort of way to watch the kiddies get their jollies.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on November 17, 2018, 09:05:52 am
Ah but it's kind of fun, in a weird sort of way to watch the kiddies get their jollies.

SJ said that friends do share intimate stories, and yet we only have Kimmy saying anything. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: SirJohn on November 17, 2018, 11:13:22 am
SJ said that friends do share intimate stories, and yet we only have Kimmy saying anything.

You generally have to trust the people you're dealing with.
I remember sitting in my cubicle one day when the girl next door (literally) comes over early in the morning, very bubbly because she got some on the weekend. And, she confided, she'd been introduced to anal sex, and loved it.

So yes, friends to share intimate stores. That doesn't necessarily mean graphic stories, of course.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: SirJohn on November 17, 2018, 11:15:06 am
Ah but it's kind of fun, in a weird sort of way to watch the kiddies get their jollies.

He said with disdain, looking down from his lordly pose atop the pedestal he has built for himself, sneering at the common types without his vast nobility and worldly wisdom.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on November 17, 2018, 11:50:07 am
I want to hear more about the strange things. :o

I'll have more details about that after tonight, if I'm lucky. :)

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest7 on November 17, 2018, 11:51:41 am
I'll have more details about that after tonight, if I'm lucky. :)

 -k

It's not too late...

https://en.legion-recrute.com/
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on November 17, 2018, 12:26:21 pm
You generally have to trust the people you're dealing with. Would you share anything personal around an insufferably smug weasel like Omni?
I remember sitting in my cubicle one day when the girl next door (literally) comes over early in the morning, very bubbly because she got some on the weekend. And, she confided, she'd been introduced to anal sex, and loved it.

So yes, friends to share intimate stores. That doesn't necessarily mean graphic stories, of course.

Perhaps you haven't much to be smug about.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: JMT on November 17, 2018, 12:35:18 pm
I hope to get laid tonight - but we'll see.  If you really want, I'll share details later  ;D
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest4 on November 17, 2018, 01:01:32 pm
Quote
You generally have to trust the people you're dealing with
Not so much on an anonymous forum since actual identities are hidden, and people tend to think they can safely say anything.   The only one here who is really putting his trust in us is JMT, giving his real name and Facebook ID.

What we're really doing is trusting that no-one  cares enough to try tracking us down in person, to put reality to the stories.  Or a bullet to our head, depending on the degree of sanity held by people who argue with other people on the internet.

I am as sure as anyone that our regular posters are harmless, but we have lurkers and this is a public forum. That, for me, is a consideration in how much intimacy I would be willing to share. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on November 17, 2018, 01:03:49 pm
I hope to get laid tonight - but we'll see.  If you really want, I'll share details later  ;D

Well best of luck with that tonight.
I got laid one time when I wasn't expecting to. I was in a place called Makovik (way up north on the Labrador coast). No hotels up there at least then, but there was a big old house that had been turned into accommodation for travelers. One big room in the place had a bunch of bunk beds around the perimeter, and a big pool table in the middle. There were also some private bedrooms. There were a bunch of people there this night, mostly men and some local girls. One gal was there on a mission as a photographer for the Memorial University of Newfoundland. She introduced herself and later asked me if I'd stay with her tonight,(she had one of those rooms) as she said the guys were playing pool to see who got to sleep with the white girl.I said.......OK. We had a fun evening and ended up staying together for 12 years.

Once again, bonne chance ce soir.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest4 on November 17, 2018, 01:04:27 pm
I'll have more details about that after tonight, if I'm lucky. :)

 -k
Let us know you had a great time, no further details needed.  :)

Quote
I hope to get laid tonight - but we'll see.  If you really want, I'll share details later  ;D
Hope you do get lucky, details not needed.  :)
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: SirJohn on November 17, 2018, 02:14:56 pm
What we're really doing is trusting that no-one  cares enough to try tracking us down in person, to put reality to the stories.  Or a bullet to our head, depending on the degree of sanity held by people who argue with other people on the internet.

I had one guy threaten to track me down once, on the other site. He knew what city I was in, and went through all my posts to try to narrow down the area. He knew I worked for Revenue Canada, and had actually looked up the name 'argus' on their web site, trying to find out which building I was in. He didn't specifically mention shooting me, but he had made a point of letting me know he was armed. Greg banned him the next day.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on November 17, 2018, 02:31:29 pm
I had one guy threaten to track me down once, on the other site. He knew what city I was in, and went through all my posts to try to narrow down the area. He knew I worked for Revenue Canada, and had actually looked up the name 'argus' on their web site, trying to find out which building I was in. He didn't specifically mention shooting me, but he had made a point of letting me know he was armed. Greg banned him the next day.

I bet I know who you're talking about. He made similar threats to me at one time. I mentioned having just tested the system in the US (Florida) and how easy it would be for me to buy an AR15 or anything down there based simply on a valid picture DL. Can't recall his handle.

Actually I did recall his handle short form D2. Is he still over there among the trumptards and nitwits?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: SirJohn on November 17, 2018, 07:26:44 pm
I bet I know who you're talking about. He made similar threats to me at one time. I mentioned having just tested the system in the US (Florida) and how easy it would be for me to buy an AR15 or anything down there based simply on a valid picture DL. Can't recall his handle.

Actually I did recall his handle short form D2. Is he still over there among the trumptards and nitwits?

He was one of yours, actually. But I can't remember his name. Before your time. Before Charles was the moderator.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on November 17, 2018, 07:49:53 pm
Watch it with the sex.  It can lead to kids.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on November 17, 2018, 07:57:52 pm
He was one of yours, actually. But I can't remember his name. Before your time. Before Charles was the moderator.

Not sure what "one of yours" means but this guy did threaten to try and hunt me down and have me charged with some offense. He was more one of CA's kind which is why I'm not there anymore. WAY too biased. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on November 18, 2018, 01:30:26 pm
Let us know you had a great time, no further details needed.  :)

I had a great time! :)

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: JMT on November 18, 2018, 02:21:25 pm
Well best of luck with that tonight.
I got laid one time when I wasn't expecting to. I was in a place called Makovik (way up north on the Labrador coast). No hotels up there at least then, but there was a big old house that had been turned into accommodation for travelers. One big room in the place had a bunch of bunk beds around the perimeter, and a big pool table in the middle. There were also some private bedrooms. There were a bunch of people there this night, mostly men and some local girls. One gal was there on a mission as a photographer for the Memorial University of Newfoundland. She introduced herself and later asked me if I'd stay with her tonight,(she had one of those rooms) as she said the guys were playing pool to see who got to sleep with the white girl.I said.......OK. We had a fun evening and ended up staying together for 12 years.

Once again, bonne chance ce soir.

And it went well
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: SirJohn on November 18, 2018, 02:22:18 pm
I had a great time! :)

 -k

Your career as an erotic writer is off to a poor start!
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on November 18, 2018, 02:26:11 pm
And it went well

Off to a good start then.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on November 18, 2018, 09:12:51 pm
And it went well

Slump-busters! *high-five*    ;D

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on November 18, 2018, 09:53:17 pm
Your career as an erotic writer is off to a poor start!

I wasn't going to get too detailed.  :p

We spent an hour drinking and talking, then we came home to my place and spent several hours playing in bed, then she went home to feed her cat. Which is not a euphemism for anything, she has a literal cat that eats cat food. 

It was pretty tame, but very pleasant. She considers herself a flexitarian... she's done this before, it's not her usual thing but she wanted to give it a go. She's fed up with guys for the time being. She said she gave me her card because she didn't think I was ever going to ask her if she didn't give me a nudge. I asked why she didn't just ask me, and she gave me sort of a blank look like I was asking a completely inane question.  Dating girls is complicated.  I think we're doing this again. I think she had fun too.

She's pretty and feminine, but there's something just a touch tomboyish about her.  At work she wears minimal makeup, a simple slightly messy hairstyle, tight jeans and a loose t-shirt and knee-high leather boots.  She wore the exact same thing to our date, which kind of surprised me. I was sort of expecting a blouse and some makeup, but nope.  She's kind of tall and lanky-- even though she's thinner than me, she's also softer than me. Pouring drinks and waiting tables might be all the exercise she gets. In spite of that I find her really attractive.  I'm just really excited right now. I feel like has potential.


 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: ?Impact on November 19, 2018, 03:03:51 pm
flexitarian? I had to look that up.

I only see it referenced in diet, someone that tries to maintain somewhat of a vegetarian diet but still eats meat on occasion. One could call it cheating on their vegetarian diet. Applied here it sound like how it was described, not her usual thing but she is willing to cheat now and then when fed up with man diet.



Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: cybercoma on November 19, 2018, 04:30:48 pm
flexitarian? I had to look that up.
 still eats meat on occasion.
Seems like the right definition  :D
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on November 20, 2018, 02:29:24 am
flexitarian? I had to look that up.

I only see it referenced in diet, someone that tries to maintain somewhat of a vegetarian diet but still eats meat on occasion. One could call it cheating on their vegetarian diet. Applied here it sound like how it was described, not her usual thing but she is willing to cheat now and then when fed up with man diet.

I kinda figured my meaning would be clear from the context...

Seems like the right definition  :D

AUGH!

What is it with you guys and your talk of "meat" and "hoses" today??

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on November 20, 2018, 02:33:19 am
AMUSING !

MICHAEL!

How is young MC EZ-E doing?  How is the parenting going?   You seem to have more time for posting here lately! Does that mean you're getting a handle on the parenting gig?


 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on November 20, 2018, 06:53:54 am
MICHAEL!

How is young MC EZ-E doing?  How is the parenting going?   You seem to have more time for posting here lately! Does that mean you're getting a handle on the parenting gig?


 -k

Easy is good.  Parenting is tough at times and when we get into the weeds we're all stressed and underfed and tired and sometimes several of us are crying.  I have little ten minute blotches of time to post which is great. 

The key is that Easy can sleep 2-3 hours at a stretch, so we have to work around that.  The 'night shift' is... Joan sleeps from about 8 pm or 9 pm to midnight then I go to bed for 6 to 6.5 hours of *uninterrupted* sleep.  She tends to him overnight and he is sometimes up a few hours.

We even went to a restaurant on Saturday !
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on November 26, 2018, 04:03:00 am
We had date #2 on Saturday.  There's a joke/trope/stereotype that goes "what does a lesbian bring on a 2nd date?  A U-Haul."   The idea, I guess, is that lesbians tend to fall for each other really hard, decide "omg she's THE ONE", and move in together in a rush of excitement.  That has never been my experience.  My experience has been that these things start cautiously.  I'm fully aware that she's not committed to this as anything more than some fleeting fun.  The "flexitarian" thing is something that she might grow out of or fully commit to or whatever.  I started having sex with women 15 years ago... for the past 10 years it's been exclusively women... and it's only just recently that I've kind of realized "yeah, I think I might be gay."  I am very aware that for her this might just be a step on her journey.  For the time being, it's fun.


 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on November 26, 2018, 06:18:57 am
What is in this for you, in terms of her as a person ? 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on November 26, 2018, 09:41:18 am
ummmm....  not sure yet.   It's mostly sex at this point.  I'd like it to be more. Hopefully it at least gets to the "friends with benefits" stage, but right now it's mostly just benefits, the friendship is still a work in progress.

(https://i.imgur.com/MyctX55.jpg)


 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: JMT on November 26, 2018, 09:44:14 am
I made some really dumb mistakes the last couple weeks.  I got drawn back in by the person that left me behind 9 months ago.  It turns out she was just using my for emotional support and plain support.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on November 26, 2018, 09:46:30 am
AUGH!  Stop doing that! 

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: cybercoma on November 26, 2018, 09:47:27 am
I made some really dumb mistakes the last couple weeks.  I got drawn back in by the person that left me behind 9 months ago.  It turns out she was just using my for emotional support and plain support.
Don't beat yourself up over it. This stuff happens. You seem much more clear-headed about the situation now than you were at the time.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: JMT on November 26, 2018, 10:03:58 am
Don't beat yourself up over it. This stuff happens. You seem much more clear-headed about the situation now than you were at the time.

I have never seen her like I've seen her this weekend.  She's a trashy piece of garbage.  The person I loved is gone, and she told me as much.  The worst thing to do was to use the advice of Dan Bacon - what a crock of ****.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: cybercoma on November 26, 2018, 10:39:16 am
I have never seen her like I've seen her this weekend.  She's a trashy piece of garbage.  The person I loved is gone, and she told me as much.  The worst thing to do was to use the advice of Dan Bacon - what a crock of ****.
Dan Bacon? Is he related to Kevin Bacon?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on December 01, 2018, 04:25:28 pm
Kimmy’s cave discovery story reminded m of the time I once crawled into an old coal mine shaft....  it opened up into full sized shafts, but with many broken beams and areas where the shafts had caved in partially or completely.     We crawled over a cave in that went into a portion of the mine that no other idiots had been in since before it had been back filled.  I found a very old bottle in that section. 

This was extremely stupid, and we knew it.  Haven’t done anything like that since. I still have the bottle as a souvenir of my adventurous stupidity. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on December 01, 2018, 04:42:20 pm
I got to walk through some pretty interesting caves one time. I had never heard of the place and was stunned, especially when you find out it was created ~2500 years ago.


https://www.google.com/search?q=underground+city+kish+island&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjq2Lbz2P_eAhXLlVQKHTdjDVMQ7Al6BAgBEA0&biw=1344&bih=706
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on December 05, 2018, 03:28:48 am
Michael!  How is MC EZ-E doing?  How are YOU and your BABY-MOMMA doing?  Have you got the parenting situation under control?

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on December 05, 2018, 03:52:01 am
Me and my new friend went to the Christmas Tree lighting and winter street market on Saturday.  The idea was to have a real date and not just go home and make out all night.  But that's pretty much what happened anyway.   I mean, I'm not complaining. It's not a bad problem to have. I'd just like to build other aspects of this relationship too.

----

At work we have the shittiest calender imaginable on the wall. It's a Murphy's Law calendar from this series of fine products:
(https://i.imgur.com/cG74WtT.jpg)

Each month has a boring, badly drawn cartoon, plus the retarded little leprechaun telling an incredibly stupid joke.   We only have one month left of it, but I kind of feel like doing something awful to the calendar anyway. I want to throw it in the paper shredder, or do something horrible to the leprechaun's face. It's just such a piece of crap calendar.  I'd like to find some other shitty 2018 calendar and replace the Murphy's Law calendar for the last 3 weeks of the year just to see if anybody notices.

If we get another Murphy's Law calendar for 2019, I am definitely going to do something horrible to it. 

----

My chief minion comes to my cubicle pretty often, and unfortunately she is a **** chain smoker and she smells like a human ash-tray. Today she came into my cubicle after her smoke break and reeked especially bad and it triggered my asthma and I was coughing and wheezing and convulsing and my eyes were watering and she's like OMG, leaning over me trying to help which is just making it worse by making me inhale even more of her cigarette smoke aura.  I survived, but for a while I was in real danger.

Later on Old Economy Steve came in and said "Question for ya:" and started talking, and his breath is so awful it made my whole cubicle smell like a rotting dead animal carcass. It was pretty bad. It didn't cause me to have an asthma attack, but I did feel strong nausea for a while. I should get a gigantic fan for my cubicle.

And later Boring Stories Bob came to my cubicle.  He didn't smell like cigarettes and his breath was fresh and minty, but he went on for like 15 minutes.  For a while I was listening, then I was like, ok, I'm pretending to listen while I work, and then after a while I was not even pretending to listen while I worked and he just kept going and going.  I'm not sure if a giant fan would help with this situation.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on December 05, 2018, 06:10:02 am
Michael!  How is MC EZ-E doing?  How are YOU and your BABY-MOMMA doing?  Have you got the parenting situation under control?

 -k

It's going ok.  The transition from no-kids to have-newborn is about a 30 step process.  Step 1 is I'm like you, and the Dr. says "We're going to induce her tonight".  Some steps in between are:  "She's in terrible pain, I'm terrified" "Wow, that's my kid" "What do I do ?  Is he ok" "F*** WHAT DO I DO TO STOP HIM FROM CRYING" "Does he need a change or bottle?" "I know that look - dirty diaper".

And for about 3 minutes a day "he's looking me in the EYE !  what's he thinking ?"

Me and missus are a famous team and generally regarded as a well matched couple but this tests us, and frankly we are turning into more of a brother/sister dynamic.  There is little romance, some warmth, and lots of efficiency.

As for baby, he's the cutest dude that has ever lived and will be a lot of fun once he stops crying.  Thanks for asking.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on December 05, 2018, 06:20:00 am
Me and my new friend went to the Christmas Tree lighting and winter street market on Saturday.  The idea was to have a real date and not just go home and make out all night.  But that's pretty much what happened anyway.   I mean, I'm not complaining. It's not a bad problem to have. I'd just like to build other aspects of this relationship too.

This sounds like a problem you had before ?

Are you really hot stuff, objectively, as you really seem to sweep these ladies of yours off their feet ?  What do you think you bring to this relationship ?   

 
Each month has a boring, badly drawn cartoon, plus the retarded little leprechaun telling an incredibly stupid joke.   We only have one month left of it, but I kind of feel like doing something awful to the calendar anyway. I want to throw it in the paper shredder, or do something horrible to the leprechaun's face. It's just such a piece of crap calendar.  I'd like to find some other shitty 2018 calendar and replace the Murphy's Law calendar for the last 3 weeks of the year just to see if anybody notices.

If we get another Murphy's Law calendar for 2019, I am definitely going to do something horrible to it. 

----

That poster is horrible.  We did an office move and now we're lumped in with non-IT people, ie. white, suburban mom-of-teenager sits beside me instead of smelly fat Indian man.  Believe it or not, I prefer the latter.  Is it me or does every middle-aged milquetoast Ontario white woman act like one of the guys in the Cathys sketch in the Kids in the Hall ?  Fuuhhhhhque...  Anyway, she's nice so I can't complain.  But stereotyped behaviour really makes me come up with clever responses in my head.

(Forgot to mention that it looks like Joan and I won't be taking time off from our performing after all.  We play music together and have decided to continue, as the shows are infrequent.  I did do a theatre show last night and she brought baby and all was good.)

Quote
My chief minion comes to my cubicle pretty often, and unfortunately she is a **** chain smoker and she smells like a human ash-tray. Today she came into my cubicle after her smoke break and reeked especially bad and it triggered my asthma and I was coughing and wheezing and convulsing and my eyes were watering and she's like OMG, leaning over me trying to help which is just making it worse by making me inhale even more of her cigarette smoke aura.  I survived, but for a while I was in real danger.

Wow.   We have a 'no smells' policy in our office, and separate cubicles for smokers' coats.

Quote
Later on Old Economy Steve came in and said "Question for ya:" and started talking, and his breath is so awful it made my whole cubicle smell like a rotting dead animal carcass. It was pretty bad. It didn't cause me to have an asthma attack, but I did feel strong nausea for a while. I should get a gigantic fan for my cubicle.

A can of old school aerosol lilac scent.... "Sorry - excuse me ..." Interrupt, then spray.  The purpose is to send a message more than a smell.

Quote
And later Boring Stories Bob came to my cubicle.  He didn't smell like cigarettes and his breath was fresh and minty, but he went on for like 15 minutes.  For a while I was listening, then I was like, ok, I'm pretending to listen while I work, and then after a while I was not even pretending to listen while I worked and he just kept going and going.  I'm not sure if a giant fan would help with this situation.
 

20 years ago we had one of those.  "Hey Mike.  I got some jokes... Did you hear the one about the guy with Aids ?"  He tried to put himself off as almost an academic in his knowledge and told these shitty inappropriate jokes.  We saw his car once and it was like a 1970s orange Trans Am with an eagle on the hood.  Yes, a 15 year old muscle car really stood out in downtown Toronto.  The last time I saw him, it was his picture on the back of a programming language text book that everyone was buying so I guess somehow he made it.

I don't even remember his name, but maybe it was Tom.  The way we dealt with him was when he was in someone's cubicle for 3 minutes, the unaffected persons would call that person's cubicle and  "Sorry, I have to take this" and Tom would go.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest4 on December 05, 2018, 08:21:48 am


My chief minion comes to my cubicle pretty often, and unfortunately she is a **** chain smoker and she smells like a human ash-tray. Today she came into my cubicle after her smoke break and reeked especially bad and it triggered my asthma and I was coughing and wheezing and convulsing and my eyes were watering and she's like OMG, leaning over me trying to help which is just making it worse by making me inhale even more of her cigarette smoke aura.  I survived, but for a while I was in real danger.

 -k

That's terrible.  Is there any way you can say to her that you are extremely sensitive to cigarette smoke, and ask if she would mind avoiding you for 30 minutes after she's had a cigarette?  I'm only slightly sensitive to cigarette smoke, but I do tell people that it bothers me and people have been very thoughtful to avoid triggering my asthma.   
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest7 on December 05, 2018, 09:11:36 am
(https://i.etsystatic.com/11883302/r/il/40721d/1428337384/il_570xN.1428337384_mwux.jpg)
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on December 05, 2018, 10:01:58 am
This sounds like a problem you had before ?

Are you really hot stuff, objectively, as you really seem to sweep these ladies of yours off their feet ?  What do you think you bring to this relationship ?   

I ... I think I'm conventionally good looking, though not "network TV attractive".  I think it's mostly that this whole thing was hatched around the idea of girl-on-girl frolicking, and extending it beyond the original context is taking a while.  That's actually how all of this has worked for me. Sex first, friendship later. My earlier attempts at heterosexual relationship were somewhat the opposite. The friendship came first and easily, the sex .. uh, well, in hindsight that part of it makes more sense now.

That poster is horrible.  We did an office move and now we're lumped in with non-IT people, ie. white, suburban mom-of-teenager sits beside me instead of smelly fat Indian man.  Believe it or not, I prefer the latter.  Is it me or does every middle-aged milquetoast Ontario white woman act like one of the guys in the Cathys sketch in the Kids in the Hall ?  Fuuhhhhhque...  Anyway, she's nice so I can't complain.  But stereotyped behaviour really makes me come up with clever responses in my head.

I know, right? I feel genuinely disappointed that somebody in the office has such a lame sense of humor. Maybe one of our suppliers sent it or maybe it was a Christmas gift that somebody got and brought to work because they didn't want it in their home.

I don't know who actually brought the calendar. Old Economy Steve would have been the obvious candidate, but we had the calendar before he started with us. I can't figure out whose sense of humor is so banal they would like this.   The technical people have highly quirky senses of humor, which rules out Good Boss Greg, Engineer Ed, Tech Sales Tom, and Ted Technician. It doesn't seem like something Boring Stories Bob would bring either.  So that leaves either Production Chief Pete or one of the minions.

I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings, but I just really want to **** up this calendar.

(Forgot to mention that it looks like Joan and I won't be taking time off from our performing after all.  We play music together and have decided to continue, as the shows are infrequent.  I did do a theatre show last night and she brought baby and all was good.)

Yay! Now that you've got the parenting thing on lockdown, you're discovering that you can still have a life!

I will be so delighted if young EZ's first words are "wubbah chicken?"

Wow.   We have a 'no smells' policy in our office, and separate cubicles for smokers' coats.

A can of old school aerosol lilac scent.... "Sorry - excuse me ..." Interrupt, then spray.  The purpose is to send a message more than a smell.

This is genius.  Maybe I should also buy a large bowl full of breath mints and put them on the shelf by my cubicle entrance. 


I don't even remember his name, but maybe it was Tom.  The way we dealt with him was when he was in someone's cubicle for 3 minutes, the unaffected persons would call that person's cubicle and  "Sorry, I have to take this" and Tom would go.

That's also genius.   We should coordinate something like that at my place.  Sometimes Engineer Ed will break up these things by making some comment that completely distracts Bob and puts him on a whole different rail. "Holy ****, Bob, what happened to your shoes? It looks like a wolverine attacked you." Then Bob will start telling Ed about how shitty the shoes are and he's never buying that brand again and so on and Ed says "uh huh" and leaves and Bob goes back to his cubicle and starts working again.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on December 05, 2018, 10:41:03 am
You guys are sounding super judgemental about your coworkers....   maybe they’re not the issue....?   Just sayin’...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Goddess on December 05, 2018, 11:04:05 am
You guys are sounding super judgemental about your coworkers....   maybe they’re not the issue....?   Just sayin’...

My coworker who does the on-site training of new clients has come back from the last 4 installs with horror stories of everyone she trains - they are all idiots, unqualified, stupid....etc.

2 installs ago, she gave us a report on how it went and I walked away saying, "Well, that was depressing."

The last install, I walked away from her report saying, "It's amazing to me that every client in every town office we install at, are all unqualified idiots."

She treats the rest of us in the office the same way.

It's a pretty toxic workplace.  But it's a job right now so I try to stay positive.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on December 05, 2018, 11:49:17 am
I got to walk through some pretty interesting caves one time. I had never heard of the place and was stunned, especially when you find out it was created ~2500 years ago.


https://www.google.com/search?q=underground+city+kish+island&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjq2Lbz2P_eAhXLlVQKHTdjDVMQ7Al6BAgBEA0&biw=1344&bih=706

Those are amazing.  I have a bluff in front of my house that I keep dreaming of digging out and making a wine cellar like those caves!  But the tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars it would cost to drill into rock has left me with just fantasies...

(https://canadianpoliticalevents.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F1.bp.blogspot.com%2F_fg2fYyWfzCU%2FTILKIRcbmiI%2FAAAAAAAAB4M%2FFQqPZway8uE%2Fs1600%2Fwine%2Bcellar%2Bvia%2Bdesire%2Bto%2Binspire.jpg&hash=7708a887bc039911986cb914d938340c4a0ef0f0)
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: SirJohn on December 05, 2018, 11:59:17 am
And later Boring Stories Bob came to my cubicle.  He didn't smell like cigarettes and his breath was fresh and minty, but he went on for like 15 minutes.  For a while I was listening, then I was like, ok, I'm pretending to listen while I work, and then after a while I was not even pretending to listen while I worked and he just kept going and going.  I'm not sure if a giant fan would help with this situation.

I can deeply sympathize with you on this one. There were so many times I was stuck in my cubicle and while some idiot was droning on and on I was fantasizing about a trap door under the desk I could slip into and disappear if only he'd turn his head (it's always a he). I found the only actual way to get free of them was to get up and leave myself.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest4 on December 05, 2018, 12:10:42 pm
It's a pretty toxic workplace.  But it's a job right now so I try to stay positive.

I hope you can leave sooner rather than later.    I stayed in a toxic position too long, and when I finally left, I noticed so many things I had been missing before even though I encountered them almost daily - the wonderful smell of fresh air, the beauty of flowers and trees, how adorable my dogs are, how nice (most) people are.  I now make less money, and that's a stress, but the improvement in my quality of my life is priceless.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on December 05, 2018, 12:11:51 pm
Those are amazing.  I have a bluff in front of my house that I keep dreaming of digging out and making a wine cellar like those caves!  But the tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars it would cost to drill into rock has left me with just fantasies...

(https://canadianpoliticalevents.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F1.bp.blogspot.com%2F_fg2fYyWfzCU%2FTILKIRcbmiI%2FAAAAAAAAB4M%2FFQqPZway8uE%2Fs1600%2Fwine%2Bcellar%2Bvia%2Bdesire%2Bto%2Binspire.jpg&hash=7708a887bc039911986cb914d938340c4a0ef0f0)

Well now if I end up being buried, that looks like the kind of grave I want. I've always had this fear in the back of my mind of coming back to life 6 feet under somewhere. But there if that happened, I could have quite a little celebration of life party while I was figuring out how to dig myself out.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Goddess on December 05, 2018, 02:20:22 pm
I hope you can leave sooner rather than later.    I stayed in a toxic position too long, and when I finally left, I noticed so many things I had been missing before even though I encountered them almost daily - the wonderful smell of fresh air, the beauty of flowers and trees, how adorable my dogs are, how nice (most) people are.  I now make less money, and that's a stress, but the improvement in my quality of my life is priceless.

** sigh **

This morning I listened to said toxic person rant and storm around the office for about 2 hours about a client who inadvertently was not set up in our email system.  Usually the process we use works well, but in this case, the client tried to circumvent the process and one person was missed.  It's really not a huge deal.

After listening to her storm and rage for 2 hours and try to pin the blame on everyone else, she finally came to my office to continue the rant, so I took the paper and said, "Look, it takes about 2 minutes to set them up.  Let's just get them set up instead of playing the Blame Game like we usually do."  Our poor secretary/receptionist had about had it with  her by that time.

To which she stomped back to her office and slammed the door.

Ahhhhhh......hopefully peace & quiet for the rest of the day.  I get tired of the drama and just refuse to play most of the time.

Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on December 05, 2018, 04:51:13 pm
I ... I think I'm conventionally good looking, though not "network TV attractive".  I think it's mostly that this whole thing was hatched around the idea of girl-on-girl frolicking, and extending it beyond the original context is taking a while.  That's actually how all of this has worked for me. Sex first, friendship later. My earlier attempts at heterosexual relationship were somewhat the opposite. The friendship came first and easily, the sex .. uh, well, in hindsight that part of it makes more sense now.

Well, I think the sex-first approach is typical of many relationships. It happened with me, although I was deeply intrigued by my gal from the outset and hoping it would turn out... pretty much as it has :D

So... what next with this one ?  Do you get along at least in terms of hanging out and getting to know each other ?

Quote
I know, right? I feel genuinely disappointed that somebody in the office has such a lame sense of humor. Maybe one of our suppliers sent it or maybe it was a Christmas gift that somebody got and brought to work because they didn't want it in their home.

I don't know who actually brought the calendar. Old Economy Steve would have been the obvious candidate, but we had the calendar before he started with us. I can't figure out whose sense of humor is so banal they would like this.   The technical people have highly quirky senses of humor, which rules out Good Boss Greg, Engineer Ed, Tech Sales Tom, and Ted Technician. It doesn't seem like something Boring Stories Bob would bring either.  So that leaves either Production Chief Pete or one of the minions.

I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings, but I just really want to **** up this calendar.

You can't.  They'll know you hate them.  Somebody told me once they worked with someone for years in a big company.  That person got a transfer and then took it upon themselves to tell everyone what they really thought of them,and it wasn't good.  Then, in an independent and random quirk of God, the transfer was revoked.

Quote
Yay! Now that you've got the parenting thing on lockdown, you're discovering that you can still have a life!

I will be so delighted if young EZ's first words are "wubbah chicken?"

1. Yes, and we have much more to do.
2. What ? 
 
Quote
That's also genius.   We should coordinate something like that at my place.  Sometimes Engineer Ed will break up these things by making some comment that completely distracts Bob and puts him on a whole different rail. "Holy ****, Bob, what happened to your shoes? It looks like a wolverine attacked you." Then Bob will start telling Ed about how shitty the shoes are and he's never buying that brand again and so on and Ed says "uh huh" and leaves and Bob goes back to his cubicle and starts working again.


Do it.  I was giving serious advice and it helped us greatly.  Just don't be too obvious.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: ?Impact on December 05, 2018, 05:12:52 pm
That person got a transfer and then took it upon themselves to tell everyone what they really thought of them,and it wasn't good.  Then, in an independent and random quirk of God, the transfer was revoked.

Confucius say: Never burn bridges
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on December 06, 2018, 03:17:08 am
Well, I think the sex-first approach is typical of many relationships. It happened with me, although I was deeply intrigued by my gal from the outset and hoping it would turn out... pretty much as it has :D

 ;D

So... what next with this one ?  Do you get along at least in terms of hanging out and getting to know each other ?

I think we're pretty compatible.  I'm more reserved than she is... she's sometimes pretty boisterous and flamboyant, but she doesn't seem to mind that I'm quieter.   The snuggling is pretty great. She's very cuddlesome.

You can't.  They'll know you hate them.  Somebody told me once they worked with someone for years in a big company.  That person got a transfer and then took it upon themselves to tell everyone what they really thought of them,and it wasn't good.  Then, in an independent and random quirk of God, the transfer was revoked.

In my heart, I know you're right and it kills me inside that I can't **** up that shitty calendar. 

The transfer person sounds like a gigantic jackass. That sounds like the kind of karma that usually only gets served on TV sit-coms.

1. Yes, and we have much more to do.
2. What ? 

If EZ sees a lot of your theatre show I can only assume he's going to become a big fan of "wubba chicken"!
 
(https://i.ebayimg.com/images/i/281182591932-0-1/s-l1000.jpg)

Do it.  I was giving serious advice and it helped us greatly.  Just don't be too obvious.

As Boring Stories Bob and his victims, including myself, all work within a few feet of each other, we don't phone each other very much.  Perhaps breaking these up with polite in-person interruptions is something we can work on.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on December 06, 2018, 03:27:49 am
You guys are sounding super judgemental about your coworkers....   maybe they’re not the issue....?   Just sayin’...

The truth is that I am very lucky to work with the people I work with, and I know it.  Reading about Goddess's ranting diva co-worker puts it in perspective. I don't have anybody like that in my office and I've very grateful. 

It's fun to complain about Old Economy Steve and Boring Stories Bob and the incredibly shitty Murphy's Law wall calendar, but I look forward to going to work each morning. The work itself can sometimes be stressful, but the stress comes from having too much to do, not from my co-workers. In the past I have had co-workers who caused me anxiety in one way or another.  My current place has nothing like that.  They're all pleasant and accept me as I am. It's a happy environment full of humor and people who want to succeed as a group.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on December 06, 2018, 06:14:38 am

If EZ sees a lot of your theatre show I can only assume he's going to become a big fan of "wubba chicken"!

 ???
 
Quote
As Boring Stories Bob and his victims, including myself, all work within a few feet of each other, we don't phone each other very much.  Perhaps breaking these up with polite in-person interruptions is something we can work on.
 

Ah.  Well, where there's a 'will' there's a way.  Maybe you need to put a stick in the whirling spokes of your office culture by suggesting something else... maybe creating a seed of something else to talk about, or another perspective, you can get people to focus on this old school bullshit humour less or at least make it clear that there are other things people are interested in.

I needed a way for a very diverse team to come together every two weeks, so I came up with a group lunch, bring-your-own, where we would watch YouTube videos on the big screen in the conference room.  It's actually turned pretty fascinating... from Indian commercials to Russian traffic cameras... to one guy's CN tower walk video... 

The point being that everybody participates and we decide collectively what to watch.  Culture needs to be nurtured, see...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: ?Impact on December 06, 2018, 04:37:52 pm
Kum bay ya, my Lord, kum bay ya;
Kum bay ya, my Lord, kum bay ya;
Kum bay ya, my Lord, kum bay ya,
O Lord, kum bay ya.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on December 07, 2018, 08:50:02 am
WOO HOO.  Work from home today and Monday.   Hello forum !   :D
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on December 08, 2018, 01:19:07 pm
OMG, Old Economy Steve might be a Trumptard!

Boring Stories Bob was laughing his ass off yesterday about these news stories about undocumented illegals working at Trump resorts.  Steve gets all huffy. "You know, it really annoys me that all this stuff is being thrown at Trump. He didn't hire those people personally. It's not like he's the one who reviewed their paperwork. This stuff is just being dredged up by people who just want to tear him down!"

Ok, so while Steve might actually have a point, I was surprised that he was so annoyed about "people who just want to tear him down".

I have a relative who's a Trumptard, but I never see him. This is my chance to observe a real Trumptard in his natural habitat, to try to understand his motivations and learn its behaviors. This is very exciting! A real learning opportunity!

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on December 08, 2018, 01:30:50 pm
Careful. They tend to get their back up when you mention the irrationality of their arguments or their gobsmacking hypocrisy.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on December 08, 2018, 09:22:08 pm
Careful. They tend to get their back up when you mention the irrationality of their arguments or their gobsmacking hypocrisy.

Interesting observation. I will watch for this as I observe the subject in its natural environment.

"...normally placid and lethargic, the Trumptard may become belligerent or aggressive if its world view is challenged."

Maybe I could get NFB funding to do a documentary. I'm picturing something like those Hinterland Who's Who clips.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwWHk8azaAc

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on December 15, 2018, 09:16:21 am
Soo.... today we're going to try to go where they are people, with baby in the stroller.

Today we become one of those.

Yes.  Angst.  I expect I will perceive spiky objects everywhere.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on December 15, 2018, 12:30:09 pm
Good luck!  I am sure your little traveler will have a safe and merry time!

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on December 15, 2018, 01:09:53 pm
Here we see the stale male, invading a co-worker's cubicle in search of sustenance.  He bypasses the dish of breath mints and begins foraging in a stack of work orders.  Failing to find anything edible, the stale male calls out in search of attention.

"Question for ya! Question for ya!"

Attracting the attention of his co-worker, the stale male asks a series of inane questions.   

"Did we get the purchase order from--"  "The install manual needs some changes. Can you--"  "Do you know how to change the currency in the quotation form?"

The stale male's display has failed to impress the female, and he is chased away by other males with more pressing issues. He retreats back to his den, grabbing a handful of Christmas goodies on the way.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-aoWSpFor0

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on December 17, 2018, 05:43:39 pm
My son and his wife took their 6 month old to London and Paris. They had a great time, the French love babies. They got things like room upgrades and went to the head of lines.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on December 18, 2018, 06:42:26 pm
Good luck!  I am sure your little traveler will have a safe and merry time!

 -k

How is your lady friend going?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on December 18, 2018, 06:43:29 pm
Soo.... today we're going to try to go where they are people, with baby in the stroller.

Today we become one of those.

Yes.  Angst.  I expect I will perceive spiky objects everywhere.

What doesn't kill the baby will only make it stronger.  Unless it loses an arm or leg.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on December 18, 2018, 10:14:14 pm
What doesn't kill the baby will only make it stronger.  Unless it loses an arm or leg.

...in which case, what doesn't kill you makes you weaker.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on December 18, 2018, 10:24:54 pm
How is your lady friend going?

Things are very good! We have lots of fun together.  Mostly in bed, but also sometimes not in bed. We've been having a lot of sex, which is good.  We're not at the point of spending Christmas together or anything like that.


She does everything with such style and flair.  Last week she was dancing around with a wet glass that slipped out of her hand and slammed into the counter right below where one of her regulars was sitting. He's sitting there with this startled look on his face and says "...I don't know what I did to deserve that."   Me and probably 90% of people would have said something like "ohmygosh! Sorry! It slipped!"  She, however raises her arms in victory and says "Yessssssss!!" like she's just thrown a game-winning basket at the buzzer.  She's just delightful.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on December 19, 2018, 05:44:35 am
Things are very good! We have lots of fun together.  Mostly in bed, but also sometimes not in bed. 

That sounds like growth, right there...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on December 22, 2018, 03:11:13 pm
That sounds like growth, right there...

I think so!

She is going back to Calgary for Christmas with her family. I will be on my own for a little while.

She has great boobs for a lanky girl.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on December 22, 2018, 03:30:28 pm
Old Economy Steve's son is in town for Christmas, so Steve gave him a tour of the office on Friday.  He introduced me as "our secretary" :( and mentioned that I'm single   >:(


I think that if Old Economy Steve was asked to describe his role, it would probably go something like this...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nV7u1VBhWCE


That's kind of what Technical Sales Tom does, actually. Tom interacts with the customers and understands what they're trying to accomplish, and is able to work with the engineers to come up with something that meets the customer's requirements.  Tom, Good Boss Greg, and Engineer Ed designed a product in 2 minutes last week.

Tom: "Just had a call from a guy who wants to interface his framjack with a zibitz. What do we have that could do that?"

Greg: "We could modify a Flarnex 5000 to drive a zibitz."

Ed: "That wouldn't work. The framjack output isn't strong enough to interface with a Flarnex."

Greg: "What if we use the Flarnex transcoupler inputs?"

Ed: "That could work. We'd have to decouple the fragmatic feedback plasmolyzer from the transcoupler or else it'll be unstable."

Greg: "Gotcha. I'll mark up the drawings!"

Tom: "Alright! I'll let the customer know!"

And thus was born the Flarnex 5040. Just three guys standing around with coffee mugs talking Geordi LaForge technobable. I work with amazing people.



 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on December 22, 2018, 03:48:17 pm
What doesn't kill the baby will only make it stronger.  Unless it loses an arm or leg.

They have to eat some dirt, literally and figuratively.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on December 22, 2018, 03:59:41 pm
They have to eat some dirt, literally and figuratively.

Absolutely! I once talked to a guy who is doing PhD research in gut bacteria. He said parents do their kids a lot of harm if they don't let them play in the dirt and drink from the garden hose and do all the other gross, unhygenic things kids do.  Your gut bacteria is a mega-factory for all kinds of vitamins and nutrients and enzymes and things your body needs, and if your kids grow up in an overly sanitized environment, they'll miss out on ingesting all the wonderful benign bacteria that create things our bodies need.  People can actually have health problems because their gut bacteria is deficient.

This is also one reason why people should ignore Gwyneth Paltrow's shitty advice about cleansing your colon with ridiculous enemas of coffee and lord knows what else.


 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on December 22, 2018, 05:38:56 pm
They also have to fall on their face, so they will know not to do it again. Shedding a little blood is a good thing as long as it doesn't do permanent damage.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on December 23, 2018, 08:19:07 am
Baby went to Hardner family Xmas yesterday.

Easy is very popular 😀. Was mostly well behaved but for a single ****-splosion.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on December 23, 2018, 01:00:09 pm
Baby went to Hardner family Xmas yesterday.

Easy is very popular 😀. Was mostly well behaved but for a single ****-splosion.

Yay! That's very good!

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on December 23, 2018, 01:08:23 pm
They also have to fall on their face, so they will know not to do it again. Shedding a little blood is a good thing as long as it doesn't do permanent damage.

Also, they have to fall on their face so that they know that it's not that big of a deal.  I feel like overprotective parents who treat every minor accident like a major catastrophe are doing their children no favors.  If kids get the impression that each minor setback is a terrible disaster, they'll grow up with fragile mentality.  Kids need to learn that falling down (figuratively and literally) is part of life and that they just need to get back up.

(as someone who has no kids and probably never will, I have no idea what the hell I am even talking about.)

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on December 23, 2018, 01:09:38 pm
And thus was born the Flarnex 5040. Just three guys standing around with coffee mugs talking Geordi LaForge technobable. I work with amazing people.

OMG I just realized that this is an "agile workspace"!  Michael! Michael! We're agile!

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on December 23, 2018, 02:02:48 pm
Tell Old Economy Dave that.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on December 25, 2018, 01:36:29 pm
Ted Technician can be a bit of a headache around the office. He is usually pleasant and cheerful, but he is one of those people who always has to be right. He is very stubborn and headstrong and convinced of his correctness. If people disagree with him he repeats himself slowly and more loudly.  Also he magically appears wherever people are talking about something more interesting than what he's supposed to be working on so that he can add his own (assuredly correct) opinion to the mix. One time Good Boss Greg and Engineer Ed made a technical decision, and when Ted found out about it he came stampeding over to explain that he'd come up with a better idea.
Greg: "We talked about that, but we decided against it because of these reasons."
Ted: "...but..."
Ed: "also, we didn't like that because of these other reasons."
Ted: "...but..."
Greg: "Sorry, Ted."
He was overruled.  But that didn't stop him from spending the rest of the day pouting to anybody who'd listen.

Good Boss Greg is great to work for. He's always pleasant and even-tempered and always clear about what needs to be done.  He's got millions of great ideas, far more ideas than Ed and Ted and Bob have time to actually work on.

Engineer Ed is somewhat aloof. He is sometimes friendly and sociable, but often has his head in work. He'll walk down the hallway focused on something and not acknowledge that you're even there.   He is tall, athletic, well-dressed, and somewhat good looking. He can be witty and charming when he's pretending to be human.  Which is not all the time. He might be a clone or an alien shapeshifter or a Terminator robot wrapped in flesh. I am not sure what it is, but there are times when I just get this vague "uncanny valley" sense from Ed that gives me the creeps.  I don't know if I am the only one that senses it. Like on the TV show "Dexter", Dexter has everybody fooled except for the black cop who can see right through his act... maybe it's just me that has this sense that Ed is not all there.  I don't have any reason to assume Ed is actually dangerous. He may simply be very "in his head" a lot of the time, and not reacting to social stimulus. I really don't know.  However, I am pretty sure that if any of my co-workers has a human body in their freezer, it would be Ed. If anybody were to show up at work and go on a homicide spree, I think it would be Ed.  He has this very calm and controlled nature that makes me think that someday he could snap.  I have this vague sense that like Patrick Bateman or Roose Bolton, Ed's  pleasant exterior is hiding some powder-keg of rage and violence just waiting to blow up.

A couple of weeks ago the minions had built a bunch of units that were failing final test, so Ed comes over to my cubicle to explain the situation.  So I dug out the work order and the parts lists that we used to build the units. He looks over the parts lists and says "this isn't right."  And I told him that this was an updated parts list that Ted had given me and Greg had signed off on.

So he goes over to Ted's area and says "Ted, why did you delete these parts from the parts list?"
Ted: "Those parts aren't used in this version, so I wanted to speed up assembly and reduce cost."
Ed: "The unit doesn't work without those parts."
Ted: "...they shouldn't matter, they're only used for ...  ... Oh."
Ed: "So you decided to make 6 hours of work for me to save 50 cents worth of parts?"
(This is the closest I've seen Ed to actually being angry.)
Ted: "uhhhh..."
Ed: "hmmm.  Interesting."  (smiles and leaves.)

I can only imagine that he was smiling at the idea of mounting Ted's disembodied skull on a shelf in his cubicle.


 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on December 27, 2018, 07:12:13 am
I always say 'mistakes are ok'.  If they happen twice, then it's the workers fault and we talk about it and put in something to mitigate it.  If it happens 3 times it's my fault.

Anybody else working this week ?  :-[
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on December 27, 2018, 07:45:03 pm
Sad day in my daughters family, they had to put down their Lab that the kids grew up with. He was a great dog but old and had cancer. Playing god sucks.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on December 27, 2018, 09:24:39 pm
Sorry to hear.  Those are good dogs.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on December 28, 2018, 03:35:30 am
Losing a pet is awful. :(   It leaves a tiny paw-shaped hole in your heart that never completely heals. 

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on December 28, 2018, 04:43:53 am
I always say 'mistakes are ok'.  If they happen twice, then it's the workers fault and we talk about it and put in something to mitigate it.  If it happens 3 times it's my fault.

I think I read a Sun Tzu version of this where the emperor had challenged him to teach the maids and serving-girls to march like a military troupe. He arranged the girls into squads, appointed squad leaders, and trained them how the march was supposed to be done.

The first attempt, the girls made a complete shambles of it and laughed and turned it into a farce.  Sun Tzu apologized profusely to the girls for not giving adequate instruction, and clarified how everything was to be done.

The second time, the girls again turned it into a big farce. Sun Tzu said that this time he had made sure that they girls had been provided with adequate instruction, and yet the results were still unsatisfactory. So he had each of the girl's squad leaders executed while the others watched in horror.

The third time there was no laughter, no farce, and everyone did exactly as Sun Tzu had instructed.

Obviously I can't execute the Minions, but perhaps I should start a rumor that under-performers could end up in Ed's freezer.


Reasons mistakes happen:

 -Documentation has not been prepared correctly.  This is sometimes my fault, but not usually. Sometimes stuff from the engineers doesn't get carried through into the final design properly. This is often Boring Stories Bob type issues, as he does the CAD work. Of course this is not always Bob's fault, as the engineers sometimes hand him drawings that are covered with indecipherable red pen markings with stuff drawn in, crossed out, arrows and lines everywhere, and so on. They're supposed to review and approve the drawings afterward, but I imagine that sometimes they just glance at it and hit the approve button.
 -Beta Minion sometimes daydreams while she's working. Alpha Minion keeps an eye on her, but she can't be there all the time.
 -Ted Technician hubris.
As far as human error, that's our main sources. We do have processes that are supposed to ensure that stuff gets done right, but processes can't help some stuff.


We hired a new Minion in December.  He is a large nondescript man, but he is quiet as a mouse.  In terms of appearance, he reminds me of Grimace from McDonald's, or Patrick from Spongebob Squarepants.  In terms of personality, he reminds me of Milton from Office Space. In my head, he is "Milton Minion".   I will definitely not move his stapler!


Anybody else working this week ?  :-[


LOL, no! HAHAHAHA!!!


 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on December 28, 2018, 07:06:40 am
Working from home today...

Well, yes, the secret sauce is 'how much' ie. oversight, management, documentation.

With Agile you rely on the team to decide how to do things, but you always try to move them to improve if you know there is something wrong.  The guys I work with seem to have never worked with specifications.  As such, they see rework and quality issues as just a natural and unpreventable thing. :(
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: JMT on December 28, 2018, 08:29:43 am
Sad day in my daughters family, they had to put down their Lab that the kids grew up with. He was a great dog but old and had cancer. Playing god sucks.

Tis the season apparently - my sister accidentally ran over my day's 15 year old toy poodle on Christmas Eve.  It wasn't a good start to the evening.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Goddess on December 28, 2018, 09:24:00 am
Losing pets is horrible.  {{{Hugs}}} to you all
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on December 28, 2018, 11:17:20 am
Tis the season apparently - my sister accidentally ran over my day's 15 year old toy poodle on Christmas Eve.  It wasn't a good start to the evening.

That's awful, your sister must feel terrible.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: waldo on December 28, 2018, 12:17:18 pm
Things are very good! We have lots of fun together.  Mostly in bed, but also sometimes not in bed. We've been having a lot of sex, which is good.

let me bring this thread back on track... who wears the, uhhh... indispensable & 'next best thing' apparatus?  ;D
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on December 28, 2018, 12:51:37 pm
let me bring this thread back on track... who wears the, uhhh... indispensable & 'next best thing' apparatus?  ;D

Honestly, neither me nor most of my partners have had much interest in that sort of apparatus.  I'm not sure if it's a real life thing that a lot of women are actually into, or if it's just an idea that has propagated through a fetishized view of girl-on-girl sex as presented in pornography intended for a male audience.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on December 28, 2018, 01:20:15 pm
Working from home today...

Well, yes, the secret sauce is 'how much' ie. oversight, management, documentation.

With Agile you rely on the team to decide how to do things, but you always try to move them to improve if you know there is something wrong.  The guys I work with seem to have never worked with specifications.  As such, they see rework and quality issues as just a natural and unpreventable thing. :(

Honestly that sounds like a recipe for disaster. 

We're in an industry that is subject to regulatory overview and one of the things we have to comply with is having a thorough tracking process for everything from specifications to assembly to quality assurance. 

The process works, but sometimes people take shortcuts in the interest of time. That was what happened with the incident I described earlier. Greg thought Ted's idea looked harmless so he signed off on the changes as both reviewer and approver without having an actual review done. So that sort of stuff happens. I guess they were attempting to be "agile".

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on December 28, 2018, 02:21:47 pm
You still have to submit to regulatory, logging etc.  One of the problems with agile is that people mistake the name, as you have, to mean 'take shortcuts'.

It's about delivering value quickly not shortcuts.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: waldo on December 28, 2018, 04:03:52 pm
It's about delivering value quickly not shortcuts.

yabut, waddabout documentation... the bane of all 'real' developers!
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: waldo on December 28, 2018, 04:04:37 pm
Honestly, neither me nor most of my partners have had much interest in that sort of apparatus.  I'm not sure if it's a real life thing that a lot of women are actually into, or if it's just an idea that has propagated through a fetishized view of girl-on-girl sex as presented in pornography intended for a male audience.

buzzkill!
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on December 28, 2018, 06:26:40 pm
buzzkill!

Is that sort of apparatus something that men like to imagine being put to use during girl-on-girl sex?  I've seen videos, of course, but I'm not sure how popular that sort of thing is in men's fantasies. I am under the impression that straight men and straight women alike are avid consumers of lesbian ****, but not sure what aspects of it they find most appealing.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on December 28, 2018, 09:20:45 pm
yabut, waddabout documentation... the bane of all 'real' developers!
Still happening
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on January 03, 2019, 05:51:15 am
I went back to work after almost 2 weeks away.

"Hey, stranger! I haven't seen you since last year!  HA! HA!"

It's going to be a long year.  At least that **** Murphy's Law calendar is gone.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on January 03, 2019, 06:10:48 am
Medical explanation of why deep breathing is calming.  Just dropping this here to read it later.

https://www.thecut.com/2018/12/what-deep-breathing-does-to-your-body.html

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on January 03, 2019, 10:15:51 am
I need that.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on January 03, 2019, 10:26:26 am
I went back to work after almost 2 weeks away.

"Hey, stranger! I haven't seen you since last year!  HA! HA!"

It's going to be a long year.  At least that **** Murphy's Law calendar is gone.

 -k

You really have a hate-on for someone who sounds like he’s pretty funny.  Lighten up.  He probably groaned inside when he saw you.... 

 “oh god....   the grumpy broad is back at work...   it was nice around here until the dark cloud arrived.  I’ll try and lighten the mood with a joke”. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on January 03, 2019, 03:32:27 pm
Oh jeez, yeah.  This guy sounds like he's someone you could build a whole charm school around.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on January 04, 2019, 01:59:34 am
You really have a hate-on for someone who sounds like he’s pretty funny.  Lighten up.  He probably groaned inside when he saw you.... 

 “oh god....   the grumpy broad is back at work...   it was nice around here until the dark cloud arrived.  I’ll try and lighten the mood with a joke”.

I'm fun at work.  I'm more fun than a barrel full of monkeys.

This guy just doesn't respect me. Earlier in my life I this would would have made me feel insecure and I would feel pressured to giggle at his dumb jokes or try other dumb things to win him over. But at this point in my life I've outgrown that.


Oh jeez, yeah.  This guy sounds like he's someone you could build a whole charm school around.

It's not that he's not charming. I think it's that he's so completely unaware of how militantly stale he is.  Even Boring Stories Bob is pretty funny, except when he's telling boring stories.  Not so with Old Economy Steve. As an aside, he also has boring stories, except where BSB's boring stories are rambling narratives that don't have a point, OES's boring stories are basically just opportunities for him to drop names and remind everybody that he has lots of contacts in the industry.


 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on January 04, 2019, 05:15:32 am
I'm fun at work.  I'm more fun than a barrel full of monkeys.

This guy just doesn't respect me. Earlier in my life I this would would have made me feel insecure and I would feel pressured to giggle at his dumb jokes or try other dumb things to win him over. But at this point in my life I've outgrown that.

Part of Agile is equality in collaboration of teams.  The dominant personality is definitely something I have not seen in the workplace (on a team at least) in a long time.

Quote
It's not that he's not charming. I think it's that he's so completely unaware of how militantly stale he is.  Even Boring Stories Bob is pretty funny, except when he's telling boring stories.  Not so with Old Economy Steve. As an aside, he also has boring stories, except where BSB's boring stories are rambling narratives that don't have a point, OES's boring stories are basically just opportunities for him to drop names and remind everybody that he has lots of contacts in the industry.


How can one be STALE and CHARMING simultaneously ?  Go back to your adjective bag and get two new ones.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on January 04, 2019, 09:00:44 am
I don't think they are contradictory adjectives. Lots of things can be both stale and charming (the Queen, for instance). Isn't that the whole appeal of dad jokes?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on January 04, 2019, 02:04:22 pm
Maybe the queen.
Is Steve like her?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on January 05, 2019, 11:22:27 am
Maybe the queen.
Is Steve like her?

Steve is not like the Queen.

I think Bubber's mention of dad-jokes is on the mark. I wouldn't say that Steve is "charming" per se, but I think words like affable or gregarious are closer to the mark. (is it my imagination, or is "affable" only ever used to describe fat guys?)

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on January 05, 2019, 01:24:49 pm
I use affable and not just for fatties.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on January 18, 2019, 05:29:44 am
 (https://memegenerator.net/img/instances/79961172/how-are-you-now.jpg)

Baby getting fussy.  Also cute, so the spectrum of personality is expanding.  We can make him laugh now if he's in the right mood, no problem.  And that's heaven.  I showed a pic of him to an Indian lady at work and she said "oh, that smile, he's going to be a naughty boy"  ???
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on January 18, 2019, 09:35:01 am
That sounds adorable.  I wouldn't take the Indian lady's comment too seriously.  She probably means naughty in a wholesome Dennis The Menace sort of way.  You will probably say "boys will be boys..." many times over the years.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on January 18, 2019, 09:59:03 am
Things have been going well at work.  Stale Male Steve has been good lately.  He has stopped asking me to do secretarial stuff, coming to my cubicle to grouse about procedures I didn't create and have no ability to change, and so on.   His sense of humor, bad breath, and overall staleness have not improved at all, but I can overlook all of those things if he means well. 

All of the minions are chain smokers. I don't know if Milton Minion was a chain smoker before they hired him or if the other minions converted him. He attempted to speak to me in a complete sentence the other day! It's the most he's ever said to me. He became flustered and waddled away afterward, but it's progress.

I found discrepancies in drawings yesterday! I showed Engineer Ed what I had found and asked him whether it was correct and he looked over the drawings and said "You're right!"  and he made corrections to the drawings and took them to Boring Stories Bob. Then he came over and thanked me for finding the errors, and asked where I learned to read engineering drawings, and I told him that I didn't, and he said "well you just saved us a bunch of money", and I think his circuitry was trying to emulate gratitude and appreciation. I felt all warm and mushy inside.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on January 18, 2019, 02:26:55 pm
Wow.  Brownie points. :D
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on January 18, 2019, 06:38:26 pm
Must be tough being a minion if it drives you to chain smoking.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on January 19, 2019, 11:08:43 am
Must be tough being a minion if it drives you to chain smoking.

People in small towns love to smoke.  See above - Letterkenny.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on January 19, 2019, 12:16:47 pm
I actually don't know if they're chain smoking.  I just know that they all take their breaks at the same time and just go out in the alley and smoke cigarettes together. I'm not sure how many cigarettes they're smoking. I imagine that while they're smoking they probably talk about how awful I am.  Or maybe how annoying Ted Technician is. Or how tough being a minion is. Probably all of that sort of thing.


Question: what are your thoughts on office loud talkers?   To me, it seems like most people talk loud enough to be heard by the person they're talking directly to, and that's about it.  A few people, like Milton Minion, talk barely loud enough to be heard at all.  Then you have people like Technical Sales Tom, who talks loud enough for basically everybody to hear.  Like, not down in the production area, but everybody in the grown-ups area. Especially if he's talking to two or more people at once. Like, he'll be talking to Ed and Greg to explain a customer's requirements, and it's like he's doing a seminar for a whole lecture theatre. He's extremely confident, probably the most confident human I have ever met. Maybe that's why he feels no need to hold back his voice. Non-confident people, like Milton Minion, seem to do the complete opposite. I don't know. It sometimes seems excessive. Or if he and Old Economy Steve are talking in his cubicle, which is right next to my cubicle. Both of them are quite loud. I sometimes feel like I should go grab some of the ear protectors that the minions wear when they're operating machinery.


Oh, and I got a raise!  Kimmy! Kimmy! Happy! Fun! Yay! Money! Money!  Happy! Fun! Yay!   Good Boss Greg says that they're very happy with my hard work and dedication.  I feel very appreciated.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: waldo on January 19, 2019, 01:19:54 pm
I actually don't know if they're chain smoking.  I just know that they all take their breaks at the same time and just go out in the alley and smoke cigarettes together.

networking! In the day had a useless brown-nosing twit co-worker who didn't smoke... but went with the smokerboys every chance - day in, day out... openly admitted this was his opportunity to "work the channels". That and joining in with the golfing/curling crowd ultimately got him his coveted mgmt position... there could be no other explanation as the guy was utterly disposable with a most limited capability - networkers-r-us!
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: ?Impact on January 19, 2019, 02:00:21 pm
I understand that Kimmy is writing a television script, a kind of 2020 Mad Men.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on January 19, 2019, 02:11:24 pm
I was able to throw the butts away ~20 years ago and haven't had an urge that lasted beyond maybe the first 3 days following. I recently had a chat with an old buddy/workmate who also used to smoke but has also been off them quite awhile. The subject came up and he commented that he thought "once a smoker, always a smoker", saying that in the right circumstances reformed smokers would pick one up. I disagreed saying there are no circumstances I could imagine that would even slightly attempt me to do that. Perhaps he still has urges. I certainly don't. As to variations in speaking volumes, there are a couple of guys who are part of the regulars that show up at table at our local, one of whom requires you to lean in to hear him, especially if the place is filling up, and the other who makes you lean out so as not to have your eyes go blurry when he speaks/barks. I sometimes wonder if this is due to a discrepancy in their own hearing capabilities, or is it perhaps more to do with personality. Luckily the others have their "sound boards" properly adjusted. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on January 19, 2019, 04:20:35 pm
People in small towns love to smoke.  See above - Letterkenny.
Kim City is the third largest in BC.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on January 19, 2019, 04:23:15 pm
Kim City is the third largest in BC.

I didn't realize she lived in Abby.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on January 19, 2019, 04:26:14 pm
Never had an office job, went from wrenching them to flying them. Congrats on the raise.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on January 19, 2019, 04:27:52 pm
I didn't realize she lived in Abby.

You have a point, they are very close. Probably depends on whether you include West Kim City.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on January 20, 2019, 07:09:57 am
Real winter now.  -28 C windchill. 

Probably will only happen another once or twice this year if at all, but we have a sewage backup.  Very bad timing as the landlord is awol, old and likely broke.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on January 20, 2019, 12:44:26 pm
People in small towns love to smoke.  See above - Letterkenny.

It seems like there is something class-related going on.   In days gone by perhaps everybody smoked so there wasn't a distinction to be made.  But to me, it seems like the people who smoke tend to be those on the lower income or lower education end of things.  The minions, as well as a lot of tradesmen I've worked with in the past-- tradesmen aren't low income, of course, and are quite educated in their own way, but in terms of fancy book larnin' they're not like the college people I've worked with who have all disdained smoking.

Among my co-workers, all the minions smoke, while among the technical people only Boring Stories Bob smokes, and BSB is old enough that he might have started back when everybody smoked just because everybody smoked.  In previous jobs, things were divided along the same lines... the laborers and waitresses and strippers who were in college or had aspirations of going to college didn't smoke, the ones whose aspirations only extended as far as next weekend's party were smokers. 

There's something paradoxic about this, in that cigarettes are expensive and yet it seems like the people who buy them most are the ones who can less afford them.

I don't know if my observations run along the same lines as other peoples, or if there's any hard research on the subject of who smokes correlated against education and income levels.  But to me it seems like there's something going on.

Speculating, I'm thinking maybe impulse control.  People who want quick gratification smoke, maybe. People who want to earn money sooner, party on the weekend, that sort of thing. People who think longer term don't smoke.  I dunno.  There's something there, but I'm having a hard time putting a finger on exactly what it is.



Kim City is the third largest in BC.

Well, I'm not sure of the specifics, but it's definitely a little bigger than Letterkenny. Last week I heard that the Kim City Airport has overtaken Victoria's and is now the 10th busiest airport in Canada.

Never had an office job, went from wrenching them to flying them. Congrats on the raise.

Thanks! :)    This is actually my first office job too. I have had an office previously, but this is my first job where both myself and all of my co-workers work in the same building all the time, so this is quite new to me.  I am sort of an observer of people, so I find the dynamics fascinating.  If there were beings of higher intelligence observing humans to understand our ways, office work environments would be a great ant-farm for them to study.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on January 21, 2019, 06:11:27 am
Frozen pipes this morning :(

Never had to deal with that before.  Mama and Easy are asleep... today is going to suck.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on January 21, 2019, 06:13:24 am
It seems like there is something class-related going on.   In days gone by perhaps everybody smoked so there wasn't a distinction to be made.  But to me, it seems like the people who smoke tend to be those on the lower income or lower education end of things.  The minions, as well as a lot of tradesmen I've worked with in the past-- tradesmen aren't low income, of course, and are quite educated in their own way, but in terms of fancy book larnin' they're not like the college people I've worked with who have all disdained smoking.
 

7 months since I smoked.  I don't consider myself 'quit' though...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on January 21, 2019, 09:53:30 am
When we lived in an old house in downtown Ottawa there were nights when we had to leave some taps running to keep the pipes from freezing.  Never had that problem when we lived in Edmonton, even though it gets much colder. I'm not sure what the difference is.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on January 21, 2019, 11:24:31 am
Frozen pipes for some reason has become more common in Winnipeg the past few years. The worst part, as I understand,  is it can be a real problem to thaw them out. In some cases, they've had to wait till June.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on January 21, 2019, 11:38:15 am
7 months since I smoked.  I don't consider myself 'quit' though...

Keep that thought. I quit a couple of times for up to a year and went back. When i finally did quit, it was a several years before I actually considered myself "quit".
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on January 21, 2019, 12:26:52 pm
I was listening to the radio one day and there was an interview with an addiction specialist doctor who was saying it was a good idea to reward ones self after you have made reasonable success at kicking a bad habit. Two days of no smoking or bottle tipping isn't quite enough, "reasonable" being the operative word. I had been thinking about buying a laptop, which were a little pricey those days, but then I realized I was well into year 4 without a smoke. I did a quick calculation on how many bucks I hadn't spent on smokes, then headed off downtown, bought that laptop, and still had a pretty good wad left over. Heading for year 20, maybe I should plan another trip downtown, or beyond.   
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on January 21, 2019, 03:12:59 pm
There are no rewards... well... one but my vows won't allow it.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on January 21, 2019, 03:25:39 pm
I hadn't taken any vows back then, and I found the girls more fun in the no smoking sections of bars and planes, so I guess I had more than one incentive. The real rewards are the health benefits that keep on giving.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on January 21, 2019, 11:24:45 pm
I tried out a new skincare product yesterday and I guess I got a little carried away with all that exfoliating and microdermabrasion, because when I woke up today my cheeks and nose were all rosy.  I felt pretty ridiculous, but everybody just asked if I'd been skiing.  Since I don't ski I told them that I'd gotten wind-burned while I was hiking on saturday, even though that's a total lie.   

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on January 21, 2019, 11:36:51 pm
I studied karate for a few years and early on I learned about Tiger Balm, a salve that is good for soothing aching muscles while you get in shape. It comes in different strengths. I bought the red one. (strongest). One of the exercises we spent time on was full front and side leg splits. Needless to say your groins get a bit sore. A word of advice: don't come home from karate class, spread Tiger Balm on your groins, and go to bed. You will be awoken before too long.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on January 22, 2019, 05:54:37 am
Ok.  Pipes burst yesterday.  It's a big warmer at -14 but no power.  We have shut off the water.

The great thing about full-time is "work from home" option, which I'm stretching to day 2.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on January 22, 2019, 06:38:19 am
Don't they insulate water pipes in Toronto?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on January 22, 2019, 03:22:45 pm
Ok.  Pipes burst yesterday.  It's a big warmer at -14 but no power.  We have shut off the water.

The great thing about full-time is "work from home" option, which I'm stretching to day 2.

That sucks. Just you or neighbours as well? Above or below ground?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on January 23, 2019, 04:01:27 am
That sucks. Just you or neighbours as well? Above or below ground?
In the wall.  A guy with a hammer and a torch smashed the wall in and fixed the pipe inside of an hour.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on January 24, 2019, 03:29:52 am
Yep so if you keep the taps running a little bit when it's that cold the pipes won't freeze.

  -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on January 24, 2019, 03:40:42 am
I have to go to a party with my co-workers on Saturday.   :(  They're nice enough people, but I see them 5 days a week and I would rather be home snuggling on Saturday night.

It's not an office party, per se, it's at a co-worker's house. One of the company owners, actually.

Anybody have tips for making it more bearable?  I don't need advice like "don't get super drunk and start running my mouth" or "don't start making out with the boss's wife" or that sort of thing. I've got all that stuff figured out already.   Also some of my coworkers know that I'm not heterosexual but most of them don't and I'm a little uneasy about talking about personal stuff. I have a sense that somebody is going to ask why I didn't bring a date or trying to do the matchmaker thing or that sort of stuff.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on January 24, 2019, 05:36:40 am
I have to go to a party with my co-workers on Saturday.   :(  They're nice enough people, but I see them 5 days a week and I would rather be home snuggling on Saturday night.

It's not an office party, per se, it's at a co-worker's house. One of the company owners, actually.

I hate **** like this.  I avoid it when I can, or make an an 'appearance' then French exit.  Gawd....

But you have to.

Quote
Anybody have tips for making it more bearable?  I don't need advice like "don't get super drunk and start running my mouth" or "don't start making out with the boss's wife" or that sort of thing. I've got all that stuff figured out already.   Also some of my coworkers know that I'm not heterosexual but most of them don't and I'm a little uneasy about talking about personal stuff. I have a sense that somebody is going to ask why I didn't bring a date or trying to do the matchmaker thing or that sort of stuff.

 -k

Well, I can't believe you have made it to this point in your life living where you do without coming up with your own style of answering questions like that.  Also given your wit... You can do the old Paula Poundstone (?) bit where her female gym teacher just says "I guess I never found Mr. Right !" :D

Stay until you have had ONE communal moment - like 'the toast' or 'the happy birthday song'.  Then just say you've "got to go".  10 PM is the target time... stay at least that long.

Sorry.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on January 24, 2019, 05:42:47 am
Yep so if you keep the taps running a little bit when it's that cold the pipes won't freeze.

  -k

We will remember.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: cybercoma on January 24, 2019, 06:34:57 am
I have to go to a party with my co-workers on Saturday.   :(  They're nice enough people, but I see them 5 days a week and I would rather be home snuggling on Saturday night.

It's not an office party, per se, it's at a co-worker's house. One of the company owners, actually.

Anybody have tips for making it more bearable?  I don't need advice like "don't get super drunk and start running my mouth" or "don't start making out with the boss's wife" or that sort of thing. I've got all that stuff figured out already.   Also some of my coworkers know that I'm not heterosexual but most of them don't and I'm a little uneasy about talking about personal stuff. I have a sense that somebody is going to ask why I didn't bring a date or trying to do the matchmaker thing or that sort of stuff.

 -k
I mean, getting super drunk and making out with the boss's wife might not be the worst career move, depending on your boss's proclivities.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Goddess on January 25, 2019, 10:40:30 am
Is anyone here parents of a teenage boy?  Or have nephews that age?  My sister is a foster parent and has a boy turning 13 in Feb.  She said he likes reading.  Any suggestions for what a boy that age might enjoy?  It's been a long time since my boy was 13.  I'm a bit stumped for a gift..... :-\
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on January 25, 2019, 01:47:40 pm
Is anyone here parents of a teenage boy?  Or have nephews that age?  My sister is a foster parent and has a boy turning 13 in Feb.  She said he likes reading.  Any suggestions for what a boy that age might enjoy?  It's been a long time since my boy was 13.  I'm a bit stumped for a gift..... :-\

Lord of the Rings.  Anything JRR Tolkien

Ready Player One
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Goddess on January 25, 2019, 05:07:58 pm
Lord of the Rings.  Anything JRR Tolkien

Ready Player One

Thanks.  I forgot about LOTR.

Ready Player One was a good  movie, I'll check out the book.   :)
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on January 27, 2019, 09:55:54 pm
I hate **** like this.  I avoid it when I can, or make an an 'appearance' then French exit.  Gawd....

But you have to.

Well, I can't believe you have made it to this point in your life living where you do without coming up with your own style of answering questions like that.  Also given your wit... You can do the old Paula Poundstone (?) bit where her female gym teacher just says "I guess I never found Mr. Right !" :D

Stay until you have had ONE communal moment - like 'the toast' or 'the happy birthday song'.  Then just say you've "got to go".  10 PM is the target time... stay at least that long.

Sorry.

I remembered your sage advice. Things went surprisingly well.  I managed to stay until 11, and a number of people had left before me.  Some of them are very interesting people.  The man of the house-- an owner/director of the company, is a fascinating conversationalist.  Unfortunately at dinner I got seated next to Boring Stories Bob, who is pretty much the opposite of a fascinating conversationalist.  Luckily I was able to move next to Engineer Ed and one of the younger technical people and some spouses/significant others later on which was better. .

After some people had left and some of the men-folk had gone to the games-room for billiards and darts and other contests of manliness, I had a quiet moment with the lady of the house, who is a charming older woman who also does technical writing for us part time. She's a delightful person.  She had been badgering me to bring a date for a couple of weeks, so when she asked about that again I told her my big secret and she told me that nobody would mind a bit if I brought my girlfriend next time. She added that now she's extra interested to meet my significant other.  Although, she probably won't remember any the conversation because she was so drunk. And she gave me a great big hug before I left.

Anyway. It was a good night.  I felt super welcome.

 -k

Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on January 28, 2019, 05:32:11 am
  And she gave me a great big hug before I left.

Anyway. It was a good night.  I felt super welcome.

 -k

Well, great.  I guess things work out sometimes.

Easy has a terrible cough.  We all have colds but it kills me to see him so upset and almost choking.  We went to Sick Kids and spent 6 hours waiting for doctors yesterday.  He's basically ok but Joan has to sleep in the other room with him...

Aaaand.... a whollop of winter this week.  I think I'm going to cancel my show if I can to stick around...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on January 28, 2019, 09:07:59 am
I think I prefer extreme cold to heavy snowfall. Extreme cold around here means it's brilliantly sunny, which can be nice, especially if you're inside most of the time anyway. Heavy snowfall is such a drag and it takes a week for things to be cleared and back to normal.

Supposed to go down to -36 tonight (actual temperature, not windchill "feels like"). Apparently that can be devastating for the ash borer beetle, which has recently made its first appearance in town and has been expected to wipe out much of Winnipeg's forest canopy in the next five years. With any luck, the obscenely brutal cold will be just too much for them.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on January 28, 2019, 10:08:44 am
Easy has a terrible cough.  We all have colds but it kills me to see him so upset and almost choking.  We went to Sick Kids and spent 6 hours waiting for doctors yesterday.  He's basically ok but Joan has to sleep in the other room with him...

:( It must be depressing to feel powerless to help.

Aaaand.... a whollop of winter this week.  I think I'm going to cancel my show if I can to stick around...

We had plus 12 and bright sunshine yesterday. People were out jogging in shorts and t-shirts. Crazy.

Supposed to go down to -36 tonight (actual temperature, not windchill "feels like"). Apparently that can be devastating for the ash borer beetle, which has recently made its first appearance in town and has been expected to wipe out much of Winnipeg's forest canopy in the next five years. With any luck, the obscenely brutal cold will be just too much for them.

"Welcome to Winnipeg, ****!"   Hopefully this will kill the little rotters.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on January 28, 2019, 10:23:16 am


Supposed to go down to -36 tonight (actual temperature, not windchill "feels like"). Apparently that can be devastating for the ash borer beetle, which has recently made its first appearance in town and has been expected to wipe out much of Winnipeg's forest canopy in the next five years. With any luck, the obscenely brutal cold will be just too much for them.

We need some of that in BC to get rid of the pine beetles. The winters aren’t cold enough anymore.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on January 28, 2019, 11:57:24 am
We need some of that in BC to get rid of the pine beetles. The winters aren’t cold enough anymore.

Now just hold on a minute, I grew up in Ontario where I stared down my share of freezing cold days, shoveling off the beaver pond to go skating, after the driveway was done. I prefer the current situation where, even though it's close to the end of January I can see the lawn will soon need cutting, and if I want to go skating, I'll go to the arena. And look at all that lovely furniture wood those beetles provide. :D
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on January 28, 2019, 12:51:31 pm
I think I prefer extreme cold to heavy snowfall. Extreme cold around here means it's brilliantly sunny, which can be nice, especially if you're inside most of the time anyway. Heavy snowfall is such a drag and it takes a week for things to be cleared and back to normal.

Supposed to go down to -36 tonight (actual temperature, not windchill "feels like"). Apparently that can be devastating for the ash borer beetle, which has recently made its first appearance in town and has been expected to wipe out much of Winnipeg's forest canopy in the next five years. With any luck, the obscenely brutal cold will be just too much for them.

This place has barely dipped below freezing this winter.  We may have had a few days where daytime temperatures dipped below zero.  I saw rhododendrons in bloom the other day!

"Hot spot in Canada: 9.2 °C48.6 °F Sheringham Point, BC"

https://weather.gc.ca/marine/forecast_e.html?mapID=03&siteID=07010
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Pinus or Vid or...????? on January 28, 2019, 01:12:39 pm
It went up to 11C in Calgary on Saturday. It's expected to be just above freezing for the remainder of the week. I miss winter.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on January 28, 2019, 04:48:06 pm
:( It must be depressing to feel powerless to help.

 

I get more worried than depressed.  And tired.  Always tired.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on January 28, 2019, 05:04:51 pm
Now just hold on a minute, I grew up in Ontario where I stared down my share of freezing cold days, shoveling off the beaver pond to go skating, after the driveway was done. I prefer the current situation where, even though it's close to the end of January I can see the lawn will soon need cutting, and if I want to go skating, I'll go to the arena. And look at all that lovely furniture wood those beetles provide. :D

I like that too but take a drive up the Coq, over the Hope Princeton or anywhere else there is pine forest. It’s really bad in a lot of places. A couple of weeks of -30 and we wouldn’t have to worry about them for a few years.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on January 28, 2019, 05:14:02 pm
I like that too but take a drive up the Coq, over the Hope Princeton or anywhere else there is pine forest. It’s really bad in a lot of places. A couple of weeks of -30 and we wouldn’t have to worry about them for a few years.

I hear ya for sure. One related problem I've heard from fire fighters, and one can easily wrap ones head around, is that stands of dead trees burn, oh, like the blazes you might say. The heat is such you can't get near them on the ground. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on January 29, 2019, 06:09:06 am
Giant dump of snow.  I shovelled the sidewalk out front, as well as 2 neighbours north and 1 south.  It's easy in this place because of the small frontage.

Anyway, it's all white out there this morning...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Pinus or Vid or...????? on January 29, 2019, 10:45:36 am
Checked the weather patterns. Any place East of Edmonton and Calgary will be freezing cold for the next week or so. BC and most of Southern Alberta will be spared.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on January 29, 2019, 02:18:11 pm
It got cold here last night...   -2.  Sunny today, with some fog.  Rain later this week.  Where the heck is winter???

Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: ?Impact on January 29, 2019, 02:20:10 pm
Where the heck is winter???

Wanna trade
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on February 07, 2019, 04:27:30 am
We've had our first cold weather in months here. I find it kind of exhilarating. 

My cubicle is pretty cold, because I'm in a corner with an uninsulated exterior wall on one side and a big glass window on the other.  The headlights were out, so to speak...  and I felt kind of self-conscious.  I think I traumatized Milton Minion.   I had to go home and get a sweater.

Things going ok with the missus.  She had been talking about her (male) ex quite a bit, and it made me anxious. But that seems to have passed for the time being.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on February 07, 2019, 06:35:15 am
You're calling her the missus now, so this is like a real relationship ?  Ok, good.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on February 07, 2019, 09:29:12 am
Wanna trade

The Fraser Valley gets these crazy outflow winds. -8 in Abby and Chilliwack the other day -18 wind chill.
We have a Nest thermoastat which keeps track of the furnace operation. Sat 2hrs, Sun 7.5 hrs, Mon 10 hrs, Tue 7.25 hrs Yesterday 5.5 hrs.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Pinus or Vid or...????? on February 07, 2019, 10:34:45 am
The cold pressure system finally hit Alberta on the weekend, dropping temperature to -35 at night. Work was cancelled, due to the cold. It's gone up to highs of -15, but below normal temperature will continue through the next two weeks.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Goddess on February 07, 2019, 11:30:42 am
I broke 2 ribs on Sunday.   :-\
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on February 07, 2019, 11:47:07 am
Jeez, sorry Goddess :(
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on February 07, 2019, 12:41:34 pm
I broke 2 ribs on Sunday.   :-\

Whose were they??
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on February 07, 2019, 12:42:27 pm
I broke 2 ribs on Sunday.   :-\

OUCH! I did one of mine some years and I certainly recall the pain. Mine had to do with my love of riding horses, sometimes bareback.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on February 07, 2019, 12:46:07 pm
Whose were they??

Hmm, hadn't thought of that angle but there was no actual specification as to the rib owner(s)
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on February 07, 2019, 01:02:40 pm
I broke 2 ribs on Sunday.   :-\

Ouch.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Goddess on February 07, 2019, 02:25:45 pm
OUCH! I did one of mine some years and I certainly recall the pain. Mine had to do with my love of riding horses, sometimes bareback.

I'm telling people I broke them rescuing puppies from a burning building.  Otherwise, it's just embarrassing..... :-[
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on February 07, 2019, 03:05:14 pm
I'm telling people I broke them rescuing puppies from a burning building.  Otherwise, it's just embarrassing..... :-[

Good on ya. I love puppies. ;)
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on February 07, 2019, 03:19:02 pm
I would want to be sure they aren't arsonist puppies before risking my life saving them.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: TimG on February 07, 2019, 03:24:57 pm
I would want to be sure they aren't arsonist puppies before risking my life saving them.
Worse, they could be Mexican puppies..
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on February 07, 2019, 03:26:49 pm
I would want to be sure they aren't arsonist puppies before risking my life saving them.

Right. Could have been a litter of Dalmatians trying to ensure job security.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on February 09, 2019, 12:48:00 pm
It is so windy here today.   A couple of ducks just flew past... they were pointed north, but moving west.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on February 09, 2019, 12:59:57 pm
It is so windy here today.   A couple of ducks just flew past... they were pointed north, but moving west.

 -k

They should be advised to make a 180 and let that wind head them for warmer air. A web foot on the left rudder pedal will help keep them straight as well. And yeah it's blowing pretty good here as well.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on February 15, 2019, 05:28:40 am
Long Weekend here !

You ?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on February 17, 2019, 01:02:55 pm
Long Weekend here !

You ?

Also a long weekend here! BC used to have the February long weekend on a different day from everybody else, but they have changed it. I guess they decided it was stupid.

Thursday was Valentine's Day, so I sent a strip-o-gram to my special girl.  It was basically just me in a long coat, but it was still pretty good.  She seemed to like it, anyway.

I think I hurt Milton Minion's feelings last week.  He came over to my cubicle and started talking but I shushed him because I was trying to listen to someone on the phone.  I felt bad afterward. We had been making progress. He had even been communicating in complete sentences recently.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on February 17, 2019, 01:10:57 pm
 :o
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on February 17, 2019, 09:32:45 pm
“Family Day” is such a stupid idea for a holiday...   as if not having a family makes one less worthy somehow...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on February 17, 2019, 10:14:05 pm
I think it's good.  Almost everyone has some one that they consider family.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on February 17, 2019, 10:34:21 pm
I think it's good.  Almost everyone has some one that they consider family.

Indeed, and I use this day to sip a glass of wine and reflect back on my family member's who are dearly departed, and the fun we had together.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on February 21, 2019, 03:39:55 am
“Family Day” is such a stupid idea for a holiday...   as if not having a family makes one less worthy somehow...

I am completely separated from my blood relatives, but it's still nice to have a day off in February.   If "Family Day" doesn't appeal, you could imagine it as Indigenous People Day, or Siha-Siha Muckachuck as I like to call it, and reflect on our kinship with the land and its original inhabitants.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on February 21, 2019, 03:40:51 am
I am learning new skills! I am taking on new responsibilities!  My brilliance has been noted and rewarded with more work!

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on February 21, 2019, 10:02:31 am
I am completely separated from my blood relatives, but it's still nice to have a day off in February.   

You are welcome to join me and my family next time you are in Toronto :)
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: ?Impact on February 21, 2019, 03:56:29 pm
I am learning new skills! I am taking on new responsibilities!  My brilliance has been noted and rewarded with more work!

What about compensation?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on February 22, 2019, 09:41:10 am
What about compensation?

Not immediately, but as I just had a pay raise last month I don't mind. I see it as a chance to prove I'm worth the extra cash they've given me.  It's also a chance to expand my horizons and be more than just a shuffler of papers and herder of minions.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on February 28, 2019, 05:59:46 am
Ok so now we are house shopping.  My first house will cost more than anything anyone in my family has bought.  Actually my parents and two of my three siblings own MULTIPLE homes and none of these individuals paid for the sum of their properties what this one house will cost.

Our ceiling is $900K, more if there is an apartment to rent inside.  This will give us a $4K mortgage but more importantly: stability in terms of price and location. 

"You may ask yourself... well.... how did I get here ?"

My relationship with real estate is a giant weight on my shoulder.  My dad always got screwed and bought and sold in stupid times to do so.  I always feared I would get caught in that, and ... well yeah it's happening. 

Zen.  Breathe.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on February 28, 2019, 06:35:43 am
I feel badly for the youngsters these days. It's not fair. I bought my first house for $70k in 1995 with a $5k down payment and a $236/2 week mortgage.
Of course, those are Winnipeg prices. The same house would sell today for just over $200k, which some youngsters still might be able to manage, especially with today's interest rates.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: waldo on February 28, 2019, 06:59:14 am
My relationship with real estate is a giant weight on my shoulder.  My dad always got screwed and bought and sold in stupid times to do so.  I always feared I would get caught in that, and ... well yeah it's happening. 

Zen.  Breathe.

I can somewhat speak to VanCity rental costs, but I certainly can't speak to Toronto rental costs - are you sure? Given the projected absence of equity gain in housing for both cities, are you sure you can't find a (better/preferred) rental option to meet the needs of an extended family? Only asking in terms of wondering, generally, just how long you envision working; as in wanting to versus needing to?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Pinus or Vid or...????? on February 28, 2019, 09:00:45 am
I can somewhat speak to VanCity rental costs, but I certainly can't speak to Toronto rental costs - are you sure? Given the projected absence of equity gain in housing for both cities, are you sure you can't find a (better/preferred) rental option to meet the needs of an extended family? Only asking in terms of wondering, generally, just how long you envision working; as in wanting to versus needing to?

Speaking of personal stuff, knock it off with the annoying Private Messages, Waldo.  Grow up.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on February 28, 2019, 10:30:25 am
I paid off the house last year...    no mortgage payment does the pocket book wonders!

I went out and bought a $250 bottle of scotch as a prize for doing so!
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Goddess on February 28, 2019, 10:37:13 am


I went out and bought a $250 bottle of scotch as a prize for doing so!

Blue Label?  ;)
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on February 28, 2019, 11:24:09 am
I paid off the house last year...    no mortgage payment does the pocket book wonders!

I went out and bought a $250 bottle of scotch as a prize for doing so!

Crickey!, I was just thinking about making a brunch, now I'm thinking about taking a spin over to "the store" and brunch will consist of "Scotch eggs".

PS-don't ever buy a brand called Smokehead.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on February 28, 2019, 12:03:16 pm
Blue Label?  ;)

No...  I think it was a Glenmorangie...   Blue Label is tasty too though!  But it's over $300 here in BC!!

Crickey!, I was just thinking about making a brunch, now I'm thinking about taking a spin over to "the store" and brunch will consist of "Scotch eggs".

PS-don't ever buy a brand called Smokehead.

I don't mind Smokehead...  I had a "peaty phase" I went through for a while...    their slogan is "definitely not for everyone"...   so I can't really blame you for not liking it!   ;D

Have a dram for me!!  I suggest Aberlour Abunadh...  un-peated, aged in sherry casks...  it's brilliant! 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: cybercoma on February 28, 2019, 12:05:32 pm
I miss the good old days of Highland Park 18 before the price skyrocketed and the stopped offering it.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on February 28, 2019, 12:20:38 pm
No...  I think it was a Glenmorangie...   Blue Label is tasty too though!  But it's over $300 here in BC!!

I don't mind Smokehead...  I had a "peaty phase" I went through for a while...    their slogan is "definitely not for everyone"...   so I can't really blame you for not liking it!   ;D

Have a dram for me!!  I suggest Aberlour Abunadh...  un-peated, aged in sherry casks...  it's brilliant!

I have had that brand and I quite like it. One routing I used to travel for work had me overnighting in Dubai, and I was (pleasantly) surprised that not only did the airport there have a very well stocked duty free liquor store, including many scotch brands, they were roughly half the price in other duty frees, but you could buy it and take it with you to your hotel. I often bought one that I hadn't tried before, which of course made the whole process something of a scientific social experiment. And of course my grandparents emigrated from Scotland so I was also honoring my ancestry. And that's how I discovered Smokehead. It was a bit too peaty for me but I was able to get through a 40 pounder so I'm adaptable.

Cheers
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: waldo on February 28, 2019, 12:56:29 pm
Speaking of personal stuff, knock it off with the annoying Private Messages, Waldo.  Grow up.

don't say messages, plural - you have my permission to quote my only message sent to you - the one that simply stated your trolling is lame-assed; that you need to try harder!

fwiw: I used to never bother looking at the rating tags given - it's only when I started to see 'dumb' tags for the most non-partisan, information only posts... as in, damn who would give that a 'dumb' rating, it's just information. Well, that would be you!

Another respected member just said it better and openly:

The persistent use of the "Dumb" rating by a certain individual, stands as a banner in his personal army that says, "I am right, you are wrong and I don't care why you think that way."
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Pinus or Vid or...????? on February 28, 2019, 01:04:40 pm
don't say messages, plural - you have my permission to quote my only message sent to you - the one that simply stated your trolling is lame-assed; that you need to try harder!


Keep it on the forum. It's rather pathetic to harass users in PM. You should know better.  I may have to spank you as punishment.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on February 28, 2019, 01:23:25 pm

Keep it on the forum. It's rather pathetic to harass users in PM. You should know better.  I may have to spank you as punishment.

Um, I doubt you'll be able to do that.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on February 28, 2019, 01:53:42 pm
You're both trolls, unfortunately...  but I wouldn't waste my time to PM either of you.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on February 28, 2019, 02:38:58 pm
I miss the good old days of Highland Park 18 before the price skyrocketed and the stopped offering it.

That one is available in BC for $176...    >:(
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Goddess on February 28, 2019, 02:57:38 pm


fwiw: I used to never bother looking at the rating tags given - it's only when I started to see 'dumb' tags for the most non-partisan, information only posts... as in, damn who would give that a 'dumb' rating, it's just information. Well, that would be you!

I didn't say I've never given the Dumb rating and I'm not saying nobody should ever give it.  I'm saying it shouldn't be used to harass someone by following them around the board, putting the Dumb rating on everything they post.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: waldo on February 28, 2019, 03:05:33 pm
I didn't say I've never given the Dumb rating and I'm not saying nobody should ever give it.  I'm saying it shouldn't be used to harass someone by following them around the board, putting the Dumb rating on everything they post.

I agree with you completely. What you quoted of mine was misplaced... it was meant to be said/apply to the **** member! I've edited my post to remove any confusion (I caused). Yes, absolutely, both the **** member and squiggy seem overly eager to apply the tag to... just about anything!
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on February 28, 2019, 03:09:36 pm
I agree with you completely. What you quoted of mine was misplaced... it was meant to be said/apply to the **** member! I've edited my post to remove any confusion (I caused). Yes, absolutely, both the **** member and squiggy seem overly eager to apply the tag to... just about anything!

Apparently your spellchecker is unserviceable. ;)
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on February 28, 2019, 04:50:56 pm
I can somewhat speak to VanCity rental costs, but I certainly can't speak to Toronto rental costs - are you sure? Given the projected absence of equity gain in housing for both cities, are you sure you can't find a (better/preferred) rental option to meet the needs of an extended family? Only asking in terms of wondering, generally, just how long you envision working; as in wanting to versus needing to?

I will have to work at least 15 years, I think.  Rental is a terrible situation, worse than buying.  Premier Dougie just helped 'the people' by removing another layer of rent control.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on February 28, 2019, 04:55:36 pm
I will have to work at least 15 years, I think.  Rental is a terrible situation, worse than buying.  Premier Dougie just helped 'the people' by removing another layer of rent control.

Hopefully you've left some room for increased interest rates in your payment calculations...  it probably won't stay this low forever... 

They say ~28% of your gross income should go into your mortgage at maximum.  I think I did more than that, but I maxxed out what I paid as much as I could afford to get it paid off earlier. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on February 28, 2019, 05:10:33 pm
'They' say 44% now.

We will lock in for 5 years after which we'll have about 50K more to spend on housing.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on February 28, 2019, 05:40:23 pm
'They' say 44% now.

We will lock in for 5 years after which we'll have about 50K more to spend on housing.

"They" must be a bank!   Yikes...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on February 28, 2019, 06:56:35 pm
"They" must be a bank!   Yikes...

Mortgage Broker says it's the CMHC limit. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Pinus or Vid or...????? on February 28, 2019, 07:52:23 pm
You're both trolls, unfortunately...  but I wouldn't waste my time to PM either of you.

I'd rather you did not PM me. I've already had one traumatic experience with an individual harassing me in PM. I'm touchy when it happens.

Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on February 28, 2019, 07:57:46 pm
I'd rather you did not PM me. I've already had one traumatic experience with an individual harassing me in PM. I'm touchy when it happens.

To save yourself the trauma, why don't you go to Settings and turn off the PM function?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Pinus or Vid or...????? on February 28, 2019, 10:41:32 pm
To save yourself the trauma, why don't you go to Settings and turn off the PM function?

I did not know that.  Thanks.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on March 01, 2019, 02:00:09 am
Mortgage Broker says it's the CMHC limit.

The CMHC doesn’t set limits for how much of your income goes towards mortgage payments...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on March 01, 2019, 05:21:05 am
The CMHC doesn’t set limits for how much of your income goes towards mortgage payments...

There's some kind of suggestion or guideline.  I'm new at this so I'm trusting my mortgage broker, who has helped a dear friend as well as two siblings through it.

We got approved for $880K mortgage, so a house of $1M. 

Last night I realized I was getting sucked into the game.  I am going to start aiming lower, much lower.  Aaand... I will now have a 10-15 minute longer commute.

Is that so bad ?   ???
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: cybercoma on March 01, 2019, 06:12:37 am
That one is available in BC for $176...    >:(
oh that’s not bad. Last time I found it in NB it was pushing $400 a bottle.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on March 01, 2019, 10:33:22 am
oh that’s not bad. Last time I found it in NB it was pushing $400 a bottle.

Whoah!   That’s outrageous!
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: ?Impact on March 01, 2019, 01:00:11 pm
I'd rather you did not PM me. I've already had one traumatic experience with an individual harassing me in PM. I'm touchy when it happens.

Facing fears in a gradual and consistent manner is the most effective way to overcome fears and phobias and is called “exposure”. This process involves gradually and repeatedly exposing yourself to the feared object or situation in a safe and controlled way. You learn to “ride out” the anxiety and distress until the anxiety passes.

ref: Anxiety Canada (https://www.anxietycanada.com/adults/exposure-therapy-specific-phobia)
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on March 01, 2019, 02:19:36 pm
Hey, wanna make a quick million? Just go track down Bin Laden's sons location and the US State Department has a prize for you. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on March 02, 2019, 12:27:10 pm
I'm sometimes amazed at how completely inept some people are at reading the room.

Last week was incredibly stressful around the office. Me and the Minions were working as fast as we could to get big orders ready to ship. Good Boss Greg and Engineer Ed were busy trying to get a new product ready ahead of a deadline.  One of the directors and our sales guy were getting a bunch of stuff ready ahead of a big trade show. And in the middle of all of this, Ted Technician is wandering around being a know-it-all and bothering people about stuff that was low priority.  Boring Stories Bob is blathering away to people who have too much to do to waste time interacting with him.  Old Economy Steve is wandering around trying to turn his low-priority issues into high-priority issues. 

I'm amazed that nobody was killed.  Ted Technician came close a couple of times, I think.  The director was swearing about him after he left.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on March 02, 2019, 05:08:15 pm
Grandpa bragging again. Spent the last two days whatching grand daughter #2 play rugby in Vegas. BC Elite1, USA Sevens U16 girls champions.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on March 03, 2019, 11:48:39 am
Yay!  Hope you had a good time.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on March 03, 2019, 04:54:10 pm
Yay!  Hope you had a good time.

 -k

I enjoy watching the kids play but no longer much of a fan of Las Vegas. I liked it when I was younger but now I just find it crowded, noisy and expensive. It used to be a cheap holiday but everything is an arm and a leg these days. No longer a place I would chose for a holiday.

The won all their games big except for the final in which they came up against a well matched team. They were down by four points but pulled out a tri in the last minute and won by three.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on March 03, 2019, 07:40:07 pm
House search is getting depressing.  I guess we almost got one but were out manoeuvred maybe ....

Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on March 04, 2019, 12:47:30 pm
House search is getting depressing.  I guess we almost got one but were out manoeuvred maybe ....

It took me months to find a house...  but I wouldn't budge from my budget...  and it was more of a buyer's market probably.

Wanted to go fishing this weekend...   installed a laundry sink instead...  :-\
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on March 04, 2019, 02:08:58 pm
Hey if you're thinking about heading south to Mexico for a winter escape, you won't have to take the chance of taking your pot with you, you can get it legally there now. I bet they have good product too.

https://www.theyucatantimes.com/2019/02/mexico-legalizes-marijuana-for-recreational-purposes/?fbclid=IwAR1QYIQJ3Lj2FUbYUoRLiXf1SUua6QRItPffLKASxKZeBNbepF9AO7sm9W8
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on March 08, 2019, 07:57:34 am

Ok, so the job turned bad.  My boss got me a new opportunity which is exciting and a chance to get off my dud of a project.  My (internal) client had blocked my transfer off the project last November, pulling out the stops.  I knew that there was a lot of politics happening a few levels up and I was another pawn in that battle so I let it go.  Those fights have settled down and my boss said there would be no impediments to moving me off.  But she, my internal client, did it again.

So I'm stuck in a glorified assistant position now, where I'm supposed to be doing basic Agile management to learn it from the ground up.  Instead, I'm just reminding people to update documents etc.  This was all supposed to end February 1.

So I am stuck.  And I can't leave.  I looked up what to do when you're stuck in a job on Google and a bunch of articles that said make the best of it.  I feel like I can't be fake, though, which means my unhappiness will be visible to everyone.  As such, I think I have to explain my feelings about this to my client and move on.

It will be hard to not passive-aggressively scuttle the project.

Thoughts or advices ?  Please be aware that I am unlikely to have NOT thought of anything you suggested.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on March 09, 2019, 12:21:45 pm
Sounds frustrating. Can't offer any advice though.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on March 09, 2019, 12:31:07 pm
More grandpa bragging. Youngest grand daughter's BC white team won U16 girls at the Vancouver Sevens yesterday. Took a knock on the head and is under concussion protocol now. Feels fine though. Oldest grand daughter's U18 team came second in their division, the Fraser Valley girls losing in the final to the Rugby Canada U18 development team which they narrowly beat in the pool play. She is playing at BC place at noon for UBC in an exhibition game at the big tournament but I can't get the live stream on CBC because we are in the US right now and it isn't on satellite. I'm pissed.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on March 09, 2019, 01:28:15 pm
Ok, so the job turned bad.  My boss got me a new opportunity which is exciting and a chance to get off my dud of a project.  My (internal) client had blocked my transfer off the project last November, pulling out the stops.  I knew that there was a lot of politics happening a few levels up and I was another pawn in that battle so I let it go.  Those fights have settled down and my boss said there would be no impediments to moving me off.  But she, my internal client, did it again.

Has she given an explanation for why she blocked your transfer?  Seems weird that someone else in the organization has the power to stop your transfer if the boss has approved it.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: waldo on March 09, 2019, 01:39:40 pm
As such, I think I have to explain my feelings about this to my client and move on.

It will be hard to not passive-aggressively scuttle the project.

Thoughts or advices ?  Please be aware that I am unlikely to have NOT thought of anything you suggested.

are you confident in your skills/resume and does the Toronto (area) have real PM jobs wanting? If not, can you afford/stand to be out of work for a while? Ever tried stepping outside your own consult to work for an actual IT consulting firm... even if you warm the bench for a while/occasionally?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on March 10, 2019, 10:05:24 am
Has she given an explanation for why she blocked your transfer?  Seems weird that someone else in the organization has the power to stop your transfer if the boss has approved it.

 -k

She's my internal client.  I didn't get a reason from her yet but I know it will be because I'm critical to the success of the project I am leaving or somesuch. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on March 10, 2019, 10:07:14 am
are you confident in your skills/resume and does the Toronto (area) have real PM jobs wanting? If not, can you afford/stand to be out of work for a while? Ever tried stepping outside your own consult to work for an actual IT consulting firm... even if you warm the bench for a while/occasionally?

I can't be out of work for awhile.  I was self-employed before this and am more naturally suited to that work and the higher pay levels and tax advantages.  But I am the sole breadwinner right now and a recession may be in the winds too.

I feel like I have to bite the bullet and smile through this bullshit.  I hate the idea of faking it but I don't want to leave.  I feel pretty powerless.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on March 11, 2019, 08:25:46 pm
Got an offer accepted.  Inspector said it's got problems so we're back at square one.  Baby is teething. 

I keep wondering that if I did this in my twenties, would I have been different ?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on March 11, 2019, 08:33:49 pm
What sort of problems?
Every house has problems. Or it will soon.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on March 11, 2019, 09:27:46 pm
Foundation work needed.  Cost unknown.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on March 11, 2019, 10:06:22 pm
Foundation work needed.  Cost unknown.
Doesn't sound good.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on March 12, 2019, 06:12:24 am
Doesn't sound good.

So we lowered our offer by $50K - as the repairs are ballparked at 1/2 that.  That would also provide us with a much-needed rainy day fund.

No response yet.

And - when it rains it pours - the lady who blocked me from leaving met with me yesterday and seems to think I didn't want to go.  I guess she forgot me fighting like hell to get away from her last fall.  She's delusional.  She pulled out all the stops and said my leaving would delay her project by six weeks - a lie.  She seems to think that she saved "us" by doing all of this and was strategizing how we together could prevent this from happening again.

Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on March 12, 2019, 07:28:58 am
What indicated it needed foundation work? Cracks upstairs above doorways from shifting, water seepage evidence, vertical cracks in the basement wall or horizontal cracks?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on March 12, 2019, 08:56:07 am
Driveway sloping towards house.  Cracks
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on March 12, 2019, 09:23:05 am
Driveway sloping towards house.  Cracks
Sounds like the house settled, which wouldn't be such a big deal I don't think, but having the driveway directing all the water back to the house in a rainstorm would be a problem. Maybe it's just the driveway that sunk? If the doors and windows still close easily and water isn't leaking in, you might be able to get away with just mudjacking the driveway. But if your inspector told you it's the house, it probably is. Is he recommending putting piles underneath and raising the house again? I think that would be a lot more than $25k.
Both houses I've owned were full of cracks from settling. There is a big brick planter on my front porch that was practically split in two. But I patched it all up 14 years ago and the cracks haven't even opened back up yet. When it gets really hot in the summer, I sometimes have trouble opening and closing my front door though. I have to pull out the sander and make the door a little smaller every year.

Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on March 12, 2019, 04:47:37 pm
Sounds like the house settled, which wouldn't be such a big deal I don't think, but having the driveway directing all the water back to the house in a rainstorm would be a problem. Maybe it's just the driveway that sunk? If the doors and windows still close easily and water isn't leaking in, you might be able to get away with just mudjacking the driveway. But if your inspector told you it's the house, it probably is. Is he recommending putting piles underneath and raising the house again? I think that would be a lot more than $25k.

We passed on it.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on March 24, 2019, 06:12:13 pm
Too much going on.... lost a house, got a house... a million different things flying around... renovations ?  yes but when ? corporate tax and income tax .... baby thriving ... wife is postpartem ... that was a long winter   :-\
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on March 24, 2019, 10:14:40 pm
We passed on it.

Good, you don't want a house with water problems. Been there.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on March 24, 2019, 10:15:19 pm
Too much going on.... lost a house, got a house... a million different things flying around... renovations ?  yes but when ? corporate tax and income tax .... baby thriving ... wife is postpartem ... that was a long winter   :-\

Hang in there, you will survive.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on March 24, 2019, 11:00:08 pm
wife is postpartem

  :(  I hope she is doing better. I don't know much about it, but I have heard that can be pretty serious.  I am glad she has you for support.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on March 25, 2019, 04:45:44 am
Good, you don't want a house with water problems. Been there.

Yeah the new one just has some bad roof shingles.  I am 100% sure we are in for a real estate crash but if she can hold her value 5 years we'll move.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on March 25, 2019, 04:46:09 am
Hang in there, you will survive.

Thanks.  I appreciate it.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on March 25, 2019, 04:47:20 am
  :(  I hope she is doing better. I don't know much about it, but I have heard that can be pretty serious.  I am glad she has you for support.

 -k

She just gets very weepy ... also she's coming off some drugs that have depression as a withdrawal symptom.  There's nothing I can do for her but be there so I'm trying to stay offline more, except maybe here... in the morning when they're asleep.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on March 26, 2019, 06:17:10 am
Took baby to a bar last night... a birthday party for one of the old burners... lots of smiles and he really seemed to like the place.  And why not ?  Not too noisy, no smoke... It was really lovely to see people who are "baby people" melting with our little cutie.  Headed home by 8 pm...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on March 28, 2019, 01:39:20 pm
I'm touring Europe with the family for the first time ever. Did 4 days in London and then took the train to Amsterdam this morning. Just got back from the Anne Frank house and sitting on the balcony of a delightful b&b. I'm exhausted from walking and figure I'll take a canal tour and rent bikes tomorrow.  My feet are sore.
Then it's on to Paris. I've never gotten around to coming here before but London was awesome. I should have moved there years ago.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on March 28, 2019, 08:15:02 pm
Wow - great for you.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on March 28, 2019, 09:42:06 pm
I'm touring the Far north for a few days.  Europe sounds more fun and warmer.  Supposed to be -11 tonight.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on March 28, 2019, 09:48:58 pm
I'm touring the Far north for a few days.  Europe sounds more fun and warmer.  Supposed to be -11 tonight.

How far north if I may ask?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on March 28, 2019, 10:13:04 pm
How far north if I may ask?

Yellowknife.

Ok...  Not quite the FAR north... 

Not the nicest town, but there's some history here.  Visiting friends....   Taking photos.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on March 28, 2019, 10:19:14 pm
Yellowknife.

Ok...  Not quite the FAR north... 

Not the nicest town, but there's some history here.  Visiting friends....   Taking photos.

Been there a number of times myself. Are you gonna try a little gold panning? Safe journey.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on March 28, 2019, 10:38:17 pm
Been there a number of times myself. Are you gonna try a little gold panning? Safe journey.

Haven't tried goldpanning.   Where does one do this?

Logjohn Jamboree is happening up here.  Always something going on!
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on March 28, 2019, 10:45:59 pm
Haven't tried goldpanning.   Where does one do this?

Logjohn Jamboree is happening up here.  Always something going on!

Maybe they have dug all the gold up by now. I haven't been there for that Jamboree but I did arrive my first visit to Whitehorse the very first day of the Sourdough Rendezvous. Now that was fun. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on March 31, 2019, 06:24:41 pm
I will be getting a new boss soon, as Production Chief Pete is retiring.  I had been wondering if I might be taking over Pete's job, but I won't be, which is kind of a relief because there's a lot of stuff that I don't know.  The new guy will be an outsider.

I have been working with Engineer Ed a lot recently.  Ed's time is extremely valuable.  Good Boss Greg is the brains behind most of our products, but Ed is the detail man... he turns Greg's ideas into real products.  So when the two of them get to work on projects together, it adds lots of value to the company.  Me, on the other hand, mere pennies, really.  So to help free up Ed to do more things I've taken on some of his more menial tasks.  It's quite exciting, because even though I'm not one of the smart people, at least I get to work with them.

The Minions have not needed a lot of beating on lately.  Alpha Minion still wanders into my cubicle emanating a billowing cloud of toxic cigarette smoke just about every day. Beta Minion still has to be yelled at for daydreaming once in a while, and she seems to be developing a bit of a nose picking problem. I'm not sure if I should interfere in that... it's her nose. It's her finger. I don't know if I should say anything. Milton Minion has been more conversant lately, and seems to have recovered from the trauma of the nipples incident. His grooming has even improved.

Now that spring has arrived I have started jogging and biking again.  The jogging is not going well... after a winter of inactivity my lungs are really struggling.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on April 10, 2019, 05:48:53 am
Just had a friend over... and we realized the last time we saw each other was a big show we did 2 years ago... drinking and smoking cigarettes afterwards until 3 am...

Now he's been diagnosed with heart condition and us diagnosed with a baby :D we had a no-salt dinner, no booze, no cigarettes.  Things change pretty quickly.   2 years isn't "quick" but for a change like this it is.

I can actually feel myself getting boring.  I feel fulfilled and contented but I have empathy for a whole different approach to life now - slower and more careful. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on April 10, 2019, 01:11:35 pm
NO BOOZE!
 
There's no salt in booze.
Are you just being sympathetic because Mrs. Mike is breast feeding?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on April 10, 2019, 01:45:05 pm
I generally feel bad, yes.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Granny on April 10, 2019, 04:22:07 pm
I'm glad to report that at least some of the bulbs I planted last fall seem to have survived the squirrels and are peeking out of the ground. Whew!
That'll keep me contented for years.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on April 13, 2019, 02:52:47 am
Congratulations on your budding garden!

I don't have a garden, but I do have a potted plant that somehow hasn't died yet.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on April 13, 2019, 03:56:18 am
This week I noticed a high-pitched whining sound around the office, and I thought something might be wrong, but it turned out it was just Ted Technician back from vacation.  It was so relaxing while he was away.

Production Chief Pete's replacement quit before he even started, so we're kind of in a jam.  We've got another guy lined up, but Pete is leaving soon and the new guy won't be here in time to train with him.

Spending more time working with Engineer Ed has been interesting.  He is giving me bite-sized tasks that I can do for him while he works on other things. I have noticed that he has some sort of quality that makes people want to suck up to him. I'm not sure exactly what it is, but people just seem to want to make him happy. I am not exactly sure why. My own Minions seem to suck up to him more than they suck up to me, which sort of annoys me.  I think part of it is that they're used to me complaining about them, whereas if Ed comes to the Minion Cage to talk to them in person it means they've **** up big time and they feel they're in trouble.  Pete and I have drilled into their tiny brains that wasting Ed's time by screwing up is a bad thing.  Also it could be that like me they suspect that beneath Ed's calm exterior is an axe-murderer who could snap, and they don't want to be the first dismembered corpse in his freezer. (although I suspect that honor is reserved for Ted.)  But there's more.  They seem to want his approval. They seem to want to score brownie-points with him.  Alpha Minion will go to him with a check-list of things that he doesn't really need to check over. Beta Minion will go to him to ask the dumbest questions, sometimes about stuff like the coffee machine making weird sounds. Why does she need to ask him about the coffee machine making weird sounds?  I don't get it. He's okay with people, but not in a way that ought to make the Minions want to suck up to him.  I feel somewhat agitated about this. They're my Minions, they should be sucking up to me.


I met the most fascinating woman last night at the bar.  She works at some sort of a web thing. I asked what she did there, and she sort of low-key mentioned that she's the CEO. I cyber-stalked her when I got home and discovered she's also a published photographer. She's heterosexual... she mentioned her boyfriend several times while we were chatting. When people do that it sometimes makes me feel self-conscious... like, did she mention that specifically to let me know that she's not into me? If she did, why did she feel she had to? Did I give the impression that I was into her?  I totally was, but I wasn't trying to pick her up.  I still feel all tingly from talking with her, even 24 hours later.



 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on April 13, 2019, 09:12:43 am
Life as s Kimmy continues.  Are you still seeing that last lady?

I am ramping up for moving to the new house...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on April 13, 2019, 01:14:14 pm
Hard to find properly grateful minions these days.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: ?Impact on April 13, 2019, 02:13:40 pm
They're my Minions, they should be sucking up to me.

Minion envy
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on April 17, 2019, 11:08:00 pm
Minion envy

More than ever.  I have been usurped. Dethroned.  Deposed.  There has been a Minion uprising, and Alpha Minion has claimed my kingdom. She is now the Minion Queen.  I am left with nothing. Stripped of my territories, exiled to the cramped confines of my own cubicle.

This coup d'etat was part of the ongoing shuffling of the production department, as Production Chief Pete prepares for retirement. Pete's replacement is now on site and training, and it was decided that promoting Alpha Minion to a supervisory position would be one of the things we do to divide up the workload that Pete leaves behind.  Shuffling me out of that role seems counter-intuitive, but it was felt that giving Alpha a more supervisory role and dividing Pete's work between her and Replacement Pete would be the best way to go. 

As for me I move into a role that's more closely aligned with Good Boss Greg and Engineer Ed.  We produce massive amounts of documentation, processes, procedures, reports, and that sort of thing.  I'm going to be assisting the smart-people with that so that they have more time to work on smart-people things.  Everything is very tightly controlled and even small changes need to be tracked through a quality process so that's going to be something I am doing from now on.  I'll still be producing document packages for the Minions' production work, but I won't be involved in their day to day shenanigans anymore.   Even though I won't be commanding Minions anymore, this is actually a step up for me in the sense that they're giving me more challenging work to do.  They liked what I've been doing on that side of the operation, and have decided to have me do it full time. So having my Minions taken away from me is kind of a promotion.

And if I'm lucky, it means I won't have to deal with Alpha's toxic aura of carcinogenic doom quite as often.  I will probably be dead at 45 from lung cancer caused by her second-hand smoke, while she lives to 102.


(https://i.imgur.com/wlfLnKV.jpg)
Pictured: Alpha Minion (center) with Milton Minion (left) and Beta Minion (right).


 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on April 17, 2019, 11:09:53 pm
Life as s Kimmy continues.  Are you still seeing that last lady?

Yes, although I'm not sure there's a future in it.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on April 18, 2019, 06:38:11 am
Hmmm.... the work change doesn't sound too bad to me.

Oddly, I am starting to realize that the situation I have been trying to get OUT of at work may be better than the one I'm trying to get in to.  This comes after talking to the managers about how confused and demoralizing their leadership is.

Even though my client (let's call her Mindy Chang) is a task master and is not interested in new ways of managing, in general, she does listen to me.  And she really wants me to stay so I have been sneaking in said "new ways" and they're working.  (Side note - Mindy has an adorable accent and is 6 feet tall.  I have two 6 feet tall Asian women in my life.  I pride myself on valuing them as professionals even as I quiver inside).

So I had to tell Mindy that I am taking 6 weeks paid leave this summer to be with Joan and baby and since it's between our deliverables she didn't bat an eye.  I think the only think I need to do is get a $20K raise and I'm in my dream job.  I might be able to get $10K.

-------------

On the home front, I got Joan to drive me to work the other day because the subway was down then suggested she just drop in to the doctor's office that's right near my work.  She's been depressed lately, and it's getting bad :( Our doctor phoned me a little white later saying that Joan has severe postpartem and we have to take it seriously. :(

So it's day by day ... but we're also moving next week so it's not a great time no sir.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on April 18, 2019, 07:42:34 pm
Hmmm.... the work change doesn't sound too bad to me.

Oddly, I am starting to realize that the situation I have been trying to get OUT of at work may be better than the one I'm trying to get in to.  This comes after talking to the managers about how confused and demoralizing their leadership is.

Even though my client (let's call her Mindy Chang) is a task master and is not interested in new ways of managing, in general, she does listen to me.  And she really wants me to stay so I have been sneaking in said "new ways" and they're working.  (Side note - Mindy has an adorable accent and is 6 feet tall.  I have two 6 feet tall Asian women in my life.  I pride myself on valuing them as professionals even as I quiver inside).

So I had to tell Mindy that I am taking 6 weeks paid leave this summer to be with Joan and baby and since it's between our deliverables she didn't bat an eye.  I think the only think I need to do is get a $20K raise and I'm in my dream job.  I might be able to get $10K.

-------------

On the home front, I got Joan to drive me to work the other day because the subway was down then suggested she just drop in to the doctor's office that's right near my work.  She's been depressed lately, and it's getting bad :( Our doctor phoned me a little white later saying that Joan has severe postpartem and we have to take it seriously. :(

So it's day by day ... but we're also moving next week so it's not a great time no sir.

Sounds like you have a lot on your plate, look after each other and you will survive. Years ago I got home from a trip at 7 AM to find that my wife was in hospital having twins by caesarean, our dog had been poisoned and we were moving into a new home that day after moving back from YYZ. We just celebrated our 50th anniversary last month.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on April 19, 2019, 05:14:14 am
Hmmm.... the work change doesn't sound too bad to me.

It's pretty good. And yet being moved out of a supervisory position kind of feels like a demotion, since I don't have anybody reporting to me anymore. I've moved from the top of the Minion totem pole and am now at the bottom of the Smart-People totem pole. It's a better totem pole, but I've gone from the top to the bottom and while I like this work better it still sort of feels like a loss of status.  But it's a good move for me, and I feel like it's recognition that I can do a lot more than they anticipated when they hired me.   I also have to learn a lot.  I need to learn about quality process and regulatory stuff. 

Oddly, I am starting to realize that the situation I have been trying to get OUT of at work may be better than the one I'm trying to get in to.  This comes after talking to the managers about how confused and demoralizing their leadership is.

Even though my client (let's call her Mindy Chang) is a task master and is not interested in new ways of managing, in general, she does listen to me.  And she really wants me to stay so I have been sneaking in said "new ways" and they're working. 

Yay!  That sounds positive.

(Side note - Mindy has an adorable accent and is 6 feet tall.  I have two 6 feet tall Asian women in my life.  I pride myself on valuing them as professionals even as I quiver inside).

Mikaru!

So I had to tell Mindy that I am taking 6 weeks paid leave this summer to be with Joan and baby and since it's between our deliverables she didn't bat an eye.  I think the only think I need to do is get a $20K raise and I'm in my dream job.  I might be able to get $10K.

-------------

On the home front, I got Joan to drive me to work the other day because the subway was down then suggested she just drop in to the doctor's office that's right near my work.  She's been depressed lately, and it's getting bad :( Our doctor phoned me a little white later saying that Joan has severe postpartem and we have to take it seriously. :(

So it's day by day ... but we're also moving next week so it's not a great time no sir.

This is heartbreaking to hear.  I hope things improve. On the bright side at least you and she are both on top of it, and understanding what you're up against and being able to reach out for help is a big part of the fight.   I think I've mentioned that I've struggled with depression at times in my life, and not knowing what was wrong and not knowing how to get help was probably the hardest part.  I'm very sorry that you and she are going through this.


 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on April 19, 2019, 07:24:58 am
It's pretty good. And yet being moved out of a supervisory position kind of feels like a demotion, since I don't have anybody reporting to me anymore. I've moved from the top of the Minion totem pole and am now at the bottom of the Smart-People totem pole. It's a better totem pole, but I've gone from the top to the bottom and while I like this work better it still sort of feels like a loss of status.  But it's a good move for me, and I feel like it's recognition that I can do a lot more than they anticipated when they hired me.   I also have to learn a lot.  I need to learn about quality process and regulatory stuff. 

I get it and have been there.  You can ask yourself "loss of status to whom ?".  Likely to people you don't care about right ?

The point is, they didn't want to lose you so they put you with the smarties.
 
Quote
This is heartbreaking to hear.  I hope things improve. On the bright side at least you and she are both on top of it, and understanding what you're up against and being able to reach out for help is a big part of the fight.   I think I've mentioned that I've struggled with depression at times in my life, and not knowing what was wrong and not knowing how to get help was probably the hardest part.  I'm very sorry that you and she are going through this.

Our doctor (we have the same doctor) asked me to come in with her and it seems she (the doctor) was trying to convey that Joan had related some seriously dark thoughts to her.  That hit hard, but I was also not surprised somehow.  So now we're on track to do something we never thought we would - have her on antidepressant medication.  There are alternatives but the medication takes so long to kick in (4 months) that we have to start it now in case other things don't work.

Oh, did I mention we're moving next week ?     :P
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: ?Impact on April 20, 2019, 02:18:58 pm
Years ago I got home from a trip at 7 AM to find that my wife was in hospital having twins by caesarean
...
We just celebrated our 50th anniversary last month.

I had to reread the first part, I thought you had said "A year ago..."
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on April 29, 2019, 06:21:20 am
Posting from my own home  :o
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on April 29, 2019, 08:23:23 am
Oh look! Carpenter ants!

Sorry. Just reliving when I first moved into my house with a little baby.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on April 29, 2019, 08:50:31 am
Oh look! Carpenter ants!

Sorry. Just reliving when I first moved into my house with a little baby.

Thanks 😊
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on April 29, 2019, 01:15:43 pm
I’m re-doing the back patio...   rolling on some grippy **** over the concrete.  Or will once I find the goddamn paint roller!  I know i have one.....    >:(
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: cybercoma on April 29, 2019, 03:38:46 pm
I’m re-doing the back patio...   rolling on some grippy **** over the concrete.  Or will once I find the goddamn paint roller!  I know i have one.....    >:(
Is this code for sex things?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on April 29, 2019, 03:44:00 pm
Is this code for sex things?

I don’t think so.....   but I did find my paint roller.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: JMT on April 29, 2019, 04:05:00 pm
So, there's this girl - she's crazy about me, and has been for months.  The problem is that she's 18.  That's a big age gap, and it's made me very hesitant, especially considering what happened with the girl who was my now 22 year old fiancee (funny story about that at the end).

A week ago, she was out drinking with some friends.  One of the girls got behind the wheel, intoxicated.  The were driving far too fast down a gravel road, and rolled end over end multiple times.  The girl (the one who really likes me) wasn't wearing a seat-belt, and was ejected from the vehicle.  She was airlifted to Winnipeg and wasn't expected to survive due to a traumatic brain injury.  Surprisingly, other than that and a fractured vertebrae, she had barely a scratch on her. 

She's recovered much faster than expected.  Within two days they were able to take her out of the protective coma.  They won't need to due surgery, as the brain bleed has mostly stopped on its own and they believe it will stop.  She knows people and facts and general dates, and is becoming more herself every day.  I went to see her yesterday.  She can't yet stay awake that long, but yesterday was the best that she's been.  I asked her at the beginning if she knew who I was - she said she did, but couldn't tell me my name.  I left for a bit and came back.  I asked if she figured out who I was yet.  She told me yeah, you're John Taylor, and that's why I'm nervous and shy.  The nurse in the ICU asked if I was her boyfriend - I told her that I was just a friend.  Then the girl said (not realizing it was me sitting there) that she had a boyfriend, but he didn't want her - she was referring to me, and my hesitance over this.  Assuming she's going to make a full recovery, or most of one, I'm torn on what to do at this point.  Her family really likes me.  She really likes me.  My own family is far more hesitant because of my last relationship.

Speaking of my ex - I don't speak to her anymore.  I haven't in months.  She got her sister to call me, and tell me how much she regretted what she did, and that she realized she needed me in her life.  It didn't take long to realize that nothing had changed or ever would.  Last week she had her mom message me for the same reason.  I'm not even responding to that anymore.  I went back on Prozac to help with my obsessive tendencies, and it's helped me to fully get over her.  Now that I don't want her though, she can't seem to leave me alone.  Eventually I hope that she will. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Pinus or Vid or...????? on April 29, 2019, 05:28:47 pm
If I were you, I would hook up with her.  We only live once after all.  Do you have a pic of her?

PS...I am moving to the interlake next month.  What is Waterhen like?  It would be two hours away from where I will be
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on April 29, 2019, 06:08:31 pm
I just got back from 4 days of teenage dance competitions in Regina. Drove straight through. It was kind of fun, kind of grueling. Now I guess I have to watch Game of Thrones.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on April 29, 2019, 06:13:20 pm
JMT - take it slow.  No need to rush things....   and girls with multiple injuries stuck in hospital beds probably shouldn’t be dating anyone.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Pinus or Vid or...????? on April 29, 2019, 08:49:18 pm
JMT - take it slow.  No need to rush things....   and girls with multiple injuries stuck in hospital beds probably shouldn’t be dating anyone.

Can I call you "Skippy?"
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: JMT on April 30, 2019, 12:48:03 am
JMT - take it slow.  No need to rush things....   and girls with multiple injuries stuck in hospital beds probably shouldn’t be dating anyone.

I wasn't planning to date her right this minute.  It's just that it's changed my perspective on things. I don't believe in fate or anything like that and I know I could find someone else, but sometimes maybe things do happen the way they do for a reason...maybe that's just dumb.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on April 30, 2019, 03:03:51 am
As warmer weather has arrived in Kim City, Milton Minion has taken to wearing shorts to work.  :'(

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on April 30, 2019, 05:18:03 am
Mindy Chang (my client kinda boss) texted me last night asking me to 'give her lunch'

Her english isn't the best but there are several ways to take that and eventually I figured out she wanted me to give her a REPORT by lunch.  Tense moments.  Work is still easy and we hit our first of two production milestones.  This agile stuff is working out in that the team is figuring out when they need to speak up and get me involved in problems and when they should fix 'em.

This is maybe my easiest job ever, which is damn great timing as personal front needs a lot of attention.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on April 30, 2019, 05:18:21 am
As warmer weather has arrived in Kim City, Milton Minion has taken to wearing shorts to work.  :'(

 -k

Bad visual.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Goddess on April 30, 2019, 10:27:24 am
As warmer weather has arrived in Kim City, Milton Minion has taken to wearing shorts to work.  :'(

 -k

It could be worse:
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: cybercoma on April 30, 2019, 10:41:27 am
So, there's this girl - she's crazy about me, and has been for months.  The problem is that she's 18.  That's a big age gap, and it's made me very hesitant, especially considering what happened with the girl who was my now 22 year old fiancee (funny story about that at the end)....
You know, just let things play out as they will. If you really like her, she really likes you, and her family really likes you....then just go with the flow. She sounds like she knows what she wants and is crazy about you. That's a hell of a lot more than i got from the stories of the other situation. Unless you really don't think you two are compatible.

You know what I think you should do? When she has recovered, you should literally talk to HER about this instead of us. Tell her exactly what you think of her and be completely open about your reservations and why you think you have them. How she handles that, I think, will answer a lot of questions for you.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: cybercoma on April 30, 2019, 10:43:36 am
Mindy Chang (my client kinda boss) texted me last night asking me to 'give her lunch'
If the next installment of kimmy's story doesn't have you moonlighting as a Skip the Dishes driver delivering a pizza with EXTRA sausage to a woman who barely speaks English, I will be disappointed.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on April 30, 2019, 01:24:03 pm
Things I have learned the past 2 days:

Don’t wear your best Crocs when painting patios....  And your feet are going to have the same pattern as the holes in your crocs with textured stone-chip paint. 

Why does it take 34 trips to the hardware store?  Why can’t I just buy multiple brushes and rollers in the same trip? 

A bandana is important...  looks sexy too...   think Rambo...  but less ripped...  the sexiness is gone when you have paint all over your sweat pants though.  That’s all she sees when she comes home...  not the sexy bandana.... 

Cats who like to be by your side when you do stuff outside....  Before a project like this, shoot them.

You’ll get some dirt and debris on the patio while you’re painting it...   paint over that ****...  it’ll add nice texture. 

Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on April 30, 2019, 03:54:29 pm
You have enough pairs of Crocs to have "best" Crocs?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: ?Impact on April 30, 2019, 03:59:56 pm
You have enough pairs of Crocs to have "best" Crocs?

I have Crocs with holes in the sole, but I keep them for use around the house & garden.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on April 30, 2019, 04:21:12 pm
Mostly, I’m a lesson for everyone to have this stuff done by a professional...   don’t be so cheap!
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: ?Impact on April 30, 2019, 04:22:54 pm
Mostly, I’m a lesson for everyone to have this stuff done by a professional...   don’t be so cheap!

Unfortunately finding a competent professional is a problem, money does not guarantee that.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on April 30, 2019, 04:26:50 pm
Unfortunately finding a competent professional is a problem, money does not guarantee that.

Very true!   Luckily, this is a very minor project...  Concrete slab patio is really basic.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on April 30, 2019, 06:22:57 pm
If the next installment of kimmy's story doesn't have you moonlighting as a Skip the Dishes driver delivering a pizza with EXTRA sausage to a woman who barely speaks English, I will be disappointed.

I am getting a vibe from Mindy.

1/10
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: ?Impact on April 30, 2019, 06:43:36 pm
Very true!   Luckily, this is a very minor project...  Concrete slab patio is really basic.

Never underestimate the ability of a contractor to f*ck up. A repaved driveway is really basic, yet my garage flooded afterwards.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on May 03, 2019, 06:04:14 am
We are in the new home and gradually getting out of boxes.

New system of labelling rooms

Version 1 - Room is stacked up with labelled boxes but room is not functional
Version 2 - Room is VERY basically functional (eg. living room has internet & TV plugged in, kitchen has access to sink and fridge between boxes etc.)
Version 3 - Room is functional but there are visible boxes and signs of moving everywhere
Version 4 - Room has no signs of moving; a stranger may think this is what the room looks like even if you know you will be rearranging it - SOON

Version 5 etc. are just rearrangements

We now have living room and kitchen and master bathroom in V4, baby bedroom and our bedroom in V3, spare room in V1 and basement in V2.  Best of all, the stressful parts of moving are done.  The crusty old landlord hasn't complained about the state of the old place, movers didn't lose anything or rip us off, no meltdowns.

Joan hasn't had a meltdown since last Saturday, so things are looking up.  In fact, we're going to take a break from taking care of ourselves to help another couple we know with a 1 year old - they're in bad shape as he was just laid off :(

Oh, and we've met neighbours.  Next door is a brown youngish tech guy and his wife.  Exactly my tribe.  Other side is old world Italian couple.  Also good.  And we met a 1-kid family but the kid is a teen.  Everybody seems thrilled we're not psychos and that we aren't going to renovate :D

So now we have to settle in to raising Easy, who is coming along nicely on his own, and getting into a routine.  Did I mention I'm taking 6 weeks off this summer ?  :D :D :D
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: ?Impact on May 03, 2019, 10:17:59 am
Everybody seems thrilled we're not psychos

You put on a good first impression
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on May 03, 2019, 02:31:48 pm
Never underestimate the ability of a contractor to f*ck up. A repaved driveway is really basic, yet my garage flooded afterwards.

That really sucks. Are they going to do anything about it?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on May 11, 2019, 01:19:58 pm
I took my Pathfinder in to the dealership for a mandatory airbag replacement.  While they had it there, they did a Free 87 Point Inspection and identified about $2400 of service they thought should be done.  I thanked them, took their list to my own mechanic, and asked them to look it over.   They did their own inspection, and of the $2400 of work the dealership wanted to do for me, they recommended exactly $0 of it.  I am very happy to have a mechanic that I trust.



Work has been very busy.  Production Chief Pete is officially retired now, but still comes in to work most days to train the people brought in to replace him.   He did so much different stuff that his job has been broken into 3 separate functions, with 2 new people. As I mentioned before I have been dethroned and exiled from the production group by Alpha Minion who has taken over as supervisor of the minions. We also hired an MRP guy and a lady who will do inventory and shipping/receiving. I find this lady incredibly grating. The day of her interview she came in wearing incredibly loud perfume that smelled like bubble-gum and everybody complained after she left. She got the job anyway but was apparently warned about the perfume because that has stopped.  She's a middle-aged woman who still wears jeans with embroidered back pockets. Yesterday she had on a blouse that had Harley Davidson embroidery all over it. She drives a truck with an energy drink logo sticker and a "straight outta Craptown" sticker on the back window.  (Craptown: the dodgy suburb on the east end of Kim City, full of grow-ops, wanna-be gangsters, real gangsters, and so on.)   She talks in this breathy voice that makes me think of a low-rent parody of a Marilyn Monroe character.  When she gets a text message, her phone announces in a very loud voice, "YOU GOT A MESSAGE FROM... MARK!"   She interrupts meetings without the slightest big of self awareness.

Greg, Ed, Tom: *discussing important big brain stuff.*
Brenda: "HI TOM I JUST NEED TO CHECK WITH YOU AND MAKE SURE I HAVE THE PACKAGING INSTRUCTIONS RIGHT THIS IS REALLY CONFUSING YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?"
Tom: *goes to assist, returns a few minutes later.*
Greg, Ed, Tom: *back to discussing important big brain stuff.*
Brenda: "HI TOM CAN YOU HELP ME WITH THE SHIPPING? THE FED-EX WEBSITE IS JUST SO CONFUSING YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?"

Perhaps once she is trained and used to how everything is supposed to work she won't need constant supervision, but I just have a feeling that her personality type is the sort of person who will continue to constantly interrupt everything. She just seems like the kind of person who thinks that whatever she's working on at that moment is the most important thing in the whole company, with no awareness that everybody else is working on things as well. Perhaps I am being overly judgmental and overly pessimistic, and perhaps this negativity is because she is pretty much my polar opposite in terms of personality. But I find her even more irritating than Old Economy Steve, and that's pretty irritating.  With all the changes going on at work, I am glad to have been shifted into this role where I spend most of my time doing work for Greg and Ed, because I feel more comfortable with them than I feel with the new and growing crowd in the production side.


Summer weather has arrived and I'm super happy about that. I am doing lots of outdoor stuff now.  Things with my special girl are going ok.


 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on May 11, 2019, 06:03:09 pm
Quote
She got the job anyway...

Sounds like poor hiring practices by whomever did the hiring.   Was she the only applicant? 

Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on May 11, 2019, 08:03:02 pm
FULL EMPLOYMENT
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on May 11, 2019, 08:31:49 pm
FULL EMPLOYMENT

Good point...  the unemployment rate in Kelowna is extremely low. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on May 12, 2019, 03:32:31 pm
Sounds like poor hiring practices by whomever did the hiring.   Was she the only applicant?

There were two other applicants. I don't know that she's a bad hire. Maybe she's got a great resume and lots of experience. All I really know is that I find her grating.

She might not annoy others as much as she annoys me. I'm more sensitive than most people. Stuff does get under my skin, partly for reasons relating to my anxiety issues.  I'm not 100% neurotypical,  I just have to cope as best I can.

But it still annoys me seeing her blunder into meetings without considering that she's wasting other peoples' time, and stuff like that.

And also I think that if you're 50+ and you're still driving around with an energy drink logo on your vehicle, you need to make some changes.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on May 12, 2019, 03:42:38 pm

1. But it still annoys me seeing her blunder into meetings without considering that she's wasting other peoples' time, and stuff like that.

2. And also I think that if you're 50+ and you're still driving around with an energy drink logo on your vehicle, you need to make some changes.
 
1. That's a red flag for me.  People who don't know the basics of office mechanics by that age are no-go.  We hire young people and some of the gals engage in that kind of 'club talk' ... saying things like 'girl' and so on ... it's fine but it's not corporate and eventually they seem to drop it.  You can be good at your job and rough around the edges but by 50 you're not really supposed to have 'potential'

2. I should get one of those.  My new drug is Monster Energy Drink No Sugar.  I drink one at 6 pm to get me to bedtime at 10 pm... :D
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on May 13, 2019, 06:10:50 am
New Holiday -> Mother's Day.

We had another family with kids visiting us.  The other dad and I went to McD's to get breakfast on Sunday.  "You'll learn to HATE mother's day" he said...  :D :D :D

Joan uncharacteristically laid out a set of demands Saturday evening: she did not want to tend to Junior or do ANY housework or anything on Sunday.  It turned out to be an easy enough day.  ( No small thanks to the first dishwasher either of us have ever owned. )  I even got a nap in !

Happy Mothers Day everybody.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on May 13, 2019, 07:48:52 am
I spent the weekend at a competitive teen dance competition. No, I am not a creep. I have a competitive teen dancer whom I spend well over $10k a year on, keeping her in dance shoes and costumes and classes and choreography and competition fees and travel. At least she did well in her many events ( tap, jazz, ballet, hiphop, contemporary, lyrical) so I won't have to put up with sad teenager for the next week till competitions continue next weekend.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on May 18, 2019, 01:20:34 pm
1. That's a red flag for me.  People who don't know the basics of office mechanics by that age are no-go.  We hire young people and some of the gals engage in that kind of 'club talk' ... saying things like 'girl' and so on ... it's fine but it's not corporate and eventually they seem to drop it.  You can be good at your job and rough around the edges but by 50 you're not really supposed to have 'potential'

I feel quite bad about this, because I know that at least some of my antipathy toward this person is based on prejudice. Her style of dress and the way she acts all just scream "trashy" to me, and bring out all sorts of negative feelings associated with that stereotype.

That said, she REALLY IS dumb. Yesterday lost of people took the day off and I ended up having to provide Brenda with all kinds of help, and most of it was help with stuff that anybody with an ounce of brains should have been able to figure out on their own.

"These aren't shipping documents. Fed Ex doesn't need these."
"Well they came out of the printer along with the other Fed Ex documents."
"These are Ed's test reports. They don't have anything to do with shipping."
"So Fed Ex doesn't need those?"
"No. Just the packing list and the pages that say Fed Ex on them."
"Ohhhhh.... those are for Ed?"
"Yes, those are for Ed. These are for the shipment."
"ohhhhh."
"..."
".... Should I give these to Ed?"
"Sure, why don't you go ahead and do that."
"Alright, I'll go do that..."
"..."
"HEY ED HERE ARE YOUR PRINT-OUTS HAHA I ALMOST SHIPPED THEM TO AUSTRALIA BY MISTAKE HAHA THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN PRETTY FUNNY HAHA"

She's just soooooo   ...   




2. I should get one of those.  My new drug is Monster Energy Drink No Sugar.  I drink one at 6 pm to get me to bedtime at 10 pm... :D

Remember, the first step is admitting you have a problem.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on May 18, 2019, 02:19:15 pm


Remember, the first step is admitting you have a problem.
 

I can't stay awake...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on May 18, 2019, 05:47:26 pm
Quote
That said, she REALLY IS dumb.

Why did they hire her?   The boss must have been equally dumb.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on May 18, 2019, 05:53:09 pm
Why did they hire her?   The boss must have been equally dumb.

Labour shortage happening NOW....  :P
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Granny on May 23, 2019, 07:50:57 am
I can't stay awake...
Maybe you need the sugar. Lol
Or, like most new parents, you just need more sleep.
Good luck with that.
 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on May 23, 2019, 08:00:36 am
Maybe you need the sugar. Lol
Or, like most new parents, you just need more sleep.
Good luck with that.
. Slept from 830 pm to 530 am Tuesday night 😀
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Granny on May 23, 2019, 08:06:06 am
. Slept from 830 pm to 530 am Tuesday night 😀
Wow!
Lol
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on May 26, 2019, 08:08:30 pm



Remember, the first step is admitting you have a problem.
 

I saw my exact vehicle driving in my neighbourhood today - a white Dodge Caravan - with a Monster Energy sticker.  Thought of you.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: JMT on May 29, 2019, 01:03:08 pm
I can honestly say that my personal life sucks.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Pinus or Vid or...????? on May 29, 2019, 01:57:59 pm
I can honestly say that my personal life sucks.

Join the club. :(
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on May 29, 2019, 10:12:26 pm
Things haven't been going very well for my special girl at her job the past few months. Business was slow, so she had to reduce their hours and lay off some employees and remove some menu items, which resulted in business being even slower.  But with summer weather here, they've let her expand the hours again, and she has a new menu, and she's been creating new signage and decorations and stuff.  She's bursting with excitement and optimism.  She's the happiest I've seen her in months, back to her usual vivacious self... it reminds me why I fell for her in the first place.  I hope it works out... she'll be so disappointed if business doesn't improve.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: JMT on May 29, 2019, 10:23:39 pm
Join the club. :(

I got back together with my ex...so far it hasn’t made me feel better.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Pinus or Vid or...????? on May 29, 2019, 10:30:06 pm
I got back together with my ex...so far it hasn’t made me feel better.

Maybe try Plenty of Fish?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on May 29, 2019, 11:45:30 pm
Mikaru! Give Lunch!

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on May 29, 2019, 11:53:51 pm
Maybe try Plenty of Fish?

If you want to date nice ladies and actually go on dates, try Bumble.  If you prefer slutty looking women, try Tinder.  If you like wasting your time, try Plenty of Fish.  If you prefer homoerotic butt-sex, try Grindr.  If you don't like getting laid, post on Canadian Political events 50x per day.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on May 30, 2019, 05:52:32 am
Things haven't been going very well for my special girl at her job the past few months. Business was slow, so she had to reduce their hours and lay off some employees and remove some menu items, which resulted in business being even slower.  But with summer weather here, they've let her expand the hours again, and she has a new menu, and she's been creating new signage and decorations and stuff.  She's bursting with excitement and optimism.  She's the happiest I've seen her in months, back to her usual vivacious self... it reminds me why I fell for her in the first place.  I hope it works out... she'll be so disappointed if business doesn't improve.

 -k

DUDE.  You are in a relationship.  You are holding her up ... you care. :) I hope it works out.

I have been carrying Joan for months now.  She's on medication for post-partem and her old self is coming back which means I have to deal with home fix-ups and re-arrangements instead of weepy bleakness.  I will take it.  Easy is healthy and cute and my annual review came in (as a full timer, weird) and was of course stellar.  Can't keep an old guy down.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on May 30, 2019, 07:03:51 am
The son of a woman my wife works with recently used Plenty of Fish to meet a girl. Unfortunately he then killed her in his basement.
Ah, Winnipeg. Don't ever change.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Pinus or Vid or...????? on May 30, 2019, 07:31:44 am
The son of a woman my wife works with recently used Plenty of Fish to meet a girl. Unfortunately he then killed her in his basement.
Ah, Winnipeg. Don't ever change.

Are you serious?  Was it in the news?

*edit I found it in the news. Apparently Christine Wood met the accused Brett Overby, in hopes of getting some drugs, and who knows what else.  He murdered her, and dumped her outside the city.

This is certainly not unique to Winnipeg. A few years back a man from Edmonton lured two men to his house garage, pretending to be a woman wanting sex. He murdered one of them and chopped up his body, and tried killing the second man, although he managed to escape and call police. Apparently, the man was obsessed with the TV show "Dexter."
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on May 30, 2019, 07:54:15 am
Apparently his mother is as nice a lady as you will ever meet.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: cybercoma on June 02, 2019, 08:47:16 am
I got back together with my ex...so far it hasn’t made me feel better.
You need some more self respect.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: JMT on June 02, 2019, 01:50:15 pm
You need some more self respect.

I broke up with her...she convinced me she had changed. I should have known better. People don’t.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Pinus or Vid or...????? on June 02, 2019, 07:11:24 pm
I broke up with her...she convinced me she had changed. I should have known better. People don’t.

Just do not be like me. I had a chance to be with a women I did not appreciate back in the day. Now that we reconnected after 20 years on Facebook, she is still everything I expected and more. Sadly she just moved to BC to see a man. Life seems unfair but play your cards right. Don't end up like me.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: JMT on June 03, 2019, 05:09:52 pm
Just do not be like me. I had a chance to be with a women I did not appreciate back in the day. Now that we reconnected after 20 years on Facebook, she is still everything I expected and more. Sadly she just moved to BC to see a man. Life seems unfair but play your cards right. Don't end up like me.

My ex is now addicted to **** and molly and stays up all night every night and sleeps every day.  Being beautiful and sweet at times doesn't make up for that.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on June 03, 2019, 08:04:18 pm
My ex is now addicted to **** and molly and stays up all night every night and sleeps every day.  Being beautiful and sweet at times doesn't make up for that.

This really sounds like someone you need to get far away from.  Maybe even move ?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: JMT on June 03, 2019, 10:26:33 pm
This really sounds like someone you need to get far away from.  Maybe even move ?

She lives 3 hours away from me.  Worse than that, to help her (I always try to 'save' her), I rescued her from her own stupid decisions in Edmonton.  She told me we would be together forever, and that she was just a stupid little girl who needed to learn.  Less than two weeks later, old habits were back.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on June 04, 2019, 05:58:41 am
She lives 3 hours away from me.  Worse than that, to help her (I always try to 'save' her), I rescued her from her own stupid decisions in Edmonton.  She told me we would be together forever, and that she was just a stupid little girl who needed to learn.  Less than two weeks later, old habits were back.

Yes, you need to get out of this.  Certain people fit into our lives really well and we're deceived to think that means they're good for us.  You can be with someone who is flawed but not fix 'damaged'.  She has to do that on her own.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Pinus or Vid or...????? on June 04, 2019, 07:25:26 am
Yes, you need to get out of this.  Certain people fit into our lives really well and we're deceived to think that means they're good for us.  You can be with someone who is flawed but not fix 'damaged'.  She has to do that on her own.

Send her to treatment. Ste Rose du Lac.has a treatment centre.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: cybercoma on June 04, 2019, 08:51:10 am
I broke up with her...she convinced me she had changed. I should have known better. People don’t.
Some people do change. This one didn't. Don't let this one make you cynical.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Pinus or Vid or...????? on June 04, 2019, 07:37:07 pm
The only problem here is that crazy women are insane in the bedroom.  I dated one for three years.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on June 06, 2019, 09:40:34 am
Happy Kim Day to everyone!  Do something fun to celebrate Kim Day!


On a more somber note, it is also the D-Day anniversary.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on June 06, 2019, 12:45:31 pm
Happy Kim Day to everyone!  Do something fun to celebrate Kim Day!


On a more somber note, it is also the D-Day anniversary.

 -k

First of all, happy Kim Day. Not sure what exactly that is but I wish you a happy one in any case.

Now to the more somber note. I would begin by saying that, while I am fully aware of just how lucky I am to live in this great country of Canada, I have never been what you might call a big flag waver. And then there is today. Having had the good fortune to have traveled through Europe, including France a number of times, and having been at the Vimy Memorial one time, I did discover a strong sense of patriotism, especially when I not only saw that monument, but also when I walked along local streets and saw Canadian flags displayed at local peoples houses, and nowhere near D-Day. France has not forgotten what happened on Juneau Beach, and the sacrifices Les Canadiennes made there. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: JMT on June 10, 2019, 11:16:55 am
My cat died at the vet today after spending 24 hours in respiratory distress.  I felt bad for leaving it that long.  As soon as they hooked her up to oxygen she died - probably finally able to relax.  It’s the outcome I expected when I looked up her condition anyway.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on June 10, 2019, 11:57:47 am
My cat died at the vet today aft t spending 24 hours in respiratory distress.  I felt bad for leaving it that long.  As soon as they hooked her up to oxygen she died - probably finally able to relax.  It’s the outcome I expected when I looked up her condition anyway.

I am sorry to hear that, and I know the feeling. I have an urn that sits on the mantle above my fireplace that holds the ashes of Archie, my old tabby. I watched him come into the world and enjoyed his company for 17 years. We do get attached to them for sure. Again my condolences.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on June 16, 2019, 07:19:42 am
My 1st Father's Day!
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Granny on June 16, 2019, 11:24:36 am
My 1st Father's Day!
Happy Fathers Day, MH!
Enjoy the moments.
😁
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on June 17, 2019, 05:54:06 pm
I am sorry to hear that, and I know the feeling. I have an urn that sits on the mantle above my fireplace that holds the ashes of Archie, my old tabby. I watched him come into the world and enjoyed his company for 17 years. We do get attached to them for sure. Again my condolences.

We still have the ashes of our last Lab. We keep saying we are going to spread them in a park where we used to take him but haven't got around to it.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on June 17, 2019, 06:06:45 pm
We still have the ashes of our last Lab. We keep saying we are going to spread them in a park where we used to take him but haven't got around to it.

I'm sure he'll be happy at home, or in the park if/when you take him there. Both familiar turf.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest7 on June 17, 2019, 09:30:34 pm
We still have the ashes of our last Lab. We keep saying we are going to spread them in a park where we used to take him but haven't got around to it.

In our house we have the ashes of two grandparents, an aunt, a Border Collie/English Sheepdog cross, an Australian Shepherd, and a cat.  We have no idea what to do with them, either.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on June 17, 2019, 10:16:32 pm
I was in Edmonton last week visiting my family.  Had a good talk with dad.  Managed to not punch mom's face in.  Visited with little brother.   Things are more normal now, I can see my family without drama or kung-fu happening.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on June 18, 2019, 05:59:30 am
Hoping its figurative Kung Fu.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on June 20, 2019, 08:57:20 pm
Hoping its figurative Kung Fu.

You're a sweet boy, Michael. Don't ever change.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on June 24, 2019, 03:54:36 am
My special girl was wondering why I don't do "kiss kissing". Meaning with lots of tongue.   So we spent about an hour doing that the other night. She thought it was wonderful.

I didn't want to tell her that I just don't like it.

I feel very strange about this. With all the other things I enjoy doing in bed, this is the thing that makes me uncomfortable. I don't get it. I find it slimy and gross and get no pleasure from it at all, and it even set off my gag reflex a couple of times the other night. I want to make her happy, and this seems important to her, but for me it's difficult.  I don't understand why everybody else seems to love this and I find it unpleasant.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on June 24, 2019, 05:28:51 am
I don't understand why everybody else seems to love this and I find it unpleasant.

 -k

There's no natural human drive to 'kiss'.  When I was young, it was exciting.  It's still a nice thing to do but... to do it for a long time ?

It's a gateway to other activities AFAIAC. 

I remember reading a survey of gay men and kissing and was surprised how many didn't want to kiss AT ALL.  ("I would rather suck *** **** than kiss him.")  But with people we care about we do things to make them happy. 

To pretend to be into it for a long time shows you are a giving person.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on June 25, 2019, 09:26:22 pm
Easy's got to learn to sleep through the night.  Stop cryin' little guy.   :(
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on June 27, 2019, 11:35:09 am
Easy's starting to sleep easy.  Starting to crawl though - uh oh.

I am in bliss, although our sex life alas has declined and I'm out of answers on that :(

And tomorrow is WFH then I'm on parental leave with Joan & E for almost 2 months :)

I can't complain (but sometimes I still do)
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on July 03, 2019, 03:54:41 am
My special girl's brother and his family were in town this weekend, and she wanted me to meet them.  This was kind of weird for me, because I've never really thought she was very serious about "us".  Now she's introducing me to her family and talking about us like we're a couple. I've had a feeling from day one that I was just something she was into until she met her next boyfriend, but lately I've been wondering if this is more "real" than I thought and that is both exciting and scary.

So, we spent a day with her brother and his wife and their kids, which was kind of okay. Her brother is super-chill and didn't seem fazed at all. The sister-in-law is a bad-ass eastern European who talks like Natasha from the Rocky and Bullwinkle show.  I enjoyed talking with them.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on July 03, 2019, 07:50:53 am
My special girl's brother and his family were in town this weekend, and she wanted me to meet them.  This was kind of weird for me, because I've never really thought she was very serious about "us".  Now she's introducing me to her family and talking about us like we're a couple. I've had a feeling from day one that I was just something she was into until she met her next boyfriend, but lately I've been wondering if this is more "real" than I thought and that is both exciting and scary.

So, we spent a day with her brother and his wife and their kids, which was kind of okay. Her brother is super-chill and didn't seem fazed at all. The sister-in-law is a bad-ass eastern European who talks like Natasha from the Rocky and Bullwinkle show.  I enjoyed talking with them.

 -k

Very dry post for you.  Maybe this is a reflection of your realization ?  How do you feel about long-term relationships ?  What's the longest you have been in/longest you can see yourself in ?

I'm Catholic so we mate for life.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on July 03, 2019, 03:37:16 pm
My house is being renovated....   6 weeks of living in a camper...   :'(
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on July 03, 2019, 04:24:54 pm
My house is being renovated....   6 weeks of living in a camper...   :'(

Hm ?  So... it's a vacation or ?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on July 04, 2019, 01:01:21 am
Hm ?  So... it's a vacation or ?

No...  it’s living in a tiny cramped quarters in my front yard while my house is renovated.  Not a vacation.  Still working. 

1st world problems...  yes. 

Still sucks.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: JMT on July 04, 2019, 02:10:29 am
So my ex asked me to marry her...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on July 04, 2019, 04:22:39 am
Very dry post for you.  Maybe this is a reflection of your realization ?  How do you feel about long-term relationships ?  What's the longest you have been in/longest you can see yourself in ?

I'm Catholic so we mate for life.

I was with my previous sweetie for about 5 years. And the one before that for also about 5 years. And my special guy for also about 5 years. (my relationships seem to have a predictable expiry date. hmm.)

Sometimes when I'm with her, I feel like things are good and I'd be okay if they stay like this.  Other times I find myself wondering if this is really what I want, or if I am "settling" or that sort of thing. And when I'm not with her I often find myself thinking about how much I miss Tanya or Karlene. And that leaves me wondering.  Maybe I'm just going through the motions. Maybe my heart isn't really in this.



 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on July 04, 2019, 04:23:12 am
So my ex asked me to marry her...

danger, Will Robinson! danger!


 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on July 04, 2019, 06:51:46 am
danger, Will Robinson! danger!
 -k

The problem with this format of toxic relationship is that the good parts are SO good that they can seem to outweigh the very very bad parts.  :( Stay away JMT.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on July 04, 2019, 10:36:39 am
Day 3 of living like a savage...   went out for supper at the pub.

looks like the holes and wiring for the pot lights are in. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: JMT on July 07, 2019, 05:09:05 pm
Well that didn't work out well.  She asked me to marry her, but we're not dating....uhh
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on July 07, 2019, 06:09:29 pm
Wow, you guys lead complicated lives. What do you want JMT?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on July 07, 2019, 06:11:24 pm
What rooms are you renovating Squid?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: JMT on July 07, 2019, 08:25:28 pm
Wow, you guys lead complicated lives. What do you want JMT?

I just want the life the I used to have.  I don't think it's coming back though.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on July 08, 2019, 02:48:50 am
What rooms are you renovating Squid?

Everything but the bedrooms and downstairs laundry room. 

Kitchen is completely gutted.  Will have new floors, ceilings , lighting...  moving fridge, new cabinets...  much more counter space....   living room - new floors, ceilings, lighting...   hallways - new floors, ceilings and lighting. 

It’ll be great when it’s done.  It’s a modest sized house....  so this will make a big difference, especially in the kitchen.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on July 08, 2019, 10:58:07 am
Everything but the bedrooms and downstairs laundry room. 

Kitchen is completely gutted.  Will have new floors, ceilings , lighting...  moving fridge, new cabinets...  much more counter space....   living room - new floors, ceilings, lighting...   hallways - new floors, ceilings and lighting. 

It’ll be great when it’s done.  It’s a modest sized house....  so this will make a big difference, especially in the kitchen.

Wow, You are going whole hog.  We had a kitchen and a  couple of bathrooms redone as well as a fireplace refaced a couple of years ago and that seemed like it took forever. 
Worth it though.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: ?Impact on July 08, 2019, 01:04:44 pm
Everything but the bedrooms and downstairs laundry room. 

R U doing it yerself, or have hired contractor. If latter, it will be interesting to hear your experiences after things are done.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Granny on July 08, 2019, 04:59:33 pm
I just want the life the I used to have.  I don't think it's coming back though.

With her?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on July 08, 2019, 06:09:05 pm
R U doing it yerself, or have hired contractor. If latter, it will be interesting to hear your experiences after things are done.

Latter.  Contractor.  The guy is good.  He's been around for years and I know a few people who had a variety of jobs done by this guy.  Not cheap though.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: cybercoma on July 10, 2019, 06:03:32 am
So my ex asked me to marry her...
Dude.....
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: cybercoma on July 10, 2019, 06:05:00 am
The problem with this format of toxic relationship is that the good parts are SO good that they can seem to outweigh the very very bad parts.  :( Stay away JMT.
The good parts SEEM so good because they’re put in relation to the bad part TA. The highs seem higher on a roller coaster that’s constantly dipping.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on July 11, 2019, 01:41:14 pm
Finally went to see Journey to Churchill at the Winnipeg zoo. Watching polar bears swim wrestle in the water, three feet away and on top of you is a very cool experience. And close eye contact with a predator that would gladly eat you is always fun.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on July 11, 2019, 01:55:11 pm
Did they play Don't Stop Believing at the last encore and did the bears stand up and block the view?

#rockconcertbearsbehavingbadly
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on July 11, 2019, 02:09:05 pm
Finally went to see Journey to Churchill at the Winnipeg zoo. Watching polar bears swim wrestle in the water, three feet away and on top of you is a very cool experience. And close eye contact with a predator that would gladly eat you is always fun.

Back in the day I was lucky enough to be hired to transport a couple of wildlife biologists to a huge Polar Bear denning ground a little way south east of Churchill MB. They would dart the mother and then crawl into the den to take a small blood sample from and observe the overhaul health of the cubs. They let me join them on a couple of these "home invasions" and what an interesting experience it was to have these lovely little playful creatures taking a break from snuggling up to mama to entertain visitors, and of course at the same time hoping that sedative keeps mom asleep. 

https://churchillscience.ca/about/the-churchill-area/polar-bears/



    "Arctic" is the Greek word for bear
    "Nanuk" is the Inuit word for polar bear
    Polar bear fur is white but their skin is black
    Polar bears have huge, webbed feet--their feet act as oars when swimming and as snowshoes when walking across thin ice
    Unlike black and brown bears, polar bears are not territorial

Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on July 11, 2019, 03:46:14 pm
I hate zoos...   keeping large mammals that have ranges of hundreds of kms couped up in cages (or "habitats") is cruel. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on July 11, 2019, 07:27:25 pm
I tend to agree. Some are worse than others though. Putting bald eagles in cages and never letting them fly is a pretty raw deal for them.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on July 12, 2019, 05:52:17 am
The good parts SEEM so good because they’re put in relation to the bad part TA. The highs seem higher on a roller coaster that’s constantly dipping.

Yes.  Roller coaster relationships suck.  This is often a sign that someone in the relationship is batshit crazy, or the dynamics between the 2 people just don't work.  For life, stability and being content is best, and not having to struggle all the time to be happy.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Goddess on July 18, 2019, 02:27:05 pm
So today at work was our first monthly Lunch & Learn, hosted by the Communications department (me  :)  ).  Our IT team taught us how to create sandboxes and restore client databases.  I bought pails & shovels and little beach toys for everyone to take home.  The presenter gets to choose lunch - pizza today.

It went great, and we all learned something.

I'm still calling IT when and if I ever need to do either of those things, tho. :D
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Goddess on July 18, 2019, 02:29:54 pm
Now there's a wicked ping pong game going on outside my office.

We also work here sometimes.  Haha
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on July 18, 2019, 04:50:00 pm
So today at work was our first monthly Lunch & Learn, hosted by the Communications department (me  :)  ).  Our IT team taught us how to create sandboxes and restore client databases.  I bought pails & shovels and little beach toys for everyone to take home.  The presenter gets to choose lunch - pizza today.

It went great, and we all learned something.

I'm still calling IT when and if I ever need to do either of those things, tho. :D

There's nothing more important than having a healthy and fun work environment so you can enjoy going to work.  I'm glad things went well you and everyone had fun!
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on July 18, 2019, 06:50:47 pm
People first, metrics second.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on August 06, 2019, 07:04:34 am
Took Easy to his first burningman event.  Our camp had 3 babies, and Easy was the youngest... also a bunch of elementary school kids.

3 nights camping... overall it was blissful but also the usual parenting stuff... screaming at 4 am in the tent, poo explosions at random times....

 :)

As much as I love this it does exhaust me.  And I don't think it would be a good idea to have a 2nd kid, realistically.  :(
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: cybercoma on August 06, 2019, 10:16:18 am
People first, metrics second.
This is something that I try to get across to students constantly. When you're looking at a spreadsheet of data, it's easy to lose sight of the fact that what you're looking at are real people with real lives and all of the complexity that comes along with that. I really try to get across that it's important not to dehumanize people through data.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on August 06, 2019, 11:32:39 am
This is something that I try to get across to students constantly. When you're looking at a spreadsheet of data, it's easy to lose sight of the fact that what you're looking at are real people with real lives and all of the complexity that comes along with that. I really try to get across that it's important not to dehumanize people through data.

Yep.  The flip side, though, is that people can focus too much on the social and humanized aspect of any endeavour and it's actually easy for it to lose sight of what its supposed to be achieving.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Granny on August 06, 2019, 05:41:02 pm
Took Easy to his first burningman event.  Our camp had 3 babies, and Easy was the youngest... also a bunch of elementary school kids.

3 nights camping... overall it was blissful but also the usual parenting stuff... screaming at 4 am in the tent, poo explosions at random times....

 :)

As much as I love this it does exhaust me.  And I don't think it would be a good idea to have a 2nd kid, realistically.  :(
Let me just put in one word here for siblings: Ok, maybe a few words.
Siblings squabble, and you have to deal with that, but they squabble with each other. Lone children squabble with their parents.
Sibling play together. You don't always have to be looking for playmates, playgroups, activities as you do for a lone child, always running here and there.
And obviously, a sibling is a loved one lifelong.
I have an only child. She acquired 3 stepsisters as a teen, and I'm happy she did. And I'm glad I didn't have to raise them all. Lol
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Granny on August 07, 2019, 09:40:14 am
Quote
Quote from: cybercoma on Today at 10:16:18 am

This is something that I try to get across to students constantly. When you're looking at a spreadsheet of data, it's easy to lose sight of the fact that what you're looking at are real people with real lives and all of the complexity that comes along with that. I really try to get across that it's important not to dehumanize people through data.

Yep.  The flip side, though, is that people can focus too much on the social and humanized aspect of any endeavour and it's actually easy for it to lose sight of what its supposed to be achieving.

You guys are playing my song! Lol

We made graphs of distributions of data about children by stacking little 'child icons', reminding us/our audiences that the data represented real children.
And while percentages are useful for comparisons, we also translated them back into actual numbers of children represented. 1% might sound like a minuscule number, easy to dismiss/ignore/not address at all.
But it can still be a lot of kids/people and the raw numbers can really make that hit home.

I don't think you can have too much "social and humanized" focus, but I do think that those untrained and inexperienced in addressing those human issues can become overwhelmed by them. But I'm not sure what kind of "numbers" we're each talking about.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Goddess on August 07, 2019, 10:22:54 am
And I don't think it would be a good idea to have a 2nd kid, realistically.  :(

Due to circumstances, my kids are 7 years apart.  I wish they could have been closer together.  It made it so they were not as close as siblings should be.  When my son was 16 and driving and going out with friends, his sister was 9 and couldn't understand why she couldn't tag along with him all the time.  Even as adults, they're not particularly close.  He's married, kids, house, etc, while she is still just getting her life together.

I think 2-3 years between kids is perfect.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on August 07, 2019, 10:37:25 am
Did a show last night and had some particularly great show-stealing moments... and afterwards... a sort of 'groupie' seemed to be on to me.  She was totally my type, Reubenesque but also too young, maybe mid 20s... but it doesn't matter...

The great thing was that a cast member happened to be there and asked me something and I had occasion to show them a video of Easy at the event.  That had the desired effect, and groupie went on to #2. 

I really understand why/how middled-aged people have affairs.  I seem to have so many opportunities these days... it's pretty counter-intuitive.  To make even a semi-serious flirt would short-circuit my life, though, let's be clear. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on August 07, 2019, 07:59:38 pm
Quote
As much as I love this it does exhaust me. 

I didn’t think you were part of the “me” generation...  but it certainly sounds like it.  Parenting has only been done about 9 billion times over this century alone....   gimme a break. ::)
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on August 07, 2019, 08:21:12 pm
Uh huh.  You're the sympathetic type I see.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on August 07, 2019, 09:51:08 pm
Babies are particularly exhausting. Two-year-olds are **** psychopaths though.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on August 07, 2019, 10:02:49 pm
Babies are particularly exhausting. Two-year-olds are **** psychopaths though.

Thanks for the acknowledgement.  It's good to know that I can admit I am tired and some people won't call me 'selfish'.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on August 07, 2019, 10:21:58 pm
Has squid bred?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on August 08, 2019, 12:32:41 am
I feel quite bad about this, because I know that at least some of my antipathy toward this person is based on prejudice. Her style of dress and the way she acts all just scream "trashy" to me, and bring out all sorts of negative feelings associated with that stereotype.

That said, she REALLY IS dumb. Yesterday lost of people took the day off and I ended up having to provide Brenda with all kinds of help, and most of it was help with stuff that anybody with an ounce of brains should have been able to figure out on their own.

"These aren't shipping documents. Fed Ex doesn't need these."
"Well they came out of the printer along with the other Fed Ex documents."
"These are Ed's test reports. They don't have anything to do with shipping."
"So Fed Ex doesn't need those?"
"No. Just the packing list and the pages that say Fed Ex on them."
"Ohhhhh.... those are for Ed?"
"Yes, those are for Ed. These are for the shipment."
"ohhhhh."
"..."
".... Should I give these to Ed?"
"Sure, why don't you go ahead and do that."
"Alright, I'll go do that..."
"..."
"HEY ED HERE ARE YOUR PRINT-OUTS HAHA I ALMOST SHIPPED THEM TO AUSTRALIA BY MISTAKE HAHA THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN PRETTY FUNNY HAHA"

She's just soooooo   ...   


....soooooo gone.  Brenda has been "yeet"-ed from the company.  I am not surprised it happened, I am only surprised it took this long.

Her answer to everything was either "ohhhh, I don't know how to do that," or "ohhhh, can you do that for me?"   Aside from burnt homemade cookies, she had little to contribute.  Her only noteworthy skills seemed to be avoiding work, getting other people to do her work, whining about how hard her job was, and clock-watching.  It was just about the 3 month anniversary of her arrival, and I guess 3 months of seeing her in action was enough.   While I take no pleasure in Brenda's misfortune, I'm somewhat relieved that sanity has prevailed.  She was bad for the company. She would have been bad for the company even if she was working for free.



My special girl has been super-affectionate lately. Lots of texts at random times, asking me to spend a day with her, inviting me to come meet whichever of her relatives are in town from Calgary, this sort of thing. It feels like she has become very invested in this, which is surprising for me because I had always assumed she'd dump me when she met her next boyfriend.  I entered this with the idea that I was disposable to her, and prevented myself from thinking this was more than temporary.  Now it feels like the opposite. Lately I have been thinking things over and wondering if this is really what I want or if I am just settling for something that was available when I needed it, and worrying that if this doesn't work out she might be really really hurt.


 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on August 08, 2019, 05:21:46 am
Wow.  Brenda -> GONE !  What's yeeted ?

 ???
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on August 08, 2019, 06:10:31 am
"Yeet" is something going around the internet. I gather it means flung forcefully or discarded with great vigor.  I'm not sure exactly where it came from or why, but I wanted to use it so that I can be one of the cool kids.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on August 08, 2019, 10:34:11 am
Quote
poo explosions at random times....

Great...   more burning man poop in the desert....   just what the coyotes and scorpions need.


 I entered this with the idea that I was disposable to her, and prevented myself from thinking this was more than temporary.  Now it feels like the opposite. Lately I have been thinking things over and wondering if this is really what I want or if I am just settling for something that was available when I needed it, and worrying that if this doesn't work out she might be really really hurt.

I’m no couples counsellor, but have you thought of using discussion as a means to figure where this is going with this person who has you meeting her relatives like “you’re the one”?  I hear it has been used to great effect in other people’s relationships.... 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on August 08, 2019, 12:13:58 pm
1) Great...   more burning man poop in the desert....   just what the coyotes and scorpions need.

2) I’m no couples counsellor, but have you thought of using discussion as a means to figure where this is going with this person who has you meeting her relatives like “you’re the one”?  I hear it has been used to great effect in other people’s relationships....

1) Ha... no.  3X wrong: no random disposal of poop, no desert, and there are no coyotes or scorpions in the black rock desert.  No bugs either.  They die.

2) Oh goody... let's get you to boss around lesbians now !!!  :D
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on August 08, 2019, 01:07:30 pm
Where did I tell anyone what to do?

I think dialogue with one’s partner is a pretty **** sensible thing to suggest as a possible solution.  No? 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on August 08, 2019, 01:16:35 pm
Are you a lesbian?

Stop dick-splaining to others how to live

My wives and I live fine without your input 😉
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on August 08, 2019, 01:42:20 pm
Are you a lesbian?

Stop dick-splaining to others how to live

My wives and I live fine without your input 😉

What the hell are you going on about?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on August 08, 2019, 02:04:50 pm
What the hell are you going on about?

Ok, not a lesbian then.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on August 08, 2019, 02:24:54 pm
Ok, not a lesbian then.

 If you have a point, get to it without the strange SJW riddles.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on August 08, 2019, 03:19:23 pm
If you have a point, get to it without the strange SJW riddles.

Are you now or have you ever been a lesbian ?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on August 08, 2019, 03:47:47 pm
Are you now or have you ever been a lesbian ?

What difference would that make to my asking whether someone has tried talking to their partner about an issue?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on August 08, 2019, 04:27:04 pm
Are you now or have you ever been a lesbian ?

What the hell does being a lesbian have to do with anything? It is a relationship between two people.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on August 08, 2019, 04:37:51 pm
What the hell does being a lesbian have to do with anything? It is a relationship between two people.

I would take advice from a lesbian about things and assess it on its merits, not based on the sexual orientation of the person who said it. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on August 08, 2019, 05:52:25 pm
You guys are cray.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: ?Impact on August 08, 2019, 06:10:11 pm
You guys are cray.

As in fish?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on August 08, 2019, 07:37:27 pm
You guys are cray.

More twisted SJW riddles.  Please...   enlighten us as to how we are “cray”. Assertions are meaningless.  Backup your statement with something a little more substantive. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on August 08, 2019, 07:41:02 pm
Between this thread and gender I am totally out of popcorn. (Personal non gender popcorn of course)
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on August 08, 2019, 09:47:22 pm
More twisted SJW riddles.  Please...   enlighten us as to how we are “cray”. Assertions are meaningless.  Backup your statement with something a little more substantive.

An opinion, ie. that a straight male can fix a lesbian relationship because he knows SO MUCH that they haven't even thought of communication.  It's a crazy idea IMO.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on August 08, 2019, 09:47:52 pm
Between this thread and gender I am totally out of popcorn. (Personal non gender popcorn of course)

It's NON-GENDERED-PARENT-CORN you pig.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on August 08, 2019, 09:55:42 pm
An opinion, ie. that a straight male can fix a lesbian relationship because he knows SO MUCH that they haven't even thought of communication.  It's a crazy idea IMO.

Interesting  you took it that way. I just thought he was suggesting that they talk about it, you know, instead of guessing. I didn't think he was volunteering to be a counsellor. Still don't.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on August 08, 2019, 10:05:14 pm
Interesting  you took it that way. I just thought he was suggesting that they talk about it, you know, instead of guessing. I didn't think he was volunteering to be a counsellor. Still don't.

Well, ok.  Wouldn't be the first time I was wrong... even the first time tonight...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on August 08, 2019, 11:08:37 pm
Well, ok.  Wouldn't be the first time I was wrong... even the first time tonight...

Wouldn't be the first time for me either but that's the way I took it.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on August 09, 2019, 01:36:34 am
What the hell are you going on about?

Are you now or have you ever been a lesbian ?

Come on, guys, I hate seeing you fight.  Hug it out.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on August 09, 2019, 01:46:47 am
I’m no couples counsellor, but have you thought of using discussion as a means to figure where this is going with this person who has you meeting her relatives like “you’re the one”?  I hear it has been used to great effect in other people’s relationships....

I'm not sure how I'd start that conversation without causing her to panic...  If I try and express the idea that I'm not sure that "she's the one", she's going to think I've already decided that she isn't the one.  I feel like I have to figure out what I actually want before I try to have that conversation with her.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on August 09, 2019, 05:28:55 am
Come on, guys, I hate seeing you fight.  Hug it out.
 

*hug*
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on August 09, 2019, 05:30:11 am
I'm not sure how I'd start that conversation without causing her to panic...  If I try and express the idea that I'm not sure that "she's the one", she's going to think I've already decided that she isn't the one.  I feel like I have to figure out what I actually want before I try to have that conversation with her.

 -k

I was never able to handle that conversation - no matter which side I was on, no matter how I felt.  If I felt she was the one, I didn't want to show my cards.  If I didn't, I didn't want to scare her away.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on August 09, 2019, 05:36:04 am
So... one of the things that happens when you become a parent, besides finding all moms hot as hell, is that you have nothing to talk about except your kid. 

I am becoming almost a dull suburban dad, with nothing interesting to savour except for weekend trips to Canadian Tire.  CT, BTW, is one of the most fascinating things out there.  It's the retail version of a Coen Bros movie but I digress for sure.

Easy seems pretty into human food now, and is refusing to eat mush.  He also seems to be into music.  The keyboard on his schoenhut piano comes about to my knee.  Joan zip tied it to a railing in the living room, so he uses it to stand up and then pounds on it.  Well, he used to but now his musical sense is evolving and he plays one note at a time !  I responded with a reward for that, by playing Daft Punk for him, which he liked of course.  It's good.  We need a keyboard player.

(https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2256/4721/files/Tom_Waits_56691d51-c910-4467-940f-9c5ec05fb247_700x.jpg?v=1547231042)
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on August 09, 2019, 05:40:11 am
And my looong parental sojourn finishes when I return to work Monday.  In my time off, I watched Easy learn to crawl, eat solid food, climb up on things, wave to people and this morning he said 'dadda'.

Altogether now: awwwwwwww  :D :D :D
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: cybercoma on August 09, 2019, 11:33:53 am
"Yeet" is something going around the internet. I gather it means flung forcefully or discarded with great vigor.  I'm not sure exactly where it came from or why, but I wanted to use it so that I can be one of the cool kids.

 -k
Yeet is the opposite of yoink
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on August 09, 2019, 12:00:50 pm
Oldest grand daughter left for Ireland yesterday to tour with the UBC women's rugby team. She's pumped for her first university experience.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on August 09, 2019, 12:04:35 pm
Oldest grand daughter left for Ireland yesterday to tour with the UBC women's rugby team. She's pumped for her first university experience.

Wow.  Good for her!  That must be exciting.  Hopefully they kick ass.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on September 04, 2019, 03:00:56 am
Oldest grand daughter left for Ireland yesterday to tour with the UBC women's rugby team. She's pumped for her first university experience.

How did the Ireland trip go?

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on September 04, 2019, 03:09:04 am
So, the missus is out of a job for a couple of weeks. As I mentioned her place of work has not been doing very well. They've now been bought, by a more successful place who will be making changes to try to turn things around and are now closed for renovations and stuff. While they've promised to keep the servers, she's not sure if she's going to be kept on. She has a hunch she'll be replaced with a manager from the mother branch. She tries to pretend it's not a big deal for her, but she's a little tense.   She has her side-hustle, but I don't think it pays the bills. I might be more worried for her than she is for herself.  But if even clueless Brenda can get hired in this town, my girl ought to be okay.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on September 04, 2019, 05:37:52 am
Good luck to her.  Are you going to support her if she's unemployed ?  Or maybe pay for dinner ? 

The smart people are starting to defect from my group.  My boss left during my parental leave... the new boss wears a turban.  Seems like a nice guy, but he's a yes-man working for a yes-woman. 

So I have had a few days to try to figure out how to play it.  Unfortunately, my answer is to keep my head as low as possible and wait this out until the next regime change.  I have had 3 bosses in 1 year so it should be about 4 months.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on September 04, 2019, 12:58:48 pm
How did the Ireland trip go?

 -k

It went OK, they won two out of three but she wasn't very impressed with the way they played. They had a great time though, did a lot of touring, visited a lot of pubs (a rugby thing). She didn't play because she is coming back from a broken fibula she got in a game with a visiting Kiwi team last spring. The leg had been cleared to play just before they left but her game fitness wasn't back up to speed. All she could do was train with the team. She is now doing full contact.


Moved into her dorm a week ago and just had her first classes yesterday. Big change for a farm kid and she is very excited.

Hope things work out for your missus.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on September 06, 2019, 02:17:11 am
Good luck to her.  Are you going to support her if she's unemployed ?  Or maybe pay for dinner ? 

I hope it doesn't come to that.  We both like having our own space. If she moved in with me, it's possible we might not coexist very well.  If we ever move in together, I hope it's not because of financial trouble.  And I can't afford to pay her rent. I could help out if she asked me, but she's very independent and I think she'd hate asking for help from me or anybody else.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on September 08, 2019, 05:24:44 pm
Bad news on the rugby front. She had been told by her own doc she was good to go and had been working out with the team. She still had a lot of pain in her ankle so she went to see the UBC sports medics. They said there are three muscles in her ankle that aren't doing much and she shouldn't even even be running on it. So six more weeks of physio. The season just started and she is really missing playing.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on September 08, 2019, 08:31:25 pm
I hope it doesn't come to that.  We both like having our own space. If she moved in with me, it's possible we might not coexist very well.  If we ever move in together, I hope it's not because of financial trouble.  And I can't afford to pay her rent. I could help out if she asked me, but she's very independent and I think she'd hate asking for help from me or anybody else.

 -k
 
At least there's EI.  Hopefully can hold her over until she finds a new job.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on September 08, 2019, 09:20:30 pm
We had a few parties this weekend.

Friday - gay male couple friends and their lady friend came over.  We love all of them and I have worked with him in shows.  He's getting targeted by a very shrill person who is accusing him of harbouring a problematic comedian.  Long story but anyway.  Lady friend seems to have got a boyfriend, which is great news as she is very cute and adorable at 50ish years old.  Never known her to have a guy.

Saturday - birthday party for a friend, and turns out that he lives 3 blocks away.  Lots of old burners there and kids including people Easy likes.

Saturday night Joanie and I and my brother played a street festival.  First night with Easy and a sitter.  It went ok but Joanie dropped her best buigar and **** it.  Expensive night.

So we now think we will be able to go out on a real date.  Maybe a few weeks from now.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on September 09, 2019, 07:24:29 am
I want to see 'once upon a time in hollywood' :D

Also - I need to get my exercise game back.  And ... I want to get my podcasting project back on track.   Ugh.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on September 09, 2019, 08:06:54 am
I want to see 'once upon a time in hollywood' :D

Fantastic movie!
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on September 19, 2019, 12:55:43 pm
Home from work today with a bad cold. :(

My special girl came over last night with a basket full of goodies to help me feel better.  Like, an actual basket.  She must have grabbed just about everything off the shelf in the cold and flu section of the pharmacy.  It was so sweet. I was blown away. 

I gave her flowers last week. She got all emotional, but tried to hide it. She was going to say something but she couldn't and then she turned around and took some stuff out of her cupboard for a minute and turned and hugged me so that I couldn't see the tears in her eyes and wouldn't let go of me until she'd composed herself.   I'm not usually a flower buying person,  but I knew it would mean a lot to her. She'd told me a story about how she and her ex used to fight all the time and then he'd promise to make it up to her and buy her flowers and be a better person, and never actually did buy her flowers (or be a better person either).   Even though flowers are impractical and expensive and a big waste of money, it was worth it to see that reaction from her.


 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on September 19, 2019, 02:27:55 pm
Yippie the Rugby World Cup starts tomorrow
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on September 19, 2019, 07:27:32 pm
Fantastic movie!

In the movie theatre now... :D
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on September 20, 2019, 07:00:15 am
Well, Joan loved it but I was unable to watch the climax because of the dog attack.

(I have PTSD from a dog attack.)

As such I didn't have a full movie experience.  Other than that it was pretty lush.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on September 22, 2019, 12:49:04 pm
I've recovered enough that we were able to go to the burlesque show last night that we had tickets for. I'd never been to one before.  It was fun, but as two of my former girlfriends were strippers I felt that the artistry was a little less than the standard I'm used to. We bumped into some of my special girl's acquaintances who she isn't "out" to, and did the charade where we're just a couple of chicks out on the town. We have these encounters kind of worked out, where we don't actually have to communicate to know how much we're going to reveal when we meet people.

Feeling well enough to go back to work tomorrow. Terrified of what I'll find waiting for me.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on September 30, 2019, 04:18:14 am
The mountain of work waiting for me when I returned to work was daunting, but I prevailed. Still not over my illness, still feeling drained and tired.

My special girl still has a job.  She has been training with her new employer for the past week. Her place will not reopen for a few more weeks, so we are going on a vacation together!  I am excited, but nervous.  It will be the first time we've spent a whole week together non-stop, 24 hours a day. We may never want to speak again by the time we return.

 -k

Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on September 30, 2019, 05:30:55 am
Only a few milestones left here.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on October 01, 2019, 12:46:55 am
Only a few milestones left here.

Our first vacation together... after this, who knows. Living together? Shopping for sensible shoes together? Joining a softball team together? Buying our first Subaru together?  It's all quite bewildering.



"I hope this doesn't sound gay, but I think we should practice kissing together."
"That's a great idea! Once we get boyfriends, we'll be so much better at kissing!"

...

"I hope this doesn't sound gay, but I think we should live together."
"That's a great idea! We'll save so much money!"

...

"I hope this doesn't sound gay, but I think we should have sex."
"That's a great idea! Once we get boyfriends, we'll be so good at making love!"

...

"I hope this doesn't sound gay, but I think we should get married."
"That's a great idea! There are so many tax strategies for married couples!"

...

"I hope this doesn't sound gay, but I think we should start a family together."
"That's a great idea! I want to have a baby before I get any older! Do you think your brother would be our sperm donor?"

...

"I hope this doesn't sound gay, but I think we might be gay."
"..."


 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on October 01, 2019, 06:55:12 am
U R GAY   :D :D :D
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on October 01, 2019, 10:17:20 am
U R GAY   :D :D :D

I'm still not 100% sure she is.  She once told me she was flexitarian, and most of her relationships have been with men, and I could imagine her meeting some guy and dumping me.  I'm beginning to understand some of the issues bi people face.  People will label you based on your last relationship (or your next one) and not fully believe what you're doing right now is real.  And if she does dump me for some guy, I will probably sit there like a bitter **** and say "I knew she was straight all along. I knew I was just a phase for her."

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: ?Impact on October 01, 2019, 12:25:12 pm
I'm still not 100% sure she is.  She once told me she was flexitarian, and most of her relationships have been with men, and I could imagine her meeting some guy and dumping me.

Would you be any more bitter if she dumped you for another woman?

While the sex might be different, is the emotional relationship any different between a straight and gay relationship? If she has had both, it might make an interesting conversation.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on October 03, 2019, 10:29:10 am
Would you be any more bitter if she dumped you for another woman?

That's a good question.  Being dumped always sucks.  If she left me for a woman, I'd probably feel jealousy and resentment... "what has she got that I haven't got" etc.  If she dumped me to go back to a heterosexual relationship, I think I'd feel a sense that I'd been used... that it was "just a phase" for her, or that she was just curious or experimenting or that sort of thing, that it was never real for her, that I'd been lied to.  They'd both suck, I don't know which would hurt more.

While the sex might be different, is the emotional relationship any different between a straight and gay relationship? If she has had both, it might make an interesting conversation.

For me, when I was with a man who I really cared for, he was 12 years older than me and he had this guardian, mentor, protector aura that I found really attractive.  He was a rock, an anchor, a fortress, (insert other cliches here), a calm and reassuring presence in what was otherwise a pretty confusing time for me.  I really did love him, and spent a long time trying to convince myself that I was heterosexual as a result.

I've never felt that same sort of dynamic with women I've been involved with. Or other men I've dated either, for that matter. I don't know how much of it was to do with him being a man, how much was to do with him being older and more emotionally secure, and how much was just his personality.    Some men have qualities that deeply appeal to me, emotionally, that I haven't found in female relationships.  Trying to make generalizations like "men be like this, and women be like that" never works, but I've never met a woman who had that guardian spirit that I felt with my long-time male companion.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on October 14, 2019, 03:25:56 pm
Kimmy! Kimmy! Fun! Vacation! Yay!

 We're back after a week together, and everything went very smoothly.  We went to the mountains and stayed at a resort overlooking a lake and went hiking and spelunking and relaxed in hot springs. Then to Edmonton, where we went shopping and hiking and stuff.  I briefly touched base with dad. Then on to Calgary to spend some time with her brother and his family.  Even though they live in Calgary, they're actually transplanted Torontoids.  Her brother is a big time corporate accountant of some sort. It was very interesting to hear his thoughts about the Alberta economy ("we're ****"), Canada's overall fiscal situation ("we're ****"), and the federal election ("I'm not a typical Alberta 'Trudeau sucks' kind of guy, but he's so dumb that I can't stand listening to anything he says. It makes me want to bang my head against a wall.")

My girl told me later, "my brother is a really smart, educated guy, so I was impressed that he was listening to what you were saying as if you were actually smart!"  I think she meant it as a compliment, but I'm just not sure.


"I hope this doesn't sound gay, but I think we should live together."
"That's a great idea! We'll save so much money!"
...and we received this advice from multiple sources. I think people are trying to score Cool LGBT-supportive Brother points, Sister-in-law points, or Supportive Dad points, as appropriate.


 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on October 14, 2019, 05:04:19 pm


My girl told me later, "my brother is a really smart, educated guy, so I was impressed that he was listening to what you were saying as if you were actually smart!"  I think she meant it as a compliment, but I'm just not sure.




Funny.

Quote
...and we received this advice from multiple sources. I think people are trying to score Cool LGBT-supportive Brother points, Sister-in-law points, or Supportive Dad points, as appropriate.


Maybe you are over complicating it and people just wish you well.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on October 14, 2019, 05:56:52 pm
Yeah... but... FAMILY suggesting you move in ?  That's kind of a d*ck move for a family member to suggest such a thing no ?  I mean, they don't know the details of the situation.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on October 19, 2019, 08:55:33 am
Easy was crying last night, so I picked him up to cuddle him and he head-butted me, so we both fell on the bed screaming (he sleeps in a crib beside our bed).  This turned into a bunch of late night yelling between Joan and I and then crying and now I feel terrible.

The thing I hate is that there's nobody to talk to about this stuff...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on October 19, 2019, 11:27:02 am
Babies are selfish **** who would never be tolerated if they weren't adorable.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: ?Impact on October 19, 2019, 01:15:02 pm
Babies are selfish **** who would never be tolerated if they weren't adorable.

What about 73 year old babies who are anything but adorable?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on October 19, 2019, 04:00:53 pm
 crying babies ....    unheard of.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on October 19, 2019, 04:11:35 pm
What about 73 year old babies who are anything but adorable?

You mean that one I hear whining every day lately? Seems to waft in from the south?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on October 19, 2019, 04:19:13 pm
You mean that one I hear whining every day lately? Seems to waft in from the south?

Every.   ****.  Thread.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on October 20, 2019, 01:59:01 pm
Maybe you are over complicating it and people just wish you well.

I'm sure they do wish us well.  I just can't help feeling that they feel obliged to support us because they don't want to seem intolerant or something like that.  Like, if their sister had started dating some random man, I'm not sure they'd be as enthusiastic.  They might have some reservations and hope that she takes her time and be cautious. Mostly I think her brother and his wife just want her to know that they still love her and that her being in a same-sex relationship hasn't changed anything. Which is wonderful, but I'm not sure they're expressing it in the best way.

I know I'm overthinking this and I should just be grateful that her family aren't a bunch of bigots. They really are super-nice.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on October 20, 2019, 02:03:53 pm
I'm sure they do wish us well.  I just can't help feeling that they feel obliged to support us because they don't want to seem intolerant or something like that.  Like, if their sister had started dating some random man, I'm not sure they'd be as enthusiastic.  They might have some reservations and hope that she takes her time and be cautious. Mostly I think her brother and his wife just want her to know that they still love her and that her being in a same-sex relationship hasn't changed anything. Which is wonderful, but I'm not sure they're expressing it in the best way.

I know I'm overthinking this and I should just be grateful that her family aren't a bunch of bigots. They really are super-nice.

 -k

Maybe. Could also be they just like you and actually do think you are really smart.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on October 20, 2019, 02:13:46 pm
Maybe. Could also be they just like you and actually do think you are really smart.

At a certain point, people tend to get a better understanding of your needs... at least I find.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on October 20, 2019, 02:45:44 pm
Maybe. Could also be they just like you and actually do think you are really smart.

I hope they really do like me. :)  I'd actually want to hang out with them even if I wasn't involved with their sister.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on October 22, 2019, 02:53:16 pm
Took a sick day to go to baby gym class.  I never play hooky but I am pretty sick of the mounting mediocrity at work these days...

The city puts on these little gym classes in the community centre.  Well, the 'class' is really just letting the babies crawl around, play and go in the ball pit.  Then we do 10 minutes of singing in a circle.  Easy isn't really into it and just crawls away... :D

It's ok though.  Back home for a long nap after (everybody)
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on October 22, 2019, 03:13:25 pm
Took a sick day to go to baby gym class.  I never play hooky but I am pretty sick of the mounting mediocrity at work these days...

The city puts on these little gym classes in the community centre.  Well, the 'class' is really just letting the babies crawl around, play and go in the ball pit.  Then we do 10 minutes of singing in a circle.  Easy isn't really into it and just crawls away... :D

It's ok though.  Back home for a long nap after (everybody)

Nothing more rejuvenating than a long nap. Duermes bien.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Goddess on October 30, 2019, 10:40:57 am
So my daughter has a new girlfriend, it seems to be going well.  She's a bit older than my daughter, but my girl has always seemed to hang out with people older than herself.

She also just bought a house and moved in Oct. 1. (Well, I bought the house, she's paying me instead of a mortgage.)

The breakup with the old girlfriend was heartbreaking for her.  They were good for each other for a few years when they were both younger, but as they got older my daughter got a great job, wanted to buy a house and settle down, while her girlfriend was still in "party, party, party" mode.

New girlfriend lives in Calgary, so they are coming to our place for xmas  :)
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on November 05, 2019, 02:57:58 am
My special girl is all atwitter with excitement. After long delays, her place reopened today and she's super happy about it.  I met the new owner, and he seems nice. She introduced me to him as her "BFF". Since she's not really out, I understand... and since I'm not really out either, I've done the same to her.

We've had new employees at work.  One is an older guy who still tries to act young and cool.  Despite dying his hair and gelling it up like a teenager, he doesn't look young or cool.  I was in charge of him for a while and I did some of his training. It seemed very clear what he thinks of me and he made no effort to listen to what I said. He's been pawned off on our production manager, and I'm glad. If I had to work with him much longer I'd have probably had to beat the snot out of him.

The other new employee is a young guy straight out of college. He's blond, blue-eyed, 6'2, very buff, and network-TV attractive.  If I was heterosexual I'd be turned into jelly.  He's very nice, polite, respectful, smart, listens to what I tell him. He's such a good kid. 

We had a wonderful time on Halloween.  There's a haunted house here that raises a lot of donations for the food bank. It was delightful.

I got propositioned rather boldly a couple of times recently. I get propositioned from time to time but usually by men, but this time it was by women which is much more exciting for me. The first was an attractive lady at a bar who struck up a conversation and we talked for a while and after a bit she she suggested that we should go to her place. I told her that I wished I'd met her when I was single. And my sweetie arrived about 5 minutes later.

And this Saturday my girl was working and I was at a different bar and these two party girls came in-- big bleach blonde hair, short dresses, fake eyelashes... and it quickly became apparent that they were pretty drunk, and they started making out and putting on quite a show...  and one of them noticed me getting all flustered and started flirting with me, and she came over to me and started giving me hugs and kissing my cheek. Everybody else seemed to find it quite amusing, but it was actually very embarrassing and uncomfortable.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on November 05, 2019, 05:47:06 am
Your life is very exciting Kimmy.

Easy turned one last week.  We had a baby party for him at the community centre.  It was like a baby Night at the Roxbury with lights and music.  And now I know what baby parties are all about.

Easy is about the cutest baby anyone has ever seen.  He's healthy, 90% in height and weight. 

My crush on my talk Chinese hot smart client lady is starting to subside into a brotherly care feeling, as expected.  That may mean she gets a passing one on me sometime in the next few years due to extended Platonic togetherness but this is no threat of action from me and inappropriate behaviour will not surface in any way.  Also this is a good thing because she pulled a cool move during restructuring and we're doing a kind of Brexit of our team... she's taking us over to a lady VP which will be much better for her career than the boys club VP we're in now.

Smooth sailing into the dark days of winter over here...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: ?Impact on November 05, 2019, 10:24:52 am
Since she's not really out, I understand... and since I'm not really out either, I've done the same to her.

Interesting, in 2019 there is still a hesitancy to come out. I won't ask your age, but I assume you are no longer in high school with the cliques that would make this difficult anyway.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on November 06, 2019, 12:29:11 am
I'm sure they do wish us well.  I just can't help feeling that they feel obliged to support us because they don't want to seem intolerant or something like that.  Like, if their sister had started dating some random man, I'm not sure they'd be as enthusiastic.  They might have some reservations and hope that she takes her time and be cautious. Mostly I think her brother and his wife just want her to know that they still love her and that her being in a same-sex relationship hasn't changed anything. Which is wonderful, but I'm not sure they're expressing it in the best way.

I know I'm overthinking this and I should just be grateful that her family aren't a bunch of bigots. They really are super-nice.

 -k

I see your point here and maybe there is a double standard, but maybe it has nothing to do with trying to appear LGBTQ friendly.

Remember many pages ago, when asked, I said that in some ways I'd prefer if my daughters turned out to be gay and you said you've heard that before?

Maybe there's a tendency, right or wrong, in some of us to feel a bit safer when our daughters/sisters give their heart to another woman.


Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: cybercoma on November 06, 2019, 11:41:23 am
Interesting, in 2019 there is still a hesitancy to come out. I won't ask your age, but I assume you are no longer in high school with the cliques that would make this difficult anyway.
She lives in Conservative country.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on November 06, 2019, 01:32:48 pm
She lives in Conservative country.

Not the most progressive place, that's for sure.  Strong influence from Alberta too and it has a biker problem.

There are direct flights from Kelowna to Fort Mac.


The Lib/NDP/Greens did receive 55% of the vote...  a good sign.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on November 08, 2019, 04:06:30 am
Interesting, in 2019 there is still a hesitancy to come out. I won't ask your age, but I assume you are no longer in high school with the cliques that would make this difficult anyway.

I'm in my mid-30s.  My sweetheart is in her late 20s.  Both of us are "out" to quite a few people, but it's not something we announce to everybody. She has a new boss and new employees, and is sort of still figuring out where she stands with them.  Once she figures out the dynamics of her new relationships, she'll let them learn more about her.  For me building new relationships with co-workers and employers and stuff is complicated enough even without wondering whether they might secretly harbor bigotry toward me.  I'm prefer to not let people in on that stuff until I feel comfortable with them. 

It's kind of funny that staff and regular customers at the bars we like to go to know we're a couple, people who are either casual acquaintances or complete strangers. But many of the people I work with every day don't know about that part of my life. 

She lives in Conservative country.
...
Not the most progressive place, that's for sure.  Strong influence from Alberta too and it has a biker problem.

It's not a monolith.  It's the urban hub of a large rural area. We have a lot of old-people and rednecks, but it's also a college town and a lot of young people have come here to work. The electoral map might say this is conservative country, but the area where I live has a very progressive vibe to it.  There are more micro-brew loving hipsters than Bud-drinking rednecks in this part of town.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on November 08, 2019, 04:11:26 am
I see your point here and maybe there is a double standard, but maybe it has nothing to do with trying to appear LGBTQ friendly.

Remember many pages ago, when asked, I said that in some ways I'd prefer if my daughters turned out to be gay and you said you've heard that before?

Maybe there's a tendency, right or wrong, in some of us to feel a bit safer when our daughters/sisters give their heart to another woman.

That's true.  Kind of like how people thought the drunk young woman from the other night mashing on me was amusing and harmless, while if a man had acted that way somebody would have called the police. There's a double standard, and perhaps there should be.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on November 08, 2019, 05:55:48 am
I think there should be double standards... as in not telling lesbians they're closed-minded for not dating trans women, affirmative action etc.

----

I thought kimmy's age and that of her mate were switched...  but ok...

----

It's all done, the Game of Thrones chapter at work is done.  Big restructuring went down last two weeks.  My shitty boss's boss is out on the street.
 My shitty boss was my only boss for 10 weeks and we met about 3 times in that period... and he's now effectively demoted, in as much as he saw his previous role as grand-boss's yes man as vitally important.

And my team will be cut loose from this organization and migrated to a new one.  Mama san is my actual boss now which means any flirting from her would:

1) include a hot power dynamic
2) be sexual harassment IN MY FAVOUR  :D

In all seriousness, the moves she pulled off to do this and save the team from shittyness, and the trust she put in me to take care of things while she was busy with that has solidified our relationship.  Even though she looks better than ever, something about this maternal protection thing is killing the attraction for me.  I do love her, but profesionally. 

Side note- on my way out of this organization I was assigned a temporary boss for 1 week.   This is a tiny, short-haired/bushy-haired FOR SURE lesbian with a thick Brazillian accent.  And from ONE 1/2 hour meeting, she is f*cking brilliant.  I broke it to her that I'm leaving to work for mamasan but I want to come back in a year or so after we launch our product.

Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on November 11, 2019, 03:25:03 am
I thought kimmy's age and that of her mate were switched...  but ok...

I briefly dated the much older woman, the realtor... is that the one you were thinking of?  That didn't last long.   

I actually thought my sweetheart was closer to my own age when I met her.  Not that she looks it, but she has a self assurance and confidence that made me think she was older than she is.  Although she has not felt confident the past week.  With the big reopening underway, the new owners have been there constantly making sure everything is going smoothly. She feels like she's being observed.  Also she feels quite undermined, as the owners are the ones giving all the direction to the staff. When they want to know what to do they walk right past her and talk to the owners.  She isn't "managing" anything, and she feels useless. Hopefully it sorts itself out soon.

It's all done, the Game of Thrones chapter at work is done.  Big restructuring went down last two weeks.  My shitty boss's boss is out on the street.
 My shitty boss was my only boss for 10 weeks and we met about 3 times in that period... and he's now effectively demoted, in as much as he saw his previous role as grand-boss's yes man as vitally important.

And my team will be cut loose from this organization and migrated to a new one.  Mama san is my actual boss now which means any flirting from her would:

1) include a hot power dynamic
2) be sexual harassment IN MY FAVOUR  :D

In all seriousness, the moves she pulled off to do this and save the team from shittyness, and the trust she put in me to take care of things while she was busy with that has solidified our relationship.  Even though she looks better than ever, something about this maternal protection thing is killing the attraction for me.  I do love her, but profesionally. 

Will you be required to "Give Lunch!" more frequently now?

Side note- on my way out of this organization I was assigned a temporary boss for 1 week.   This is a tiny, short-haired/bushy-haired FOR SURE lesbian with a thick Brazillian accent.  And from ONE 1/2 hour meeting, she is f*cking brilliant.  I broke it to her that I'm leaving to work for mamasan but I want to come back in a year or so after we launch our product.

What makes you so sure she's a lesbian?  Does she drive a Subaru or eat generic wheat squares for breakfast?

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on November 11, 2019, 06:24:14 am

What makes you so sure she's a lesbian?  Does she drive a Subaru or eat generic wheat squares for breakfast?

 -k

Some things just are obvious.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: ?Impact on November 11, 2019, 12:20:54 pm
What makes you so sure she's a lesbian?  Does she drive a Subaru or eat generic wheat squares for breakfast?

While I don't eat wheat squares (generic or brand name) for breakfast, I do drive a Subaru. Does that make me gay, or does it only apply to women?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on November 11, 2019, 12:42:17 pm
While I don't eat wheat squares (generic or brand name) for breakfast, I do drive a Subaru. Does that make me gay, or does it only apply to women?

I drive a Mazda to the grocery store, a GMC pickup to the lumber store, and a Kawasaki 750 when I'm going nowhere. What does that make me I wonder?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on November 11, 2019, 12:43:58 pm
I drive a Mazda to the grocery store, a GMC pickup to the lumber store, and a Kawasaki 750 when I'm going nowhere. What does that make me I wonder?

If it’s a Mazda Miata, it makes you a hairdresser. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on November 11, 2019, 01:04:45 pm
I too would like to own specific vehicles for specific stores.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on November 11, 2019, 01:06:51 pm
If it’s a Mazda Miata, it makes you a hairdresser.

Nah it's a Mazda pick up, I just use the old Jimmy for the lumber store as it has more room in the box as well as a few scratches from its years of similar service.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on November 11, 2019, 01:38:05 pm
Subaru's are gay? Who knew.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on November 11, 2019, 06:45:28 pm
While I don't eat wheat squares (generic or brand name) for breakfast, I do drive a Subaru. Does that make me gay, or does it only apply to women?

There's a stereotype that a certain type of woman drives Subarus.  The same sort of woman who eats generic wheat squares, apparently.  I gather softball is also involved.  If you see a woman in a Subaru with a hatch full of baseball gear and off-brand Shreddies, remind her to send me a text.

I drive a Mazda to the grocery store, a GMC pickup to the lumber store, and a Kawasaki 750 when I'm going nowhere. What does that make me I wonder?

Gender fluid.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on November 11, 2019, 07:41:36 pm
Subaru's are gay? Who knew.

Everyone.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on November 11, 2019, 07:43:33 pm
Everyone.

Oh well.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Goddess on November 12, 2019, 01:51:19 pm
Subaru's are gay? Who knew.

I drove a Subaru for years.  I'm not gay.
It was an excellent car.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on November 12, 2019, 02:49:46 pm
How about a WRX STI full of softball equipment?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on November 12, 2019, 07:47:15 pm
I drove a Subaru for years.  I'm not gay.
It was an excellent car.

Have you had a gay experience ?  Maybe Suburus are just a signifier.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Goddess on November 13, 2019, 09:46:46 am
Have you had a gay experience ?  Maybe Suburus are just a signifier.

Made out with a girl a couple times, but no - definitely straight.

Side note:  It was the large amount of male gay friends I have had, who taught me what real respect in a relationship is.  Straight men could learn a lot from gay men.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on November 13, 2019, 02:45:17 pm
1. Made out with a girl a couple times, but no - definitely straight.

2. Side note:  It was the large amount of male gay friends I have had, who taught me what real respect in a relationship is.  Straight men could learn a lot from gay men.
1. Suburu
2. I teach them, by example
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on November 15, 2019, 02:27:04 am
How about a WRX STI full of softball equipment?

That's hot.



 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on November 15, 2019, 09:20:45 am
That's hot.



 -k
Never owned one but I drove a WRX years ago just after they came out. The car itself was pretty bland but at the time, the performance was pretty impressive.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: waldo on November 17, 2019, 12:37:13 pm
There's a stereotype that a certain type of woman drives Subarus.

Renault is the new Subaru - 30 years in the making! (https://twitter.com/i/videos/1193865178523164672)
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on November 18, 2019, 11:15:32 pm
Renault is the new Subaru - 30 years in the making! (https://twitter.com/i/videos/1193865178523164672)

awwwwwww


The first ad I ever saw aimed at gay women was a print ad in some magazine, for a car brand that I can't recall. Maybe it was Subaru, maybe not, I'm not sure.  This was probably 15 years ago, when I was still figuring things out.  Anyway, the picture was of an attractive short-haired brunette woman in business attire, holding car keys and smirking.  In the background, there's a car and leaning against the car is an attractive femme-looking blonde with a flirty smile. The caption said something along the lines of "When you know what you want."  And I remember thinking "gee, even an ad aimed at gay women still has typical male sexism."

There's a stereotype that a certain type of woman drives Subarus.

I just read this
interesting article on the history of Subarus and lesbians.  (https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2016/06/how-subarus-came-to-be-seen-as-cars-for-lesbians/488042/)It dates back to a time when Subaru was struggling to sell cars in North America, and was looking for a niche-- any niche.  They identified four groups who bought a lot of Subarus, and while doing that research, stumbled onto the connection with lesbians almost by accident:

Quote
In the 1990s, Subaru’s unique selling point was that the company increasingly made all-wheel drive standard on all its cars. When the company’s marketers went searching for people willing to pay a premium for all-wheel drive, they identified four core groups who were responsible for half of the company’s American sales: teachers and educators, health-care professionals, IT professionals, and outdoorsy types.

Then they discovered a fifth: lesbians. “When we did the research, we found pockets of the country like Northampton, Massachusetts, and Portland, Oregon, where the head of the household would be a single person—and often a woman,” says Tim Bennett, who was the company’s director of advertising at the time. When marketers talked to these customers, they realized these women buying Subarus were lesbian.

Japanese executives were initially confused by the idea...

Quote
It was in this context that Subaru’s marketing team hired Mulryan/Nash and pitched Subaru’s Japanese management on ads for lesbian customers. Writing in the Huffington Post, the reporter Ron Dicker captured some of the cultural confusion that followed:
Quote
When one Subaru ad man … proposed the gay-targeting ads in talks with Japanese executives, the executives hurriedly looked up “gay” in their dictionaries. Upon reading the definition, they nodded at the idea enthusiastically. Who wouldn’t want happy or joyous advertising?

“It was certainly a learning process for everybody,” says Bennett. While Bennett, who is gay, didn’t reveal his sexual orientation for fear of overshadowing the effort, he nonetheless recalls holding company meetings with names along the lines of “Who Are Gays and Lesbians?”

...but it turned out to be a success for them, and a groundbreaking moment in the advertising industry as well.



 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on November 18, 2019, 11:22:46 pm
We've had new employees at work.  One is an older guy who still tries to act young and cool.  Despite dying his hair and gelling it up like a teenager, he doesn't look young or cool.  I was in charge of him for a while and I did some of his training. It seemed very clear what he thinks of me and he made no effort to listen to what I said. He's been pawned off on our production manager, and I'm glad. If I had to work with him much longer I'd have probably had to beat the snot out of him.

So they got rid of that guy a couple of weeks back.  I'm glad he's gone, I only regret that I didn't get to beat the snot out of him.  I gather that Ed Engineer liked him even less than I did. I assume that he was either fired, or cut into pieces and frozen in Ed's freezer. Ed's so pleasant to work with that it's sometimes easy to forget that he's actually a charming Patrick Bateman-like psychopath.  It surprises me that I'm the only one who realizes it. Kind of like in Dexter, where Dexter's act fools everybody except the one black cop who sees right through him.  I'm that black cop.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on November 19, 2019, 07:24:52 am
Any more adversarial relationships at work remaining?

Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: ?Impact on November 19, 2019, 06:52:21 pm
It dates back to a time when Subaru was struggling to sell cars in North America, and was looking for a niche-- any niche.

When the company’s marketers went searching for people willing to pay a premium for all-wheel drive, they identified four core groups who were responsible for half of the company’s American sales: teachers and educators, health-care professionals, IT professionals, and outdoorsy types.

Then they discovered a fifth: lesbians.


I fit into two categories: IT professionals, and outdoorsy types

I guess it is not inconceivable that others fit into more than two, and of course the ideal would be all five.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on November 24, 2019, 11:23:27 pm
Any more adversarial relationships at work remaining?

Only if you count Alpha-Minion's deadly aura of carcinogenic cigarette smoke.   Everything seems smooth now.  I've gotten accustomed to my coworkers' idiosyncrasies. Boring Stories Bob's boring stories and Old Economy Steve's stale humor don't grate on me the way they used to.  I like my coworkers, and I think I have earned their respect for the most part. The people I work with the most are my biggest supporters.

I'm still kind of mad that I didn't get to beat the **** out of that guy before he was let go, though.  It was irritating enough that he just didn't bother listening to me-- either because he's a man, or because he's 25 years my senior, or because he had a TECH SCHOOL DIPLOMA~~!, or some combination of all of those things. His diploma was apparently from an era when they were still making tools out of stones and wood, and nobody seemed to think he was actually very smart except for him.  Watching his obvious attempts to suck-up and kiss-ass to people who he perceived as being important made it worse.  Bypassing me to go directly to Ed and Greg and Replacement Pete, in hopes of ingratiating himself to people he assumed could solidify his standing in the company.  It had the opposite effect, because those three keep me around so that they have less annoying interruptions, and he was asked at least once why he wasn't doing the stuff I'd tasked him with.  It seems like his attempts at being a brown-noser and social climber were too obvious and rubbed people the wrong way.

Also, a guy approaching 60 shouldn't be using that much hair-gel.  And his hair was obviously dyed and it just wasn't a good look for him.  And he had an annoying radio-guy voice.  "Heeeyyy, this is Annoying Dick, and this is your At Work Network, playing the Lite Hitz you don't want to hear, and I'm being an obsequious kiss-ass instead of doing the stuff that keeps me employed."



 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on November 24, 2019, 11:24:49 pm
I fit into two categories: IT professionals, and outdoorsy types

I guess it is not inconceivable that others fit into more than two, and of course the ideal would be all five.

It seems like you fit right in with the Subaru demographic!   I personally drive a 15 year old Nissan Pathfinder, which is kind of like a butch Subaru I think.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on November 24, 2019, 11:36:35 pm
Me and the missus went to a resort hotel on a mountaintop!  It was absurdly fancy. November is off season for them, and therefore the only time of year when normal people can afford to go.  They have eight different kinds of saunas and aromatherapy spas, and a giant hot tub and an infinity pool overlooking the whole valley and hiking trails and crystals everywhere and all kinds of other stuff. It was incredible.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on November 25, 2019, 12:27:44 am
Me and the missus went to a resort hotel on a mountaintop!  It was absurdly fancy. November is off season for them, and therefore the only time of year when normal people can afford to go.  They have eight different kinds of saunas and aromatherapy spas, and a giant hot tub and an infinity pool overlooking the whole valley and hiking trails and crystals everywhere and all kinds of other stuff. It was incredible.

 -k

I’d invite you and the missus over to use our homemade sauna.  :o ...   but the missus here would not approve...   >:( 

Sounds like a cool place....   I’ve been to Whistler in the off-season...   after summer, before snow and it’s the same sort of thing...   way, way cheaper....
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: ?Impact on November 25, 2019, 12:49:42 pm
Also, a guy approaching 60 shouldn't be using that much hair-gel.

I am fast approaching 60, and I don't recall using hair gel (one failed experiment with Brylcreem) or hair spray since I was a teenager. A few times a barber may have put some in my hair, but if they ever asked I declined.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on November 25, 2019, 12:53:11 pm
What's hair gel?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on November 25, 2019, 05:23:44 pm
I am fast approaching 60, and I don't recall using hair gel (one failed experiment with Brylcreem) or hair spray since I was a teenager. A few times a barber may have put some in my hair, but if they ever asked I declined.

If squid has his way you will only get to vote in four more elections.

Correction, only three more if you turn sixty in less than two years.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: ?Impact on November 25, 2019, 06:20:20 pm
If squid has his way you will only get to vote in four more elections.

As I get older, the choices get worse. Perhaps when I am 75 they will be so bad that I will refuse to vote.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on November 25, 2019, 06:29:47 pm
As I get older, the choices get worse. Perhaps when I am 75 they will be so bad that I will refuse to vote.

Wouldn't you want to decide that for yourself?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: ?Impact on November 25, 2019, 06:31:05 pm
Wouldn't you want to decide that for yourself?

Yes, of course. I was just making a tangential observation.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on December 03, 2019, 02:44:53 am
My special girl is all atwitter with excitement. After long delays, her place reopened today and she's super happy about it.  I met the new owner, and he seems nice. She introduced me to him as her "BFF". Since she's not really out, I understand... and since I'm not really out either, I've done the same to her.
...
  Although she has not felt confident the past week.  With the big reopening underway, the new owners have been there constantly making sure everything is going smoothly. She feels like she's being observed.  Also she feels quite undermined, as the owners are the ones giving all the direction to the staff. When they want to know what to do they walk right past her and talk to the owners.  She isn't "managing" anything, and she feels useless. Hopefully it sorts itself out soon.

 ....aaaaand she quit.

It became clear that the new owners preferred to have their own people in charge of everything, and she was pushed off to the side.

On the bright side, she's starting a new job right away.  Her side-hustle didn't make enough money to earn a living, but it did make her some contacts that got her an office gig.  So she is bidding farewell to hospitality. She seems happy to be starting a "grown up job" and to be out of the muddled situation that her previous job had become. But she used to enjoy it, and I think she always dreamed of running a really cool spot... maybe she can start her own some day.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on December 03, 2019, 06:59:08 am
Well I'm glad she landed somewhere already.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on December 13, 2019, 10:21:26 pm
Ugh. 

Easy was breathing quickly and the Dr. told us to go into emergency.  He's ok but Children's Hospital emergency is the worst place to spend 5 hours Friday night...  :P
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on December 13, 2019, 11:07:58 pm
Ugh. 

Easy was breathing quickly and the Dr. told us to go into emergency.  He's ok but Children's Hospital emergency is the worst place to spend 5 hours Friday night...  :P

Certainly glad to hear he's OK. Hope he's on the mend.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on December 14, 2019, 07:54:46 am
Certainly glad to hear he's OK. Hope he's on the mend.

He's fighting it so he gets super great and doubly fun for a few hours then it comes back and he's miserable.  He's getting more teeth now too so it's all miserable. 

Also, mom cut his overflowingly beautiful blonde locks of hair (dunno why he's blonde we both have brown hair chestnutty... hmmm.... I think the lab technician at the Fertility Clinic had blonde hair also clammy hands... nevermind) and gave him a 'boy' cut so now he looks more like Clint Howard - Gentle Ben era - but way better looking....

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gentle_Ben#/media/File:Gentle_Ben_premiere_Clint_Howard_1967.JPG)
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on December 14, 2019, 08:11:54 am
Is it just a cold? Why do they think he was breathing quickly?

And his hair will probably get darker as he gets older.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on December 14, 2019, 10:54:55 am
Is it just a cold? Why do they think he was breathing quickly?

And his hair will probably get darker as he gets older.

Just a high fever... :(
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on December 14, 2019, 01:31:36 pm
I hope he recovers quickly.  Tiny humans are not strong or smart, but they are very resilient.


Last weekend I helped the missus move a couch into her place.  She bought a bunch of stuff from someone she knows who is divorcing and downsizing.  One of the benefits of having superhuman strength is that I can do stuff that she'd have to a guy for help with. I'm not as strong as I was when I was doing physical labor for 40 hours a week, but I'm still as strong as 12 gorillas.  Pro-tip, guys: girls love it when you move heavy things for them. It gets them all hot and distracted.

Anyway, her apartment felt very empty with sparce furniture, but now that she has furniture and decorations and art and stuff, it feels completely different.  It feels cozy and warm and inviting.  We hosted our first party as a couple last night, as some of her friends were over for dinner and drinks. It felt like a very couples thing to do.

Today, we are going to my office Christmas party together. Some of my coworkers know I prefer the company of women, some don't. Some are old, some are conservative, some are old and conservative.  None of them have met my girl yet. Feeling a little anxious. Wish us luck.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on December 14, 2019, 04:19:26 pm
Wow.  Good luck.  On her side, though, isn't this her first same-sex "relationship". 

As brave as it is for you to bring someone to work... I feel like you greeting her personal friends would be a little more nerve wracking no ?

And... you're strong ?  Are you big or little ?  My grandpa was a tiny man who basically had no end to his energy levels.  He was tiny and wiry and never quit.

I used to have high energy but I'm wondering if I'm seeing new days now... I just need a nap sometimes. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: JMT on December 15, 2019, 08:35:20 pm
I'm about as low as can **** be again....I don't think I'll ever get better.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on December 15, 2019, 08:57:37 pm
I'm about as low as can **** be again....I don't think I'll ever get better.

What is happening ?  Is it relationship stuff ?  Things get better and worse...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: cybercoma on December 16, 2019, 09:55:27 am
I'm about as low as can **** be again....I don't think I'll ever get better.
No one’s life is linear. You’ve got this, friend.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on December 20, 2019, 01:59:32 am
Wow.  Good luck.  On her side, though, isn't this her first same-sex "relationship". 

She has had flings with women before, but this is the first serious relationship she has had with a woman.

The party was great!  Everybody liked her. If anybody had anything negative to say, they waited until I was out of earshot.  Even the old lady who usually makes homophobic jokes was very positive.  And everybody liked the food she made! It was nice to feel  accepted.

The elderly couple who host the party were especially kind to her:
"Lindsey, it was delightful meeting you. I hope we see you at our next party! Kimberly...  you can stay home."

"Lindsey, it has been a pleasure.  ...  Kim, it's been decidedly ... average." 

They tease me because they like me.

...I think.

As brave as it is for you to bring someone to work... I feel like you greeting her personal friends would be a little more nerve wracking no ?

nah.  I'd met some of her friends before, and I assume that she has had the talk with them already.  It didn't really feel like a coming-out in the way that bringing my girl to the office party did.

And... you're strong ?  Are you big or little ?  My grandpa was a tiny man who basically had no end to his energy levels.  He was tiny and wiry and never quit.

I used to have high energy but I'm wondering if I'm seeing new days now... I just need a nap sometimes.

I'm stronger than home-made whiskey!   I'm only 5'5, but I have a lot more muscle on my little frame than most women.   As I've mentioned, I worked in construction for about 10 years, and doing that kind of work every day builds a kind of strength that a few hours a week at the gym just can't give you.  I have lost some muscle since moving to a sedentary job, but I still lift and keep in good shape.



 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: JMT on December 22, 2019, 02:32:11 pm
I just keep getting wrapped up with the wrong person over and over again.  IDK why I let this happen.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on December 22, 2019, 08:43:58 pm
I just keep getting wrapped up with the wrong person over and over again.  IDK why I let this happen.

You should think about why.   It may help extricate you.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on December 23, 2019, 05:39:57 am
We're at the point now where the extremes of Easy's mood will decide how we feel in our day.

We are in Collingwood, in north snowy country, for the week.  We left Saturday and he was difficult and it made things unbearably difficult.  We had to take a 15 minute nap at noon just to get sorted.  Yesterday some friends were visiting their mom locally so we got invited to family christmas and E was just a rockstar: cute, smiley....

Merry Christmas folks...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on December 23, 2019, 10:36:16 am
We're at the point now where the extremes of Easy's mood will decide how we feel in our day.

We are in Collingwood, in north snowy country, for the week.  We left Saturday and he was difficult and it made things unbearably difficult.  We had to take a 15 minute nap at noon just to get sorted.  Yesterday some friends were visiting their mom locally so we got invited to family christmas and E was just a rockstar: cute, smiley....

Merry Christmas folks...

Hey you're just a hop and a skip from my old stompin' ground. (Bracebridge) I made a lot of tracks in that snow up there. Hope you enjoy it and Merry Christmas to you guys.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on December 23, 2019, 01:56:56 pm
Hey you're just a hop and a skip from my old stompin' ground. (Bracebridge) I made a lot of tracks in that snow up there. Hope you enjoy it and Merry Christmas to you guys.

Why thanks.  It's so lovely up here.  Ontario really gets fantastic when you get east of Port Hope and north of Barrie.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: JMT on December 24, 2019, 05:19:07 pm
I started therapy with the better help app.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on December 24, 2019, 06:25:44 pm
Merry Christmas, everyone!  Remember the reason for the season. Remember, if your Yuletide doesn't include the Yulfadr, you've just got ... tide.  Keep Odin in Christmas!

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on December 24, 2019, 08:06:54 pm
Something odd seeped in there...

Well, Merry Christmas then  :D
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on December 24, 2019, 08:45:03 pm
Merry Christmas, everyone!  Remember the reason for the season. Remember, if your Yuletide doesn't include the Yulfadr, you've just got ... tide.  Keep Odin in Christmas!

 -k

 ???

Hope everyone has an excellent Christmas or whatever they may call it.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Granny on December 25, 2019, 11:12:12 am
I'm about as low as can **** be again....I don't think I'll ever get better.
Sorry to hear that, JMT. Winter blues pack a wallop on top of other things. All those things they tell you to do do help - going for a walk, eating well, taking vitamins. What saved me when I hit the the black hole was pushing myself out the door to go out for breakfast every day, and then I was gradually able to socialize again.  Although isolating yourself too much has its downside, I found I also got to know, trust, forgive and respect myself in those long solo episodes. 
Don't attach yourself to anyone who brings you down.

It will get better, and you will get better at making that happen. You are in control.  ;)
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: cybercoma on December 27, 2019, 01:21:05 pm
I just keep getting wrapped up with the wrong person over and over again.  IDK why I let this happen.
We have all done this for years. You’re learning. It’s completely  normal.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on December 28, 2019, 05:19:35 pm
???

Hope everyone has an excellent Christmas or whatever they may call it.
Something odd seeped in there...

Well, Merry Christmas then  :D

My peeps were celebrating Yule at Winter Solstice for centuries before Jesus came along.  Drinking, feasting, bonfires, straw goats being set ablaze, fertility rites, and lots of other festivities intended to persuade Odin and the other gods to bring the sun back.

We had a nice Christmas. I gave her jewels, which made her cry. We skyped with her brother's family, and with her parents. We also had drinking, feasting, fertility rites, and other festivities, but no bonfires or straw goats set ablaze.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on January 06, 2020, 01:25:12 pm
Home sick from work today. :(

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on January 06, 2020, 05:26:37 pm
Is it The Cold? Hit everyone around here. Think it was a Christmas gift from our youngest grand daughter.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on January 06, 2020, 05:41:30 pm
It was weird - almost a 2 week Christmas break because the stat holidays were square in the middle of the week.

That said, Jan 2nd it seemed like downtown was almost the usual level of busy.  Going back was weird, but I tackled the week all fresh n stuff ...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on January 06, 2020, 09:45:25 pm
I just keep getting wrapped up with the wrong person over and over again.  IDK why I let this happen.

1. I'm back on this site for about 6 hours because i was suspended from MLW for a day by your friendly neighbourhood a$$hole Charles Anthony for the dumbest reason alive.  T-minus 6 hours until I can verbally emasculate the **** when my posting "privileges" are returned.  **** that c*nt.  As least you don't have power/control issues like he does.  Unfortunately many of the people who post here are resentful, verbally abusive a-holes who need a hug from mommy to make things better.

2. You keep getting wrapped up because you're in love.  It sucks the best of us into bad situations black holes.  It's like a drug and an addiction, you know it's not healthy but the chemicals in your brain crave it.  Like any bad drug you want to kick, you have to quit cold turkey and never be exposed to it again.  Ie: Never ever talk to her or be around her again.  You've essentially been relapsing with this woman.  Quit her.  I'm speaking from experience also.

3. As far as I know you work at a general store in the middle of bum-f*ck nowhere where you're exposed to few quality women and probably come into contact with this girl more often than you normally would in a city setting.  I'd move the eff away from where you are, far away, move to a bigger town, there's no opportunity where you are, just a lot of effed up aboriginals who don't have their sh!t together for one reason or another.  Not exactly a healthy environment for social life, love life, or career.  Your environment will determine the type of women you will meet.  Choose your environment wisely.

4.  I've noticed you becoming more miserable just by how you speak on this forum over the last year or so. Now I know why.

5.  Next time you have personal problems please don't take it out on me.

6.  Glad you're seeking therapy. They're probably just going to say the same stuff i just said, so save your money, unless it really helps.  Good luck.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on January 07, 2020, 06:56:38 am
Obsessive love IS love but not healthy.  Get rid of it.

We miss you Graham, come back.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: JMT on January 07, 2020, 10:18:34 am
1. I'm back on this site for about 6 hours because i was suspended from MLW for a day by your friendly neighbourhood a$$hole Charles Anthony for the dumbest reason alive.  T-minus 6 hours until I can verbally emasculate the **** when my posting "privileges" are returned.  **** that c*nt.  As least you don't have power/control issues like he does.  Unfortunately many of the people who post here are resentful, verbally abusive a-holes who need a hug from mommy to make things better.

2. You keep getting wrapped up because you're in love.  It sucks the best of us into bad situations black holes.  It's like a drug and an addiction, you know it's not healthy but the chemicals in your brain crave it.  Like any bad drug you want to kick, you have to quit cold turkey and never be exposed to it again.  Ie: Never ever talk to her or be around her again.  You've essentially been relapsing with this woman.  Quit her.  I'm speaking from experience also.

3. As far as I know you work at a general store in the middle of bum-f*ck nowhere where you're exposed to few quality women and probably come into contact with this girl more often than you normally would in a city setting.  I'd move the eff away from where you are, far away, move to a bigger town, there's no opportunity where you are, just a lot of effed up aboriginals who don't have their sh!t together for one reason or another.  Not exactly a healthy environment for social life, love life, or career.  Your environment will determine the type of women you will meet.  Choose your environment wisely.

4.  I've noticed you becoming more miserable just by how you speak on this forum over the last year or so. Now I know why.

5.  Next time you have personal problems please don't take it out on me.

6.  Glad you're seeking therapy. They're probably just going to say the same stuff i just said, so save your money, unless it really helps.  Good luck.

Just to be clear, Kayla lives nowhere near me - my therapist has helped me understand how my codependent personality combined with her probably narcissistic one has led and kept me here.  I feel a lot better now.  I still don't care if anyone posts here lol.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on January 07, 2020, 10:25:26 am
Just to be clear, Kayla lives nowhere near me - my therapist has helped me understand how my codependent personality combined with her probably narcissistic one has led and kept me here.  I feel a lot better now.  I still don't care if anyone posts here lol.

You mean your therapist didn’t just say the same stupid **** Moonlight Graham said?    Wow....  I guess MG shouldn’t quit his day job. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on January 07, 2020, 12:19:14 pm
You mean your therapist didn’t just say the same stupid **** Moonlight Graham said?    Wow....  I guess MG shouldn’t quit his day job.

Apparently MG has an issue with aboriginals as well as women.

I certainly do concur with his comments pertaining to CA. His power tripping has turned the place there into a mostly far right loony bib.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on January 07, 2020, 12:54:08 pm
Do you guys really think it's necessary to make derogatory comments about a web persona you will never meet ?

What's going to happen when you find out I have been ghostwriting all of these personalities.

waldo is based on my dad.  Kimmy is based on my Aunt Peg. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on January 07, 2020, 01:21:51 pm
Do you guys really think it's necessary to make derogatory comments about a web persona you will never meet ?

What's going to happen when you find out I have been ghostwriting all of these personalities.

waldo is based on my dad.  Kimmy is based on my Aunt Peg.

Hmm. Betsy? Taxme? ;)
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on January 07, 2020, 02:28:32 pm
Do you guys really think it's necessary to make derogatory comments about a web persona you will never meet ?

What's going to happen when you find out I have been ghostwriting all of these personalities.

waldo is based on my dad.  Kimmy is based on my Aunt Peg.

I wouldn’t be surprised....    :-\

He comes back here to whine and snivel and tell JMT what a **** job he’s doing and let him know he has a solution to his personal problems and you expect people not to call him out a bit? 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on January 07, 2020, 06:53:46 pm
I wouldn’t be surprised....    :-\

He comes back here to whine and snivel and tell JMT what a **** job he’s doing and let him know he has a solution to his personal problems and you expect people not to call him out a bit?

This other side is real.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on January 07, 2020, 07:44:31 pm
This other side is real.

Seems to me MG just dropped in for a drive by shooting because he was pissed at Charles. No need to cut him slack.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on January 07, 2020, 08:38:37 pm
Do you guys really think it's necessary to make derogatory comments about a web persona you will never meet ?

What's going to happen when you find out I have been ghostwriting all of these personalities.

waldo is based on my dad.  Kimmy is based on my Aunt Peg.

It's ok.  They're just a bunch of children who like to cry and whine and throw tantrums.  They have proved the point in my signature.  I've been back for 2 seconds and already show their true colours. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on January 07, 2020, 08:40:31 pm
Seems to me MG just dropped in for a drive by shooting because he was pissed at Charles. No need to cut him slack.

Hey I like you wilber.

Why is it so many people on these boards are utter morons?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on January 07, 2020, 08:42:34 pm
We miss you Graham, come back.

Come back to what?  Where's the intelligent debate here?  There's like 3 people here worthy of chatting with and the rest just flog insults when someone doesn't think as they do.  I put up with it for years.  Now it's my turn to flog insults.  They can all suck my balls.  They show who they are (hint: their breath smells like my balls).
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on January 07, 2020, 08:43:29 pm
Just to be clear, Kayla lives nowhere near me - my therapist has helped me understand how my codependent personality combined with her probably narcissistic one has led and kept me here.  I feel a lot better now.  I still don't care if anyone posts here lol.

Glad you feel better.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on January 07, 2020, 08:47:32 pm
I wouldn’t be surprised....    :-\

He comes back here to whine and snivel and tell JMT what a **** job he’s doing and let him know he has a solution to his personal problems and you expect people not to call him out a bit?

I never said JMT was doing a bad job.  He's a decent mod.  It's not his fault you're a jerky jerkface. (please mark this post as "dumb").
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on January 08, 2020, 07:24:39 am
Hey I am moderating again! :D

Lots of comments removed.

Personal Stuff doesn't mean insults.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: JMT on January 08, 2020, 11:43:16 am
You're drunk with power.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on January 09, 2020, 06:53:21 am
Power is never worth having unless you can abuse it. Same with lots of things.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on January 09, 2020, 07:00:42 am
Who voted OLD!?

Ok folks, we're heading into the heart of the winter 💓

Take care, it's a tough grind.

Easy and Joan and I are going to look into a gym tonight.

 :P
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on January 09, 2020, 02:14:05 pm
Babies go to gyms now?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on January 09, 2020, 03:22:55 pm
Babies go to gyms now?

I was surprised myself.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on January 11, 2020, 08:00:16 am
The gym happened.  Easy has a little play area with somebody watching him, and he loves it.  It's going to help him get used to independence, not that he has shyness or anything right now.

Easy loves these dance videos and tries to dance.  I like them because the 90s dance music contributes a beat to our background noise. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0fk5L1ifbo

Also those bodies....

Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on January 11, 2020, 09:43:33 am
Ankle biters love to dance. No learned inhibitions yet.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on January 25, 2020, 07:23:14 am
Ok... I need a day off from work bullshit.  Ms Chan is whiplashing the team and not protecting us from VP bullshit.

This stresses me out, but unlike the past I am not looking for a job yet.

Joan wants to go to a social event... Chinese New Year's celebration with friends.  Timing?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: JMT on January 25, 2020, 08:08:57 am
My brother is on vacation in Cancun.  He was having a good time with his fiancee.  He got a message from one of his colleagues that they had an emergency meeting at the jail where he worked.  They're closing it in two months.  He's not really upset - other than the fact that he just bought a house he's pretty mobile.  It's a big deal for some of the other long time employees who have families though.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on January 25, 2020, 08:57:53 am
To my mind, we have to start providing a bigger cushion for displaced people than we have today.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Granny on January 27, 2020, 11:08:06 am
To my mind, we have to start providing a bigger cushion for displaced people than we have today.

Basic income would cover that temporary interruption in earnings too ... with no paperwork or bureaucratic processing!
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on January 27, 2020, 01:18:14 pm
Basic income would cover that temporary interruption in earnings too ... with no paperwork or bureaucratic processing!

I think you can marry liberal and conservative viewpoints if you "invest in people", with the stated goal of getting them off assistance.  That's the common value that would bind pretty much all people, but the devil would be in the details.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on February 01, 2020, 01:11:47 pm
Had our trip to Vegas.  It was wonderful and incredible and delightful.

I have been depressed ever since coming home. I want to go back to Vegas.

We had a big fight right after coming home.

Also her ex had a DUI and she's very worried about him and his alcohol problems, and it bothers me more than it should.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on February 01, 2020, 01:32:13 pm
Like, actually depressed?  Or just wishing you could go back?   
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on February 01, 2020, 01:36:01 pm
Like, actually depressed?  Or just wishing you could go back?

Either having a serious case of post-vacation letdown, or January blahs, or both. Just not happy right now. 

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: JMT on February 01, 2020, 02:09:38 pm
Either having a serious case of post-vacation letdown, or January blahs, or both. Just not happy right now. 

 -k

Without my medication and BetterHelp, I wouldn't be where I am now.  I can't believe how I felt a month ago...that I only knew how to feel bad.  If you need help, don't be afraid to seek it out.

BTW, despite the price, I'd recommend better help to anyone.  It's changed my life.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Granny on February 01, 2020, 02:15:33 pm
Who voted OLD!?

Ok folks, we're heading into the heart of the winter 💓

Take care, it's a tough grind.

Easy and Joan and I are going to look into a gym tonight.

 :P

I looked into a gym once ...
Sweaty people, sweaty smells, yuck.

Oh ... and viruses ... doctor told me to stay away.  Lol
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on February 01, 2020, 02:37:58 pm
I looked into a gym once ...
Sweaty people, sweaty smells, yuck.

Oh ... and viruses ... doctor told me to stay away.  Lol

I got challenged once to look into a karate dojo, so I did, just to meet that challenge. Ended up joining the club, buying a Gi and hanging around for three years. Never felt better. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on February 01, 2020, 08:11:10 pm
I looked into a gym once ...
Sweaty people, sweaty smells, yuck.

Oh ... and viruses ... doctor told me to stay away.  Lol

I wanted to do it in January and we did.  Baby, mama and papa all go and baby plays with other babies for 45 minutes.  It's the natural anti-depressant.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on February 01, 2020, 11:17:40 pm
Without my medication and BetterHelp, I wouldn't be where I am now.  I can't believe how I felt a month ago...that I only knew how to feel bad.  If you need help, don't be afraid to seek it out.

BTW, despite the price, I'd recommend better help to anyone.  It's changed my life.

That's awesome to hear.  Glad you're in a better place now.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on February 02, 2020, 10:50:56 pm
Without my medication and BetterHelp, I wouldn't be where I am now.  I can't believe how I felt a month ago...that I only knew how to feel bad.  If you need help, don't be afraid to seek it out.

BTW, despite the price, I'd recommend better help to anyone.  It's changed my life.

Glad you're doing better. :)

For me, I've battled depression before and I know what I'm up against.  My physician and I have a good relationship and I can talk to her about anything.

And having a nice weekend with my sweetie has cheered me up somewhat.  I think it's just a passing thing.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on February 03, 2020, 10:31:36 pm
I think i have a small anal fissure.  True story.  It burns.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on February 12, 2020, 11:22:35 pm
I think i got an std from going a$$-to-mouth.  This is page 69 of this topic btw.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: waldo on February 13, 2020, 12:10:16 am
I think i have a small anal fissure.  True story.  It burns.

concerned waldo: get a sigmoidoscopy, stat!

I think i got an std from going a$$-to-mouth.  This is page 69 of this topic btw.

(https://www.hardcorecloser.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/head-up-ass.jpg)

let your referral Doc know about this practice of yours... it might relate to your fissure. Be well!
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on February 13, 2020, 05:07:07 am
 >:(
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on February 16, 2020, 05:23:18 pm
Long weekend in Ontario.
 
I couldn't find rest from work that has gotten increasingly busy and have a almost stressful now.

Joan's sister is in a bad way and we're starting to wonder if drugs are involved, as her problems seem to have no end or logical explanation.

And Easy is pretty sick.  Feverish and breathing heavily.

Shitty time off.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on February 16, 2020, 11:21:58 pm
We went to Sick Kids hospital.  The Dr asked if we wanted to give Easy a chest x Ray in case... We did and turned out that he has pneumonia 😔
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on February 16, 2020, 11:38:31 pm
We went to Sick Kids hospital.  The Dr asked if we wanted to give Easy a chest x Ray in case... We did and turned out that he has pneumonia 😔

Well good that it's been diagnosed so treatment can start. My wishes for a speedy recovery.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on February 25, 2020, 11:31:55 pm
Had a delightful Valentine's Day with my sweetie. It was actually Valentine's Weekend, because with the Family Day holiday, it turned into a 3 day celebration.

I am worried that her new work is not going as well as she wants me to think it is. She has taken a part time job waitressing to make extra money, which means I see less of her and I'm worried about her financial situation and whether she's struggling.


I've been summoned for jury duty. The letter says the trial is expected to take 12 weeks. How much crime do you have to commit for the trial to take 12 weeks? Is this like a **** biker gang trial?  Mass murderer? I'm guessing a 12 week trial must be something pretty big.  I have to get out of this. I'm worried about what this might do to my employer and my employment situation. It's not like I'm working at Superstore-- we're a small business and we don't have a bunch of extra staff who can just come in and pick up what I do. 12 weeks might mean they have to hire a replacement for me and train them, which isn't a small burden for a company our size.  This is stressing me out.  This really sucks.


 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on February 26, 2020, 06:55:36 am
Tell them you can't afford to be out that long.

Also, if you make a statement during the vetting, indicating that you are very bleeding heart the crown will take you out, I think.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: ?Impact on February 26, 2020, 10:23:48 am
I've been summoned for jury duty. The letter says the trial is expected to take 12 weeks. How much crime do you have to commit for the trial to take 12 weeks? Is this like a **** biker gang trial?  Mass murderer? I'm guessing a 12 week trial must be something pretty big.  I have to get out of this. I'm worried about what this might do to my employer and my employment situation. It's not like I'm working at Superstore-- we're a small business and we don't have a bunch of extra staff who can just come in and pick up what I do. 12 weeks might mean they have to hire a replacement for me and train them, which isn't a small burden for a company our size.  This is stressing me out.  This really sucks.

Yes, Jury duty sucks. While you are obligated to serve, it is worth pleading why it would be difficult in your situation. They sometimes offer a deferment if there is something that you have that conflicts (e.g. long planed prepaid vacation, wedding, etc.); but remember you will be called again. In your situation it appears there is a hardship that you and your employer will face that is beyond normal so it might be worth bringing that up. There are other ways people sometimes gets out of jury duty, but most of them are sleazy and the judge often can see through them if you are lying.

There are some people that are disqualified from serving by the nature of their employment (police officer, lawyer, trustee in bankruptcy, employee of the Ministry of Attorney General, etc.), or if they have been convicted of certain criminal offenses. Some people can get exemptions for medical reasons, if they are a full-time student, limited understanding of English (or French), etc. I am assuming none of these apply in your case.

If you just received your first letter, my guess is you have not been selected for a trial but are at the panel stage. Did the letter actually state trial? A jury panel is essentially a pool of potential jurors, and you must attend a few selection processes over the 12 weeks or whatever they stated. It is during these selection processes that your name may be drawn from a hat to be challenged by the crown or defense attorney. Most criminal trials do not last 12 weeks, typical is less than a week to maybe a couple of weeks.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on February 26, 2020, 10:32:13 am
Had a delightful Valentine's Day with my sweetie. It was actually Valentine's Weekend, because with the Family Day holiday, it turned into a 3 day celebration.

I am worried that her new work is not going as well as she wants me to think it is. She has taken a part time job waitressing to make extra money, which means I see less of her and I'm worried about her financial situation and whether she's struggling.


I've been summoned for jury duty. The letter says the trial is expected to take 12 weeks. How much crime do you have to commit for the trial to take 12 weeks? Is this like a **** biker gang trial?  Mass murderer? I'm guessing a 12 week trial must be something pretty big.  I have to get out of this. I'm worried about what this might do to my employer and my employment situation. It's not like I'm working at Superstore-- we're a small business and we don't have a bunch of extra staff who can just come in and pick up what I do. 12 weeks might mean they have to hire a replacement for me and train them, which isn't a small burden for a company our size.  This is stressing me out.  This really sucks.


 -k

Do your best hangum high redneck imitation at the selection, maybe they won’t want you.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on February 26, 2020, 10:37:54 am
Could it be this one?

https://www.castanet.net/news/Kelowna/260914/Date-set-in-murder-trial

Quote
The trial of three men accused of killing a 20-year old man and leaving his body on a forestry road near the Coquihalla Highway has been set for next summer.

Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: ?Impact on February 26, 2020, 10:55:38 am
Could it be this one?

That might be one of the sleazy excuses I was alluding to earlier. If it is indeed that trial, then you could read up on all the particulars in the case and form an opinion beforehand. Make it clear during the selection process you know about the case, and say things like are those the three sleeze buckets that killed that poor boy in the forest. The defense will certainly challenge you on that, and you might get out of the trial. The judge however might see through a premeditated scheme on your part and charge you. In many cases you will not be given the opportunity to express anything, and the attorneys will accept you without any questions.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on February 27, 2020, 11:21:16 am
I'm retired and jury duty would be a relatively minor disruption in my life but people over 65 are exempt. I don't get that.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: ?Impact on February 27, 2020, 01:57:19 pm
I'm retired and jury duty would be a relatively minor disruption in my life but people over 65 are exempt. I don't get that.

You must live in B.C., I believe that they are the only province that does that. Certainly more people over 65 get medical exemptions than the general population. Also note that a jury is supposed to be of ones peers, so if it was entirely people over age 65 that would be a very biased view.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on February 27, 2020, 09:22:50 pm
You must live in B.C., I believe that they are the only province that does that. Certainly more people over 65 get medical exemptions than the general population. Also note that a jury is supposed to be of ones peers, so if it was entirely people over age 65 that would be a very biased view.


So if you are over 65 in BC you won't get a jury of your peers.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on February 27, 2020, 10:01:19 pm
I'm retired and jury duty would be a relatively minor disruption in my life but people over 65 are exempt. I don't get that.

Us under-65'ers have deemed you old spunkers senile racialist gayphobes.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on February 28, 2020, 01:36:09 am
You must live in B.C., I believe that they are the only province that does that. Certainly more people over 65 get medical exemptions than the general population. Also note that a jury is supposed to be of ones peers, so if it was entirely people over age 65 that would be a very biased view.

"A jury of your peers" doesn't mean people of your specific demographic profile.  A woman doesn't get an all female jury, a Muslim doesn't get an all-Muslim jury, or anything like that.  A career criminal doesn't get a jury of other career criminals.   Your peers are your equals-- other free citizens of Canada.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on February 28, 2020, 09:04:47 am
Us under-65'ers have deemed you old spunkers senile racialist gayphobes.

There seems to be an upside to everything. So get in there and do your duty you lazy progressive pups.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: ?Impact on February 28, 2020, 02:40:27 pm
"A jury of your peers" doesn't mean people of your specific demographic profile.  A woman doesn't get an all female jury, a Muslim doesn't get an all-Muslim jury, or anything like that.  A career criminal doesn't get a jury of other career criminals.   Your peers are your equals-- other free citizens of Canada.

Slight correction, a random sampling of other free citizens. If you only get old farts, then they are not your peers, they are a special interest group (in your words: specific demographic profile) just like the others you listed.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on February 29, 2020, 07:03:37 pm
Slight correction, a random sampling of other free citizens. If you only get old farts, then they are not your peers, they are a special interest group (in your words: specific demographic profile) just like the others you listed.

Shouldn't a jury reflect a cross section of society, including different age groups? I'm not complaining about not having to serve, but I wouldn't try to avoid it either. Could be very interesting.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on February 29, 2020, 10:20:19 pm
Do old people become farts once they start to smell bad?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on March 01, 2020, 07:58:20 am
Do old people become farts once they start to smell bad?

Mean
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Granny on March 06, 2020, 09:47:57 pm
Do old people become farts once they start to smell bad?

We don't care. : - D
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on March 16, 2020, 07:46:07 am
Day 4 of WFH. 

Joan says play dates are now cancelled with the moms.  She is resisting the urge to go to stores and buy more.  Went for a walk last night and the city was deathy quiet   :P
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on March 16, 2020, 09:12:28 am
My handwriting is terrible.  I have a note to myself on a post-it on my laptop.  Near as I can figure it says "panther c0ck"
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on March 16, 2020, 03:28:59 pm
Day 4 of WFH. 

Joan says play dates are now cancelled with the moms.  She is resisting the urge to go to stores and buy more.  Went for a walk last night and the city was deathy quiet   :P

People are idiots....  they think “self isolation” means “don’t dare go outside”! 

Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on March 16, 2020, 07:20:02 pm
People are idiots....  they think “self isolation” means “don’t dare go outside”!

Well... actually it does mean that.  My family had a big argument and bit of research and the Ontario version of it is "stay in your house".   NZ and Netherlands are a little more pragmatic - why not go for a walk ?  But my parents are staying indoors.

I know.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on March 16, 2020, 08:30:15 pm
Well... actually it does mean that.  My family had a big argument and bit of research and the Ontario version of it is "stay in your house".   NZ and Netherlands are a little more pragmatic - why not go for a walk ?  But my parents are staying indoors.

I know.

Yes, IF you have had the possibility of coming in contact by traveling, etc. Then you should stay in your home.   If you’re just not taking chances, then going outside is fine.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on March 16, 2020, 09:03:18 pm
Yes, IF you have had the possibility of coming in contact by traveling, etc. Then you should stay in your home.   If you’re just not taking chances, then going outside is fine.

I agree with you but that's not what the literature says.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on March 16, 2020, 09:10:41 pm
I agree with you but that's not what the literature says.

No that’s not what they’re saying to do.

https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/diseases-conditions/self-monitoring-self-isolation-isolation-for-covid-19.html

Recommendations to stay home are only for people who traveled.  Even if you may have been exposed, they say to  “go about your day but avoid crowds”.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on March 17, 2020, 06:11:15 am
No that’s not what they’re saying to do.

https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/diseases-conditions/self-monitoring-self-isolation-isolation-for-covid-19.html

Recommendations to stay home are only for people who traveled.  Even if you may have been exposed, they say to  “go about your day but avoid crowds”.

Yes, my parents travelled so they are to self-isolate:

Quote
Self-isolate means to:

stay at home and monitor yourself for symptoms, even if mild, for 14 days
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on March 17, 2020, 06:12:01 am
How is Kimmy and her girlfriend doing ?

cyber ?

Chime in people :-\
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on March 17, 2020, 07:16:54 am
The skin on my hands is getting dry from washing them every time I touch some filthy hazardous door handle.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on March 17, 2020, 11:27:52 am
Yes, my parents travelled so they are to self-isolate:

 ::)

You failed to mention this relevant fact. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on March 17, 2020, 11:54:17 am
::)

You failed to mention this relevant fact.

Sure but 'self isolate' only has one meaning on the public health page whether you travelled or not. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on March 18, 2020, 02:29:11 am
How is Kimmy and her girlfriend doing ?

Feeling pretty down because of all the craziness.  One of my usual hang-outs was open today and I did manage to get my yearly quota of green beer. All the other places I like to visit are closed until further notice. Friends are laid off, businesses are losing money, everything is unsettled, everyone is just waiting for the next shoe to drop. I have never experienced anything like this.

I've recovered from the bad cold I had last week. Linz came over Sunday morning and insisted we have sex. After a week of feeling like the human equivalent of a dumpster fire, it picked me up.   While I was sick she came over with a bunch of food and medicine and tea and stuff to take care of me.  Even though  I'm the one with superhuman physical gifts, legendary kung-fu fighting skills, and mystical powers, she's actually the strong one in some ways. She seldom gets sick, she just shrugs everything off.  She's so good to me.  When I'm mentally all over the place, she's calm and confident.

Lindsey is laid off right now, from her day job as well as her waitressing gig.  I'm back at work.  We have a small office, we don't have customers come and go from our building, we're pretty unlikely to be exposed to anything.  There's only one known case here in town so far, but people are acting like we're in the opening stages of the zombie apocalypse.

We have sunshine now, and I went for a walk last night.  I might as well be outdoors while I'm practicing social distancing. Before too long it'll be time for hiking and kayaking, and I'll be able to self-quarantine for a few hours out on the lake or up in the hills.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on March 18, 2020, 03:17:37 pm
Self containment going well.  Meeting a colleague/friend for a game of pickleball later (I hope that doesn’t make me sound like I’m 85...).   No contact sport....   Separated by a net, so it should be good!
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on March 18, 2020, 05:03:18 pm
Self containment going well.  Meeting a colleague/friend for a game of pickleball later (I hope that doesn’t make me sound like I’m 85...).   No contact sport....   Separated by a net, so it should be good!

As long as you stay out of the kitchen and Purell every service change you should be good.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on March 18, 2020, 05:08:33 pm
I figure golf should be good as long as you keep it to a twosome with a fellow self isolator from the same household..
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on March 18, 2020, 10:17:18 pm
As long as you stay out of the kitchen and Purell every service change you should be good.

We used separate balls.  No touching the other person’s balls.   

I stumbled into the kitchen a time or two...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on March 19, 2020, 06:21:08 am
We used separate balls.  No touching the other person’s balls.   
 

This should be a maxim of life...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on March 19, 2020, 01:19:37 pm
I figure golf should be good as long as you keep it to a twosome with a fellow self isolator from the same household..

Same rule applies...   don’t touch his balls.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on March 20, 2020, 06:20:51 am
Mental health challenges coming up.

Dealing with my team & organization on the phone all day long is challenging in ways I couldn't anticipate.  Also trapped in with just Easy & Joan isn't great for us.   :'(

I'm available for 1-on-1s if you want to chat/vent
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on March 20, 2020, 11:55:15 am
Take the family for a walk Michael.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on March 20, 2020, 12:40:43 pm
Mental health challenges coming up.

Dealing with my team & organization on the phone all day long is challenging in ways I couldn't anticipate.  Also trapped in with just Easy & Joan isn't great for us.   :'(

I'm available for 1-on-1s if you want to chat/vent

It’s been a bloody week!!   LOL ???

This could last for months....   likely will...

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/social-distancing-isolation-results-1.5503829

Quote
Canada's top doctor says it might be months before we know whether social distancing measures being employed across the country right now are slowing the spread of COVID-19.


Get ready for spending months with them 24/7.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on March 21, 2020, 09:03:41 am
Take the family for a walk Michael.

We do, once or twice a day.  Mostly work is ratcheting up my stress.  Trying to talk to my team's to get work done with sparse internet.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on March 21, 2020, 12:40:23 pm
We do, once or twice a day.  Mostly work is ratcheting up my stress.  Trying to talk to my team's to get work done with sparse internet.

Sparse internet?   Don’t you live in the biggest city in Canada?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on March 21, 2020, 01:10:24 pm
Sparse internet?   Don’t you live in the biggest forty in Canada?
Yes.  I am switching providers.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: waldo on March 21, 2020, 01:15:23 pm
MH @ Day5 workin' from home!  ;D

(https://i.imgur.com/uCci7h6.png)
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on March 21, 2020, 02:01:35 pm
 Not close.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on March 21, 2020, 03:29:35 pm
We're not doing well.  Not having any other social contacts is wearing on our relationship.  I resent my space being invaded and don't want to share.  Easy is teething and randomly starts screetching at maximum decibel and frequency.

I can't think of a way out of this, unless we take turns going to the park alone.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on March 21, 2020, 04:04:28 pm
We're not doing well.  Not having any other social contacts is wearing on our relationship.  I resent my space being invaded and don't want to share.  Easy is teething and randomly starts screetching at maximum decibel and frequency.

I can't think of a way out of this, unless we take turns going to the park alone.

Wow...  6 days in.

You may want to strongly consider talking to a counselor.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on March 21, 2020, 04:27:28 pm
Wow...  6 days in.

You may want to strongly consider talking to a counselor.

I guess so.  15 years of marriage and 5 years together before that didn't prepare us for the pile-on of stresses we are in now.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on March 21, 2020, 05:38:08 pm
We have been given free counselling from work.  It's a phonea session but ok.  Joan is ok with the idea.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on March 22, 2020, 09:34:30 am
Feeling low.

Joan took it upon herself to watercolour paint red hearts all over the sidewalk out front.  She's gathered some energy and trying to make things better, which is what love is.  She cleaned up the house and put Easy down for a nap.  She says she will take him out for a long walk today.

Myself, I am still low.  I would prefer to just fix my eyes on the laptop, with the TV news on, gravelled voices giving dour info updates.

I watched some TV shows I had saved.   We have indeed run out of shows, maybe the right one will help us get on the same page.  She said ok to counselling, which I will look up.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on March 22, 2020, 02:05:01 pm
Stop continually watching the news, it will just drag you down. Keep it to once or twice a day. Watch something else. Binge watch something on Netflix, listen to music. Get outside, go for a walk. Anything but continually watching the news on the tube or the computer.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on March 22, 2020, 04:24:45 pm
I guess so.  15 years of marriage and 5 years together before that didn't prepare us for the pile-on of stresses we are in now.

I wish I had a partner during all this chaos.  If this helps to hear... count your blessings. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on March 22, 2020, 04:27:46 pm
Stop continually watching the news, it will just drag you down. Keep it to once or twice a day. Watch something else. Binge watch something on Netflix, listen to music. Get outside, go for a walk. Anything but continually watching the news on the tube or the computer.

I've started power-washing everything.  I did the deck and backyard furniture and the walls and window.  Now I bought waterproof overalls and I'm gonna do all the paving stones and the driveway.     8)

It keeps my mind busy and I almost forget there is a pandemic and looming Great Depression.  Then I watch the news and cry. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on March 22, 2020, 06:46:12 pm
Into day two of self isolation. It will be an interesting couple of weeks.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on March 22, 2020, 10:13:26 pm
I walked a few beaches today.  Found some Texada flower stones...   No idea what I want with these things, but among precious stone and rock collectors, they're a thing!  Not the best examples that I've seen from different websites, but they're not bad.

If you believe the "woo", then these stones combat negativity and cynicism, among other things.  Maybe we all need one in our pockets.... 

https://fieldguidetexada.weebly.com/about-flower-rock.html

Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on March 22, 2020, 11:13:43 pm
Self containment going well.  Meeting a colleague/friend for a game of pickleball later (I hope that doesn’t make me sound like I’m 85...).   No contact sport....   Separated by a net, so it should be good!

Pickleball should be halted indefinitely, for the sake of public health.  Not because of the virus, but because of the annoying sound.  Somebody who lives near a pickleball court is going to go on a rampage one of these days.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on March 22, 2020, 11:37:44 pm
Since she has no job to go to, Lindsey has been dog-walking and shopping for old-people she knows. She's reading everything she can about this and sending me articles and updates from the government websites and stuff like that.   We spent the whole weekend together... it was very nice. We were driving out to do some hiking today, and she pulled over and started crying. She said "Have you been reading about what's happening in Italy?"  and I nodded. "Things are going to get bad here in the next month. Not Italy bad, but bad. And if things get bad, I think we should get married because I don't ever want to be without you."

I got her calmed down and assured her that she wasn't ever going to be without me, and after a while she was feeling reassured enough to drive us to our destination and we went for a hike.

She laughed it off later-- "I'm so neurotic... 'AHHH!  It's the end of the world! Let's get married!' I hope I didn't freak you out..." but it was kind of sobering.  This was the first time she's ever used the M word in regard to us, and it's something I'd never really thought about. It's obviously something she has thought about. I don't think today counts as a proposal, but it made me realize that she's very invested in this. I have responsibilities to her... I guess I already did, but I didn't realize it to this degree.

She's very precious to me, but I never really considered the idea that I could be this important to her. I never considered that I could be this important to anybody, really. It feels strange.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on March 22, 2020, 11:40:01 pm
If you believe the "woo", then these stones combat negativity and cynicism

It's not working.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on March 23, 2020, 12:39:28 am
It's not working.

 -k

I don't think it was the rock in my pocket, but it was hard to be negative walking along the beach on such a beautiful day.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on March 23, 2020, 06:06:37 am
Wow Kimmy, your post took my breath away.

You should absorb the reality emotionally, IMO.  I know it's scary but Lindsay and life are now waiting on a reaction, if not a response.

If you say 'it's strange' or 'I never thought about this', that's just an intellectual observation.  Don't delay the heart.  Obviously I am hoping for you.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: cybercoma on March 23, 2020, 07:57:34 am
Well, I haven't been around for awhile.

Turns out I got mono, as an adult. It sucks. It really sucks. Was sick as hell for about a month and now I'm hunkered down trying to avoid COVID-19 because the last thing I need is to be sick again with my immune system already struggling. Hope everyone is doing well.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on March 23, 2020, 02:52:18 pm
Well, I haven't been around for awhile.

Turns out I got mono, as an adult. It sucks. It really sucks. Was sick as hell for about a month and now I'm hunkered down trying to avoid COVID-19 because the last thing I need is to be sick again with my immune system already struggling. Hope everyone is doing well.

That does suck. Keep well.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on March 26, 2020, 10:09:44 am
I'm still up and down.  Had a real crash last night in the middle of Skype call with friends so I just went to bed.   Wife was displeased with me.

Weather is getting better and that will be great once we get warm days.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on March 27, 2020, 04:12:09 pm
Putting my inflatable boat on its trailer today.   Going to go trout/bass fishing to stay sane.   Maybe drink Coronas will avoiding CORONA.   Sunday looks like it might be decent weather here.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on March 27, 2020, 09:43:19 pm
Wow Kimmy, your post took my breath away.

You should absorb the reality emotionally, IMO.  I know it's scary but Lindsay and life are now waiting on a reaction, if not a response.

If you say 'it's strange' or 'I never thought about this', that's just an intellectual observation.  Don't delay the heart.  Obviously I am hoping for you.

Hoping for me to what, though?  I don't think I want to get married because Linz thinks the world is ending.  I'm not sure I ever want to get married at all.

We talked more about it.  She is worried that if the government issues a lockdown order, we could be separated for weeks or months. She wants us to be a single household so that we can be together even if there is a lockdown.  We're not talking about moving in together, but she thinks that if she just does paperwork to say she lives with me, that would be good enough. I'm not sure how lockdown orders work, and hopefully things never get to that stage. But she's worried about the possibility.


Aaaand.... I'm self-isolating, so I won't see her for two weeks anyway.


My co-worker Technical Sales Tom was in hospital (heart attack :( ) and while he was there they tested him for covid and it came back positive. He had no symptoms on Wednesday when he was at work.  And while I also feel fine, I know that the right thing to do is stay home.  Luckily I can do a lot of work from home... I will be in email contact with Good Boss Greg and Ed Engineer, writing the documents and reports they need.

It's possible that he tested positive because he already had covid and recovered.  It's possible that the terrible cold that had me and various others home from work a couple of weeks ago was actually covid and we didn't realize it.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on March 27, 2020, 09:48:02 pm
Hoping for me to what, though?  I don't think I want to get married because Linz thinks the world is ending.  I'm not sure I ever want to get married at all.

We talked more about it.  She is worried that if the government issues a lockdown order, we could be separated for weeks or months. She wants us to be a single household so that we can be together even if there is a lockdown.  We're not talking about moving in together, but she thinks that if she just does paperwork to say she lives with me, that would be good enough. I'm not sure how lockdown orders work, and hopefully things never get to that stage. But she's worried about the possibility.


Aaaand.... I'm self-isolating, so I won't see her for two weeks anyway.


My co-worker Technical Sales Tom was in hospital (heart attack :( ) and while he was there they tested him for covid and it came back positive. He had no symptoms on Wednesday when he was at work.  And while I also feel fine, I know that the right thing to do is stay home.  Luckily I can do a lot of work from home... I will be in email contact with Good Boss Greg and Ed Engineer, writing the documents and reports they need.

It's possible that he tested positive because he already had covid and recovered.  It's possible that the terrible cold that had me and various others home from work a couple of weeks ago was actually covid and we didn't realize it.

 -k


Smart on all accounts.   No need to rush into anything. 

And smart to self isolate.   Dumb of your boss not to have people work from home if they could right from the start.   
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on March 27, 2020, 09:55:16 pm

Smart on all accounts.   No need to rush into anything. 

And smart to self isolate.   Dumb of your boss not to have people work from home if they could right from the start.

For me, it's a minor inconvenience to work from home.  For some of the others it's a major hassle.   Also, I like being at work.  I like my co-workers... even Old Economy Steve and Boring Stories Bob.  I am going to miss them a lot, even though it's just a couple of weeks. 

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on March 27, 2020, 10:07:30 pm
For me, it's a minor inconvenience to work from home.  For some of the others it's a major hassle.   Also, I like being at work.  I like my co-workers... even Old Economy Steve and Boring Stories Bob.  I am going to miss them a lot, even though it's just a couple of weeks. 

 -k

I think it will be more than a few weeks from the sounds of it.  I think most people will be working from home through April.  Beyond that who knows.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on March 27, 2020, 10:24:07 pm
For us, the quarantine is going to be two weeks, which is long enough to know if we got sick from our infected co-worker.

After that our office will be open again, although some people might decide to keep working from home.   We don't interact directly with the public, and because of the nature of our customers (many are medical, law enforcement, first responders, emergency services) we're an essential service.  So while bars and restaurants and similar will be closed for weeks or months to come, our place is going to be back open again as soon as our two weeks is up.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on March 28, 2020, 12:14:21 am
Putting my inflatable boat on its trailer today.   Going to go trout/bass fishing to stay sane.   Maybe drink Coronas will avoiding CORONA.   Sunday looks like it might be decent weather here.

In the beginning I was drinking a lot of Corona because, well I love Corona, but also because I felt bad that they're probably losing a lot of business.

Now that it's all hit the fan I've pretty much gone straight to the hard liquor.  If I live through all this I'll end up an overweight alcoholic... with neurotic kids.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on March 28, 2020, 12:24:48 am
I think it will be more than a few weeks from the sounds of it.  I think most people will be working from home through April.  Beyond that who knows.

Conference calls are not going well with toddlers walking into the background.  I felt like that BBC reporter earlier today when I was in a manager's meeting with all the company's' leadership' and my little one came waltzing in with the older one running to get her and stopping to wave at everyone.

I'd given her $25 I gave her to watch the little one.  I reneged. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on March 28, 2020, 06:25:21 am
We have calls with 3 of the folks online having kids yell, cry or play piano.

It's ok.

Kimmy, your gal is falling hard for you.  You owe it to yourself and her to think about that and address it somehow.  I just hear you saying you don't know, that other factors are taking away the urgency to decide etc.  If you don't take a hold of this moment, it will pass and you will have to watch it fade back to the horizon.

Of course I am an irrational romantic, and I want you and L to have a romcom airport moment, followed by love everlasting.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on March 30, 2020, 01:22:51 pm
Five days of self isolating to go. It will be nice to get out and go for a walk. The basement elliptical for exercise is getting pretty stale and the old basement TV just died so we can't watch that while grinding away. Not sure how far out of the cocoon I want to venture but we can't ask the kids to keep us supplied forever.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on March 30, 2020, 01:49:32 pm
For me, it's a minor inconvenience to work from home.  For some of the others it's a major hassle.   Also, I like being at work.  I like my co-workers... even Old Economy Steve and Boring Stories Bob.  I am going to miss them a lot, even though it's just a couple of weeks. 

 -k

You should be pushing hard to keep working from home after the 2 weeks.  You do not want this thing, and you don’t want to spread this thing.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on March 30, 2020, 02:03:39 pm
You should be pushing hard to keep working from home after the 2 weeks.  You do not want this thing, and you don’t want to spread this thing.

Agreed, the best thing any of us can do is not become part of the problem.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on March 30, 2020, 03:10:38 pm
We got grocery pickup today, but didn't go well.  The van wouldn't start after the load-up so that was tense.  We didn't get ANY bread.  Bread ?  They didn't give us toothpaste or infant Tylenol.  Luckily we still have 2 weeks' supply. 

I think we're going to send Joan in on her own early weekend mornings.  Or we can do it during the week and I call in a little late.

Also I got a headache and sniffles after we got back.  Sigh...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on March 30, 2020, 03:17:27 pm
In the beginning I was drinking a lot of Corona because, well I love Corona, but also because I felt bad that they're probably losing a lot of business.

Now that it's all hit the fan I've pretty much gone straight to the hard liquor.  If I live through all this I'll end up an overweight alcoholic... with neurotic kids.

I’ve been drinking my collection of whisky like it’s the End-Times (https://www.prophecynewswatch.com/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwsYb0BRCOARIsAHbLPhGtbjQ2wY8AgrerjJqsdQQo4gLZVKqkk4-23NrCpjC8a0kVEuWDao4aAsFYEALw_wcB)!   If this virus takes me out, I’m not taking the chance that someone gets it who can’t appreciate good scotch!! 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: cybercoma on March 30, 2020, 03:38:38 pm
I’ve been drinking my collection of whisky like it’s the End-Times (https://www.prophecynewswatch.com/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwsYb0BRCOARIsAHbLPhGtbjQ2wY8AgrerjJqsdQQo4gLZVKqkk4-23NrCpjC8a0kVEuWDao4aAsFYEALw_wcB)!   If this virus takes me out, I’m not taking the chance that someone gets it who can’t appreciate good scotch!!
Put me in your will, just in case
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on March 30, 2020, 09:38:21 pm
PS you can all friend me on FB... :D
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on April 03, 2020, 12:06:57 pm
It's April 3 and snow pellets are coming down like crazy and sticking to our deck. IN THE FRASER VALLEY IN APRIL FOR CRIPES SAKE. The world has gone nuts.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Granny on April 04, 2020, 07:25:57 pm
It's April 3 and snow pellets are coming down like crazy and sticking to our deck. IN THE FRASER VALLEY IN APRIL FOR CRIPES SAKE. The world has gone nuts.

My first daffodils are blooming.

The city is very quiet.
I can always hear birds.
Everybody's at home being quiet.

Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on April 04, 2020, 08:06:23 pm
My first daffodils are blooming.

**** your daffodils.

It's April 3 and snow pellets are coming down like crazy and sticking to our deck. IN THE FRASER VALLEY IN APRIL FOR CRIPES SAKE. The world has gone nuts.

**** snow. **** the Fraser Valley.

PS you can all friend me on FB... :D

**** Facebook.

Put me in your will, just in case

**** Squidward's will.

I’ve been drinking my collection of whisky like it’s the End-Times (https://www.prophecynewswatch.com/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwsYb0BRCOARIsAHbLPhGtbjQ2wY8AgrerjJqsdQQo4gLZVKqkk4-23NrCpjC8a0kVEuWDao4aAsFYEALw_wcB)!   If this virus takes me out, I’m not taking the chance that someone gets it who can’t appreciate good scotch!! 

**** the End Times.

You should be pushing hard to keep working from home after the 2 weeks.  You do not want this thing, and you don’t want to spread this thing.

**** working from home.

Five days of self isolating to go. It will be nice to get out and go for a walk.

**** self-isolating.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on April 04, 2020, 09:13:12 pm

**** self-isolating.

 -k

We returned from the US on March 20 and have never been happier to be on Canadian soil.  Self isolating was the deal. You can't expect others to do it if you are not willing yourself.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on April 05, 2020, 12:09:15 am
Playing card games with my spouse.  She’s not happy that I won...    plus, it doesn’t help that I straddle the line with the rules once in a while....
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on April 05, 2020, 07:37:24 am
I'm starting to think I'll be nostalgic for this time when it's over. I feel horrible for the dying and the economic collapse, but there are hardly any cars in the street and I can feel productive and useful by lying around the house doing nothing. Also, I get along well with my family and now we're all home all the time. Kind of nice.
That being said, **** this virus.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on April 05, 2020, 06:37:08 pm
My cat caught a bird....    she has been so good about that up until recently.  It’s been 5 years with hardly an incident....   she could come and go as she pleased.  Well, now she is inside until the birds have left for the evening.  She’s not impressed, but too **** bad.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: JMT on April 07, 2020, 06:57:15 pm
My ex girlfriend is like a plague.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on April 07, 2020, 07:28:25 pm
My ex girlfriend is like a plague.

Try hydroxychloroquine. There is a guy down south who will give you a deal.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on April 08, 2020, 01:32:42 am
My bass lures arrived from Amazon....    Time to go fishin’...   




(https://canadianpoliticalevents.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gpsnauticalcharts.com%2Fstatic_html%2Fnautical_charts_app%2Fnautical_chart_images%2FCA_BC_shawnigan_lake.jpg&hash=2981d3b13dc7f8ea5ff18c8f3322322feb1b2e92)
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on April 08, 2020, 01:12:33 pm
What's the bass fishing like at Shawnigan lake? I use to do some at Osoyoos Lake but the milfoil there is terrible.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on April 08, 2020, 01:24:11 pm
Try hydroxychloroquine. There is a guy down south who will give you a deal.

I tried it once and it sure fixed my malaria. Should I be donating blood? I'll call that guy down south for advice.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on April 08, 2020, 01:39:11 pm
What's the bass fishing like at Shawnigan lake? I use to do some at Osoyoos Lake but the milfoil there is terrible.

Not my video....  some dude whose video convinced me to go give it a shot. 

https://youtu.be/zastuf54xso

Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on April 08, 2020, 04:44:26 pm
New this week...

Easy still getting cuter
People still dying
We're in counselling now
My job isn't better but I stopped caring, and my boss Miss Ling didn't notice... And instead complimented how I have been doing
I am gaining weight

What else is new ?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on April 08, 2020, 05:40:06 pm
New this week:

- I'm also gaining weight, but starting to exercise
- I'm really bored and sleeping more
- The internet and TV bore me, but the government has banned all activities besides internet and TV
- I've watched every movie ever made
- I haven't been laid off, which is a good thing
- Life is boring
- I try to go for walks outside, but sometimes they are boring
- I masturbate more often now, due to boredom
- My mother says I'm handsome and that i'm an essential service
- I illegally downloaded Avengers: Endgame but probably won't watch it.  But I saw it at the theatre.  It was good.
- I want to start a Fight Club
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on April 08, 2020, 06:11:06 pm
New this week.

Open the Floodway! It's a FLOOD!
But only 4 new covid cases today in Manitoba. Active cases actually going down.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on April 08, 2020, 07:43:41 pm
I'm on my last day of quarantine. 

Working from home is hard. I am not getting as much done as I would at work.  Our office is open again tomorrow, but only those who need to be in the office will be there.  I will continue working from home, as will most of the people I work directly with. Alpha Minion, Beta Minion, Milton Minion, and a couple of others will be in the office, but I won't. I miss being with my coworkers.

I went out for a walk Monday night, at a spot that Lindsey and I like to go for walks together. And who shows up? Lindsey.  So we went for a walk, not together but 6 feet apart. Six feet felt like a very long way away.  We tried phone sex for the first time this weekend... I'm not really a talker, so it's not my sort of thing, but it was pretty good.  It wasn't cheesy like I thought it was going to be. Instead of attempting to describe stuff, it ended up being us talking about the things we love about being with each other for an hour and a half.  Tomorrow we're back together and we're going to have in-person sex for at least 8 hours continuously, with maybe a few bathroom breaks.


 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on April 08, 2020, 09:21:59 pm
TMI

...  well...

Unless you’re Graham.... 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on April 08, 2020, 10:19:10 pm
. Instead of attempting to describe stuff, it ended up being us talking about the things we love about being with each other for an hour and a half.  Tomorrow we're back together and we're going to have in-person sex for at least 8 hours continuously, with maybe a few bathroom breaks.

I admire this about lesbians.  They can have sex forever.  They don't have d!cks that, like any muscle, can be overused.  Nipples can become chapped though.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on April 08, 2020, 11:22:13 pm
Oh Personal Stuff thread.  Let's see how everyone's doing.

Whoa.  Never mind.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on April 09, 2020, 05:56:29 am
I'm glad people can be honest about their sexual lives on here.  I can't find it in myself to do this.

Kimmy's story sounds like a softcore/romcom hybrid movie that simultaneously this at the heartstrings and nether regions simultaneously.

Graham's is like a Mad Magazine/Portnoy's Complaint hybrid, ie. mad magazine with whacking it.  Also viable as a movie.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on April 09, 2020, 10:58:35 am
Oh Personal Stuff thread.  Let's see how everyone's doing.

Whoa.  Never mind.

What?  You don’t like bass fishing?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on April 09, 2020, 11:05:06 am
What?  You don’t like bass fishing?

Is that a euphemism ? 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Dia on April 09, 2020, 11:31:31 am
I forgot how much nicer this forum is than the other, glad you are all still here and nice to read your more rounded selves.  Thanks to Bubber for a reminder.  Tried to give up both forums, unsuccessfully as usual.  Like trying to leave an exciting, but dysfunctional relationship. 

JP (aka dia, aka dialamah).
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on April 09, 2020, 07:36:55 pm
Welcome back! :)

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on April 09, 2020, 07:38:57 pm
I'm glad people can be honest about their sexual lives on here.  I can't find it in myself to do this.

Kimmy's story sounds like a softcore/romcom hybrid movie that simultaneously this at the heartstrings and nether regions simultaneously.

Graham's is like a Mad Magazine/Portnoy's Complaint hybrid, ie. mad magazine with whacking it.  Also viable as a movie.

It sounds like Coonlight's story has a fair amount of tugging as well.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on April 09, 2020, 11:36:45 pm
My hairdresser posted a video of some covidiot on facebook.  Against my better judgement I decided to watch because there was something particularly captivating about a beautiful woman spewing insanely stupid ****.

The little voice inside my head kept saying 'just keep scrolling, ignore it, please don't do this' but I couldn't help it.  I had to ask 'do you believe this' to which she replied '100'.

I know she's angry about losing income but Trump hoax, media is the enemy of the people and chem trails is where I draw the line.  I don't know if I need to break up with her.



Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on April 09, 2020, 11:56:29 pm
It sounds like Coonlight's story has a fair amount of tugging as well.

 -k

I see you got the video I sent you.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on April 10, 2020, 02:22:30 am
My fingers are sore trying to redo some John Prine stuff.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmvPve3pXpE&list=RDwO3yA-ss_TQ&index=3
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on April 10, 2020, 08:58:38 am
Achievements:
-4 day weekend started
-Taught my elderly parents to use Zoom instead of Skype
-Joan & I are using counsellor techniques successfully
-Naps happening on weeknights also now around 7 pm
-Easy back to 2 naps a day

Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on April 10, 2020, 09:19:24 am
I can't believe how much my dog sleeps. I think she's only awake about 90 minutes of the day.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on April 15, 2020, 02:00:24 am
SHADY!

I'm glad that you're here.   I feel bad about the way things ended between us.

We know so little about you. Tell us more about the man, the myth, the legend.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on April 15, 2020, 02:05:38 am
SHADY!

I'm glad that you're here.   I feel bad about the way things ended between us.

We know so little about you. Tell us more about the man, the myth, the legend.

 -k

Sounds like a bit of a personal event.
I know a lot about him.
Hard right conservative who supports an idiot such as trump.
All you have to do is read a little Kimmy.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on April 15, 2020, 02:15:09 am
Yep so after my 2 week quarantine me and Linz were reunited for the Easter long weekend. We had basically 4 exhausting days together, with a few breaks for me to stop and feed the cat (which is not a euphemism, it's me taking care of my actual feline companion.) So things are good in that respect.  She's so annoyingly sweet and positive. She's constantly reading the latest news, she's very up to date on all of the COVID stuff. While I try to keep working, she provides me with COVID news. "The stuff about the long term care facilities? Don't read it. Just... don't read it," she tells me. I go read it anyway. It makes me furious, but I can't tell her I feel furious because then she'll know that I didn't listen when she told me to not read it. So... I dunno. I pretend I don't know anything and make sad faces when she tells me the latest.

Oh yeah, my dad is in the hospital. Not for COVID, but because of kidney problems.  I inherited bad lungs from dad, now I am wondering if I inherited bad kidneys as well. I'm barely on speaking terms with my parents. So this isn't super emotional for me. But wondering how much more genetic junk I've inherited is a little stressful.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on April 15, 2020, 02:17:37 am
Sounds like a bit of a personal event.
I know a lot about him.
Hard right conservative who supports an idiot such as trump.
All you have to do is read a little Kimmy.

**** your couch, ****.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on April 15, 2020, 09:10:49 am
**** your couch is some kind of millennial insult I take it...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on April 20, 2020, 10:40:02 pm
**** your couch is some kind of millennial insult I take it...

"I'm Rick James, ****."  Google it, Michael.  I don't think you're fully part of the Interwebs until you've seen Charlie Murphy's "True Hollywood Stories" starring David Chappelle as Rick James.  (https://www.funnyordie.com/2007/10/4/17695482/charlie-murphy-s-true-hollywood-stories)

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on April 20, 2020, 10:51:23 pm
"CHARLAYYYY MURPHAYY!!!"

Once of the truly iconic videos from the earlier ages of the internet, when videos going "viral" was still a new notion.  In the same rarified air as the SNL "Cowbell" sketch, the Superfriends "WASSAAAP!!!" video, and "All Your Base".

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on April 20, 2020, 10:53:09 pm
So dad is home from the hospital now. He's not dead, which is good I suppose.  They used laser beams to fix his kidney, or something like that. 

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on April 21, 2020, 06:57:55 am
We had our second family counseling session and I am hoping that the therapist is thinking we're wasting our money.

The issue of me throwing dirty yogurt cups in the sink has been mediated...l  ::)

But I care... It's just that it seems that we will spend $1000 discussing... As we fix things as we always have...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on April 23, 2020, 11:50:49 am
So, uh...

 ...my boss's wife had this idea that she wants to introduce me to someone.   This isn't a first... lots of people have tried to play matchmaker for me.  What's unique is that this is the first time someone has offered to introduce me to a woman.

I have had a strange tingly feeling for about 4 hours.  Not at the idea of meeting potentially a new partner. This isn't my first rodeo. It's different, hard to put into words. I feel ... accepted?

People I have worked with for a while and feel comfortable with know that I prefer to be with women... my first serious girlfriend even came to a company Christmas party one year. Nobody has said anything negative, at least while I was in earshot. Everybody is polite and tolerant and I even get some good-natured teasing from time to time. So it's not that I have felt negative feelings from my co-workers.  But this was different. This wasn't just tolerance, this was someone reaching out and acknowledging and accepting and supporting me for what I am, and it felt strangely wonderful in a way I had never expected.  A half hour after we had talked, I replayed the conversation in my head, and almost cried from happiness or relief or something. I felt as if some kind of weight had been removed from me. I didn't know I needed this in my life.   


So that lady died unexpectedly this week. I'm kind of in shock over it.  I wasn't close with her, but it still hit pretty hard.

I heard that it was a gall bladder thing that went untreated until way too late. With the covid situation, people don't want to be a burden on the medical system so they are keeping their aches and pains to themselves. People aren't going to see the doctor even when they should.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on April 24, 2020, 01:10:16 am
My GP is in ICU with COVID. 

My heart is broken, I love that man so much.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on April 24, 2020, 02:11:27 am
My GP is in ICU with COVID. 

My heart is broken, I love that man so much.

Wow... my heart goes out to you and your family.  Hoping he pulls through.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on April 24, 2020, 06:15:50 pm
Wow... my heart goes out to you and your family.  Hoping he pulls through.

Thanks.  He's been mine and my parents' doctor for almost 15 years.  He is the most empathetic and caring doctor I've ever known. 

Apparently he got sick working in ER.   :'(
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on April 24, 2020, 06:29:09 pm
Thanks.  He's been mine and my parents' doctor for almost 15 years.  He is the most empathetic and caring doctor I've ever known. 

Apparently he got sick working in ER.   :'(

That sucks.  When it happens to friends, it hits close to home.  Hope he turns out ok.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on April 26, 2020, 12:07:44 am
My spouse doesn’t want me to buy a gong.   I disagree with her. 

(https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1625/3363/products/sg15040_3_1024x1024.jpg?v=1527285156)
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on April 26, 2020, 12:24:59 am
My spouse doesn’t want me to buy a gong.   I disagree with her. 

(https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1625/3363/products/sg15040_3_1024x1024.jpg?v=1527285156)

Oh, when you said "gong" I reached for my pipe. ;D

Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on April 26, 2020, 06:23:31 am
1 piece of brownie... Kind of worth it but I have problems sleeping  ???
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on May 07, 2020, 09:54:19 pm
MIKARU! Give Lunch!!

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on May 07, 2020, 10:02:51 pm
So Lindsey and I were talking more about the marriage thing.  She seems to think it's a really good idea.  Earlier she was scared that if there was a major COVID lockdown, she'd still be able to take care of me if we were married.  She's still talking in practical terms... if something happened of me and she needed to write cheques for me or something like that, for example. That was one of the things she was talking about.

Then she was talking about stiff like whether we'd have a big wedding or just go to City Hall, or whatever.  She already had the big church wedding so she doesn't need to do that again. I have never had that, but since it would be mostly for my parents and since I'm barely on speaking terms with my parents, there's no need to worry about it. So we wouldn't need to do a big thing. Or we could go to Vegas and get married by an Elvis impersonator, or get married on a beach in Hawaii or whatever.

Anyway. I still feel weird about it.

  -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on May 07, 2020, 10:06:16 pm
So Lindsey and I were talking more about the marriage thing.  She seems to think it's a really good idea.  Earlier she was scared that if there was a major COVID lockdown, she'd still be able to take care of me if we were married.  She's still talking in practical terms... if something happened of me and she needed to write cheques for me or something like that, for example. That was one of the things she was talking about.

Then she was talking about stiff like whether we'd have a big wedding or just go to City Hall, or whatever.  She already had the big church wedding so she doesn't need to do that again. I have never had that, but since it would be mostly for my parents and since I'm barely on speaking terms with my parents, there's no need to worry about it. So we wouldn't need to do a big thing. Or we could go to Vegas and get married by an Elvis impersonator, or get married on a beach in Hawaii or whatever.

Anyway. I still feel weird about it.

  -k

I think a US wedding is out of the picture for the foreseeable future.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on May 07, 2020, 10:09:53 pm
I think a US wedding is out of the picture for the foreseeable future.

Honestly I'm not in a rush for any sort of wedding...

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on May 08, 2020, 09:10:08 am
MIKARU! Give Lunch!!

 -k

So since October she is my direct boss.  This means the 1-in-a-billion chance office romance is now likely off the board as she knows how old I am now...  But we are helping each other still, so growing closer as ... friends ?  She definitely admires me in a way that surprises me, so mutual admiration is a good foundation. 

But we are really different, so our relationship (now I'm being serious, so I mean work relationship) seems odd to me.

I am fascinated with her life journey...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on May 27, 2020, 04:55:13 pm
How is everyone doing?  Better I hope.

As much as I hate the term, I am now pretty used to 'the new normal'.  I'm finally getting stuff done instead of reading the news incessantly for death counts and finding unhealthy means of escape. 

I'm not sending my kids to daycare/school and still working from home.  In some ways, I'm starting to forget the pre-pandemic days and find it weird when I see people in movies touching each other other or going to out to bars/restaurants.

I still don't know when/if my GP will come back but at least the anxiety is gone. 

Looking forward to Bill Gates putting his microchip in me.

Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on May 27, 2020, 07:34:11 pm
How is everyone doing?  Better I hope.

As much as I hate the term, I am now pretty used to 'the new normal'.  I'm finally getting stuff done instead of reading the news incessantly for death counts and finding unhealthy means of escape. 

I'm not sending my kids to daycare/school and still working from home.  In some ways, I'm starting to forget the pre-pandemic days and find it weird when I see people in movies touching each other other or going to out to bars/restaurants.

I still don't know when/if my GP will come back but at least the anxiety is gone. 

Looking forward to Bill Gates putting his microchip in me.

Thanks for asking. 

I am doing ok, but like the convict I am getting used to my jail :(  I also find it weird to see people in restaurants in entertainment, more so when I see shots of the US.

Getting by...

Things that have helped:

I'm cooking more
Rediscovered edibles
Online board games with friends via Tabletop Simulator Online™
Walks every single morning
Air conditioning (lately)

Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on May 27, 2020, 07:43:49 pm
Work at home has picked up, so things are easier as there's more to occupy my time.  Also weather is nicer so i go for walks and starting to jog.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on May 30, 2020, 06:31:11 am
Looks like I'm going to try to switch jobs during this... just announced we're working from home 'til at least September.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on May 30, 2020, 08:10:43 am
Saw a streetcar at 9 am on Saturday, near the end of the line that looked normal for a Saturday.... maybe 20 people aboard.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on May 30, 2020, 12:10:56 pm
Looks like I'm going to try to switch jobs during this... just announced we're working from home 'til at least September.

You would prefer being jammed together in an office during a pandemic?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on June 01, 2020, 08:28:49 am
You would prefer being jammed together in an office during a pandemic?

I don't work in a Dickensian novel, so... it's not that bad.

However the Toronto subways are nothing if not Dickensian.  I'm not 100% sad about not going back but... a little sad.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on June 07, 2020, 11:47:48 am
I've been feeling very exhausted with Lindsey lately. I have had hardly any time to myself. She moved into a new apartment, so the last week of may was spent mostly helping her move out, and the first week of June has been spent helping her move in.  And she lived with me for several days until she got the keys to her new place.  And now that she is in and mostly unpacked she is planning more work for me.  We went shopping yesterday and she bought a ton of new light fixtures and fans and stuff and she needs me to install all of it.  And she needs more of my help hanging pictures and doing various repairs around the place.  And if we're not doing work on her new place, she's badgering me for sex and cuddles, or cooking for me, or taking me out for dinner. All of which is very nice but I just need space right now.

I love her but I just feel smothered right now.

And I can't help feeling a bit of jealousy. Basically her parents bought her the apartment. I'm not exactly sure of how this worked out on the legal/financial side, but basically that's the net result.  I've worked my ass off to get what I have, and she's just had it handed to her.  Must be nice to have rich parents. All I got from my parents is physical and emotional abuse.  My brain knows that this isn't Lindsey's fault, that what I'm feeling is just misdirected resentment of my own parents. But in spite of that, I'm still having a hard time with it.

Being back in the office has been a huge relief for me.  Being physically at work has been a relief from being constantly with Lindsey, but more than that, being among my coworkers again has been fulfilling. I feel like a part of my life has been given back to me. I didn't realize how much I missed the interaction.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on June 07, 2020, 01:20:37 pm
I hear you.  I sense that both Joan and I are overdosed on each other, and we were used to spending all of our FREE time together.  But now it's house stuff, child rearing and working mixed in.

If it's a temporary thing, I would suggest a white lie and find an excuse to get away somehow.  Might not be easy.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on June 08, 2020, 07:40:07 pm
I hear you.  I sense that both Joan and I are overdosed on each other, and we were used to spending all of our FREE time together.  But now it's house stuff, child rearing and working mixed in.

If it's a temporary thing, I would suggest a white lie and find an excuse to get away somehow.  Might not be easy.

Not being able to be honest with your spouse is a recipe for disaster....  we go do our own thing all the time.  It shouldn’t be a big deal or need lying about.



And I can't help feeling a bit of jealousy. Basically her parents bought her the apartment. I'm not exactly sure of how this worked out on the legal/financial side, but basically that's the net result.  I've worked my ass off to get what I have, and she's just had it handed to her.  Must be nice to have rich parents. All I got from my parents is physical and emotional abuse.  My brain knows that this isn't Lindsey's fault, that what I'm feeling is just misdirected resentment of my own parents. But in spite of that, I'm still having a hard time with it.

It would be super nice to have rich parents!  I have friends whose parents helped them with a condo in downtown Vancouver.  And good for them!  There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.   Feeling jealous of someone you care for cause they have money is not a good thing.  Envy is never a good emotion...  it’s petty.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on June 09, 2020, 01:59:14 am
I don't work in a Dickensian novel, so... it's not that bad.

However the Toronto subways are nothing if not Dickensian.  I'm not 100% sad about not going back but... a little sad.

For the rest of the summer our company has said anyone who wants to work in the office can, but we have a calendar setup to book time in the office so that we keep the numbers low.  Apparently even the elevator in the building only allows one person at a time.

A few of my colleagues I talked to couldn't wait, they were hating their condo life in the city.  I'm living in the mountains in a house with a dedicated office and my ex and I are have a good arrangement now with childcare. 

I have zero reason to want to go downtown and sit around a bunch of people. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on June 14, 2020, 11:28:37 pm
After 10 weeks in the hospital, my GP is home!!

I'm not sure when/if he'll be back to work but I am so happy to hear he survived.

Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on June 15, 2020, 12:17:46 am
After 10 weeks in the hospital, my GP is home!!

I'm not sure when/if he'll be back to work but I am so happy to hear he survived.

Whoah....   that is a long time.  He’s very lucky to even have made it through...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on June 15, 2020, 01:21:00 am
Totally, a few of those weeks he was in ICU.  He's not even old, he's in his mid-fifties. 

I feel like he's a friend to me, he always gave me a hug when he came in.  He was with me through both pregnancies/births as well as a few very dark periods which I can honestly say I don't know where I'd be right now if it weren't for him.

Even though it's Sunday, I **** (cra-cked ::)) a can of Parkside Dawn Pilsner and sat on the patio to enjoy.  Side- note, I highly recommend the beer if you have it available near you.  ;D
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on June 18, 2020, 07:13:11 am
I went to the dentist yesterday. I got my temperature checked and filled out a form swearing I haven't even looked at someone who has ever coughed. Then I had to wash my hands and do an oral rinse. The hygienist had eyewear, a mask, and then a full face shield. Everything else was the same, except they aren't polishing the teeth yet.
The mall the dentist is in was open but a lot of stores in it aren't yet. Even though Manitoba is going to Phase 3 with full restaurant capacity, I don't think there's going to be capacity for a while. Everything still seems pretty dead.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on June 18, 2020, 08:42:36 am
Apparently our dentist is open.

I had to have an emergency bridge repair a few months ago and that was a weird experience... I count your post as 'comforting' and part of slow return to normal.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on June 19, 2020, 04:18:20 pm
For all those wondering,  shady is my son Nestor. We share no blood but he is my life. He came from Cuba (legally, of course) six years ago and lives with me in Florida. I am so proud of him and raising him has been the best, most rewarding thing I've done in my life.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on June 19, 2020, 04:42:18 pm
 :D :D :D :D :D
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on June 19, 2020, 09:26:05 pm
For all those wondering,  shady is my son Nestor. We share no blood but he is my life. He came from Cuba (legally, of course) six years ago and lives with me in Florida. I am so proud of him and raising him has been the best, most rewarding thing I've done in my life.

Encourage him to move out of the basement, get a haircut and get a real job.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on June 19, 2020, 11:08:47 pm
I've been to the dentist twice and a doctor once in the past three weeks. Broke a tooth in January and had to get a root canal. Next week I have to get it prepped for a crown. Same routine as Bubbermilly. Have to bring your own mask to the Doc. In both cases you wait in your car until called, there is no one in the waiting rooms.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: waldo on June 20, 2020, 11:17:23 am
(https://i.imgur.com/lAaBPXv.png)
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on June 20, 2020, 02:44:41 pm
This is personal?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: waldo on June 20, 2020, 03:27:52 pm
This is personal?

very personal vis-a-vis son Shady Nestor
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on June 22, 2020, 08:59:49 pm
For all those wondering,  shady is my son Nestor. We share no blood but he is my life. He came from Cuba (legally, of course) six years ago and lives with me in Florida. I am so proud of him and raising him has been the best, most rewarding thing I've done in my life.

I love this forum.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on June 22, 2020, 09:37:51 pm
Now that Linz is kind of settled in her new place, things are a little more back to normal for me.  I have been feeling less smothered and less stressed out.  And now that we're finally getting some decent weather, I have been able to get out on the lake in my kayak, which is a big deal for me.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on June 23, 2020, 09:26:00 am
Now that Linz is kind of settled in her new place, things are a little more back to normal for me.  I have been feeling less smothered and less stressed out.  And now that we're finally getting some decent weather, I have been able to get out on the lake in my kayak, which is a big deal for me.

 -k

Well, that's good.  I would like to share my relationship troubles on here, but there are people who know my real name and I can't risk that. 

To be honest, I have no one to confide in.   :(
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on June 23, 2020, 04:10:29 pm
I have new neighbours and they’re pushing the boundaries of our property a little.  Me and the old owners got along great...  neither of us really cared about where the exact lines were cuz we’re both chill about stuff.  Unfortunately for the new folks, there’s been a gentlemen’s agreement to allow a garden to encroach in an area we don’t use (from past owners) and the area they’re pushing actually has part of their structure on our property...  so when Squid builds his wall, they’re not going to like where it goes...  But, I’m sure we can resolve it over a beer or three... 

Stay tuned...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on June 23, 2020, 07:52:08 pm
I have new neighbours and they’re pushing the boundaries of our property a little.  Me and the old owners got along great...  neither of us really cared about where the exact lines were cuz we’re both chill about stuff.  Unfortunately for the new folks, there’s been a gentlemen’s agreement to allow a garden to encroach in an area we don’t use (from past owners) and the area they’re pushing actually has part of their structure on our property...  so when Squid builds his wall, they’re not going to like where it goes...  But, I’m sure we can resolve it over a beer or three... 

Stay tuned...

Neighbours can sometimes be jerks.  Glad you'll stand your ground if they try to push things too much.

What are they doing to pus the boundaries right now?

You have to be careful.  My family once had a property where we let neighbours drive through a part of it because it was the only way at the time for them to access their property by vehicle.  But if you let people do that for a certain number of years it then becomes a public easement and then you can't stop people from driving on it even if you want to get rid of the access way and build on it etc.  You'd be best to look up the law on such things.

Also, fences make good neighbours.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on June 23, 2020, 10:30:31 pm
I have new neighbours and they’re pushing the boundaries of our property a little.  Me and the old owners got along great...  neither of us really cared about where the exact lines were cuz we’re both chill about stuff.  Unfortunately for the new folks, there’s been a gentlemen’s agreement to allow a garden to encroach in an area we don’t use (from past owners) and the area they’re pushing actually has part of their structure on our property...  so when Squid builds his wall, they’re not going to like where it goes...  But, I’m sure we can resolve it over a beer or three... 

Stay tuned...

Hopefully. I had a new neighbour who was sure we had some of his property. I told him I didn't think so but he hired a surveyor and it turned out half of his garden shed was on mine. I told him not to worry but he moved it anyway. It was never a source of friction between us and in retrospect, he did the right thing. In fairness  to your new neighbour, it might just be a case of him not actually getting something he thought he paid for.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on June 23, 2020, 10:52:21 pm
Neighbours can sometimes be jerks.  Glad you'll stand your ground if they try to push things too much.

What are they doing to pus the boundaries right now?

You have to be careful.  My family once had a property where we let neighbours drive through a part of it because it was the only way at the time for them to access their property by vehicle.  But if you let people do that for a certain number of years it then becomes a public easement and then you can't stop people from driving on it even if you want to get rid of the access way and build on it etc.  You'd be best to look up the law on such things.

Also, fences make good neighbours.


He's thinking of making an enclosure for his little doggie off of his deck.  But off of his deck is my yard.  So, that isn't going to happen without my agreeing to it.  Not that I mind...  but they have to ask nicely, since only a small section of that area is going to be their property.  It's a very odd-shaped lot.

Plus, good advice...  I'll be careful.  We have a surveyor coming in to lay out the official property lines.  I was going to do that anyway, since I have some plans to build near the edge of the property;  this just makes it more immediate.  If it comes to needing a fence, then a border-fence that Trump would be proud of will be going up!   


Hopefully. I had a new neighbour who was sure we had some of his property. I told him I didn't think so but he hired a surveyor and it turned out half of his garden shed was on mine. I told him not to worry but he moved it anyway. It was never a source of friction between us and in retrospect, he did the right thing. In fairness  to your new neighbour, it might just be a case of him not actually getting something he thought he paid for.

It is definitely a case of them not knowing.  And a case of me not wanting to let them get away with their doggie sh!tting in my yard.  That's why I'll just pay for a legal survey.

They seem like good people.  I'm sure it'll be fine.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on June 25, 2020, 01:38:25 am
I have new neighbours and they’re pushing the boundaries of our property a little.  Me and the old owners got along great...  neither of us really cared about where the exact lines were cuz we’re both chill about stuff.  Unfortunately for the new folks, there’s been a gentlemen’s agreement to allow a garden to encroach in an area we don’t use (from past owners) and the area they’re pushing actually has part of their structure on our property...  so when Squid builds his wall, they’re not going to like where it goes...  But, I’m sure we can resolve it over a beer or three... 

Stay tuned...

This is basically how the Hatfields and McCoys feud got started.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on June 25, 2020, 01:46:13 am
Well, that's good.  I would like to share my relationship troubles on here, but there are people who know my real name and I can't risk that. 

To be honest, I have no one to confide in.   :(

Have you considered a therapist? I have never tried it myself, but I know people who have regular appointments with a therapist to talk about whatever is stressing them out.  (these are people who have employee benefit plans that pay for therapy sessions, I believe.)  These are also not troubled people on the brink of collapse... they're people who you'd assume wouldn't need a therapist.    There seems to be a stigma to it... that if you're seeing a therapist you're probably unstable or weak or something like that... but the people I know who do this are not like that at all.

Anyway, just a thought.  If you do feel like you need to talk to someone, your homies here on the internet aren't the only (or the best) option.


 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on June 25, 2020, 03:58:24 pm
1. Have you considered a therapist? I have never tried it myself, but I know people who have regular appointments with a therapist to talk about whatever is stressing them out.  (these are people who have employee benefit plans that pay for therapy sessions, I believe.) 

These are also not troubled people on the brink of collapse... they're people who you'd assume wouldn't need a therapist.    There seems to be a stigma to it... that if you're seeing a therapist you're probably unstable or weak or something like that... but the people I know who do this are not like that at all.

Anyway, just a thought.  If you do feel like you need to talk to someone, your homies here on the internet aren't the only (or the best) option.


 -k

1. Yes, we are doing this now but... we have been together 20 years and are pretty good at sorting things out.  The therapist is going soooooo slowly ... anyway.
2. Anybody interested in hearing me out please DM me as I'm not going to splay my problems on a general thread for taxme to read  :D :D :D
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on June 26, 2020, 01:48:14 am
1. Yes, we are doing this now but... we have been together 20 years and are pretty good at sorting things out.

It sounded to me as though maybe you needed to talk to somebody one-on-one without your wife present.


I know what will cheer you up!  A new chapter of The Facilitator!

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on August 11, 2020, 10:11:21 am


I know what will cheer you up!  A new chapter of The Facilitator!


All talk plus no action makes Hardner cry in his coffee...  ???
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on August 14, 2020, 02:37:14 pm
I was today years old when I realized almost 40% of Canada lives in Ontario. 

Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on August 14, 2020, 02:56:52 pm
Over 60% in Ontario and Quebec. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on August 14, 2020, 06:23:58 pm
Over 60% in Ontario and Quebec.

Good place for them...   BC sucks.  You don’t want to be here...


https://youtu.be/4Kg_XCt6bXQ


(https://canadianpoliticalevents.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwindisgood.com%2FWebcams%2FIVcam_2.jpg&hash=82ee774c4e246fb727c12d8a2bc5fa97b18ae87d)


http://www.bigwavedave.ca/webcams.php?cam=2
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Dia on August 14, 2020, 08:07:03 pm
Looks like those cars have got social distancing down.  :)
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on August 21, 2020, 01:46:32 pm
Good place for them...   BC sucks.  You don’t want to be here...

I hope Americans also get the message.  Canada is so boring. Canada is such a crappy place. Nobody from America should want to come to Canada right now. It's a terrible place for vacations, with the year round freezing temperatures, rampaging moose and bears, goose poop everywhere, and so on.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on August 21, 2020, 01:51:09 pm
So things haven't been going that great.  I've been under a lot of pressure at work and have been feeling constantly stressed out. Lindsey was sobbing last weekend because I've been distant and she felt like I didn't love her anymore. I feel like I'm just barely holding together.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on August 21, 2020, 03:51:21 pm
So things haven't been going that great.  I've been under a lot of pressure at work and have been feeling constantly stressed out. Lindsey was sobbing last weekend because I've been distant and she felt like I didn't love her anymore. I feel like I'm just barely holding together.

 -k

Awww... couples are hurting... people need time on their own maybe ? 

And sometimes a little attention...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on August 30, 2020, 12:07:44 am
I got a pixie cut.  My hair is naturally curly and while it's admittedly gorgeous, it's so time-consuming and expensive.  It's not something straight-haired people understand, but curly hair is very high maintenance.

My kid says I look like a Karen but IDGAF.  I get out of the shower and run my fingers through my hair and I'm done. 

I feel like I have been unshackled, it's an amazing feeling. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on August 30, 2020, 01:57:16 pm
This wave against people named Karen confuses me. I thought we were moving away from broad, derogatory, race-based generalizations that tar a large group of diverse people with the same brush.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on August 30, 2020, 03:09:56 pm
I agree, 'Karen' irks me to to end.  My kid is 10 though, it's the way they talk and trying to reason about a zeitgeist Tik Tok expression has been a futile battle.  She was not being nice when she said I look like a Karen.

Another social media term that is thankfully going away which irks me is 'ok boomer'.  I immediately lose respect and I'm not even a boomer. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: eyeball on August 30, 2020, 09:44:53 pm
I got a pixie cut.  My hair is naturally curly and while it's admittedly gorgeous, it's so time-consuming and expensive.  It's not something straight-haired people understand, but curly hair is very high maintenance.

My kid says I look like a Karen but IDGAF.  I get out of the shower and run my fingers through my hair and I'm done. 

I feel like I have been unshackled, it's an amazing feeling.
I got a shaver and did my head, asked my wife how it looked and she said I missed a spot.  I went back and hit it again except this time without the attachment I'd taken off to finish up my sideburns.  So there I was back to square one.

My kid said 'way to go Bob' which I've been given to understand is a male Karen. The feel of my stubble running thru my fingers is blissfully weird.  So to is the look on anyone's face when I ask them to give it try.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: cybercoma on August 31, 2020, 09:51:54 am
I agree, 'Karen' irks me to to end.  My kid is 10 though, it's the way they talk and trying to reason about a zeitgeist Tik Tok expression has been a futile battle.  She was not being nice when she said I look like a Karen.

Another social media term that is thankfully going away which irks me is 'ok boomer'.  I immediately lose respect and I'm not even a boomer.
ok boomer. This is such a Karen post.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on August 31, 2020, 11:09:57 am
Drying chanterelle mushrooms in the dehydrator today.  Went out and picked a few pounds yesterday and was surprised at how many are out this early... moist summer = early shrooms.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on August 31, 2020, 11:35:28 am
moist summer = early shrooms.
Look out for Cortinarius speciosissimus. They're sneaky.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on August 31, 2020, 01:56:10 pm
Look out for Cortinarius speciosissimus. They're sneaky.

The species name is changed to rubellus.   But I honestly don’t see how anyone can mistake those for chanterelles....  they aren’t that close!

ETA:  if I don’t ever post again, then you can say of the above: “famous last words”. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on September 01, 2020, 10:21:42 am
Jeez... having a kid means things change frequently and drastically.

Easy slept like... well, a baby... from 6 months or so and now is waking up... right in time for Joan to head back to work in the Covid soup of a downtown elementary school  :o

So we hired a buddy to babysit him in the mornings... let's see how this goes...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Dia on September 08, 2020, 08:31:22 pm
In case anyone missed my first post here, I'm aka dialamah.
 
My life, even with Covid and various health issues of my partner, is still pretty good.  It's easy to forget that,  sometimes. 

I guess I just wanted to say that.

@MH - How is the morning sitter working out for you guys?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on September 08, 2020, 09:42:52 pm
Oh.  It's still new.  I am watching it unfold.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on September 09, 2020, 01:40:06 am
Glad you're keeping your spirits up JR.  It's nice to see you post here again.

My days were very dark this summer, I don't remember the last time I was that low.  Even during my separation I had just landed my dream job and there was something to be happy about but EVERYTHING really crumbled in 2020.

Friday is my last day at work and I am sooooo looking forward to doing nothing but catching up on housework and taking up meditation and trying to find myself a bit after all that chronic stress.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on September 09, 2020, 08:21:22 am
Glad you're keeping your spirits up JR.  It's nice to see you post here again.

My days were very dark this summer, I don't remember the last time I was that low.  Even during my separation I had just landed my dream job and there was something to be happy about but EVERYTHING really crumbled in 2020.

Friday is my last day at work and I am sooooo looking forward to doing nothing but catching up on housework and taking up meditation and trying to find myself a bit after all that chronic stress.

BCC - I hear you.  Take whatever good things you can from this moment. 

We are glad to have steady employment, but then.. we got bombed with house expenses (roof, AC) and Joan wasn't paid this summer as we expected... so we are focussing on the time we get to spend with Easy.  Because of Covid we can afford to take a walk with him in the morning and in the evening when we wouldn't have had time to do that with commuting before.

Enjoy the day  :)
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on September 09, 2020, 08:22:48 am
Easy has clearly taken to the day nanny and she likes him too, but I fear he is trying to boss her around too much.  He's definitely an independent and bossy kid - now refusing high chair, stroller and child utensils in favour of big chair, walking, and adult cutlery. 

This may be a result of having almost no other kids in his life due to Covid.   ???
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Dia on September 09, 2020, 09:30:48 am
Glad you're keeping your spirits up JR.  It's nice to see you post here again.

My days were very dark this summer, I don't remember the last time I was that low.  Even during my separation I had just landed my dream job and there was something to be happy about but EVERYTHING really crumbled in 2020.

Friday is my last day at work and I am sooooo looking forward to doing nothing but catching up on housework and taking up meditation and trying to find myself a bit after all that chronic stress.

I remember when I was let go from a  job that was stressful, once I got over the initial shock, I started to enjoy things again, like walking the dog, the smell of flowers, the beauty of all tge green space where I live.  I started to have fun with my partner again, to actually laugh at things.  It took about 3 months till I felt fully destressed, and that's about the time I found another job.  I'm now working in a job I actually enjoy, with great people, and while the job itself is stressful, the support from colleagues and management makes not nearly as soul desroying.  Plus a short commute. 

Hope you find what's better for you too.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Dia on September 09, 2020, 09:34:22 am
Easy has clearly taken to the day nanny and she likes him too, but I fear he is trying to boss her around too much.  He's definitely an independent and bossy kid - now refusing high chair, stroller and child utensils in favour of big chair, walking, and adult cutlery. 

This may be a result of having almost no other kids in his life due to Covid.   ???

I've found that some kids are in a hurry to do the adult stuff, while others like having their "specially for them" things, like cutlery and chairs. Not sure how related to other kids this might be.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on September 11, 2020, 01:18:58 am
I remember when I was let go from a  job that was stressful, once I got over the initial shock, I started to enjoy things again, like walking the dog, the smell of flowers, the beauty of all tge green space where I live.  I started to have fun with my partner again, to actually laugh at things.  It took about 3 months till I felt fully destressed, and that's about the time I found another job.  I'm now working in a job I actually enjoy, with great people, and while the job itself is stressful, the support from colleagues and management makes not nearly as soul desroying.  Plus a short commute. 

Hope you find what's better for you too.

Thanks for this.  I really hope I find somewhere I'm happy too but it's gonna be hard to get that pay again.  In the end I felt like I'm (literally) selling my soul and I left so disgusted with the management I started considering leaving the profession all together.  I am probably too old though for a career change. 

Let's hope there's still a job market out there when I am ready to start looking again.  I had a casual look at the listings and they are scarce!

Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on September 11, 2020, 01:20:44 am
Good place for them...   BC sucks.  You don’t want to be here...


https://youtu.be/4Kg_XCt6bXQ


(https://canadianpoliticalevents.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwindisgood.com%2FWebcams%2FIVcam_2.jpg&hash=82ee774c4e246fb727c12d8a2bc5fa97b18ae87d)


http://www.bigwavedave.ca/webcams.php?cam=2

So yeah, now this is happening....

Quote
https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2020/09/10/stuck-north-of-a-closed-border-canadas-full-time-rvers-are-facing-an-unfamiliar-foe-the-canadian-winter.html

Wood’s family are among the lucky ones, however. Early in the pandemic, they realized their U.S. travel plans could be scuttled so months ago they booked a spot at an RV resort in Nanaimo, B.C. where they plan to see out the winter. Unlike campgrounds in most of Canada, the milder weather out west allows some sites on Vancouver Island and other parts of B.C. to stay open year-round.

Although the Camping and RVing British Columbia Coalition website lists more than 150 winter camping facilities in the province, many don’t offer full services after Sept. 30 and Wood said chatter on Canadian RV social media groups indicates they’re filling up fast. The resort where her family is staying is fully booked.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on September 14, 2020, 12:54:12 pm
She drives me mental sometimes.  She constantly interrupts me, she talks over me, and she always digs her fingers into my behind in a spot that pinches a nerve. I can't even figure out how she does that. It's like Mr Spock's neck pinch. It sends a jolt up my spine.

Saturday we woke up together and had a great session in bed, then she made us breakfast while I put up her new patio lights. Then we went to the creek to cheer on the salmon as they attempt to swim up the rapids. Then out for drinks and home for a great barbecue supper. And I looked over and she's all misty eyed and says "this was the most perfect day... I will remember it forever."  And then she started crying for real because her tears washed foundation into her eyes.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on September 14, 2020, 01:08:51 pm
She drives me mental sometimes.  She constantly interrupts me, she talks over me, and she always digs her fingers into my behind in a spot that pinches a nerve. I can't even figure out how she does that. It's like Mr Spock's neck pinch. It sends a jolt up my spine.

Saturday we woke up together and had a great session in bed, then she made us breakfast while I put up her new patio lights. Then we went to the creek to cheer on the salmon as they attempt to swim up the rapids. Then out for drinks and home for a great barbecue supper. And I looked over and she's all misty eyed and says "this was the most perfect day... I will remember it forever."  And then she started crying for real because her tears washed foundation into her eyes.

 -k

Holy .... this is now a romance thread...  ???

I can get maybe one romantic look a week if I'm lucky.  Good for you: don't be afraid.

My next task is to stop Easy from hitting everybody...  >:(
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on September 16, 2020, 05:53:36 am
OH WOW.

The daycare is opening... a whole level of worrying and stress here, even though overall it's a good thing.

- Worried about Covid
- Worried about Easy being stressed (his buddy, who is even tougher than him, cried a LOT his first day we are told)
- And of course... it feels like Easy is leaving home... to be in the company of strangers for 6 hours+ a day  :( :( :(

Monday morning.   Poor lil guy doesn't know what is coming...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on September 16, 2020, 02:33:42 pm
Little grand kids 6 and 3 back in school and daycare. Daughter in law back in the classroom. Do we visit them? Can they visit us? Even if we are willing to take the chance for ourselves, do we want to risk saddling them with the thought they might have made us sick? Covid sucks.


Our youngest has severe allergies to eggs and nuts. Our son has Friday's off and takes her to a local gluten free restaurant for an egg free waffle which she really enjoys. They also make a great breakfast sandwich and have excellent coffee so before Covid we really enjoyed meeting them for breakfast. Covid sucks.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Dia on September 16, 2020, 02:44:17 pm
Little grand kids 6 and 3 back in school and daycare. Daughter in law back in the classroom. Do we visit them? Can they visit us? Even if we are willing to take the chance for ourselves, do we want to risk saddling them with the thought they might have made us sick? Covid sucks.


Our youngest has severe allergies to eggs and nuts. Our son has Friday's off and takes her to a local gluten free restaurant for an egg free waffle which she really enjoys. They also make a great breakfast sandwich and have excellent coffee so before Covid we really enjoyed meeting them for breakfast. Covid sucks.

I know.  My kids/grandkids live a ways from me, but we'd see each other once or twice a year.  This year, we won't see them at all and I'm sad about that. 

If they lived close, I'd see them - outside, distanced, probably masked and for short periods of time.  I think that would be safe.  But traveling several hundred kms to have limited contact and risk the hotel/restaurants we'd have to use - not worth it.

Hope you can see them all soon.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on September 16, 2020, 03:04:07 pm
I know.  My kids/grandkids live a ways from me, but we'd see each other once or twice a year.  This year, we won't see them at all and I'm sad about that. 

If they lived close, I'd see them - outside, distanced, probably masked and for short periods of time.  I think that would be safe.  But traveling several hundred kms to have limited contact and risk the hotel/restaurants we'd have to use - not worth it.

Hope you can see them all soon.

In that way we are very lucky, both our kids live within 10 minutes of us. We can see them but like you say, at a distance. How do you not hug a three year old who gives you the best greeting you have had since you owned a dog?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Dia on September 17, 2020, 01:17:43 pm
Not a good day today.  The whole pandemic thing is starting to get to me.  My partner is facing several health issues, one of which could be life-threatening, but we won't know till next week - and maybe not even then. I'm 90% sure it'll be fine, but that 10% that isn't sure is really weighing on me. In the meantime, he's in constant pain, which makes him very moody and difficult to deal with at times, there's lots of things he's just not able to do and so in addition to full-time work, I'm doing a lot of the stuff he used to do and my house is a mess, which I hate.

My job is stressful, which does affect me - but I usually enjoy it anyway because of the support of my colleagues.  Then Tuesday, one of those colleagues (and not really my supervisor, but in a supervisory position over me) took me to task for two mistakes that amounted to around $53.50 - except one error wasn't actually an error - and the other error was for $1.00, most likely a typo.  I know she's going through some tough **** with her parents ill-health and covid, but that really **** hurt because I had to explain twice why I hadn't made an error in the first case and when she finally "got it", she still chewed my ass for the $1. 

Anyway, I'm prone to depression and today I feel barely functional.  I've got a request in for some therapy but I guess they're backed up and their "two-day response" was "We'll get to you as soon as we can".  I'm already on a low dose of anti-depressants, so could maybe get doc to increase those or change them (anti-depressants tend to lose their effectiveness after a while).  But even that would take a few weeks to 'kick-in', and I'm really not sure if I can continue too long like this.   I'm considering contacting doc for stress leave, but that would leave other colleagues having to add my stuff to their already overwhelming workload.

I feel really stuck.  Tried to go for a long walk yesterday cause exercise helps, but the smoke in the air still makes me nauseous.  Not helped by having started Saxenda two weeks ago, which is effective but does lead to an easily upset tummy. Not to mention, in clinical trials, 9 out of 3384 patients had 'worsening depression/suicide ideation' vs 2 of the control group, so maybe I'm among that 0.3%.  Trying to hang on till next week and if the health news is good, that would relieve a lot of pressure, and maybe I'd start feeling better overnight.

So, thought I'd post here cause anonymous internet forum.  Words of wisdom, support and jokes accepted gratefully.

Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on September 17, 2020, 01:24:41 pm
Awww.... here's the thing - things always get better, then worse

Try to make it through the day ok ?  Treat yourself somehow.  Find some old show on YouTube you forgot about.  Eat something you want to but shouldn't.  Take a bath ?

Can't help much, but my thoughts are with you...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: eyeball on September 17, 2020, 01:44:27 pm
My daughter and her kids have opted to pod up with a friend and their kids for homeschooling. Our oldest granddaughter is studying grade 4, her brothers would be starting kindergarten and preschool respectively. Our daughter and granddaughter contend with asthma and her husband's business can't afford the risk if he falls ill from kids bringing COVID home.

The decision to eschew sending the kids to school is almost entirely due to their inability to trust they can be kept adequately safe.

Personally I think the concern that kids suffer from not attending school is valid but I also think it's overstated. I also believe the economic desire to open things up is driven by fears that are similarly overstated with a seemingly deliberately intent to frighten people.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on September 17, 2020, 01:45:38 pm
Hang in there JR. Have faith, it will get better. Some day. But it will.

Best wishes for your partner.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: eyeball on September 17, 2020, 01:55:15 pm
Hang in there JR. Have faith, it will get better. Some day. But it will.

Best wishes for your partner.
Ditto for sure.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: eyeball on September 17, 2020, 02:08:18 pm
In that way we are very lucky, both our kids live within 10 minutes of us. We can see them but like you say, at a distance. How do you not hug a three year old who gives you the best greeting you have had since you owned a dog?
We had our grandkids visit for a month this summer. Apparently building them a tree fort was even better than taking them fishing and bear watching.  I have to say though building a tree fort with mom and grandma hovering nearby required some schoolyard level engineering.  Back in the day a handful of bent nails and a bit of scrounged up wood was all we needed.  That said you should have seen my first 'boat'...built from scratch...sank before we made it out of Frenchman's Bay into Lake Ontario.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Dia on September 17, 2020, 02:37:45 pm
Thanks for listening, it has helped to lift my cloud, more than I expected.  I've made a doc appointment, but won't happen till next week.

Agree that the harm to kids from not going to school is overstated, as is the fear-mongering around the economy.  Doesn't mean I don't think these are serious issues, because they are.  But neither is likely to actually be the end of the world, even though it may result in some serious hardship for some finite period of time.

Climate change, to me, seems much more like the end of the world without any end in sight.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: eyeball on September 17, 2020, 06:34:48 pm
Climate change, to me, seems much more like the end of the world without any end in sight.
Speaking of which, I'm always struck by the deafening dissonance when comparing the cult of debt's horror and moral outrage over leaving a national debt to our grandkids when next to nothing is said about the deficit of natural capital we're leaving kids to finance their world with. The disconnect is phenomenal.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on September 17, 2020, 10:26:18 pm
Juniper Rose, take the stress leave.  Don't worry about your co-workers, do what you need to do for you and your sanity. 

These are trying times for us all.  Do some yoga online since the air is so bad.  Get a massage if you have coverage (or can afford it without).  I find a long bath helps with soothing music.  I focus on the music and no matter how much my brain wants to go back to spinning thoughts, I bring it back to the music.  It's my meditation.

Take a break from work though, it really helps.  Hugs.   
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on September 17, 2020, 11:36:40 pm
Not a good day today.  The whole pandemic thing is starting to get to me.  My partner is facing several health issues, one of which could be life-threatening, but we won't know till next week - and maybe not even then. I'm 90% sure it'll be fine, but that 10% that isn't sure is really weighing on me. In the meantime, he's in constant pain, which makes him very moody and difficult to deal with at times, there's lots of things he's just not able to do and so in addition to full-time work, I'm doing a lot of the stuff he used to do and my house is a mess, which I hate.

My job is stressful, which does affect me - but I usually enjoy it anyway because of the support of my colleagues.  Then Tuesday, one of those colleagues (and not really my supervisor, but in a supervisory position over me) took me to task for two mistakes that amounted to around $53.50 - except one error wasn't actually an error - and the other error was for $1.00, most likely a typo.  I know she's going through some tough **** with her parents ill-health and covid, but that really **** hurt because I had to explain twice why I hadn't made an error in the first case and when she finally "got it", she still chewed my ass for the $1. 

Anyway, I'm prone to depression and today I feel barely functional.  I've got a request in for some therapy but I guess they're backed up and their "two-day response" was "We'll get to you as soon as we can".  I'm already on a low dose of anti-depressants, so could maybe get doc to increase those or change them (anti-depressants tend to lose their effectiveness after a while).  But even that would take a few weeks to 'kick-in', and I'm really not sure if I can continue too long like this.   I'm considering contacting doc for stress leave, but that would leave other colleagues having to add my stuff to their already overwhelming workload.

I feel really stuck.  Tried to go for a long walk yesterday cause exercise helps, but the smoke in the air still makes me nauseous.  Not helped by having started Saxenda two weeks ago, which is effective but does lead to an easily upset tummy. Not to mention, in clinical trials, 9 out of 3384 patients had 'worsening depression/suicide ideation' vs 2 of the control group, so maybe I'm among that 0.3%.  Trying to hang on till next week and if the health news is good, that would relieve a lot of pressure, and maybe I'd start feeling better overnight.

So, thought I'd post here cause anonymous internet forum.  Words of wisdom, support and jokes accepted gratefully.

JR, I'm sorry to hear about your troubles, I hope your partner gets good news.

#1 thing at work is to just take care of your health first, there's NOTHING more important.  You're considerate to think of your colleagues if you took time off, but at the end of the day, that's not your problem, it's your employers problem.  Your colleagues should not blame fault on a person if they become ill.  I would never do that.  The employer needs to have plans for when these situations occur.  It's not your fault nor your responsibility to deal with it.  If you feel you need some sick leave, take it, because it could become worse if you don't address it and nip it in the bud.  I think it will likely be best in the longterm for you and your workplace.  I don't think your employer would want you at subpar performance when you could take some time off and then come back a much better worker.  You should be entitled to EI sickness benefits, up to 15 weeks if i'm not mistaken.

Regarding being "chewed out" by a person above you.  I don't know what tone was taken or the exact convo, but any intimidating or disrespectful behaviour by any colleague or superior in the workplace is considered harassment and it is very inappropriate and should NOT be tolerated.  You should be legally protected from such workplace harassment, especially if it's causing you stress and worsening your mental health.  Depending on what province you live in, look up the laws and protections for workplace harassment and bullying.  Every employer/employee should be aware of it.  We don't live in the 1970's anymore, people just can't yell at others in the workplace.  All employees and employer are expected to treat each other with respect, professionalism, and basic human decency, even your boss.

As for depression and anxiety, medications can be effective, but also are often masking root causes.  There's natural things you can do. As you say, walks/exercise helps, they relieve tension, clear the mind, and increase "feel good" neurochemicals like dopamine, endorphins, natural opiates etc.  I also highly recommend good time management before bed and morning. Give yourself 45-60 mins at least to have a relaxing "wind-down" before bed.  Turn off ALL devices, including TV, no screentime, maybe have a warm shower, get your PJs on or whatever, get into bed and read a book/magazine, this will calm your mind so you can have a restful sleep.  Consider 5-10 mins of slow deep breathing, it will do wonders.  Also, give yourself lots of time in the morning before work so you're relaxed and not rushing, & have time for a coffee or turn on the TV for a bit etc, & your work drive isn't stressful.  This will reduce anxiety, thus reducing your stress chemicals like adrenaline & cortisol etc., & get your day off to a great start.  Trust me on this.  :)

Good luck!
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Dia on September 18, 2020, 10:07:41 am
BC_cheque, Gorgeous Graham,

Thank you both so much for your thoughtful and caring replies.  I really do feel better, today; even writing it out helped me to feel a little more in control, and the support offered here added to that.   There are a few things in particular I want to address:

1.  Stress leave - it is an option, but I don't think I want to take that step yet.  Everybody is dealing with 'stuff' in addition to Covid, I'm not alone in that regard.  But if days like yesterday happen too often, it may be the best idea rather than working half-assed, forgetting what I'm doing and losing concentration.

2.  Bullying - we have strong anti-bullying culture in our office, we do not have a 'human resources' and if it became a serious issue, it would probably end up with the union.  My first steps would be to report it to my supervisor.  Because it's out of character for the person involved to do this, I don't want to escalate it to my supervisor. It also happened over email, no yelling involved, so that also is a factor.  But yes, it hurt.  The implication that I make so many mistakes and that this was just another in a long line of mistakes was just particularly devastating.  What I did do was check in with the manager of my department to get feedback about my own work, and she tells me there are no issues, and that in fact she's noticed a definite improvement over the last while, since I've begun getting effective feedback regarding errors.  That has helped.  And again, I know that the person involved is having a very tough time with her mother's illness, lack of personal contact with her due to Covid, and her concern over her father's mental health as a result of all of this.  So, just as I'd like a break for a one-off, I would prefer to give her a break.  If it happens again, I would likely want to address it with her first anyway. If it becomes a pattern, then I would bring it to my supervisor. But this time, I'm giving her a pass due to her own stressors and because it is unusual for her.

3.  I know exercise is an excellent way of reducing stress and depression.  This is something I have to work harder at doing; but it's really hard to get up the will to do much after work when by 4:00 pm I feel so tired I sometimes feel dizzy, and by 7 pm I'm counting the minutes till it's late enough to walk the dog and go to bed.  I'm trying to work in 10 minutes of movement every hour during the work day to address this, and it does help when I do it.  If the Saxenda weight-loss program doesn't address this level of exhaustion, my doctor will send me to a rheumatologist (sp?), since all other fatigue investigations have been done and in all other respects, I'm the most healthy sick person known to medical science.

4.  Being sick from stress/prone to depression seems so weak to me, even though I know it's like having diabetes - it's the way I'm made, and no amount of personal willpower will make it different.

Thanks again, everybody.  You've helped more than you know.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: eyeball on September 18, 2020, 08:32:06 pm
And again, I know that the person involved is having a very tough time with her mother's illness, lack of personal contact with her due to Covid, and her concern over her father's mental health as a result of all of this.  So, just as I'd like a break for a one-off, I would prefer to give her a break.  If it happens again, I would likely want to address it with her first anyway. If it becomes a pattern, then I would bring it to my supervisor. But this time, I'm giving her a pass due to her own stressors and because it is unusual for her.
Your willingness to put yourself in her shoes is the surest indication you're dealing with this correctly.  Good luck and keep it up.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on September 18, 2020, 11:20:05 pm
2.  Bullying - we have strong anti-bullying culture in our office, we do not have a 'human resources' and if it became a serious issue, it would probably end up with the union.  My first steps would be to report it to my supervisor.  Because it's out of character for the person involved to do this, I don't want to escalate it to my supervisor. It also happened over email, no yelling involved, so that also is a factor.  But yes, it hurt.  The implication that I make so many mistakes and that this was just another in a long line of mistakes was just particularly devastating.  What I did do was check in with the manager of my department to get feedback about my own work, and she tells me there are no issues, and that in fact she's noticed a definite improvement over the last while, since I've begun getting effective feedback regarding errors.  That has helped.  And again, I know that the person involved is having a very tough time with her mother's illness, lack of personal contact with her due to Covid, and her concern over her father's mental health as a result of all of this.  So, just as I'd like a break for a one-off, I would prefer to give her a break.  If it happens again, I would likely want to address it with her first anyway. If it becomes a pattern, then I would bring it to my supervisor. But this time, I'm giving her a pass due to her own stressors and because it is unusual for her.

I totally agree with this, you're dealing that situation perfectly i think.

Quote
3.  I know exercise is an excellent way of reducing stress and depression.  This is something I have to work harder at doing; but it's really hard to get up the will to do much after work when by 4:00 pm I feel so tired I sometimes feel dizzy, and by 7 pm I'm counting the minutes till it's late enough to walk the dog and go to bed.  I'm trying to work in 10 minutes of movement every hour during the work day to address this, and it does help when I do it.  If the Saxenda weight-loss program doesn't address this level of exhaustion, my doctor will send me to a rheumatologist (sp?), since all other fatigue investigations have been done and in all other respects, I'm the most healthy sick person known to medical science.

4.  Being sick from stress/prone to depression seems so weak to me, even though I know it's like having diabetes - it's the way I'm made, and no amount of personal willpower will make it different.

Stress takes a surprising toll on the body physically, it just wears you out after a while.  It sounds like your fatigue issues may be from the stress.   Hopefully you'll get set up with that therapist soon.  Glad you're feeling a bit better.!
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on September 19, 2020, 06:47:29 am
How long should you suffer in a job you no longer like ?

My past limit has been 6 months - but I need to know if I also need to wait for the end of Covid.  ( Trump tells me it will disappear. )
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on September 22, 2020, 12:04:26 am
I can't think of much to add to what Coonlight said.  For me being physically active and getting outdoors is key when I'm in a dark mood.   And, I try to avoid being alone too much... which is against my instincts because I'm very introverted and usually the last thing I want when I'm struggling is to interact with people. But I find that if I spend too much time alone when I'm depressed or anxious or angry, my worst thoughts start building on each other and send me further into a tailspin.  Interacting with somebody helps stop that spiral.

And I find that it helps to do something that isn't consuming media (whether it be reading news articles or internet message boards or watching TV.) Write a story, draw a picture, do a crossword puzzle, or so-on. 

And, do one of the little tasks around your home that you've been putting off. Accomplishing things, no matter how small, helps fight off the feeling of hopelessness and futility. When I feel I like I am floundering, I force myself to do *something*.  Vacuum. Clean the bathroom. Clean up the stack of clutter on my kitchen counter. Anything.   A piece of wisdom that one character gave another on the Stumptown TV show is "Make your bed." It turns out it actually came from a US navy admiral named William McRaven, who said: "If you make your bed every morning, you will have accomplished the first task of the day. It will give you a small sense of pride, and it will encourage you to do another task, and another, and another. And by the end of the day that one task completed will have turned into many tasks completed."


 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on September 22, 2020, 12:06:47 am
Me and Linz are heading off tomorrow on a road trip to exotic Alberta.  I'll be off the forum for about a week.  Be good to each other while I'm away.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on September 22, 2020, 05:58:51 pm
JFC I'm doing remote learning with my kid.  I'm falling apart, teachers really don't get paid enough.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on September 22, 2020, 06:33:01 pm
I got shot down flying between Methar and Bagram air base in Afghanistan. The company I was contracting to decided to blame me in order to hide that it was a dangerous country to work in at the time. Then while I was at home going for a walk on the beach I suffered an occlusion that robbed me of sight of one of my eyes. So much for a ~40 year flying career. Have I thought about jumping off the main street bridge...yep. Have I increased my trips to the liquor store...yep. But I'm also so lucky to have a lovely lady who has stood by me through it all and my love and appreciation for her is more than enough to just want to hold herhand as we cross that bridge.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on September 22, 2020, 07:25:44 pm
I got shot down flying between Methar and Bagram air base in Afghanistan. The company I was contracting to decided to blame me in order to hide that it was a dangerous country to work in at the time. Then while I was at home going for a walk on the beach I suffered an occlusion that robbed me of sight of one of my eyes. So much for a ~40 year flying career. Have I thought about jumping off the main street bridge...yep. Have I increased my trips to the liquor store...yep. But I'm also so lucky to have a lovely lady who has stood by me through it all and my love and appreciation for her is more than enough to just want to hold herhand as we cross that bridge.

That's terrible about your eye but if it's any consolation, age eventually ends all flying careers. Mine ended 14 years ago. Life is short and there are plenty of other things in life than flying and limited time to do them. I thought I had lots of time when I retired, it goes really fast.

Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on September 22, 2020, 07:26:22 pm
that is incredible... the things you must have seen  ???
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on September 22, 2020, 07:48:17 pm
That's terrible about your eye but if it's any consolation, age eventually ends all flying careers. Mine ended 14 years ago. Life is short and there are plenty of other things in life than flying and limited time to do them. I thought I had lots of time when I retired, it goes really fast.

Life provides all manner of opportunities and it seems one you and I have enjoyed was easing back on the control column at the appropriate speed and lifting into the air, and I bet that feeling never gets old to you either. My school took the grade 8 class for a treat each year as they passed on to high school. My year they took us to YQA for a plane ride.I got to sit beside the pilot. A 15 minute ride and I was hooked.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on September 22, 2020, 07:57:08 pm
that is incredible... the things you must have seen  ???

I did get to see a lot. I worked over most of Africa and a lot of South America. Of course before all that I was all over Canada. Only province I haven't worked on is PEI. I feel so lucky to have been able to travel as much as I have. I feel somewhat a little educated by landing in foreign lands.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on September 22, 2020, 09:42:52 pm
Life provides all manner of opportunities and it seems one you and I have enjoyed was easing back on the control column at the appropriate speed and lifting into the air, and I bet that feeling never gets old to you either. My school took the grade 8 class for a treat each year as they passed on to high school. My year they took us to YQA for a plane ride.I got to sit beside the pilot. A 15 minute ride and I was hooked.


I was always fascinated by flying. My basement bedroom was filled with Airfix 1/72nd models hanging from the ceiling. I got my private license on an Air Cadet scholarship when I was 18. I was also an oily rag, tearing apart my old cars in the driveway because I couldn't afford to have anyone else fix them, so I took aircraft maintenance at BCIT.. I was an AME and flight engineer before I got a flying job as a pilot.

No, the flying part never did get old but much of mine was long haul and as you get older it is harder to deal with being permanently tired and screwed up by jet lag and losing several nights sleep every month. It was great when I was in my thirties, not so great in my fifties. Guys used to ask me if I felt better after I retired. I told them it was really nice to feel the same every day for a change. The only flying that would appeal to me these days is low and slow. I learned to fly on a Fleet 80, wouldn't mind owning one of those but my finances have other demands.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on September 22, 2020, 10:20:19 pm
I got shot down flying between Methar and Bagram air base in Afghanistan. The company I was contracting to decided to blame me in order to hide that it was a dangerous country to work in at the time. Then while I was at home going for a walk on the beach I suffered an occlusion that robbed me of sight of one of my eyes. So much for a ~40 year flying career. Have I thought about jumping off the main street bridge...yep. Have I increased my trips to the liquor store...yep. But I'm also so lucky to have a lovely lady who has stood by me through it all and my love and appreciation for her is more than enough to just want to hold herhand as we cross that bridge.

Losing a career unexpectedly is devastating.  I'm glad you found a good reason to hang on.   
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on September 22, 2020, 10:51:43 pm
Losing a career unexpectedly is devastating.  I'm glad you found a good reason to hang on.   



/quote]

Thank you. Hey one reason I've found for hanging on is this old Larave guitar I bought many years ago. Are you a musician by chance? I'm trying to become one.

Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on September 22, 2020, 10:53:02 pm
that is incredible... the things you must have seen  ???

Too soon....
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on September 22, 2020, 11:37:19 pm
Too soon....

Well I am left with some stories to tell. Ever heard that one about when I crashed a Huges 500 D into the bush after the tail rotor flew off? Quite a day it was.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on September 22, 2020, 11:48:02 pm
Losing a career unexpectedly is devastating.  I'm glad you found a good reason to hang on.   



/quote]

Thank you. Hey one reason I've found for hanging on is this old Larave guitar I bought many years ago. Are you a musician by chance? I'm trying to become one.

Hey any guitar players out there?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on September 23, 2020, 06:05:54 am
Playing music with friends & loved ones is one of the purest and most basic joys.  We do it whenever we can.

Buy an old acoustic and learn 3 chords.  You now have a ton of songs to play.  Google 3 chord songs... like this:
https://www.guitarplayerbox.com/three/chord/guitar/songs/

And you are all set
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on September 23, 2020, 09:14:53 am
Well I am left with some stories to tell. Ever heard that one about when I crashed a Huges 500 D into the bush after the tail rotor flew off? Quite a day it was.

Yikes, you are fortunate to be able to tell it.

Helicopters are amazing and fascinating things. I didn’t really know much about them until I took the maintenance course. I remember thinking, a flying gyroscope, that Sikorsky guy was a freaking genius. Funnily enough, I’ve never even rode in one. Still something for the bucket list.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on September 23, 2020, 11:35:51 am
Yikes, you are fortunate to be able to tell it.

Helicopters are amazing and fascinating things. I didn’t really know much about them until I took the maintenance course. I remember thinking, a flying gyroscope, that Sikorsky guy was a freaking genius. Funnily enough, I’ve never even rode in one. Still something for the bucket list.

I got a bit of a giggle from helicopters back in the day when while dropping water on a fire in northern Quebec, one of those PT6's blew up and spewed much of it's guts out the tailpipe. (Bad bearing and I have a few pieces on my mantle over the fireplace) The engineer was flying along with me that particular day and after I got things squared away for single engine flight (and my heart rate back somewhere near normal) I looked over at him and said "that sounded expensive". A couple of weeks later I was walking across the hangar floor at the main base in YVR and coming the other way were that engineer and the chief engineer. The first words spoken as we met were from the chief who said "yeah, about 300,000 bucks." I knew immediately of what he spoke. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on September 23, 2020, 12:21:42 pm
JFC I'm doing remote learning with my kid.  I'm falling apart, teachers really don't get paid enough.

I don't know how you do it. The thought of trying to teach math to my kids would have made me hide under my bed.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on September 23, 2020, 02:18:20 pm
Playing music with friends & loved ones is one of the purest and most basic joys.  We do it whenever we can.

Buy an old acoustic and learn 3 chords.  You now have a ton of songs to play.  Google 3 chord songs... like this:
https://www.guitarplayerbox.com/three/chord/guitar/songs/

And you are all set

I have an old Larrivee 6 string and I can handle about as many chords. I'm working on that finger picking thing and atr the risk of sounding like a braggart I will say I was blessed with a pretty good singing voice so there are evenings when I tune 'er up, stoke the fireplace, fill a glass, and whack away at it. I'm a John Prine fan so "please don't bury me, down in that cold, cold ground" is one of the tunes I start off with.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on September 23, 2020, 03:10:52 pm
I have an old Larrivee 6 string and I can handle about as many chords. I'm working on that finger picking thing and atr the risk of sounding like a braggart I will say I was blessed with a pretty good singing voice so there are evenings when I tune 'er up, stoke the fireplace, fill a glass, and whack away at it. I'm a John Prine fan so "please don't bury me, down in that cold, cold ground" is one of the tunes I start off with.

We have been doing porch jams during Covid.  We're going to get a dozen friends to come by and safely distance out front tomorrow...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on September 23, 2020, 03:26:02 pm
We have been doing porch jams during Covid.  We're going to get a dozen friends to come by and safely distance out front tomorrow...

Hey good on y'all. If I was coming to your porch I'd be bringing a handfull of my different key harps. You can go a lot of ways with a dang ole mouth organ. "Oh Susannah" and then the blues. Yee haw.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on September 23, 2020, 03:35:27 pm
Now then, how many of y'all have ever been to Makkovik? Or similar stop off posts along the eastern coast of our lovely country?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on September 23, 2020, 05:34:07 pm
Now then, how many of y'all have ever been to Makkovik? Or similar stop off posts along the eastern coast of our lovely country?

Uh...  ???

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Makkovik,+NL/@55.0903453,-59.1934545,14z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x4c702c8c8a7d9225:0x9014f5d1ae6bb5c2!8m2!3d55.0861676!4d-59.1764336

I kept zooming out and didn't recognize the area until I was almost province-wide view.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on September 23, 2020, 07:02:42 pm
Uh...  ???

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Makkovik,+NL/@55.0903453,-59.1934545,14z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x4c702c8c8a7d9225:0x9014f5d1ae6bb5c2!8m2!3d55.0861676!4d-59.1764336

I kept zooming out and didn't recognize the area until I was almost province-wide view.

Hey and if you ever have the good fortune to visit Makkovik for an overnighter you'll be staying at Susies. At least the last time I was there her place was the only one taking in overnight travelers. She's a little crazy burt her husband is OK and the pool table in the basement is great. And BTW you can tell Suzie with regard to the young lady I met the last time I stayed there that no, I didn't knock 'er up.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on September 23, 2020, 07:09:35 pm
The question marks on the last post grow like a fungus...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on September 24, 2020, 11:58:22 am
The question marks on the last post grow like a fungus...

Long story short, often the local girls come by Suzies when there are a lot of travelers in town. This particular lady was travelling from St. Johns doing a photography  mission. We got to chatting and hit it off pretty good. She ended up asking me to stay with her the night as the boys were shooting pool to see who got to sleep with the white girl. She figured I was good protection.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on September 26, 2020, 09:12:21 am
Ooof...

one week of daycare in the books... I think Easy is teething again as he's drooling a lot and thrashing violently and waking up at night...

Joan is in front of students for the first time since over two years ago...

Tough week but:

-Joan transferred to a school 20 mins from home by bike so no more 401 2X a day... good exercise, and I have been doing Couch-to-5K and jogging, dropping a couple of points... so health continues good
-Not having Easy in the afternoons gives me a precious 1/2 hour to clean up which is a boon to Joan when she comes home to a sparkly house... I can clean while I listen to boring meetings
-Easy is getting used to the idea of daycare and although he looked depressed when I dropped him off Friday he did NOT cry  :)

Jam party today in the front yard: 15 folks RSVPd

Have a great weekend everyone
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on September 27, 2020, 01:09:14 am
I don't know how you do it. The thought of trying to teach math to my kids would have made me hide under my bed.

Spot on. 

I'm not one of those people who remembers a lot from childhood but the memory of my dad teaching me math forever scarred me and I actually have pretty decent aptitude for math.

Unfortunately, the math aptitude gene seems to have skipped my daughter so my sessions with her are going even worse than my recollections with my dad (former calculus professor and chartered accountant by profession).

I broke down and got a tutor.  It'll cost me $300/month but if it works, it'll be worth every penny.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on September 27, 2020, 01:14:39 am
We have been doing porch jams during Covid.  We're going to get a dozen friends to come by and safely distance out front tomorrow...

Good for you!!  I would have a hard time coming up with 12 friends I could socialize with even if I included the out of towners.  Count your blessing for having a strong social circle.

ETA, I'm not counting acquaintances, which is how I consider most people in my life.  I have maybe 5-6 people I consider 'friends'.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on October 01, 2020, 01:53:32 am
Back from our trip.  Spent a couple of days in Edmonton with my family.   Introduced Lindsey. Dad already knew; I don't know if he has ever told mom or my brother.   Didn't punch mom's face in. Dad cried when I left.   Lindsey's brother and his family live in Calgary.  I really like them, even her niece and nephew are lovable.  Then a couple of days for just us, in Nelson BC. It's an adorable little town, and I am looking forward to returning.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on October 04, 2020, 02:09:27 am
Unemployment rocks. 

I'm not kidding, after trying to juggle kids and work since March, this new freedom has immensely improved my mental-health.  I don't even care about burning through savings or becoming another statistic of how the pandemic is hurting women's careers. 

Don't get me wrong, staying at home with kids is harder than going to the office but the JUGGLE nearly killed me.  I'm so well rested now and my chronic anxiety is 100% gone.

My only regret is I wish I'd left earlier.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: ?Impact on October 04, 2020, 09:19:01 am
Unemployment rocks. 

The promise of 50's and 60's is that technology would allow us all to live comfortably and not have to work so hard.

Only a few got the benefits of all that technology, and the rest of us have to work harder. At least twice as hard to begin with because it is impossible to maintain a household on a single salary so both partners need to work.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Montgomery on October 04, 2020, 11:51:04 am
The promise of 50's and 60's is that technology would allow us all to live comfortably and not have to work so hard.

Only a few got the benefits of all that technology, and the rest of us have to work harder. At least twice as hard to begin with because it is impossible to maintain a household on a single salary so both partners need to work.

Excellent observations! And all you are going to have to give up is the useless 'stuff' from W mart. Indeed we will have to be * 'poorer' in this 21st. century in order for the wealth to go around.

*(richer)
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on October 13, 2020, 02:40:55 pm
Is everyone else crazy busy with work ?   ???

Not sure why this is happening but the fora are also quiet so maybe that's something happening everywhere...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on October 14, 2020, 02:25:47 am
Personally yes. Very busy, lots of pressure.

Also spending most of my time with Linz. Feeling a bit smothered.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on October 14, 2020, 07:57:19 am
Personally yes. Very busy, lots of pressure.

Also spending most of my time with Linz. Feeling a bit smothered.

 -k

Yep.  I sense my mate doesn't want me around so much  >:(  I am Linz.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on October 14, 2020, 09:31:22 pm
I am Linz.

If Linz ever becomes MH, I'm dumping her.  :D

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on October 15, 2020, 12:13:39 am
Yep.  I sense my mate doesn't want me around so much  >:(  I am Linz.

Prove it.  Show us your nipples.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on October 15, 2020, 12:19:07 am
Unemployment rocks. 

I'm not kidding, after trying to juggle kids and work since March, this new freedom has immensely improved my mental-health.  I don't even care about burning through savings or becoming another statistic of how the pandemic is hurting women's careers. 

Don't get me wrong, staying at home with kids is harder than going to the office but the JUGGLE nearly killed me.  I'm so well rested now and my chronic anxiety is 100% gone.

My only regret is I wish I'd left earlier.
Wow.  I'm glad you're feeling better.  There's nothing more important than your health and happiness.  People lived in mud huts and were still happy.  They died from diarrhea after drinking the village poo-water, but hey beggars can't be choosers.  I'll let myself out...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on October 15, 2020, 12:20:25 am
Prove it.  Show us your nipples.

Scratch that.  Anyone, please show me your nipples.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on October 15, 2020, 09:04:09 am
Sorry, GG, I am nothing if not modest... see below
(https://i.imgur.com/zxBsPLi.png)
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on October 15, 2020, 12:17:53 pm
Sorry, GG, I am nothing if not modest... see below
(https://i.imgur.com/zxBsPLi.png)

heyyyy how you doin?

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on October 15, 2020, 09:58:03 pm
Scratch that.  Anyone, please show me your nipples.

Squiggy, show me your nipples.  I'm on Whatsapp.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on October 15, 2020, 10:01:13 pm
Sorry, GG, I am nothing if not modest... see below
(https://i.imgur.com/zxBsPLi.png)
Graham says...Gorgeous!
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on October 27, 2020, 09:23:20 am

Sigh....

Full on stress these days.

We're going to try to have kid #2 - this needs IVF which means we will be going into heavy debt and Joan is on hormones, for a 20% shot according to the Dr.  There's no turning back at this point.  I have trepidations but the joy of Easy being doubled is worth tens of thousands easily, even at a longshot.

Work sucks for both of us.

Weather is getting colder.

Easy is cute and learning new words each day - almost two years old, his BD is in one week !!!  But he's also VERY slappy and we're starting to see hints of the obstinance that Joan and I carry... in the potential harbinger of terrifying-twos.

How are you doing ?   :(
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on October 27, 2020, 09:39:54 am
Look forward to when they have kids. Grand kids provide all of the fun with almost none of the stress.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on October 27, 2020, 10:04:56 am
Look forward to when they have kids. Grand kids provide all of the fun with almost none of the stress.

I will be 100 but sure.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on October 27, 2020, 01:21:18 pm
Good luck MH.  I have a friend who had their second through IVF.  There was a lot of heart-break during the process but on they said would be the last try they succeeded.  That was about 6 years ago and their little boy is a cutie.  Hope you guys have the same success!
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Montgomery on October 27, 2020, 01:28:42 pm
Not to burst any bubbles here but couples deciding to have children is a decision that should have been postponed since March at least.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on October 27, 2020, 02:07:36 pm
Not to burst any bubbles here but couples deciding to have children is a decision that should have been postponed since March at least.

What??
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Montgomery on October 27, 2020, 02:14:20 pm
What??

What? Are you stupid to the point of not being able to understand the possible consequences of Covid-19? As well as the possibility of other similar pandemics?

Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on October 27, 2020, 02:23:49 pm
Not to burst any bubbles here but couples deciding to have children is a decision that should have been postponed since March at least.

It was.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on October 27, 2020, 09:15:35 pm
What? Are you stupid to the point of not being able to understand the possible consequences of Covid-19? As well as the possibility of other similar pandemics?

Oh the irony.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on October 27, 2020, 11:55:53 pm
What? Are you stupid to the point of not being able to understand the possible consequences of Covid-19? As well as the possibility of other similar pandemics?

Good grief.  If everybody waited for a perfect time to bring children into the world, nobody would have children, ever. 

This is COVID-19. It's not the Black Plague. It's not the Nuclear Winter. It's not the Tribulations.  In a country of 38 million people, this virus has killed 10,000, the large majority of whom were elderly and frail.  Perhaps there's a chance that MH or his family may die from the virus. There's a chance that any one of us could die in an accident.  I could get killed by falling space junk walking home from work tomorrow... but I'm going to go to work anyway. And if tragedy strikes, the world will find a way to carry on.

There's living with an appropriate level of caution due to the coronavirus, and then there's living in an irrational state of fear.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Montgomery on October 28, 2020, 11:47:52 am
Good grief.  If everybody waited for a perfect time to bring children into the world, nobody would have children, ever. 

This is COVID-19. It's not the Black Plague. It's not the Nuclear Winter. It's not the Tribulations.  In a country of 38 million people, this virus has killed 10,000, the large majority of whom were elderly and frail.  Perhaps there's a chance that MH or his family may die from the virus. There's a chance that any one of us could die in an accident.  I could get killed by falling space junk walking home from work tomorrow... but I'm going to go to work anyway. And if tragedy strikes, the world will find a way to carry on.

There's living with an appropriate level of caution due to the coronavirus, and then there's living in an irrational state of fear.

 -k

And there are people who only consider their own selfish needs when making the decision to have children. I expressed my preferences and values and you should express yours too!
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on October 28, 2020, 11:58:15 am
I don't know if having kids is 'selfish'.  My perspective on it sure changed after I had a kid. 

But if having a kid is selfish, then working hard for someone you love is selfish and maybe everything is selfish.

But ok - there is no right answer. 

We don't have a choice here, time is up for us if we don't conceive in the next few months, that's how the process goes.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on October 28, 2020, 11:59:21 am
Interesting article on good old former MLW member jdobbin:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/couple-covid-19-victoria-general-hospital-1.5779641
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Montgomery on October 28, 2020, 12:03:49 pm
I don't know if having kids is 'selfish'.  My perspective on it sure changed after I had a kid. 

But if having a kid is selfish, then working hard for someone you love is selfish and maybe everything is selfish.

But ok - there is no right answer. 

We don't have a choice here, time is up for us if we don't conceive in the next few months, that's how the process goes.

I'm not going to allow you to make out that I'm suggesting that having children is selfish, regardless of whether you're deliberately doing that or not. My comments were clear on the decision being made in a time when Covid could prove to be much worse than anyone expected.

And as I said, I expressed my values and preferences so you should express yours.

Show your resolve and don't allow me to be a part of your conscience!
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on October 28, 2020, 12:23:25 pm
I'm not going to allow you to make out that I'm suggesting that having children is selfish, regardless of whether you're deliberately doing that or not. My comments were clear on the decision being made in a time when Covid could prove to be much worse than anyone expected.

And as I said, I expressed my values and preferences so you should express yours.

Show your resolve and don't allow me to be a part of your conscience!

Ok, well... if I could wait a year I would...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Montgomery on October 28, 2020, 12:26:49 pm
Ok, well... if I could wait a year I would...

That's a very good answer MH!
I think it indicates social responsibility in your case.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on October 28, 2020, 12:29:11 pm
That's a very good answer MH!
I think it indicates social responsibility in your case.

I pick up litter on the street too.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Montgomery on October 28, 2020, 12:51:50 pm
I pick up litter on the street too.

I would be surprised if you didn't. It's your contribution to society as a Canadian. Do you wonder how you can make a more significant contribution with your valued and limited time?

Strange isn't it that if you go to Mexico you'll find plastic litter along the highways to an alarming amount. I don't think that's an indication of their callous disregard for the environment. The callous disregard is on those who have made the decision to not pay a refund to recycle that plastic.

Maybe there's a reason why they can't because of monetary restraints, but I doubt it.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on October 28, 2020, 02:06:41 pm
We have kids or we have more immigration. A nation populated entirely of geezers has no future.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on October 28, 2020, 05:22:22 pm
https://www.facebook.com/bbctwo/videos/2494904827236825/
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on October 28, 2020, 06:34:13 pm
Good grief.  If everybody waited for a perfect time to bring children into the world, nobody would have children, ever. 

This is COVID-19. It's not the Black Plague. It's not the Nuclear Winter. It's not the Tribulations.  In a country of 38 million people, this virus has killed 10,000, the large majority of whom were elderly and frail.  Perhaps there's a chance that MH or his family may die from the virus. There's a chance that any one of us could die in an accident.  I could get killed by falling space junk walking home from work tomorrow... but I'm going to go to work anyway. And if tragedy strikes, the world will find a way to carry on.

There's living with an appropriate level of caution due to the coronavirus, and then there's living in an irrational state of fear.

 -k

Kids aren't dying from this virus, like, at all.  It's a non-issue.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on October 28, 2020, 06:37:09 pm
I don't know if having kids is 'selfish'.  My perspective on it sure changed after I had a kid. 

But if having a kid is selfish, then working hard for someone you love is selfish and maybe everything is selfish.

But ok - there is no right answer. 

We don't have a choice here, time is up for us if we don't conceive in the next few months, that's how the process goes.

You don't have to explain yourself to anyone. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on October 28, 2020, 06:42:16 pm
Strange isn't it that if you go to Mexico you'll find plastic litter along the highways to an alarming amount. I don't think that's an indication of their callous disregard for the environment. The callous disregard is on those who have made the decision to not pay a refund to recycle that plastic.

Maybe there's a reason why they can't because of monetary restraints, but I doubt it.

No, it is disregard.  The closest nature trail near me where people go for walks and bring their dogs or whatever, people litter there all the time and leave their discarded box of Timbits or coffee cups etc.  Some people are dirty selfish a-holes who don't care about anyone or anything else but themselves.  Mexico has a lot of those, and also not the money to clean up after them.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on October 28, 2020, 08:04:59 pm
I find it ironic that people wear masks out of consideration for others and yet, even before we were being mandated to wear them, they were the most common litter item around next to Timmies cups.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on October 28, 2020, 08:11:40 pm
I find it ironic that people wear masks out of consideration for others and yet, even before we were being mandated to wear them, they were the most common litter item around next to Timmies cups.

I think most people wear them because they think it will protect themselves.  Or at least the ones leaving them everywhere.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Montgomery on October 29, 2020, 12:34:02 pm
No, it is disregard.  The closest nature trail near me where people go for walks and bring their dogs or whatever, people litter there all the time and leave their discarded box of Timbits or coffee cups etc.  Some people are dirty selfish a-holes who don't care about anyone or anything else but themselves.  Mexico has a lot of those, and also not the money to clean up after them.

Thank you for your reply. Where do you live? Where I live on Vancouver Island I can say that I've never before seen such an effort to clean up the environment. Just a couple of weeks ago some group organized a day for cleaning up our beaches of plastic. And as well, walking through the woods to a very popular waterfall park near my house, it's likely that one will see very little plastic wast carelessly thrown away.

I appreciate your opinion that with Mexicans it's disregard, but that's a somewhat loose term that requires a better explanation. I think that if all the plastic containers weren't there, their highways wouldn't look all that bad. The remedy then is refundable containers.

I dare say that if a refund was offered for water bottles in Mexico, someone could earn a wage of at least 40 bucks an hour at 5 cents a bottle. That's not possible.

You've acknowledged that Mexico doesn't have the money to clean it up, but you've also offered 'disregard' as an explanation. I can't accept that you can have both for an explanation.

If B.C. dropped the refund on aluminum cans we could light our way down the highway with them.

In B.C. we have a government that cares about the appearance of our main highways. We pay to have people on ATV's regularly cleaning up. Maybe some of the other provinces are different?

In B.C. it's a socially responsible priority.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on October 29, 2020, 12:42:14 pm
I find it ironic that people wear masks out of consideration for others and yet, even before we were being mandated to wear them, they were the most common litter item around next to Timmies cups.

Where do you live? I haven't seen more than a half dozen laying on the ground, most were cloth masks and all of them were in parking lots. They probably just fell out of people's pockets.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on October 29, 2020, 02:19:46 pm
A LOT of people are masking here, and it’s generally the grocery store parking lot where I see any litter.

I saw one at the tennis courts, so I threw it away. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on October 30, 2020, 12:58:44 am
Lindsey and I went to a performance of Evil Dead: The Musical put on by our local actor's studio.  It was delightful.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on October 30, 2020, 06:07:05 am
Lindsey and I went to a performance of Evil Dead: The Musical put on by our local actor's studio.  It was delightful.

 -k

Wow.  How big was the theatre ??
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on October 30, 2020, 10:28:46 am
Wow.  How big was the theatre ??

Everybody had ample space. We were at a table of our own. It wasn't a superspreader event. Good grief.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on October 30, 2020, 10:55:59 am
Everybody had ample space. We were at a table of our own. It wasn't a superspreader event. Good grief.

 -k

Good grief YOU !

Shame on you for assuming I'm asking for corvid/covid reasons  :D

I'm a theatre buff and I wanna know how big the halls are in central BC or wherever...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on October 31, 2020, 05:12:45 pm
Good grief YOU !

Shame on you for assuming I'm asking for corvid/covid reasons  :D

(https://i.imgur.com/PiggWxX.png)

I'm a theatre buff and I wanna know how big the halls are in central BC or wherever...

Not a huge room.  The front area closest to the stage has maybe 8 or 10 tables that seat up to 6. The rest of the room is movie theatre style seating. There's maybe 10 rows that are maybe 16 seats wide.  If it wasn't for covid restrictions I am guessing they could cram close to 200 people in there.


 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on October 31, 2020, 07:03:30 pm
(https://i.imgur.com/PiggWxX.png)

Not a huge room.  The front area closest to the stage has maybe 8 or 10 tables that seat up to 6. The rest of the room is movie theatre style seating. There's maybe 10 rows that are maybe 16 seats wide.  If it wasn't for covid restrictions I am guessing they could cram close to 200 people in there.


 -k

Still pretty small.

I meant to 'thumbs up' your post btw so my bad.  I give somebody an 'angry face' on FB today by accident too, for wishing Easy happy birthday.

I'm a dunce.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: cybercoma on November 08, 2020, 09:40:50 pm
Sooo....what's everyone's thoughts on open relationships and polyamoury?  :D
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on November 08, 2020, 09:50:03 pm
I know lots of people who do it.

The key is clarity and communication, apparently.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on November 08, 2020, 10:22:41 pm
Sooo....what's everyone's thoughts on open relationships and polyamoury?  :D

You asking for a friend?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Dia on November 09, 2020, 08:56:16 am
I used to live that lifestyle  and I've known quite a few  people who've done it,  almost all of them are now with new partners or single.  The ones who navigate these relationships successfully are really dedicated to honest communication, and treating each other with respect and kindness.  Jealousy and insecurity are valid emotions, and need to be acknowledged when they come up, but not allowed to control the people in the relationship.   Trusting each other also extremely important and good faith negotiation of time/activities/sexual safety.

Done right, it can be a rewarding lifestyle.  Done wrong, devastating.  There are groups who offer social support and education, especially in larger centers.

For me personally, I enjoyed the experience but found the effort of managing more than one romantic relationship tiring.   My ideal would have been a live-in situation, but ultimately things did not work out since my partner failed in the "honesty" department.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on November 09, 2020, 09:08:55 am
... ultimately things did not work out since my partner failed in the "honesty" department.

How so ?

I knew someone in a relationship like this and they ended up getting lied to... but why ?  It's already out there - what is there to lie about ?

Another person was in a relationship with a couple and was getting treated poorly by one of the couple... ignored.  They went to the other for information... and didn't get an honest answer.  WTF so complicated.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Dia on November 09, 2020, 09:45:47 am
How so ?

He was gaslighting me in ways big and small for years, and when he met a particular woman, the gaslighting increased exponentially along with verbal abuse, so I had no choice but to realize something was wrong, even if I didn'tknow what, exactly. 

I don't know when exactly he decided he wanted to move on, but he had to wait till he found his next love, so he wouldn't be alone, and then he had to arrange it so that I left, rather than him dumping me.  This was important for him to retain face with our social group, in which he was sonething of a "name".

Took me a while to figure this all out, at the time it was just confusing and painful (undestatement of the year). Now I feel stupid for falling for him in the first place. 

But until the last lady showed up, I did enjoy the poly aspect of our relationshop.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on November 09, 2020, 10:24:36 am
1. He was gaslighting me in ways big and small for years, and when he met a particular woman, the gaslighting increased exponentially along with verbal abuse, so I had no choice but to realize something was wrong, even if I didn'tknow what, exactly. 

 
2. Took me a while to figure this all out, at the time it was just confusing and painful (undestatement of the year). Now I feel stupid for falling for him in the first place. 

3. But until the last lady showed up, I did enjoy the poly aspect of our relationshop.

1. Why would he do that if your relationship was open though ?
2. Sorry  :(
3. Why was it enjoyable ?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: eyeball on November 09, 2020, 10:38:31 am
I don't get it. I mean I get the desire for more sex with different people but not another relationship. Maybe it's the tendency towards minimalism in my life maybe it's having to adapt to COVID and my apparent early retirement. I've been clearing out a lot of hoarded junk the last few months, old fishing gear and such that have piled up like old regrets.  I need another relationship like I need the old boat I have out in the back 40.

I was able to recycle and incorporate a few old curios like a winch boom into the tree fort I've been building with my grandkids.  I like grandkids, they're uncomplicated. They relate to me because I'm the bad Papa that drives up and down logging roads with them in the back of the pick-up and doesn't mind if they wave fire-sticks around the fire. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Dia on November 09, 2020, 11:22:12 am
1. Why would he do that if your relationship was open though ?
2. Sorry  :(
3. Why was it enjoyable ?

1.  They were ready to move in together after a couple of months, I wanted to go more slowly.  When I still wasn't ready by month 3, he began the more intense gaslighting etc.  Also, what became apparent to me after a while was that new girl much preferred monogamy; he refused to see (or maybe acknowledge) this.  I became the "bad guy" for questioning new girl's motives and wanting to slow down on co-habitation.

2.  I'm better off now; took me a while to realize how pervasive the lying and gaslighting were throughout the relationship, so hard as it was, it was for the best.

3.  Through this experience, I found out that I was more interested in a closed 1-man, 2-woman relationship than having multiple boyfriend(s) on the side.  We had a few successes like that, and I found it really fun and satisfying because of the three-way relationship.  I don't have any sexual jealousy, so I was fine with alone time for them and also enjoyed it when it was all three of us. 

You might be wondering why those other relationships didn't progress.  One was because she lived/worked in another town and didn't want to move; another was married and a third saw the issues with my partner that I didn't see, so extracted herself. 

Attention and quality time was an issue for me, though and he never seemed to understand that, so that was a challenge that we struggled with.   Still, I have good memories about most of the women we interacted with and am still friends with some of them.  Overall, I'm glad of the expetience. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Dia on November 09, 2020, 12:01:47 pm
1.  I don't get it. I mean I get the desire for more sex with different people but not another relationship.

2. Maybe it's the tendency towards minimalism in my life maybe it's having to adapt to COVID and my apparent early retirement. I've been clearing out a lot of hoarded junk the last few months, old fishing gear and such that have piled up like old regrets.  I need another relationship like I need the old boat I have out in the back 40.

I was able to recycle and incorporate a few old curios like a winch boom into the tree fort I've been building with my grandkids.  I like grandkids, they're uncomplicated. They relate to me because I'm the bad Papa that drives up and down logging roads with them in the back of the pick-up and doesn't mind if they wave fire-sticks around the fire.

1.  I don't get the interest in sex with different people; maybe because BTDT.   I didn't like the effort involved in having to set up times/dates with different people, but I liked having a relationship with them.  Probably part of why I wanted to develop a live-in situation, eventually.

2.  I'm an introvert, too, so again why the idea of a closed, live-in situation was my personal ideal.  I really liked having that 'other woman' in our life, it was often really fun.  And there were times when I really appreciated her availability for things I either wanted to do and he didn't, or didn't want to do and he did - she could do it, and I could enjoy alone time.  Plus, my libido was lower than his so he could get all the sex he wanted, and I could sleep alone - something else I really like to do from time to time.   It may be that because we never did get to the level of living together with another woman, I had a rather romantic view of how it could all unfold, but at the time it seemed doable and a very inviting goal.  And in my experience, most poly people are more of the multiple-partners each, so finding that perfect fit might have been extremely difficult.  My partner today does not have any interest in any kind of poly, although I did try to persuade him it might be fun when we first got together.  And as I get older, the effort involved in developing another relationship seems too daunting, anyway, so we're all good here.  :)

3.  Yes, your grandkids are lucky to have such a great grandpa.  :)
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on November 09, 2020, 05:36:30 pm
It's not for me, but I can see the appeal of it for people who aren't into monogamy.  A lot of people seem to want one way monogamy where they can do what they want but get jealous when their partner has eyes for someone else.  If people can find like-minded partners, good for everyone.

Personally, I have a difficult time finding even one person I like yet alone two or three. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: eyeball on November 09, 2020, 05:38:37 pm
1.  I don't get the interest in sex with different people; maybe because BTDT.
Wishful frustrated thinking on my part maybe.

Quote
2.  I'm an introvert, too, so again why the idea of a closed, live-in situation was my personal ideal.  I really liked having that 'other woman' in our life, it was often really fun.  And there were times when I really appreciated her availability for things I either wanted to do and he didn't, or didn't want to do and he did - she could do it, and I could enjoy alone time.
I can grok that, we live on the same property under different roofs (I'm out in the back 40 too). I'm pretty sure another woman or even a man in our life would be a non-starter.

Quote
Plus, my libido was lower than his so he could get all the sex he wanted, and I could sleep alone - something else I really like to do from time to time.   It may be that because we never did get to the level of living together with another woman, I had a rather romantic view of how it could all unfold, but at the time it seemed doable and a very inviting goal.  And in my experience, most poly people are more of the multiple-partners each, so finding that perfect fit might have been extremely difficult.  My partner today does not have any interest in any kind of poly, although I did try to persuade him it might be fun when we first got together. 
This libido thing seems to be pretty common.  I often feel like I'm in an old Neil Young song..."someone to cook the dinner, do the dishes and go away..."   

Quote
And as I get older, the effort involved in developing another relationship seems too daunting, anyway, so we're all good here.  :)
I have a friend my age who is struggling with teenage kids that my kids babysat. I feel for MH.

Quote
3.  Yes, your grandkids are lucky to have such a great grandpa.  :)
I'm the luckier one.
 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: eyeball on November 09, 2020, 06:30:34 pm
Personally, I have a difficult time finding even one person I like yet alone two or three.
I'm willing to accept it might be me that's hard to like but I'm over it. That said my oldest grandson jumped up on the couch the other day and he noticed his father looking, to which he said "I still love you too dad!  Then he asked me to take my teeth out and let hem hear the little jingle my hearing aid plays when I turn it on. That's what I get for being a bionic Papa I guess.  Hey, is 'pull my finger' still appropriate or is that too gauche now?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on November 10, 2020, 01:35:13 am
Hey, is 'pull my finger' still appropriate or is that too gauche now?

Cavemen started that.  I don't think it'll ever stop.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: JMT on November 11, 2020, 11:26:57 am
Unemployment rocks. 

I had four days off in a row for the first time since March. I don't want to go back to work this afternoon.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Montgomery on November 11, 2020, 12:41:53 pm
I had four days off in a row for the first time since March. I don't want to go back to work this afternoon.

Our world must move on from the necessity of working at a job. Automation has taken over and those who have benefitted the most from it will need to pay the price of it to the masses. America demonstrates the urgency for reform in that manner more than any other country so far.

People like you have just had a taste of how life will change in the near future. Maybe many people won't want to let it go?

Others will be madly searching for employment and failing to find it. Forcing them to find something else to do with their free time.

You probably understand all that but there are more who don't as opposed to those who do.

We should all watch to see how China or the US handle the problem.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on November 11, 2020, 04:32:11 pm
Really, we are one election away from a solution to this.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Montgomery on November 11, 2020, 05:36:27 pm
Really, we are one election away from a solution to this.

Could be that close and so that's the reason why the Conservative agenda is so dead in the water. The Cons can't accept a much bigger welfare state.

What's the future of world politics? Everybody shifts to the left?

Already our resident rightist have no real talking points to push seriously. They promoted such crap as the Fraser Institute but they're far off the map now.

Messing with our healthcare to make it two tier? Seriously?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on November 14, 2020, 10:28:06 pm
I had four days off in a row for the first time since March. I don't want to go back to work this afternoon.

Whoa, why??

I miss work tbh.  I only say unemployment rocks because for the sake of my sanity I had to make a choice between the kids and work (and the kids eked out a win) but holy cow I have a whole new respect for stay at home parents.

I miss talking to people who don't say 'NO' as a primary instinct for everything.  I miss having lunch with people who don't smear their food all over the table. 

I miss that feeling when I would drop off at school and daycare and get on the train and listen to my audiobooks with my cup of coffee.   

I really miss the normal life.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: JMT on November 28, 2020, 09:00:25 am
Whoa, why??

Because I've had more work since the pandemic began, and it's been nonstop. That day off was my first actual day off in addition to my normal days off in 9 months.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on December 15, 2020, 03:09:53 pm
Lil Easy had a runny nose which is no biggy except the daycare won't take him ... so he got a Covid test today.  Joan is on her way back now and says it went amazingly, so I am hopeful.  He's likely fine but we'll get the results tomorrow.  :o
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on December 15, 2020, 03:16:45 pm
Lil Easy had a runny nose which is no biggy except the daycare won't take him ... so he got a Covid test today.  Joan is on her way back now and says it went amazingly, so I am hopeful.  He's likely fine but we'll get the results tomorrow.  :o

Fingers crossed.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on December 17, 2020, 10:56:50 am
OK - Easy was negative and the process and turnaround time were great.

Then yesterday Joan and I had a fever and felt terrible.  Today we're fine.... I scheduled a test that I am going to cancel... she did one today...

Folks, it feels like this is going to get closer.  Stay safe and take precautions.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on January 03, 2021, 07:12:15 pm
Anybody on here have Facebook ?  Want me to friend you ?  :)
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on January 03, 2021, 07:32:41 pm
Anybody on here have Facebook ?  Want me to friend you ?  :)

Facebook is for gullible boomers and conspiracy idiots.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on January 03, 2021, 07:54:40 pm
Facebook is for gullible boomers and conspiracy idiots.

 -k

  ???

You hurt my feelings.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on January 03, 2021, 08:05:31 pm
Maybe I am too judgmental. Maybe if I joined Facebook I could get lots of great entertainment from all those anti-vaxxers, election fraud truthers, Q-anons, and covid-hoax people.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on January 03, 2021, 08:49:44 pm
Maybe I am too judgmental. Maybe if I joined Facebook I could get lots of great entertainment from all those anti-vaxxers, election fraud truthers, Q-anons, and covid-hoax people.

 -k

I've never encountered much of that on FB.  Though I think it all depends on who your friends are (and thus, what they post/share), and I try not to hang out with stupid.  I mostly see memes shaming people for not wearing masks.

I've heard the stereotype that FB is for older people, there's truth to that.  I think a lot of younger people post more on Instagram (and Snapchat), especially females, because they want to show off how good they look or how cool their life is and then compare that to everyone else.  IG makes me vomit.  When my female friends do the selfies to post on IG I want to clothesline them, but then I remember that somebody would post that on Youtube.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on January 03, 2021, 08:52:18 pm
Maybe I am too judgmental. Maybe if I joined Facebook I could get lots of great entertainment from all those anti-vaxxers, election fraud truthers, Q-anons, and covid-hoax people.

 -k

I'm FB friends with some conservative lady from Kelowna who shoots down Trumpists with me.  Great fun.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on January 03, 2021, 08:52:56 pm
I've heard the stereotype that FB is for older people, there's truth to that.  I think a lot of younger people post more on Instagram (and Snapchat), especially females, because they want to show off how good they look or how cool their life is and then compare that to everyone else.  IG makes me vomit.  When my female friends do the selfies to post on IG I want to clothesline them, but then I remember that somebody would post that on Youtube.

The cutoff seems to be 30. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: eyeball on January 03, 2021, 09:21:54 pm
You hurt my feelings.
Imagine if someone said no, they didn't want to be your friend or even worse unfriended you after saying they did?

Sorry but neither pliers a blow-torch or the sort of cajolery I've gotten from friends and family are enough to make me to sign up. To tell you the truth they'd probably wish they'd been more careful about what they'd wished for if I did.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on January 04, 2021, 09:14:17 am
1. Imagine if someone said no, they didn't want to be your friend or even worse unfriended you after saying they did?

2. Sorry but neither pliers a blow-torch or the sort of cajolery I've gotten from friends and family are enough to make me to sign up. To tell you the truth they'd probably wish they'd been more careful about what they'd wished for if I did.

1. I... KNOW  :P

2. I call horseshit.  I had 2 or 3 friends like you... didn't see the value in it.. and they're on all the time.  It's not a videogame - it's chatting with friends.  Kind of like this board, but more interesting, no fighting and you know what they look like.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: eyeball on January 04, 2021, 11:38:16 am
2. I call horseshit.  I had 2 or 3 friends like you... didn't see the value in it.. and they're on all the time.  It's not a videogame - it's chatting with friends.  Kind of like this board, but more interesting, no fighting and you know what they look like.
FB must have an aspect in a small town that's different from big cities where there's more anonymity. I've heard enough 2nd hand real world comments from people about other people and the comments they make and hear on FB to know things spill back and forth - unfriending someone online is not like slaying them in a game where it doesn't get laughed off down at the local coffee klatch. It's a little weird to be talking about someone's boat in a discussion that's also interspersed with comments about Demonrats and the Deepstate.

I understand more people are unfriending themselves from FB and leaving it behind. Social media is here to stay but maybe the faddishness is wearing off.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on January 04, 2021, 12:06:49 pm
FB is what you make it. My wife is on FB and IG for keeping track of friends and family. Just people she knows personally, no FB friends.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on January 04, 2021, 12:45:47 pm
people she knows personally, no FB friends.

That's normally close to a complete overlap
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on January 04, 2021, 03:43:55 pm
I used to like Facebook, but I can't stand it anymore.

1) I joined so I can be in touch with friends and family who are abroad.  I want to see their families and have them see mine, but I don't want Mike Smith from high school seeing all my pictures so I ignore a lot of requests which makes for some awkwardness when I comment on a mutual friends' posts.

2) I am a different person to my longtime best friend, to the CFO of the company I worked for a decade ago.  I don't know what tone to use so I've just stopped posting.

3) When I see topics I'm interested in on news sites, I can't help but comment, but I don't want my friends to necessarily see all my comments. 

4) The advertising, my gawd, the advertising is every other post.  I end up distracted and leaving and feeling like a mark.

5) People I used to like ending up with political views I find utterly abhorrent and I end up disliking them. 

6) Zuckerberg's failure to root out fake news and breach of privacy like Cambridge Anlytica.

7) People putting on their 'blessed' fake lives.  Even I do it, nobody wants to be a Debbie Downer, but when you see people posting happy family pics when you know their husband is cheating on them or anything of the like, it's difficult to like the medium which encourages this type of behaviour. 

8)  The fake lives causes depression for many others who often feel like outsiders looking in.

I'm sure there are more, but that's just off the top of my head...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on January 04, 2021, 06:21:26 pm
I've had a big pimple inside my eyebrow for the last 5 days and it hurts a lot and it can't be popped and it's really annoying and i hope it goes away soon.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on January 04, 2021, 07:17:17 pm
I've had a big pimple inside my eyebrow for the last 5 days and it hurts a lot and it can't be popped and it's really annoying and i hope it goes away soon.
Put a warm teabag on it yet?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on January 04, 2021, 07:37:52 pm
I've had a big pimple inside my eyebrow for the last 5 days and it hurts a lot and it can't be popped and it's really annoying and i hope it goes away soon.

Ouch.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on January 11, 2021, 10:42:17 pm
Lindsey has been suffering some kind of inner ear problem for the past week or so.  She has been having spells of vertigo and dizziness and feeling sea-sick and all of this sort of thing.  I have been at her place a lot to help her do stuff that makes her woozy. Even stuff like unpacking the dishwasher or getting out of bed or anything else where you have to bend down and stand up again makes the room spin for her.  She hasn't been able to work.  It has been a little exhausting for me as well.  I haven't had much time to spend on the internet the past week, which is probably a blessing considering how things have been going.

Her physio guy did some kind of thing where he takes your head and rolls it around in some kind of motion designed to get the inner ear crystals to roll back into the place they should be. He told her it could take up to 2 weeks to clear up.

After all the time off I had at the end of December, getting back to work has taken some getting used to. Having a weekend that was only 2 days felt very strange.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on January 11, 2021, 11:10:45 pm
Lindsey has been suffering some kind of inner ear problem for the past week or so.  She has been having spells of vertigo and dizziness and feeling sea-sick and all of this sort of thing.  I have been at her place a lot to help her do stuff that makes her woozy. Even stuff like unpacking the dishwasher or getting out of bed or anything else where you have to bend down and stand up again makes the room spin for her.  She hasn't been able to work.  It has been a little exhausting for me as well.  I haven't had much time to spend on the internet the past week, which is probably a blessing considering how things have been going.

Her physio guy did some kind of thing where he takes your head and rolls it around in some kind of motion designed to get the inner ear crystals to roll back into the place they should be. He told her it could take up to 2 weeks to clear up.

After all the time off I had at the end of December, getting back to work has taken some getting used to. Having a weekend that was only 2 days felt very strange.

 -k

Get her to ask her GP for a referral to the dizzy clinic at VGH and get her there.  It’s not easy what they do, but they don’t guess.  They’re very good.  Helped a friend of mine with some structural issues that were causing severe vertigo. 

There is also a neurodiagnostics clinic in Kelowna.  I haven’t had experience with them though, so can’t say if they’re any good.

VGH is excellent though.

Don’t wait!!

ETA:  The physio guy could be right...  that’s what my fried had as well...  the clinic diagnosed it after a series of tests.  The exercises seemed hokey, after what she’d been through, but they were exactly right. 

However, they didn’t guess at what it was.  I’m not saying her physio is guessing...  but they may be guessing.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on January 11, 2021, 11:29:35 pm
I had been working in Africa for a while (Equatorial Guinea) when I started to feel ill-fever, blurry vision, and dizziness so I went to a local doctor. This one in particular was under contract to Exxon-obil which is who I was working for there. She stuck a needle in me and after a look at the sample under the scope told me I had malaria, She stuck another needle in me and gave me a handful of pills. I was due to head back to Canada in 5 days time so of course she suggested I go see my doctor when I got back, and so I did. He took blood and sent the sample to a buddy who specialized in tropical disease. He phoned me later on that day and said "| holy ****, you have the worst case of p-falciparum malaria I have ever seen" Well of course that made my day. He said you need to be in hospital but don't drive, I'm sending an ambulance. I think that was a bit overdone but I spent 2 days eating artesunate pills and hospital food. The boss of course had to give me the next shift off, but then I got my flyin' license back and got back in a plane eastbound. I guess the mosquitoes there took mercy on me and didn't subject me to another round.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on January 12, 2021, 04:26:19 pm
My father got malaria during WW2 when he was in South East Asia. He had another bout in the fifties that was worse than the first and never had a problem again.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on January 12, 2021, 04:42:42 pm
My father got malaria during WW2 when he was in South East Asia. He had another bout in the fifties that was worse than the first and never had a problem again.

My malaria doctor he invited me while I was at an office visit with him to sit and peer through his scope at my blood sample. He set it up by saying I don't really have to explain anything, you'll see. Sure enough, there was a red blood cell, a red blood cell. then this thing that looked like a big black balloon at least twice the diameter. I commented those black ones look like they are ready to explode. He responded yes they are. and that's why you are anemic. Anyway the drugs did the job but I felt like shyte for a time.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on January 22, 2021, 09:13:42 am
How now ?

one work week left in January
Trump gone
temperatures reasonable

We are doing "ok".  We have learned that Easy needs to get his screen time limited.  Hard to say if it's 100% sure, but it sure SEEMS like his behaviour depreciates, his irritability increases with increased screen time.  Joan has figured out that he loves stickers (like every kid I guess) and so we're doing sticker stuff now.  This also means no phones for mama and me when we're in the room with him which is hard to remember.

Relying on streaming services, and NFL and zoom calls as much as we can to get through.

I am exercising and getting 7 hours sleep every night.

All good for now.

You ?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on January 25, 2021, 10:08:56 pm
How now ?

Linz is able to stand upright without grabbing the walls for stability now.  Her vertigo seems to have almost completely gone, although she says she still notices it when she gets out of bed.  She had this idea that to make January more exciting we would celebrate Robbie Burns Day, so on Saturday she cooked a haggis and black pudding and bangers and mash. When it came out of the oven the haggis smelled so bad that we were afraid to taste it.  Black pudding is pretty gross too, but I was able to choke a bit down.  The bangers and mash were okay, at least.  Also, we had Scotch and bagpipes music to go along with it.  I have always suspected that the driving force behind British colonialism was a profound dissatisfaction with British cuisine and an urgent desire to discover better things to eat.

Work is good.  I like the people I work with very much. Lindsey is back to work again, which is nice for me because she gets crabby and clingy when she's stuck at home, and I need a break from her sometimes.  My cat is happy and passes along her best wishes.


 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on January 25, 2021, 11:51:18 pm
The only haggis I've ever had was quite good. Sort of like a course pate.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on January 26, 2021, 07:31:15 am
Everything sounds good and boring, in the best way, in kimmy land.

I guess it's like that here too.  Did I mention we're going to try for kid #2 ?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on February 04, 2021, 04:03:56 pm
I'm sending my school-aged kid back to school on Monday.  Trying to study remotely with her became an epic fail, she's severely broken down mentally.  We're so close to a vaccine too, but she's been home for almost a year now and she's suffering. 

Keep us in your thoughts, hopefully nothing serious happens (to me, not the kids).  COVID isn't just a life/death outcome, my GP who is not much older than me still isn't able to work -- next month will be a year.

 :(
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on February 04, 2021, 10:51:37 pm
How old is she?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on February 04, 2021, 11:09:32 pm
I'm sending my school-aged kid back to school on Monday.  Trying to study remotely with her became an epic fail, she's severely broken down mentally.  We're so close to a vaccine too, but she's been home for almost a year now and she's suffering. 

Keep us in your thoughts, hopefully nothing serious happens (to me, not the kids).  COVID isn't just a life/death outcome, my GP who is not much older than me still isn't able to work -- next month will be a year.

 :(

My best wishes
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on February 05, 2021, 12:22:57 am
My best wishes

Thanks Omni. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on February 05, 2021, 12:33:54 am
How old is she?

Almost 11.  She's in grade 5 and until earlier this week masks weren't mandated in elementary schools, but our defeat had good timing at least.     

My little one definitely won't be going back to daycare until I'm vaccinated.  Her hand-washing skills leave a lot to be desired and she hates masks as much as she loves touching everything in sight. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on February 05, 2021, 03:52:58 am
Thanks Omni.

Let me come back and underscore my previous. Please keep me posted as things work out.

I'm not trying to be nosy, just concerned.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on February 05, 2021, 01:48:25 pm
Almost 11.  She's in grade 5 and until earlier this week masks weren't mandated in elementary schools, but our defeat had good timing at least.     

My little one definitely won't be going back to daycare until I'm vaccinated.  Her hand-washing skills leave a lot to be desired and she hates masks as much as she loves touching everything in sight.

I can understand why you would worry about them bringing something home but it doesn't seem like a huge problem.  Our daughter in law teaches grade three, their oldest is in grade 1 at the same school and their youngest is in daycare. The little one had to stay home for a couple of weeks because of a possible exposure but it didn't amount to anything. Otherwise there have been no incidents at either school. Keeping our fingers crossed.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on February 18, 2021, 03:25:17 pm
I'm so oppressively bored and sick of everything.

This feels like jail now.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on February 18, 2021, 05:05:35 pm
I'm so oppressively bored and sick of everything.

This feels like jail now.

It is boring. I keep telling myself there are so many people who have it much worse than me and they are coping. Also, that it will end at some point.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on February 18, 2021, 05:31:25 pm
I'm so oppressively bored and sick of everything.

This feels like jail now.

Jeebus...   you need a hobby....? 

I agree with Wilb...  lots of people have it much, much worse.  Be thankful, read a good book.  Go for a walk.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on February 18, 2021, 06:50:00 pm
It is boring. I keep telling myself there are so many people who have it much worse than me and they are coping. Also, that it will end at some point.

Me too, but I offer sympathy.  Unlike Squid. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on February 18, 2021, 07:23:34 pm
Me too, but I offer sympathy.  Unlike Squid.

Suck it up, Buttercup. 

I thought I offered some helpful solutions....   
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on February 18, 2021, 07:41:48 pm
No.  You're not funny or helpful.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on February 18, 2021, 07:44:55 pm
No.  You're not funny or helpful.

So this really is getting to you. It will end, it isn't a life sentence. Just stay healthy.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on February 18, 2021, 08:55:31 pm
Only a psychopath would dismiss the psychological toll this is taking on people.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on February 19, 2021, 05:45:50 pm
COVID has forced me to attempt woodworking.  I made a magnetic knife stand to put my nicer knives on it turned out OK...   functional.  I learned a lot about what not to do.  Went through more wood than I should have.  And I don’t have the right tools for taking up woodworking as a hobby.   Many lessons learned. 

I felt like Ron Swanson once it was done though.

(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/dser3nW2MmUBmxIgctfeD6LSRks5sJldmSxj5QHgIVDFLCb3wpQuE9bj7nvbKAVk55C2)
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on February 19, 2021, 05:59:54 pm
There was a super-spreader event at a local pub in my area which ended up spreading to the community, including my daughter's school. 

In an ironic twist, the student was there on the first, second, and third day that my daughter went back to school after 11 months.  The school did not have any other exposures all year.   :(

I was showing symptoms and went for a test.  I wasn't gonna to eat for an hour prior so I can get the gargle, but I accidentally picked at a couple of fries 50 minutes before my test and the lady testing me wasn't having it.  I had the swab.  I'm not sure I can even call it that, I didn't see any cotton on it and my nose still hurts days later.  I'm negative though, phew. 

I was talking to my best friend about how it would be so in line with my life if I stayed home for almost a year and the minute my daughter goes back to school I get COVID.  She said it would suck and if I died it would be years before she could laugh at the irony.  I love her so much.   :D

MH, I hear ya.... I'm so tired of this.  TGIF.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on February 19, 2021, 06:10:28 pm
No.  You're not funny or helpful.

I honestly think people without children experienced a whole different pandemic than people who do.  First, everything kids do requires a level of social interaction, and they are terrible at following COVID protocols.  They go crazy which makes us crazy.  My older one was getting super angry and the little one doesn't understand but she longingly waves at kids in parks.  When we watch shows that have amusement parks or anything of the type she says "I want to go there" and I feel so bad for her that she has never really experienced anything like it.  The pandemic hit when she was 2.5.

If I didn't have kids none of this would've impacted me as badly.  I could've worked at home and filled my time with hobbies and seen my friends on facetime.  Being a parent during all this makes things much worse. 

Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on February 19, 2021, 06:22:54 pm
I honestly think people without children experienced a whole different pandemic than people who do.  First, everything kids do requires a level of social interaction, and they are terrible at following COVID protocols.  They go crazy which makes us crazy. 

Mine is under the threshold.  He wouldn't wear a mask, no way.  He doesn't even wear gloves at -11C, he throws them off and tries to take off his damn boots. 

Quote
My older one was getting super angry and the little one doesn't understand but she longingly waves at kids in parks.  When we watch shows that have amusement parks or anything of the type she says "I want to go there" and I feel so bad for her that she has never really experienced anything like it.  The pandemic hit when she was 2.5.

If I didn't have kids none of this would've impacted me as badly.  I could've worked at home and filled my time with hobbies and seen my friends on facetime.  Being a parent during all this makes things much worse.

I don't know if you have a mate or not but that brings a different ... landscape.  Less loneliness but also the same damn person like a double marriage sandwich every day... we had some distance socializing last summer but haven't had anyone over since... my God.... I can't remember.

I don't think I like anything anymore.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on February 19, 2021, 10:17:28 pm
Awww, I'm so sorry to hear.  The first few years of becoming parents are trying times for even the most secure relationships.  Dynamics change, stress levels increase, add in a pandemic, I can only imagine how tough it must be.  Especially for someone as social as you.

One of the things that keeps me sane is that spring is around the corner and there will be more outdoor things to do.  But yeah, you're right, I have a different 'landscape' and at least a couple of days to myself each week which I admittedly do cherish.

I hope you have some better days coming up.  Hugs.  Or fist-bump. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on February 20, 2021, 07:43:54 pm
It is boring. I keep telling myself there are so many people who have it much worse than me and they are coping. Also, that it will end at some point.

I'm also going stir-crazy.  But I knew this would happen during the winter.  Spring and then summer is just around the corner so it will get better soon.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on February 22, 2021, 02:51:56 pm
Being an old fart I get to sit and stare into my computer screen as well as out my large living room window just behind my desk. I spent a lot of time getting to be an old fart forty years looking out a cockpit window. I'm lucky enough now to live close to the Pacific Ocean and I see seagulls often. Their noise annoys me, but watching them soar, wings spread, sun shining, sometimes makes me envious. Any old pilots out there see what I'm saying?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on February 22, 2021, 05:27:09 pm
Being an old fart I get to sit and stare into my computer screen as well as out my large living room window just behind my desk. I spent a lot of time getting to be an old fart forty years looking out a cockpit window. I'm lucky enough now to live close to the Pacific Ocean and I see seagulls often. Their noise annoys me, but watching them soar, wings spread, sun shining, sometimes makes me envious. Any old pilots out there see what I'm saying?



Of course but I've been out of it so long I would probably be dangerous. While I did and do miss flying I was happy to retire. Unlike some guys I never felt the job defined me and it was time to do other things before time runs out.  If I won a lottery I might do something dumb like buy a Fleet 80 and hurt myself.

I feel the same way about the Trumpeter Swans this time of year. They fly like big aircraft.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on February 22, 2021, 05:52:31 pm
Of course but I've been out of it so long I would probably be dangerous. While I did and do miss flying I was happy to retire. Unlike some guys I never felt the job defined me and it was time to do other things before time runs out.  If I won a lottery I might do something dumb like buy a Fleet 80 and hurt myself.

OK if you win that lottery and buy a fleet can you get a Citabria or a Decathalon  or one of those things we can can flip upside? I miss flying.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on February 22, 2021, 08:03:10 pm
OK if you win that lottery and buy a fleet can you get a Citabria or a Decathalon  or one of those things we can can flip upside? I miss flying.

Sure thing. I'd get the Fleet because it was what I learned on. I don't know what it would be like for aerobatics but it was stressed for something like 7 positive and 4 negative so it is plenty strong enough for basic aerobatics. Spun like a trooper, stalled like a brick and always tried to drop a wing.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on February 23, 2021, 02:56:56 pm
I'm also going stir-crazy.  But I knew this would happen during the winter.  Spring and then summer is just around the corner so it will get better soon.

Looking forward to getting the old ragtop off the axle stands and burning some serious premium.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Black Dog on February 23, 2021, 03:31:29 pm
I don't know how the **** I'm going to go back to an office when this is all over. I miss some of the social aspects of work life and there are professional benefits, but the ability to take a nap on my luncbreak trumps everything else in my books.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on February 23, 2021, 05:28:53 pm
I'm sure as hell glad I'm not doing long range flights from YVR to Dubai anymore. For a number of reasons but ezpecially now that covid has arrived. The "Z" was intentional. :)
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: eyeball on February 23, 2021, 06:09:36 pm
I'm wondering what the heck it's going to be like trying to keep a mask in one place when I'm racing around at 30 knots in 25 knots of wind. I suspect I'll be cinching it up so tight I'll look like a front line worker coming off a COVID ward shift.

Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on February 23, 2021, 07:13:25 pm
I'm wondering what the heck it's going to be like trying to keep a mask in one place when I'm racing around at 30 knots in 25 knots of wind. I suspect I'll be cinching it up so tight I'll look like a front line worker coming off a COVID ward shift.

Why would you be wearing a mask in a 50Kt wind?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: eyeball on February 23, 2021, 07:24:24 pm
Why would you be wearing a mask in a 50Kt wind?
Company COVID policy around operation of a boat. The vortex created behind a boat even at speed leaves evidence of particulate matter from the engines exhaust on the inside of my windscreen. I can smell it immediately if someone lights up a joint or cigarette on the aft deck from my position up forward on a flying bridge even in the teeth of the wind.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on February 23, 2021, 07:28:18 pm
I don't know how the **** I'm going to go back to an office when this is all over. I miss some of the social aspects of work life and there are professional benefits, but the ability to take a nap on my luncbreak trumps everything else in my books.

I am going to feel like I did at my first job.... who are all these people ?  look at the big building !

Also - both the VPs in my office were quietly canned apparently (me out of the loop didn't change with Covid) and I don't remember anyone's name besides the 11 people I work with every day.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on February 23, 2021, 09:47:33 pm
Company COVID policy around operation of a boat. The vortex created behind a boat even at speed leaves evidence of particulate matter from the engines exhaust on the inside of my windscreen. I can smell it immediately if someone lights up a joint or cigarette on the aft deck from my position up forward on a flying bridge even in the teeth of the wind.
Sounds like you need a proper respirator, not just a mask.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on February 23, 2021, 09:56:41 pm
Company COVID policy around operation of a boat. The vortex created behind a boat even at speed leaves evidence of particulate matter from the engines exhaust on the inside of my windscreen. I can smell it immediately if someone lights up a joint or cigarette on the aft deck from my position up forward on a flying bridge even in the teeth of the wind.

Maybe escort the vessel abeam rather than astern.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: eyeball on February 24, 2021, 09:28:11 am
Sounds like you need a proper respirator, not just a mask.
The emissions are far more water-born in than air-born so I'm not to worried about exhaust fumes.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on February 27, 2021, 06:42:39 am


Personal update: Easy is the dickens, and cute as a button but hasn't yet outgrown shoving the other kids at daycare.  They tell us not to worry but Joan continues to be stressed.  My work is a slog, but I noticed this week that the bad days tend to be set off by one little incident that happens.  Tomorrow February ends and the average temperature trends above zero  :)

Spring and vaccines come quickly PLEASE
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Black Dog on March 01, 2021, 12:08:50 pm

Personal update: Easy is the dickens, and cute as a button but hasn't yet outgrown shoving the other kids at daycare.  They tell us not to worry but Joan continues to be stressed.  My work is a slog, but I noticed this week that the bad days tend to be set off by one little incident that happens.  Tomorrow February ends and the average temperature trends above zero  :)

Spring and vaccines come quickly PLEASE

The other day I was thinking how I would probably kill someone for the chance to eat a mediocre burger and fries, drink a beer and watch a boring hockey game at one of the middling sports bars around town.

Pandemics change a man.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on March 01, 2021, 01:16:23 pm
I got an original Mutt and Jeff from the 1910s for less than US$300. I can't believe my luck.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on March 01, 2021, 06:55:57 pm
My dad used to own an original Smokey Stover but it was in terrible condition
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on March 01, 2021, 07:44:33 pm
Smokey Stover was kind of terrible.  I never found the screwball comedy to be all that funny. But it did invent the term "foo fighter".

What happened to the beat-up old art?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on March 02, 2021, 01:17:32 pm
Smokey Stover was kind of terrible.  I never found the screwball comedy to be all that funny. But it did invent the term "foo fighter".

What happened to the beat-up old art?

There is a McLuhanesque tradition of commenting on the advent of these kinds of popular art.  Like.... when Pop-Up Video appeared (in the 90s) was it a harbinger of how the web would work ?  Why did Mad Magazine go away with the web, but **** didn't ?

The #1 role of these conversations is for smart people to waste time...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on March 02, 2021, 05:43:16 pm
I hope you didn't throw out the Smokey Stover.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on March 02, 2021, 07:28:40 pm
I hope you didn't throw out the Smokey Stover.

I don't know where it is.  My dad claims he has a "lot of old stuff"
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on March 03, 2021, 02:37:34 pm
Joan came home with a story of a BMW d-bag parking in her school's lot.  Not a teacher, or worker at the school.  Just a dude.  Parked there on snow days impairing the plow and taking spots for employees.

They called the parking police who were unable to help.  They gave him tickets but they wouldn't tow unless he lived far away.  She checked and lo-and-behold he lived in Etobicoke and the school is downtown ... Parkdale.

So the teachers can taste blood now... they ask the lady cop... are you going to tow ?  "Well, somebody said he would beat up the tow truck operator" so I don't want an incident..." Finally they convinced her to call a cop to supervise.  OMG can you not just TOW A CAR IN THIS CITY.

The end of the story is ... the car... with yellow parking tickets fluttering on the windshield... was towed off to the edge of the earth... the impound yard....  ;D 

Sadly, no fight, no skinny dbag real estate agent trying to punch a tow truck driver at the end.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on March 03, 2021, 02:38:11 pm
The point of the story is that something happened and we will be talking about this for DAYS in a world where nothing happens.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on March 03, 2021, 02:49:01 pm
Joan came home with a story of a BMW d-bag parking in her school's lot.  Not a teacher, or worker at the school.  Just a dude.  Parked there on snow days impairing the plow and taking spots for employees.

They called the parking police who were unable to help.  They gave him tickets but they wouldn't tow unless he lived far away.  She checked and lo-and-behold he lived in Etobicoke and the school is downtown ... Parkdale.

So the teachers can taste blood now... they ask the lady cop... are you going to tow ?  "Well, somebody said he would beat up the tow truck operator" so I don't want an incident..." Finally they convinced her to call a cop to supervise.  OMG can you not just TOW A CAR IN THIS CITY.

The end of the story is ... the car... with yellow parking tickets fluttering on the windshield... was towed off to the edge of the earth... the impound yard....  ;D 

Sadly, no fight, no skinny dbag real estate agent trying to punch a tow truck driver at the end.

Punching a tow truck driver would probably end badly for the puncher. Those guys are used to irate drivers who are getting their cars towed, it's how they make their living.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on March 03, 2021, 03:00:14 pm
Punching a tow truck driver would probably end badly for the puncher. Those guys are used to irate drivers who are getting their cars towed, it's how they make their living.

Oh... they are all **** for sure
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on March 03, 2021, 03:05:08 pm
Joan came home with a story of a BMW d-bag parking in her school's lot.  Not a teacher, or worker at the school.  Just a dude.  Parked there on snow days impairing the plow and taking spots for employees.

They called the parking police who were unable to help.  They gave him tickets but they wouldn't tow unless he lived far away.  She checked and lo-and-behold he lived in Etobicoke and the school is downtown ... Parkdale.

So the teachers can taste blood now... they ask the lady cop... are you going to tow ?  "Well, somebody said he would beat up the tow truck operator" so I don't want an incident..." Finally they convinced her to call a cop to supervise.  OMG can you not just TOW A CAR IN THIS CITY.

Huh???  Tell the cop to get f***ed and go do their job.  Who cares if he's going to beat up the tow driver.  He's trespassing on private property if it's on a school lot, that should be handled by the property management of the school i'd think.  BMW scunt is trying to get free parking in a busy urban area.  If he beats up the tow driver then you charge him with assault.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Black Dog on March 03, 2021, 03:18:44 pm
Punching a tow truck driver would probably end badly for the puncher. Those guys are used to irate drivers who are getting their cars towed, it's how they make their living.

And they carry tire irons.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on March 03, 2021, 04:26:47 pm
anybody else ever crash a helicopter?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Black Dog on March 03, 2021, 04:32:20 pm
anybody else ever crash a helicopter?

Lots of times in Battlefield 3 and GTA V.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on March 03, 2021, 10:21:48 pm
anybody else ever crash a helicopter?

Dis you?

https://www.ctvnews.ca/sci-tech/leaping-elk-crashes-low-flying-research-helicopter-in-utah-1.3802350

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on March 03, 2021, 10:28:59 pm
Dis you?

https://www.ctvnews.ca/sci-tech/leaping-elk-crashes-low-flying-research-helicopter-in-utah-1.3802350

 -k

Holy Doodle, that's the same type I crashed after the tail rotor came off. Scary for sure, but all (3) of us walked away. I damn near took up religion after that.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on March 03, 2021, 10:29:25 pm
I got an original Mutt and Jeff from the 1910s for less than US$300. I can't believe my luck.

What's the coolest thing in your collection?

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on March 03, 2021, 10:30:20 pm
Holy Doodle, that's the same type I crashed after the tail rotor came off. Scary for sure, but all (3) of us walked away. I damn near took up religion after that.

Watch out for flying elk, that's what I've learned about helicopter piloting.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on March 03, 2021, 10:33:17 pm
Holy Doodle, that's the same type I crashed after the tail rotor came off. Scary for sure, but all (3) of us walked away. I damn near took up religion after that.
we ended up in about exactly the same slant etc., ect much closer to a tree
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on March 03, 2021, 10:36:57 pm
Watch out for flying elk, that's what I've learned about helicopter piloting.

 -k

Chewing up a crow can throw the blades way out of balance. an elk! shake (hands) enjoy heaven
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on March 04, 2021, 12:18:55 am
Comic books are selling well on eBay right now.  Everything is selling well on ebay right now.  Everyone is bored and at home and have money to burn.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on March 04, 2021, 12:22:51 am
I flew an AH-64 D Longbow helicopter during the Gulf War.  Flying nap of the earth in the desert was fun.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on March 04, 2021, 01:58:43 am
I saw a headline today that said that cuttlefish can pass cognitive tests designed for children.  I wasn't sure whether this is intended to mean that cuttlefish are smart or that children are dumb, but I lean toward the latter. Thoughts?

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on March 04, 2021, 06:24:54 am
I saw a headline today that said that cuttlefish can pass cognitive tests designed for children.  I wasn't sure whether this is intended to mean that cuttlefish are smart or that children are dumb, but I lean toward the latter. Thoughts?

 -k
Babies are particularly stupid.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on March 04, 2021, 02:17:26 pm
Babies are particularly stupid.

Can confirm.

Toddlers get smart fast, though.

Easy is addicted to Applesauce.  Remember Scarface ?   Replace Al Pacino with Easy and **** with Applesauce.  He wants it EVERY MEAL.

Yesterday lunch...

"Easy do you want Macaroni and Cheese for lunch ?" (I show him the macaroni and cheese, looking delicious)

(Easy starts sobbing) "No no no... " (Waves) "Bye bye mac-oni-cheez" (Perks up) "Hi APPLESAUCE !"
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on March 05, 2021, 06:53:37 am
They're really very lucky that evolution gave them that adorable cuteness. Otherwise, they never would have stood a chance.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: cybercoma on March 05, 2021, 06:59:39 am
Joan came home with a story of a BMW d-bag parking in her school's lot.  Not a teacher, or worker at the school.  Just a dude.  Parked there on snow days impairing the plow and taking spots for employees.

They called the parking police who were unable to help.  They gave him tickets but they wouldn't tow unless he lived far away.  She checked and lo-and-behold he lived in Etobicoke and the school is downtown ... Parkdale.

So the teachers can taste blood now... they ask the lady cop... are you going to tow ?  "Well, somebody said he would beat up the tow truck operator" so I don't want an incident..." Finally they convinced her to call a cop to supervise.  OMG can you not just TOW A CAR IN THIS CITY.

The end of the story is ... the car... with yellow parking tickets fluttering on the windshield... was towed off to the edge of the earth... the impound yard....  ;D 

Sadly, no fight, no skinny dbag real estate agent trying to punch a tow truck driver at the end.

This cop was like, "God dammit, Karen. I don't want to have to fill out all of this paperwork today!"
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on March 10, 2021, 06:59:52 pm
Just got some good news. Grand daughter #2 just got accepted by the UBC rugby program. She and big sister will be playing together for the T Birds next year. If Covid lets them have a season.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on March 15, 2021, 04:22:35 pm
Ontario rolled out the vaccine registration for 80+.  A **** show but the parents are getting theirs March 29  :)
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on March 15, 2021, 05:03:38 pm
Ontario rolled out the vaccine registration for 80+.  A **** show but the parents are getting theirs March 29  :)

BC just did the same thing. It's been a bit of a **** show here because only Fraser Health has online registration, everyone else has had to use the phone. The rest of the province is supposed to have online registration in a week or so.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: eyeball on March 15, 2021, 09:18:51 pm
Just got some good news. Grand daughter #2 just got accepted by the UBC rugby program. She and big sister will be playing together for the T Birds next year. If Covid lets them have a season.

Grand-daughter number 1 and her partner opened their first Shoppe today, they insisted on that spelling. They had popsicles, and a range of merch they'd spent weeks assembling/weaving/sewing bracelets, pins, lip balms and their biggest seller were little plastic weapons for Lego people. My granddaughter made these with a little 3D printer her dad bought her. The boys were lined up for those, 6' apart and 6' away from staff of course, they insisted on referring to themselves as staff, and maintained a strict COOTIES 19 distancing policy. They made $33 ea, that was after donating 10% to the SPCA and a few expenses. They're nine years old.   

They're open Monday, Wednesday and Friday thru Spring Break. Any longer than that and I figure the city will probably shut them down for operating without a business licence.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on March 15, 2021, 11:02:18 pm
BC just did the same thing. It's been a bit of a **** show here because only Fraser Health has online registration, everyone else has had to use the phone. The rest of the province is supposed to have online registration in a week or so.

My parents got jabbed today, both in Fraser Health.  They got the call last week and this morning they received another call and were asked if they're home today.  Within a few hours someone came by to inoculate. 

My dad is turning 80 this year so he was up for registration next week but apparently the reason they came to the house is because my dad lost his DL several years ago after being diagnosed with dementia. 

Both got Pfizer and were told 3-4 months till the second jab.  I'm so relieved. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on March 16, 2021, 12:02:46 am
The like was for the getting jabbed part. Sorry to hear about you dad.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on March 17, 2021, 12:27:46 am
I've been exhausted lately.  Mentally, physically, emotionally.  I've been going through some stuff lately and Linz has been super supportive, which is part of the problem because I just feel smothered right now. I appreciate her but I just need time to myself and I don't want to hurt her feelings.  Work is the only thing that's going well.  I go to work to get a break from everything else. I'm not even sure my cat loves me anymore.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on March 17, 2021, 05:47:05 am
 Hang in there k.

I am stressed... Decided to get a CT scan...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on March 19, 2021, 06:09:17 pm
I removed an old mono RCA turntable from a built-in cabinet today. It was in the house when I bought it in 2003 (along with the previous owner's decent record collection, which was apparently still worthless then---lots of Zappa). There was still sawdust from the installation, which must have been 60 years ago.
I left the tiny tube amp for now. It's really in there good. I'm thinking of retrofitting the cabinet so it can hold my NAD turntable instead.
Not that I ever listen to vinyl. Too much trouble when I can just cast it from my phone.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on March 19, 2021, 06:15:56 pm
Check out the records nobody has heard of - they are the ones worth $$$.

My Jonathan Richman vinyl has surprised me.  I wanted to buy doubles but some are north of $100. 

Also 1980s punk and obscure records are valuable now.

And yet every week somebody posts on the vinyl group and asks if their Fleetwood Mac Rumours is worth anything...  :D
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on March 19, 2021, 06:44:01 pm
Check out the records nobody has heard of - they are the ones worth $$$.


A friend of mine from the 1980s still has his huge collection of punk rock. It could probably pay for his retirement but he would never sell anything. A few items of note are the first Beastie Boys EP, all of Nirvana's first recordings with Sub Pop, and practically everything else that came out at that time.
Unfortunately my musical interests were as they are now, and I bought a lot of Duke Ellington reissues that I wore out.
The bastard even has his Gretzky rookie card he bought from the package and kept in nice shape. I sold all my cards for $10 around 1984 and thought I did well.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on March 19, 2021, 06:46:54 pm
A friend of mine from the 1980s still has his huge collection of punk rock. It could probably pay for his retirement but he would never sell anything. A few items of note are the first Beastie Boys EP, all of Nirvana's first recordings with Sub Pop, and practically everything else that came out at that time.
Unfortunately my musical interests were as they are now, and I bought a lot of Duke Ellington reissues that I wore out.
The bastard even has his Gretzky rookie card he bought from the package and kept in nice shape. I sold all my cards for $10 around 1984 and thought I did well.

Hahahaha.  My Modern Lovers records won't leave me until I'm in the ground.  My friend, who was a bit older, had a fantastic collection and he died suddenly.  I didn't know his wife much but she asked me if I would take the records "away" for her.  I consented but then after a few missed phone calls I felt myself getting greedy so I let it go...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest7 on March 19, 2021, 06:52:06 pm
I have a vinyl copy of "Rock 'n' Roll with the Modern Lovers".  I don't know if I'd take a $100 for it.

I have a couple of hundred vinyl albums still and my record player died years ago.  I just can't bring myself to get rid. 

Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on March 19, 2021, 06:57:28 pm
I have a vinyl copy of "Rock 'n' Roll with the Modern Lovers".  I don't know if I'd take a $100 for it.

I have a couple of hundred vinyl albums still and my record player died years ago.  I just can't bring myself to get rid.

I'll take them.

Odd that you have that records... it's probably the lowest level thing he did.  Of course it has its charms and Easy will be listening to it in a few years.

Dodge VegAMatic and Wheels on the Bus if I remember correctly :D
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest7 on March 19, 2021, 07:04:28 pm
I'll take them.

Odd that you have that records... it's probably the lowest level thing he did.  Of course it has its charms and Easy will be listening to it in a few years.

Dodge VegAMatic and Wheels on the Bus if I remember correctly :D

It's probably the only music of his that I had heard.  Egyptian Reggae too, I think.

I thought that that was what he did.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest7 on March 19, 2021, 07:06:39 pm
I'll take them.

That would be getting rid...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on March 19, 2021, 09:19:12 pm
My first exposure to Jonathan Richman was a tiny workshop at the Winnipeg Folk Festival in about 1986, before it got stupid popular and crowded. There were probably less than 100 people watching at the Shady Grove stage and he did Chewing Gum Wrapper,and told the story of its inspiration, which was a chewing gum wrapper.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on March 19, 2021, 10:49:53 pm
COVID winter hibernation sucks.  Glad spring is around the corner.  Can't take much more of this.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on March 19, 2021, 10:54:04 pm
They're really very lucky that evolution gave them that adorable cuteness. Otherwise, they never would have stood a chance.

Should I feel guilty for loving veal?  I kinda do.  But cuteness is so juicy and tender...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on March 20, 2021, 05:27:03 am
My first exposure to Jonathan Richman was a tiny workshop at the Winnipeg Folk Festival in about 1986, before it got stupid popular and crowded. There were probably less than 100 people watching at the Shady Grove stage and he did Chewing Gum Wrapper,and told the story of its inspiration, which was a chewing gum wrapper.

How come a forum with 15 people on it has 3 people who know Jonathan Richman ? ???
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on March 20, 2021, 07:22:21 am
Should I feel guilty for loving veal?  I kinda do.  But cuteness is so juicy and tender...
Lamb with mint sauce is even cuter and more delicious.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on March 20, 2021, 11:49:54 am
Many years ago I a veal marsala at an Italian restaurant in Brighton of all places. Every time I have had it since has been a disappointment. Their sauce was incredible.

Rack of lamb in a herb crust. Yum.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on March 20, 2021, 01:18:13 pm
Lamb with mint sauce is even cuter and more delicious.

Lambs aren’t raised in a cruel manner though.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on March 20, 2021, 02:06:07 pm
Lambs aren’t raised in a cruel manner though.
Would that make it more delicious?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on March 20, 2021, 02:25:42 pm
Would that make it more delicious?

No...  I find the more rare something is the better it tastes. 

Abalone?  Oh yum! 

Spotted owls?  Deelish.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Black Dog on March 21, 2021, 12:45:35 pm
How come a forum with 15 people on it has 3 people who know Jonathan Richman ? ???

Are there people who don't know who Jonathan Richman is?

I bet even people who don't would know him as the "singing guy from There's Something About Mary".

Speaking of vinyl i need a new cartridge but it's impossible to get a straight up replacement without paying an arm and a leg in shipping and customs fees.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on March 21, 2021, 12:49:58 pm
Are there people who don't know who Jonathan Richman is?

We live among the normies now.

Here's what we know so far:

1) There are a bazillion of them, at least in Toronto
2) They don't know anything that we know about.
3) They love things we never have watched to listened to, but have seen our friends make fun of, like Nickleback and the Kardashians
4) They can't believe we have been on television, on stage, played music in front of people, written/been published whatever.  That's foreign to them.
5) They are actually very nice.
6) They all vote liberal.

I don't need to ask them if they know who Jonathan is.  They don't.

Now we're up to FOUR here, WTF is going on ?

I bet even people who don't would know him as the "singing guy from There's Something About Mary".

Speaking of vinyl i need a new cartridge but it's impossible to get a straight up replacement without paying an arm and a leg in shipping and customs fees.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on March 21, 2021, 02:56:39 pm
Don't you live in the big city? Even I can ride my bike to my local used record shop and buy a cartridge. Not that I need to. I subscribe to Spotify.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on March 21, 2021, 03:08:45 pm
Don't you live in the big city? Even I can ride my bike to my local used record shop and buy a cartridge. Not that I need to. I subscribe to Spotify.

Yes ... but ... a little out from Downtown.  Plus: very ethnic neighbourhood, great food and diverse and interesting neighbours.  Not Plus: Normies by the chord
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on March 21, 2021, 04:28:19 pm
What's a Jonathan Richman?

First time in 2 weeks venturing beyond my street today.  Needed it so badly.  Spring is here.  All is well in the world.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on March 21, 2021, 05:09:35 pm
What's a Jonathan Richman?
 

He wrote this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GClcrDKcKdM

And a few hundred others.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on March 21, 2021, 05:16:56 pm
He wrote this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GClcrDKcKdM

And a few hundred others.

Andy Williams had sex with Lou Reed and made a Jonathan Richman.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on March 21, 2021, 07:43:45 pm
Andy Williams had sex with Lou Reed and made a Jonathan Richman.

If you didn't research anything before writing that, you are remarkably perceptive.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on March 21, 2021, 09:37:05 pm
If you didn't research anything before writing that, you are remarkably perceptive.

All i did was listen to the one clip you just posted.  What's the backstory?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on March 21, 2021, 10:17:24 pm
He was obsessed with Lou Reed and hung out with VU at Warhol's Factory. Not sure about Andy Williams.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on March 22, 2021, 05:38:48 am
He met Lou and moved to NY to be a busboy at Max's Kansas City.

He loves crooners like Charles Aznavour and emotional music.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Black Dog on March 22, 2021, 11:52:50 am
Don't you live in the big city? Even I can ride my bike to my local used record shop and buy a cartridge. Not that I need to. I subscribe to Spotify.

Not anymore unfortunately.  :-\
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on March 22, 2021, 10:40:44 pm
M'lady's daughter, one of three, who just turned 40 a week ago, and who is so absolutely beautiful, with a sense of humor a Scottsman like me is so appreciative of, and who has just started a new job in her work as a paralegal, has just been diagnosed with MS.
She;s a fighter for sure but i'd appreciate any advice from anyone who's been down this road.

Thank you.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on March 22, 2021, 10:53:13 pm
M'lady's daughter, one of three, who just turned 40 a week ago, and who is so absolutely beautiful, with a sense of humor a Scottsman like me is so appreciative of, and who has just started a new job in her work as a paralegal, has just been diagnosed with MS.
She;s a fighter for sure but i'd appreciate any advice from anyone who's been down this road.

Thank you.

I wish I knew more about it so I could be more helpful.  And there’s no words. I’m sorry Omni. That’s rough. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on March 22, 2021, 11:03:12 pm
I wish I knew more about it so I could be more helpful.  And there’s no words. I’m sorry Omni. That’s rough.

I appreciate your kind response. Many thanks.
I'll let ya know how it goes.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on March 27, 2021, 09:23:10 pm
M'lady's daughter, one of three, who just turned 40 a week ago, and who is so absolutely beautiful, with a sense of humor a Scottsman like me is so appreciative of, and who has just started a new job in her work as a paralegal, has just been diagnosed with MS.
She;s a fighter for sure but i'd appreciate any advice from anyone who's been down this road.

Thank you.

Very sorry to hear that. No personal experience but I guess symptoms can vary widely. We had a next door neighbour who had it for years and she was still leading an active life the last we saw her a few years ago. She ran and biked a lot when we knew her and that probably helped. She was in her forties.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on March 28, 2021, 12:15:36 am
Very sorry to hear that. No personal experience but I guess symptoms can vary widely. We had a next door neighbour who had it for years and she was still leading an active life the last we saw her a few years ago. She ran and biked a lot when we knew her and that probably helped. She was in her forties.

Thank you for your reply.
This gal just started a new job in an office as a paralegal and so far she's handling both the job and the symptoms well. I can tell ya she's both smart as well as beautiful,
I'll post as time goes on.

Once again thanks.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on March 28, 2021, 08:25:05 pm
I'm sorry to hear Omni.  Keeping you and the family in my thoughts.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on March 28, 2021, 08:49:52 pm
Not anymore unfortunately.  :-\

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CVLVaBECuc

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on March 28, 2021, 08:56:40 pm
Lindsey has a new job.  She has been earning money by shopping for old-people and walking dogs and limited hours waitressing. It has been disheartening for her. This should boost her spirits a lot.  Somewhat selfishly, I am hoping that this makes her less clingy and needy.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on March 28, 2021, 10:56:26 pm
Just recently rec;d an online message from an old workmate I hadn't heard from in quite awhile suggesting we hook up for skype chat to catch up on things. I look forward to hearing his thoughts, as well as his accent. He's from Nfld. One of the engineers we used to work with summed things up one time with a grin on his face saying "you guys couldn't work closer together sitting together in the cockpit, or live farther apart since I live on Van. Isle. Looking forward to the chat, Lord 'tunderin' Jesuz
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on March 29, 2021, 07:50:21 pm
Lindsey has a new job.  She has been earning money by shopping for old-people and walking dogs and limited hours waitressing. It has been disheartening for her. This should boost her spirits a lot.  Somewhat selfishly, I am hoping that this makes her less clingy and needy.

Okay, now she doesn't have a new job, thanks to the new covid lockdown. They might be able to hire her once the lockdown is over; should find out before May.

I can't handle this anymore. I just **** hate it.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on March 29, 2021, 07:51:38 pm
A couple more months...

My parents got the shot today  :)
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on March 31, 2021, 10:24:06 am
A couple more months... 

In a couple more months, it'll still be just a couple of months away.  In September it'll still be a couple more months. There will always be a new variant, or a new outbreak, or more worries with the effectiveness of the vaccines or some other reason. The goalposts are always receding into the distance.

Premier Horgan was out there on Monday saying "we're so close now" and "don't you young people screw this up for the rest of us."  But nobody actually believes we're close now, and young people are tired of being told to put their lives on hold for the benefit of others, until the magical tomorrow that never arrives.  Everything depends on buy-in, and buy-in was always a finite resource, and now it's depleted.  Remember those stupid ads the Government of Canada was running during the Superbowl? "just a little longer doing this and we can get back to doing this?" showing all the things people wished they could be doing?  Talk about a failure to read the room.

My parents got the shot today  :) 

You might get yours by summer, and I might get mine by fall.   The young people who are causing the rapid spread of the virus right now might get theirs by 2022, just in time to find out that the vaccines aren't effective enough against new variants to allow for relaxing restrictions, and the cycle will continue.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: eyeball on March 31, 2021, 11:26:48 am
In a couple more months, it'll still be just a couple of months away.
 -k
A couple months ago, we should have gone into a lockdown aiming at zero-covid.  We could have except the lament it would mean another couple of months was too great to overcome.

Anyone else see a pattern here?

It's easy to get the sense from listening to the media, pundits and spokespeople coming from a thousand different directions that the sector they speak for is ready to explode in frustration if measures to contain COVID aren't maintained with lots of slack and loopholes in them. There was a survey somewhere that indicated only 16% of us are coming unglued over measures meaning 84% are willing to comply with them.

This will pass and eventually younger people will break thru into a covid and measure free future. Seniors on the other hand may be looking at spending the rest of their lives under some form of lockdown.

It coulda just been a couple more months... when young people are older and they come to see how time flies faster the older they get they'll come to realize a couple months is next to nothing.  Time definitely gets more precious though.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on March 31, 2021, 12:20:37 pm
In a couple more months, it'll still be just a couple of months away.  In September it'll still be a couple more months. There will always be a new variant, or a new outbreak, or more worries with the effectiveness of the vaccines or some other reason. The goalposts are always receding into the distance.

Premier Horgan was out there on Monday saying "we're so close now" and "don't you young people screw this up for the rest of us."  But nobody actually believes we're close now, and young people are tired of being told to put their lives on hold for the benefit of others, until the magical tomorrow that never arrives.  Everything depends on buy-in, and buy-in was always a finite resource, and now it's depleted.  Remember those stupid ads the Government of Canada was running during the Superbowl? "just a little longer doing this and we can get back to doing this?" showing all the things people wished they could be doing?  Talk about a failure to read the room.

You might get yours by summer, and I might get mine by fall.   The young people who are causing the rapid spread of the virus right now might get theirs by 2022, just in time to find out that the vaccines aren't effective enough against new variants to allow for relaxing restrictions, and the cycle will continue.

 -k

They have actually been moving the age groups up, everyone over 18 should have their first shot by June as long as the vaccines keep coming. I'm thinking it will be earlier rather than later. The reality is we are in a race against variants and people going out of their way to get infected will just make that a lot more difficult, if not impossible. We were always in this for the long haul whether we like it or not and none of us do.

Look at the bright side, we have several different vaccines with more on the way. We could be sitting here with none, the virus and its variants destroying far more people.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on March 31, 2021, 12:55:21 pm
I just can’t feel sorry for anyone willing to sacrifice people more fragile than they are so they can have a good time. 

I agree with Eyeball...   we should have been made to swallow the hard medicine and try and really bring the numbers down so that these variants aren’t wrecking all the work the drug companies have done to try and get it under control.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on March 31, 2021, 01:02:54 pm
Places like Australia and New Zealand have shown that coming down hard and early pays dividends in the end. We don't seem to have the will.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on March 31, 2021, 01:40:22 pm
Places like Australia and New Zealand have shown that coming down hard and early pays dividends in the end. We don't seem to have the will.

People don’t seem to realize....   if things aren’t done to reduce the spread, it means MORE mutations, more variants and may make the current vaccines completely useless.  Which means even more drastic measures to reduce the spread later while they try and come up with more vaccines. 

Limiting the spread will limit the variants which means the current batch of vaccines will work better.

It’s not goddamn rocket science. 


Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: eyeball on March 31, 2021, 02:35:14 pm
Places like Australia and New Zealand have shown that coming down hard and early pays dividends in the end.
We knew this last year given the history of the Spanish Flu and comparisons between cities that did and didn't do this.  Ones who didn't were also suffering poorer economic outcomes 5 years after the pandemic had passed.

The Spanish Flu's 3rd wave was also worse than the two previous waves combined.

Quote
We don't seem to have the will.
Only 16% of us don't seem to but for some stupid reason public officials are listening to the ridiculously oversized voice they seem to wield. WTF is up with that?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on March 31, 2021, 05:58:33 pm
I just can’t feel sorry for anyone willing to sacrifice people more fragile than they are so they can have a good time. 

I agree with Eyeball...   we should have been made to swallow the hard medicine and try and really bring the numbers down so that these variants aren’t wrecking all the work the drug companies have done to try and get it under control.

Dear young people:  take one for the team.

But it's also not just young people.  I know a couple who are seniors and they went out grocery shopping last week twice each in the same week.  I asked them why one household needed to make 4 separate trips to the grocery store.  I think they were getting a bit cabin fevery because of this loooong winter in lockdown.  Now they want to get groceries delivered by app lol.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on March 31, 2021, 06:52:34 pm
It's sad that young people just can't be young people right now. Part of me realizes I wasn't required to show the same kind of maturity we are asking from them when I was that age.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: eyeball on March 31, 2021, 07:39:04 pm
It's sad that young people just can't be young people right now. Part of me realizes I wasn't required to show the same kind of maturity we are asking from them when I was that age.
I can relate, I was that age when we lost our main livelihoods hereabouts, logging and fishing, particularly the latter in my case.  Investments and dreams set on a path that led off a cliff no matter which way you turned wasn't easy for anyone to give up on.  It didn't feel like our fault and there was enough government mismanagement and stupidity along with a whiff of corruption to even make it feel personal at times.  The experience definitely has a lasting effect.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on March 31, 2021, 08:17:55 pm
It's sad that young people just can't be young people right now. Part of me realizes I wasn't required to show the same kind of maturity we are asking from them when I was that age.

Can't even date without an app now, and if you do go on a date where would you go?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: eyeball on March 31, 2021, 09:32:49 pm
Can't even date without an app now, and if you do go on a date where would you go?
Don't the dating apps suggest a center that tests for disease?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on April 03, 2021, 08:29:12 pm
Don't the dating apps suggest a center that tests for disease?

You're not allowed to socialize with anybody outside your "core bubble".  Who are you going to date, your sister?


This will pass and eventually younger people will break thru into a covid and measure free future. Seniors on the other hand may be looking at spending the rest of their lives under some form of lockdown.

It coulda just been a couple more months... when young people are older and they come to see how time flies faster the older they get they'll come to realize a couple months is next to nothing.  Time definitely gets more precious though.

I feel like this moment in time presents a special, unique opportunity for seniors to just shut the **** up.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on April 03, 2021, 08:36:41 pm

I feel like this moment in time presents a special, unique opportunity for seniors to just shut the **** up.

 -k

That’s the spirit...   shut up and die ****...  the rest of us wanna go to the pub.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on April 03, 2021, 09:45:55 pm
Kimmy is what happens when entitled millennial memes come to life.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on April 09, 2021, 04:08:34 pm
Vaccinated.

Wife exposed to Covid. 

Tested negative.

Cleared by Toronto Health to resume life.

Sent kid to Daycare.

Toronto Health reversed their decision.

Next week is March/April break, which I booked off.

We will be under house arrest.   :(
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on April 12, 2021, 12:39:50 pm
Sold my canoe.

Going to buy a fishing kayak to get into remote lakes where getting my boat in isn’t feasible. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: eyeball on April 12, 2021, 01:55:11 pm
A few nice smaller lakes like that around here with lots of trout.  It's usually enough of a chore just to bush-crash your way thru to them - dragging a kayak sounds like an even bigger chore.  Kudos for the dedication.  The trout fishing seems to be that the lakes are so full of them you can't get your gear down to the bottom where the bigger ones lurk. There's to many little shish-ka-bob sized one's that take the hook on the way down. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: cybercoma on April 13, 2021, 10:48:28 am
We will be under house arrest.   :(
Don't perpetuate the rhetoric.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on April 17, 2021, 07:30:15 am
Not getting better.

I keep thinking we're through the worst of it but no.

Now Joan is teaching from home and Easy is out of daycare, because we don't want him to get a variant.

So it's the family submarine of last winter all over again.

Let's hope for some good weather.

Oh, and I get a colonoscopy this week 😕

How's everyone?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: eyeball on April 17, 2021, 10:18:06 am
My wife is getting one of those in a couple of weeks...my urologist want's to stick a camera in me too.

We're all good otherwise, I got to watch a dozen very active killer whales the other day, two transient pods and a huge usually lone male were all together socializing for a couple of hours.

Today I'm making a barrel garden. I'm going to plant it with strawberries and herbs.

https://imgur.com/L5di9Z6
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on April 17, 2021, 11:23:59 am
Wild strawberry vs grocery store strawberry.

(https://previews.123rf.com/images/fotoco/fotoco1406/fotoco140600021/29269465-macro-shot-of-cultivated-and-wild-strawberries-in-a-moss.jpg)
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on April 17, 2021, 11:25:59 am
So... who won?  ;D
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on April 21, 2021, 08:45:23 pm
Oh, and I get a colonoscopy this week 😕
 

Massive polyp.  I'm worried.  The nurse told me afterwards not to worry but the doctor seemed in a hurry to get out of there and didn't say goodbye, which is unlike her.

I'm worried.  Follow up in a few days.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on April 22, 2021, 01:10:53 pm
Massive polyp.  I'm worried.  The nurse told me afterwards not to worry but the doctor seemed in a hurry to get out of there and didn't say goodbye, which is unlike her.

I'm worried.  Follow up in a few days.

Sorry to hear, Michael. I hope it's benign.  I wish the best for you.

Not getting better.

I keep thinking we're through the worst of it but no.

Now Joan is teaching from home and Easy is out of daycare, because we don't want him to get a variant.

So it's the family submarine of last winter all over again.

Let's hope for some good weather.

Oh, and I get a colonoscopy this week 😕

How's everyone?

Struggling. I have been working from home for the past few weeks as our management is worried about the rapid rise in case numbers here. The intention is to protect the production team at all costs, because if we have an outbreak that shuts production down for 2 weeks or more, it would be financially devastating to us. So they're keeping as many of us as possible at home. I miss being in the office.  It's one of the few things that is keeping me sane during all of this.  Summer-like weather here over the past while has been a godsend.

Lindsey is not doing well either. Getting hired for her ideal job was the first time she has seemed like herself in months. Seeing it ripped out of her hands just a few days later felt like some kind of plot twist that a sadistic author would have come up with.  She's sinking into depression and I feel powerless to help.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on April 22, 2021, 01:22:09 pm
Don't perpetuate the rhetoric.

Yeah, Michael! Don't perpetuate the rhetoric! It's not "isolaTION", it's "isolaFUN", okay?  You're not "shut in", you're "enjoying quality time with your wife and son."  It's not "house arrest", it's a "staycation", okay?

The last thing we need is malcontents spreading the false, harmful, debunked idea that isolation is stressful or hard on people's mental health.  If you keep saying stuff like that you might find yourself on the receiving end of a "wellness check". Understand?  Turn that frown upside down... or else!

Kimmy is what happens when entitled millennial memes come to life.

We're apparently now at the state where people are "entitled" for wanting to see their friends, date, do activities in groups, or go to work.  Wrap your collective heads around that.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Black Dog on April 22, 2021, 01:23:05 pm
Well I got my first dose of AZ today. I am invincible.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on April 22, 2021, 01:25:03 pm
Well I got my first dose of AZ today. I am invincible.

It didn’t take....   I can see you just fine.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on April 22, 2021, 04:24:06 pm
Sorry to hear, Michael. I hope it's benign.  I wish the best for you.



 -k


Hoping for the best here as well Micheal.


Quote
Lindsey is not doing well either. Getting hired for her ideal job was the first time she has seemed like herself in months. Seeing it ripped out of her hands just a few days later felt like some kind of plot twist that a sadistic author would have come up with.  She's sinking into depression and I feel powerless to help.

Is the job on hiatus because Covid restrictions or gone altogether?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on April 22, 2021, 04:34:04 pm
Is the job on hiatus because Covid restrictions or gone altogether?

They're not planning to open in the foreseeable future. The owners have sunk some amount of money into this, so I think at this point it's a matter of figuring out whether to bail now or hang on in the hope that they aren't throwing good money after bad.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: eyeball on April 22, 2021, 05:05:32 pm
Work has slowed to a crawl, I'm leaving what few hours exist to the younger crewmembers that are struggling harder than us. Our own spring bookings have evaporated, again, but it's clear the desire to get out again is strong. We kind of take the view we're sacrificing our spring so we can save our summer.  Like last year...pop up after the lockdown, recoup a little before hunkering down again and wait for the wave to pass smoothly underneath instead of building and breaking overhead.  Obviously we missed the hunker down again part and now we're paying for it with another wave that looks more like a tsunami. Maybe this time we'll get it.

I'm still impressed with the fact that the experts initially told us 18 months or this Sept until we even develop a vaccine and here we are getting jabbed in April. Too bad the experts couldn't do something about the politics and ****.

On a more inspiring note I took an animal rescue and care expert out the other day to rescue an eagle in distress. The eagle was spotted early yesterday morning flapping around on the ground after a fight with another bird. It apparently made its way across the bay to the base of its own tree where we captured it.  It was a big animal and was bundled up in a sheet and into a cage aboard the boat and off to the animal shelter within a couple of minutes of arriving on scene. I'm looking forward to taking it back home once it's healed up.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on April 25, 2021, 02:10:55 am
My kid just came to me out of nowhere...

MOM!

What is it?

I think I'm trans.

Oh, ok, how long have you known?

About a month.

Oh ok. (eye roll in my head)

Ok?

No, I mean, cool, I guess there were some signs.  Wait, I thought you're bi, is that gone?

No, I'm bi and trans, you can do that.

Of course.  Well, cool.  I always wished I could be a dude, but I'd be really short.

Seriously, that's your concern? 

No, I just didn't know what else to say.  I'm happy for you and support you.  The son I never had.



I would've been more supportive, but somehow I don't think she's really trans.  And if she is, cool.  Short or whatnot.



Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on April 25, 2021, 02:12:35 am
Well I got my first dose of AZ today. I am invincible.

Awesome, they're doing walk-ins and after chickening out I think I'm going to go tomorrow.

I feel I should write my will before I do... :)
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on April 25, 2021, 02:18:47 am

We're apparently now at the state where people are "entitled" for wanting to see their friends, date, do activities in groups, or go to work.  Wrap your collective heads around that.

 -k

I didn't say you're entitled, I said you're what happens when the 'entitled millennial' *meme* comes to life.

To refresh your memory, you, a millennial, were literally telling a boomer who was talking about COVID that it's high time boomers STFU. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: eyeball on April 25, 2021, 09:22:04 am
I didn't say you're entitled, I said you're what happens when the 'entitled millennial' *meme* comes to life.

To refresh your memory, you, a millennial, were literally telling a boomer who was talking about COVID that it's high time boomers STFU.
Well it was kinda aimed in the direction of old farts in general and I was kinda referring to younger people in general so.  I get the angst.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on April 25, 2021, 10:13:12 am
I don't see the point of generations throwing rocks at each other. To say that older people would act any different from todays young today or that young people would act any different from older generations in their time is just idiotic. Humans are humans. Boomers are no longer running the country. Trudeau and Freeland are not boomers so blaming boomers for everything is approaching its shelf life.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on April 25, 2021, 02:53:36 pm
One the effect on young people. Oldest grandson graduating from UBC engineering this year and we just found out it will be a virtual ceremony. The same will go for his youngest sister who is graduating from high school this year. Not unexpected but it sucks just the same.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on April 25, 2021, 04:14:55 pm
I don't see the point of generations throwing rocks at each other. To say that older people would act any different from todays young today or that young people would act any different from older generations in their time is just idiotic. Humans are humans. Boomers are no longer running the country. Trudeau and Freeland are not boomers so blaming boomers for everything is approaching its shelf life.

Zoomers have now picked a fight with millennials, calling them over the hill so the attention has been diverted.  Gen X seems to have come through unscathed, so I appreciate you keeping hush on all this. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on April 25, 2021, 04:18:12 pm
Awesome, they're doing walk-ins and after chickening out I think I'm going to go tomorrow.

I feel I should write my will before I do... :)

Over 2 hours in line but I am now vaccinated!  Oh yeah!!
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on April 25, 2021, 07:30:20 pm
Over 2 hours in line but I am now vaccinated!  Oh yeah!!
[/quote

Which type of vaccine?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on April 25, 2021, 10:36:21 pm
AstraZeneca. 

BC isn't vaccinating my age group with the other vaccines until probably end of May.  I didn't think the risks were worth the wait.  I had a bigger chance of dying in child birth...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on May 01, 2021, 02:37:10 pm
I don't see the point of generations throwing rocks at each other.

I was still livid over our Premier and his "don't you young people screw this up for the rest of us!" comments. I guess I yelled at Eyeball because Fuckface O'Horgan wasn't available.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on May 01, 2021, 02:46:02 pm
We were out walking last night and saw the osprey couple building their next at the sanctuary and Linz said "it's so romantic" and started crying.  If there's a gene that makes you cry at stuff like that, she has that gene.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on May 01, 2021, 07:34:25 pm
I was still livid over our Premier and his "don't you young people screw this up for the rest of us!" comments. I guess I yelled at Eyeball because Fuckface O'Horgan wasn't available.

 -k

People have pointed out that politicians have been doing this in Ontario a lot too.  They close playgrounds even though there aren't transmissions happening there.  Workplaces have outbreaks, though, and continue to operate presumably because the factory owner looks like Doug Ford.  I don't just mean white and male, I mean pasty and ghoulish.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on May 01, 2021, 10:22:15 pm
People have pointed out that politicians have been doing this in Ontario a lot too.  They close playgrounds even though there aren't transmissions happening there.  Workplaces have outbreaks, though, and continue to operate presumably because the factory owner looks like Doug Ford.  I don't just mean white and male, I mean pasty and ghoulish.

Many workplaces still have to run for society to run.

I think city parks etc should be left up to the municipalities because some are busier than others.

There are lots of stupid young people doing stupid young people things like gathering in big groups and not caring.  The variants now show they aren't invincible so maybe some of them will smarten up a bit.  If you want to gather in a group of 3 now and then that's fine, people need to live.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: eyeball on May 02, 2021, 12:58:00 am
We were out walking last night and saw the osprey couple building their next at the sanctuary and Linz said "it's so romantic" and started crying.  If there's a gene that makes you cry at stuff like that, she has that gene.

 -k
I cried when I stepped out on deck one cold and clear night ablaze with stars. The sea was still as glass and then a comet filled the the sky above me. The universe never felt closer.  Just me the boat and I.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on May 02, 2021, 04:57:26 am
 Better times approach, people...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on May 06, 2021, 11:54:08 am
My first vaccination shot is in a couple weeks.

Not sure which vaccine it is.  Not sure how you’d find out.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on May 06, 2021, 12:01:38 pm
My first vaccination shot is in a couple weeks.

Not sure which vaccine it is.  Not sure how you’d find out.

We were told by the person giving us the shot, but that was in late March by Fraser Health.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on May 06, 2021, 12:13:05 pm
I had my first Pfizer last Friday. Had a sore shoulder for a couple of days but pretty well healed up and haired over by now. I won't be too scared when they call me in for the second one.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on May 10, 2021, 11:57:36 am
We were told by the person giving us the shot, but that was in late March by Fraser Health.

A friend has had a recommendation from her pharmacist that she only get a Pfizer jab, based on her medical history.  She managed to talk to someone on the COVID hotline who said that they would accommodate it, but that they don’t have a list of which vaccine is where at any given time.  They recommended she show up a couple days ahead of her appointment to speak to someone at the vaccination place. 

Seems a bit disorganized with no way to contact the vaccine clinic. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on May 11, 2021, 08:14:40 am
Update: We kept Easy home since the cases spiked above 4K new cases per day :( the 3 of us home all day is a recipe for powerful mental stress.  Examples include large scale superspreading poop events while facilitating meetings, Easy cranking the cartoons up (he can work the remote now) during Zoom calls etc.  The house is always a mess.

Well, next week we are sending him back.  Cases are heading down towards 2K per day and vaccinations are ramping up.  Last summer felt like lockdown and although this summer will likely have the same restrictions it will feel like freedom.

Covid has been such a weight... and lately even worse as Easy hasn't been easy and I am doing most of the houseword since Joan is pregnant again (girl).

;)
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: cybercoma on May 12, 2021, 08:04:29 am
Congrats, MH!
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Dia on May 12, 2021, 08:22:40 am
Congrats, Michael.  Will you call her Peasy?  :)
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on May 12, 2021, 12:24:36 pm
MH, I'm so happy for you, the Mrs. and Easy.  Wonderful news.

Juniper Rose, it's great to see you post.  I know you live in probably the worst hotspot of BC...  without you posting I kept hoping nothing bad had happened. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Dia on May 12, 2021, 09:03:39 pm
MH, I'm so happy for you, the Mrs. and Easy.  Wonderful news.

Juniper Rose, it's great to see you post.  I know you live in probably the worst hotspot of BC...  without you posting I kept hoping nothing bad had happened.

Aw, thanks, you are too kind.  We are fine, both got our first shot.  But I feel the virus circling closer: The husband of a coworker had his place of business shut down; a coworker's brother was sick, my neighbor had it, only out of quarantine a week ago.  I'm working in the office even less than I was, management orders.  I'm lucky to be able to do that.

How are you doing?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on May 13, 2021, 12:31:57 pm
Aw, thanks, you are too kind.  We are fine, both got our first shot.  But I feel the virus circling closer: The husband of a coworker had his place of business shut down; a coworker's brother was sick, my neighbor had it, only out of quarantine a week ago.  I'm working in the office even less than I was, management orders.  I'm lucky to be able to do that.

How are you doing?

Luckily it didn't really hit as close to home here for me.  One of my daughter's friends at school got it, but that was during the remote study time so it didn't affect us closely.  So other than my GP, it hasn't been too personal but his case is still worrisome.  He came back to work in April after 13 months off but apparently he couldn't handle it and is now off again.  I have considered looking for a new doctor, but I love him so much.  I'm still in denial that COVID may have taken his career.  :(

And I'm much better, thanks for asking.  My older one went to school a couple of months ago and the little one started daycare last month.  PT for now and FT in the summer.  I'm looking for work though it's very half-hearted.  I want a career change, I'm thinking investing in my own business.  I'm looking into different options but who knows, I might just keep working for others.

I'm glad we caught up.  I miss reading your posts here. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on May 14, 2021, 12:49:23 am
 
Covid has been such a weight... and lately even worse as Easy hasn't been easy and I am doing most of the houseword since Joan is pregnant again (girl).

Yay! Congratulations to you and the missus, Michael!   I am happy for you both.

Congrats, Michael.  Will you call her Peasy?  :)

Peasy! That's adorable, but I believe we had settled on "Coonlight" if they ever had a girl.

 -k

Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on May 14, 2021, 01:21:21 am
People have pointed out that politicians have been doing this in Ontario a lot too.  They close playgrounds even though there aren't transmissions happening there.  Workplaces have outbreaks, though, and continue to operate presumably because the factory owner looks like Doug Ford.  I don't just mean white and male, I mean pasty and ghoulish.

I feel like this whole thing has been very "two-tiered".

The industries that have been devastated have been disproportionately those that employ young people-- especially hospitality, service, tourism. The economic damage has disproportionately been done to younger workers.

The kinds of jobs where workers have to keep working and face highest risk of catching covid. Grocery stores. Food processing plants. Shipping and delivery.  With these outbreaks at food processing plants and Amazon warehouses and so on, what percentage of the people infected were young people? Probably most of them?

Young people have been doing the jobs most likely to get you infected with covid, but are last in line for vaccine. Does that seem right?

What portion of teachers are part of the under-39 age group that Horgan was shitting on?  I was flabbergasted when I found out that teachers hadn't been given priority for vaccination. They spend all day indoors with these little snot-nosed virus-vectors, and weren't prioritized? That's disgusting.  That makes me want to punch somebody.

How many young people are living in precarious situations, like having 2 or 3 room-mates who are working in high-contact jobs, because that's all they can afford?

Personally, I've been pretty lucky. I'm under 39 but I'm not that young anymore and I don't consider myself part of the group that have been truly screwed over by the pandemic.  I own a home that I don't have to share with high-risk roomies. I have a long term partner and my social life hasn't been hindered that much. I have a job that hasn't been impacted, and I can work from home if necessary.  But for the younger people, especially those in their early-mid 20s and just starting out in their adult lives, this has been a complete disaster, and it infuriates me to see that fat smug piece of dogshit blame them for what's going on.

Meanwhile he's got his vaccine, and his golf buddies have their vaccines, and the people who donate to his campaign have their vaccines. Overall the "I got mine" club is doing fantastic during the pandemic. The rich are getting richer, your home equity has gone through the roof, the stock markets are at all-time highs.

The people he shat on last month are the people who made him premier. I've voted for Horgan twice. I think I'm done with him.


 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: eyeball on May 14, 2021, 10:10:28 am
I certainly get the angst - I have young people in my life too. Anyone else recall when COVID was advertised as being just a flu epidemic that was killing old farts - almost like it was an opportunity? I think a lot of old farts can be forgiven for feeling a little like...

 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtKQcfJQ--E
 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on May 15, 2021, 02:32:40 am

Young people have been doing the jobs most likely to get you infected with covid, but are last in line for vaccine. Does that seem right?


**** yes it makes sense.  They're way less likely to have serious cases.  Even with the variants finally giving them a morsel of a scare, it's nothing compared to what happens to older people.

The policy on teenagers didn't make sense because they're presumably living with parents but until recently they weren't approved to get the vaccine.  However, the 20 somethings are very low risk and presumably not living with their parents.  Having said that, I do believe anyone should've been fast forwarded if they are living in a household with higher risk people.  That never happened. 

And while I agree many young people got infected at work, a crap tonne was seen out partying on Halloween.  At Christmas.  At house parties.  At Second Beach... and so on and so on. 

Horgan has a lot of explaining to do about the assault on the environment and lying about COVID neighbourhoods, and pushing Astrazeneca, but he was bang on about (SOME) young people acting recklessly just because they are less likely to have serious complications.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on May 18, 2021, 01:06:35 pm
I get my anti-COVID jab tomorrow. 

A friend, who is much younger in age than myself, got her jab last night when she heard through the grapevine that they had a handful of leftover vaccines at the end of the day at the clinic.  She boogied down there and got it done!  That was good to hear!
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on May 19, 2021, 02:18:30 pm
My pondering a career-change was short-lived.  I just accepted a job and I'm back to work next week. 

Sigh... now I can spend money guilt free.  I have become quite addicted to online shopping during this pandemic. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on May 19, 2021, 02:59:16 pm
My pondering a career-change was short-lived.  I just accepted a job and I'm back to work next week. 

Sigh... now I can spend money guilt free.  I have become quite addicted to online shopping during this pandemic.

I’ve saved a lot of money during the pandemic.  No eating out, no meeting friends at pubs and not even takeout. 

Just not going out alone is saving me $300 per week maybe....   Maybe more...?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on May 19, 2021, 04:58:23 pm
Got jabbed....  skin starting to grow scales...  is that normal?

(https://seanmills6.files.wordpress.com/2019/09/reptile-list-09.jpg?w=640)
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on May 19, 2021, 07:28:49 pm
I’ve saved a lot of money during the pandemic.  No eating out, no meeting friends at pubs and not even takeout. 

Just not going out alone is saving me $300 per week maybe....   Maybe more...?

That's a pretty decent entertainment budget.  Wow.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on May 19, 2021, 07:55:34 pm
That's a pretty decent entertainment budget.  Wow.

Seems like someone who drinks out ?  I worked in a bar when I was young.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on May 19, 2021, 11:14:59 pm
That's a pretty decent entertainment budget.  Wow.

Maybe it’s not that much. Pretty close though.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on May 20, 2021, 12:05:18 am
I finally get mine at the end of the month.  I don't know which one yet. My coworkers have all been getting Pfizer, but I'm hoping for the one that gives you super-powers.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on May 20, 2021, 03:02:38 pm
I finally get mine at the end of the month.  I don't know which one yet. My coworkers have all been getting Pfizer, but I'm hoping for the one that gives you super-powers.

 -k

A friend got Moderna in Victoria.  But it seems Pfizer outnumbers Moderna by a significant amount here in BC.  Both are the mRNA vaccines.

Glad you’ve got your appointment! 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on May 20, 2021, 05:29:27 pm
Anyone have any symptoms from their jabs?  If so which one did you get?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: eyeball on May 20, 2021, 05:44:07 pm
Anyone have any symptoms from their jabs?  If so which one did you get?
I couldn't stop going baaaa for a week.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on May 20, 2021, 07:11:31 pm
I got my first jab of Phizer a week or so ago. My shoulder swole up a little bit and I couldn't roll onto my left side in bed for a few days. Other than that no big deal. I am prepared to go thru bit again when I get my second shot. After that I'm thinking about going to New York and punching Trump's lights out.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on May 20, 2021, 07:31:10 pm
Wife and I had Pfizer. I had nothing other than my arm felt like it was slightly bruised the next day if I put pressure where I got the shot, she had a sore arm for a few days.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on May 20, 2021, 08:05:39 pm
I got Pfizer just yesterday. 

Sore arm a few hours after, and still today, but not that bad.  No need for ice pack, or Advil.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Dia on May 21, 2021, 09:59:43 am
Anyone have any symptoms from their jabs?  If so which one did you get?

I got Astra Zeneca on April 1, woke up that night with a terrible headache that lasted about 24 hours, felt really tired for a couple days.  That was it.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: cybercoma on May 21, 2021, 10:41:55 am
Anyone have any symptoms from their jabs?  If so which one did you get?
I usually get mild symptoms with any vaccine. I got Pfizer and felt extremely exhausted the next day but nothing else. The day following that, I felt a bit under the weather but it's also allergy season so I'm chalking the second day up to that.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on May 21, 2021, 04:58:31 pm
Michael congrats on the expecting baby.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on May 21, 2021, 05:02:01 pm
Michael congrats on the expecting baby.

My folks have almost 10 grandkids ... and this will be the first GIRL :)
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Dia on May 21, 2021, 06:30:09 pm
My folks have almost 10 grandkids ... and this will be the first GIRL :)

My younger half-sister was the first girl in my stepfather's family in 5 generations. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on May 25, 2021, 10:49:53 pm
My little brother has cancer. My younger brother, who is younger than I am, has cancer.

Last summer he had some kind of a thing in his intestine that he was hospitalized for and they got it under control using antibiotics and sent him home, and this month they did the surgery on it and found that it was, in fact, cancerous. And so now there will be some scans and stuff, and probably they have to resection his large intestine to remove everything around the area where the cancerous piece, and hopefully the cancer hasn't metastasized to other parts of him.

As some of you know I'm barely in contact with my family at all, so when my dad reached out to me with this it was a pretty big deal. I talked to my brother by phone yesterday to see how he's coping and he said he's more stunned than stressed right now.

A lot of my family on both sides has already been afflicted by cancer. Especially mom's side.  Now my little brother who is 34 years old.  Knowing what I know about my family history on both sides, I've known for a long time that it's more a matter of when, not if.  I know what's coming for me. I'm part way grateful knowing that I'm not going to live long enough to fall into dementia or similar. My little brother has cancer in his colon. For me, if it's not my colon it'll probably be my lady parts. Maybe my liver, that'd be karmic.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on May 25, 2021, 11:12:10 pm
My little brother has cancer. My younger brother, who is younger than I am, has cancer.

Last summer he had some kind of a thing in his intestine that he was hospitalized for and they got it under control using antibiotics and sent him home, and this month they did the surgery on it and found that it was, in fact, cancerous. And so now there will be some scans and stuff, and probably they have to resection his large intestine to remove everything around the area where the cancerous piece, and hopefully the cancer hasn't metastasized to other parts of him.

As some of you know I'm barely in contact with my family at all, so when my dad reached out to me with this it was a pretty big deal. I talked to my brother by phone yesterday to see how he's coping and he said he's more stunned than stressed right now.

A lot of my family on both sides has already been afflicted by cancer. Especially mom's side.  Now my little brother who is 34 years old.  Knowing what I know about my family history on both sides, I've known for a long time that it's more a matter of when, not if.  I know what's coming for me. I'm part way grateful knowing that I'm not going to live long enough to fall into dementia or similar. My little brother has cancer in his colon. For me, if it's not my colon it'll probably be my lady parts. Maybe my liver, that'd be karmic.

 -k

Kimmy the moment I got thru reading this I knew I must respond. I lost family members same way as you have just here discussed, so I know how it feels. I want to express to you that I really have a good idea of where you;re at, and I truly want to send all the best wishes I can for positive outcomes.

Please keep me/us posted.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on May 25, 2021, 11:33:26 pm
Had a huge fight with Linz yesterday. It will take "repairs" to get back to where we were, and I'm not really actually sure if I want to do it.

You guys don't know me. You know that online I talk loudly and say what's on my mind. In real life I'm soft spoken and go with the flow and play a part, and the part I play is whatever is socially appropriate to the moment. I remember feeling that the fictional character I relate to the most is Dexter, because Dexter had to present this fake facade to the world, to pretend to be somebody who wasn't him, to show feelings that he didn't actually feel just to pretend like he was a real person. I sent a message to one of the members here about this, because he knows about things. I said something like "I think maybe I'm autistic. I feel like I'm a fraud. I feel like I'm just a bad actor playing a part. I'm a fake."  He told me to not try to diagnose myself, which is probably the best advice he could have given me.  But I still feel that way and I haven't talked to my doctor or anybody else about it, so I still feel like Dexter. A fake, a fraud, a bad actor playing a part.

Anyway.

Linz is a "big personality".  She domineers situations she is in, just by force of personality. That's how our relationship is. She's who she is and I'm who I am, and usually that has been okay for us because we are usually very in tune. But when we aren't in tune, she's a domineering personality and I'm a soft spoken softie who just wants to make conflicts end and that always plays out the same way and I don't know if I want to commit any more time to a relationship like that. I won't be someone's doormat, but if I commit myself to Lindsey I know that ultimately I'll always be her doormat and maybe I should just end it here rather than commit myself to a lifetime of hating myself for not being strong enough to stand up to her.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on May 25, 2021, 11:34:45 pm
Kimmy the moment I got thru reading this I knew I must respond. I lost family members same way as you have just here discussed, so I know how it feels. I want to express to you that I really have a good idea of where you;re at, and I truly want to send all the best wishes I can for positive outcomes.

Please keep me/us posted.

Thank you Omni. I appreciate this.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on May 25, 2021, 11:48:44 pm
Thank you Omni. I appreciate this.

 -k

Allright. Keep in touch.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on May 25, 2021, 11:53:52 pm
Kimmy the moment I got thru reading this I knew I must respond. I lost family members same way as you have just here discussed, so I know how it feels. I want to express to you that I really have a good idea of where you;re at, and I truly want to send all the best wishes I can for positive outcomes.

Please keep me/us posted.

Honestly, and I say this as someone whose blood/alcohol level is at least 5 times the legal limit right now, thank you.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on May 26, 2021, 12:09:04 am
Honestly, and I say this as someone whose blood/alcohol level is at least 5 times the legal limit right now, thank you.

 -k

Well you're entirely welcome. And I'm sure my current intake of white wine puts me above a number of legal limits. Driving for sure, but is there one for stoking wood into a fireplace?

I'll continue anyways, I have a big old birch to get rid of.

Cheers
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on May 26, 2021, 12:14:15 am
Well you're entirely welcome. And I'm sure my current intake of white wine puts me above a number of legal limits. Driving for sure, but is there one for stoking wood into a fireplace?

I'll continue anyways, I have a big old birch to get rid of.

Cheers

Are you going to chop it, smoke it, or make a canoe out of it?

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on May 26, 2021, 12:30:41 am
Are you going to chop it, smoke it, or make a canoe out of it?

 -k

Well now good questions. Probably chop it and smoke it. However I will express my respect since I was so lucky to go to camp back when I was a kid in Ontario where I learned to paddle/kayak etc. a canoe made of Birch. reflect warmly back to those days.

Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on May 26, 2021, 01:59:34 am
Sorry to hear about your brother Kimmy.  Mine has cancer too.  Mine’s an older brother.  Hopefully both our brothers will be just fine.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on May 26, 2021, 04:56:21 am
❤️ kimmy

You are not asking for advice, but guessing on what I know about your relationship, I would say that you have more control in it than the doormats I know.  Don't make the mistake of not giving Linz the chance to improve how she treats you.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: eyeball on May 26, 2021, 10:33:29 am
A lot of my family on both sides has already been afflicted by cancer. Especially mom's side.  Now my little brother who is 34 years old.  Knowing what I know about my family history on both sides, I've known for a long time that it's more a matter of when, not if.  I know what's coming for me. I'm part way grateful knowing that I'm not going to live long enough to fall into dementia or similar. My little brother has cancer in his colon. For me, if it's not my colon it'll probably be my lady parts. Maybe my liver, that'd be karmic.

 -k
A younger brother of mine died of Non-Hodgkin lymphoma and our grandfather died of pancreatic cancer.  They're the only immediate family members I know of who've had cancer, I guess it's the susceptibility and predisposition that's passed on genetically but there must also be a certain randomness and luck good and bad involved so fingers crossed.  I've always figured the alien in my chest that I was born with, a bi-cuspid aortic valve, would take me out but it seems to have gone a little dormant the last few years, if anything I've been told to expect a sudden sharp pain in my chest and back as opposed to suddenly dropping dead so it could be worse. I guess for me its a matter of where as much as if or when.  I've trained all my deckhands on how to perform single-foot chest-compressions while steering the boat home.

Every mother in my grand-daughter's family died of lung cancer but they also all smoked like chimneys so. My daughter in-law is still alive but yeah she smokes like a chimney. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Dia on May 27, 2021, 01:08:12 pm
Kimmy, I'm sorry to hear about your brother's cancer; I hope he recovers completely.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on June 06, 2021, 11:31:46 am
Kimmy, I'm sorry to hear about your brother's cancer; I hope he recovers completely.

Thanks.  He had his consultation with the surgeon and they believe there is not much chance that the cancer has spread, and that the surgery to remove the affected area should be quite easy. So that's good news.

Lindsey and I have things sort of patched up for the time being. I guess that's good, maybe.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on June 06, 2021, 11:32:37 am
Happy International Kim Day!  I hope your Kim Day is full of joy and love.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on June 06, 2021, 01:55:33 pm
Happy International Kim Day!  I hope your Kim Day is full of joy and love.

 -k

D Day anniversary?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on June 11, 2021, 01:16:53 am
I am really liking my new job.  Kids are getting adjusted again and COVID count is on a downward curve.  I'm feeling hopeful about the future.

I have a huge milestone bday coming up, and I'm thinking of buying myself a new car to celebrate.  I've outgrown sporty and the roads are too saturated with SUV's.  I'm thinking something luxury. 

A proper mid-life crisis car that says IDGAF, I survived divorce, COVID and unemployment and I'm back ****!
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on June 11, 2021, 08:48:37 am

10 people allowed to your backyard ?  We're inviting 9 tomorrow... to go one OVER the limit !

Drinks, song, personally-brought snacks and drinks... all our friends will see Eazy and he will be able to SAY THEIR NAMES ...

I assure you there will be the welling of tears ...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on June 11, 2021, 03:12:18 pm
I am really liking my new job.  Kids are getting adjusted again and COVID count is on a downward curve.  I'm feeling hopeful about the future.

I have a huge milestone bday coming up, and I'm thinking of buying myself a new car to celebrate.  I've outgrown sporty and the roads are too saturated with SUV's.  I'm thinking something luxury. 

A proper mid-life crisis car that says IDGAF, I survived divorce, COVID and unemployment and I'm back ****!

You can certainly get sporty/luxury if you are willing to pay for it. Even sporty/luxury/SUV's.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on June 11, 2021, 06:41:31 pm
You can certainly get sporty/luxury if you are willing to pay for it. Even sporty/luxury/SUV's.

True, there's even luxury minivans, though that's like the antithesis of a middle age crisis car.  I've been looking at sedans -- Tesla, Lexus and BMW. 

I've always thought that spending a lot on a car is stupid, I don't know why I'm getting this urge now.  I work two days a week outside the house and generally don't leave my neighbourhood other than a road trip once or twice a year. 

I will likely just buy a lower end model of something nice.  It's fun to window shop for now.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on June 11, 2021, 06:46:21 pm
10 people allowed to your backyard ?  We're inviting 9 tomorrow... to go one OVER the limit !

Drinks, song, personally-brought snacks and drinks... all our friends will see Eazy and he will be able to SAY THEIR NAMES ...

I assure you there will be the welling of tears ...

That's fan-tastic!!!

I'm welling up just reading this.   :)
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on June 11, 2021, 06:54:36 pm
True, there's even luxury minivans, though that's like the antithesis of a middle age crisis car.  I've been looking at sedans -- Tesla, Lexus and BMW. 

I've always thought that spending a lot on a car is stupid, I don't know why I'm getting this urge now.  I work two days a week outside the house and generally don't leave my neighbourhood other than a road trip once or twice a year. 

I will likely just buy a lower end model of something nice.  It's fun to window shop for now.

Something about a Jaarman car alright. Hard to go back after you have had one even if they do depreciate and can be expensive to maintain. My Audi has been great, eight years old and no problems but only 85,000 km. Hard to beat their interiors.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on June 11, 2021, 07:45:18 pm
Toronto opened up like a music box tonight...

The Italian team won a Euro Cup game this afternoon, and the street just popped... Italian flags.... young girls in cutoff shorts walking and gossiping, chewing gum. 

We didn't appreciate the lives we had before
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest7 on June 11, 2021, 07:54:00 pm
Toronto opened up like a music box tonight...

The Italian team won a Euro Cup game this afternoon, and the street just popped... Italian flags.... young girls in cutoff shorts walking and gossiping, chewing gum. 

We didn't appreciate the lives we had before

Football will do that...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on June 12, 2021, 01:37:01 am
Something about a Jaarman car alright. Hard to go back after you have had one even if they do depreciate and can be expensive to maintain. My Audi has been great, eight years old and no problems but only 85,000 km. Hard to beat their interiors.

I haven't looked at Audi, but owners really do love them.  If you don't mind sharing, which model?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on June 12, 2021, 08:31:30 am
I haven't looked at Audi, but owners really do love them.  If you don't mind sharing, which model?

Q5 I’m afraid, an SUV.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on June 12, 2021, 09:44:41 am
I haven't looked at Audi, but owners really do love them.  If you don't mind sharing, which model?

A buddy of mine has an Audi A3 S-line and his wife has the sporty Audi TT.  They love them.  Very solid little cars.  I wouldn’t call them luxurious, but they’re definitely a step up in terms of quality of interiors.  All wheel drive. 

However, there’s a few downsides to owning them…. Parts are expensive.  I’m not sure that they’re as reliable as say a Lexus.   
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on June 12, 2021, 10:05:32 am
I have never understood wants an expensive car.

What percentage of your annual salary did your car cost?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on June 12, 2021, 10:11:05 am
I have never understood wants an expensive car.

What percentage of your annual salary did your car cost?

I never understood living in an expensive city….
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on June 12, 2021, 10:16:10 am
I never understood living in an expensive city….

Not a lot of corporate computer work happening in... Owen Sound.  If you do take a job like that, say Ontario Lottery in Sault Ste Marie, you can't quit.  Nowhere else to work.

Of course, my Joan wouldn't leave anyway... She likes the city lights.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on June 12, 2021, 11:30:14 am
I have never understood wants an expensive car.

What percentage of your annual salary did your car cost?

Why does anyone buy an expensive anything?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on June 12, 2021, 11:32:52 am
Why does anyone buy an expensive anything?

I get t.  I might spend $100 on a vinyl LP once in a blue moon, and that's my thing. And I had a friend who didn't have a hell of a lot of money but once a year he'd buy a $500 bottle of Scotch.

But cars are something you pay for all the time every month or as a big one-time payment. People I work with were talking about where to get the best deals on new beamers, and I couldn't believe it. They made the same amount as me, and we didn't have a pension. I feel like I've saved hundreds of thousands.

And to answer my own question, I spend about 6% of a year salary on a vehicle once every 3 or 4 years.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on June 12, 2021, 11:59:19 am
Expensive cars are an indulgence like any other luxury good. People spend money on them because that's what they want to spend their money on. When I was working in Japan during the early 90's I couldn't believe all the expensive cars and well dressed people in designer clothes. I made the comment to a Japanese compatriot and he said that because even well paid people can't afford homes in Tokyo, that's what they spend their money on.

My Audi isn't particularly expensive but it wasn't cheap. My daughter has a top of the line Kia Sportage turbo which is about the same size as my Q5 with the same size engine. Really nice little SUV and a bargain at a good 20K less than a loaded Q5 Technik but it isn't the same car.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on June 12, 2021, 12:05:18 pm
A buddy of mine has an Audi A3 S-line and his wife has the sporty Audi TT.  They love them.  Very solid little cars.  I wouldn’t call them luxurious, but they’re definitely a step up in terms of quality of interiors.  All wheel drive. 

However, there’s a few downsides to owning them…. Parts are expensive.  I’m not sure that they’re as reliable as say a Lexus.

The A3 and TT both come in RS models. 2.5L 5 cylinder engines 400 HP. Pocket super cars but the RS3 is over $65K and the TTRS over $75K.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on June 12, 2021, 12:22:06 pm
You see what I mean? Those numbers are insane to me.

I think I paid $7,000 for my last vehicle.

I would pay $60,000 for a vehicle if I made over 500K
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on June 12, 2021, 12:54:38 pm
I never understood living in an expensive city….

You burned Mikey hard.

I never understood either of them , unless you're rich.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on June 12, 2021, 12:55:25 pm
Why does anyone buy an expensive anything?

Some expensive things are good investments, others are money pits, like most cars.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on June 12, 2021, 01:00:54 pm
You see what I mean? Those numbers are insane to me.

I think I paid $7,000 for my last vehicle.

I would pay $60,000 for a vehicle if I made over 500K
\

Of course I see what you mean but if you want a little 4 door sedan that's built  like a Swiss watch, does 0-60 MPH in 3.6 seconds, has a governed top speed of 155 MPH. Probably closer to 180 ungoverned which you could never use of course and handles like a go kart.  If you love driving, it's what it is all about because a car like this doesn't look like it cost a small fortune, it just acts like one.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on June 12, 2021, 01:02:32 pm
Some expensive things are good investments, others are money pits, like most cars.

Cars aren't investments unless you are in the business. Neither are boats, airplanes or horses. I know.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on June 12, 2021, 01:07:23 pm
You see what I mean? Those numbers are insane to me.

I think I paid $7,000 for my last vehicle.

I would pay $60,000 for a vehicle if I made over 500K

I buy used cars in great shape coming off a 3-year lease from a dealership.  The most depreciation is gone.  I got my last car with 30,000 km on it and it still had new car smell, I saved about 1/3 off the new price.  A retired car dealer once told me it's the best bang for buck.

If I wanted a new luxury car i'd probably want to be earning at least 110k.  I'd also rather spend extra money on my house, which won't decrease in value, or just retire earlier.  A car that costs $75k vs $25k, that's literally a couple years early retirement if your house is paid off, maybe 3 years retirement if you buy used.  But to each their own.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: waldo on June 12, 2021, 01:20:40 pm
Q5 I’m afraid, an SUV.

Q5 is a smallish 'SUV'... in line with the BMW X3 SAV (a qualifier unique to BMW - Sports Activity Vehicle), or the Benz GLC, etc.. Of course you can save significant money by buying a 'certified used' vehicle from BMW, Mercedes, Audi, etc..
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on June 12, 2021, 01:38:29 pm
I have never understood wants an expensive car.

What percentage of your annual salary did your car cost?

I've thought that way all my life.  I've driven Hyundai, Mazda, Chevy, all the affordable makes.  Like I said, this is totally new to me, prompted really by where I am in life.  I don't really go out anymore and spend money.  I'm not into expensive clothes or jewelry.  Given the age gaps between my kids and my older one's hormones, family vacations are scarce.  My mortality is sinking in as I realise I am not that far off from the age where my dad started mental decline.  It feels like it's a perfect storm for a midlife crisis car.

Having said that, I'm still frugal.  I'm going to put maybe $20K down to keep my payments low and when I say 'expensive' it's relative to my previous cars.  There is no way I'm going to buy a car that's worth my mortgage.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on June 12, 2021, 01:48:05 pm
I never understood living in an expensive city….

Well, family is here. There are more jobs.  I've been working mostly at home since the early 2010's and I live in a secluded part of the city so it doesn't really feel like a big city. 

For real-estate, I don't understand anyone who would be moving to this city but for someone like me who got lucky it's not that bad.  My dad retired in the early 2000's and gave me a rather generous lump sum for a down payment so I got in the market just before things got really stupid. 

I count my blessings for the assistance and timing for sure but I definitely won't be retiring here.  Not a chance. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on June 12, 2021, 02:02:56 pm
I was over 65 when I bought the Audi, before that I had a Jetta. This was my first “up market” car. My dad always wanted a Caddy, got one on his eighties. Priorities change.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on June 12, 2021, 02:11:09 pm
I have a feeling that there will be so much change happening in the automotive industry over the next 5 years that buying something right now seems like bad timing.

For me buying something right now would be bad timing anyway and I'm hoping to make my current vehicle last long enough to have my mortgage paid off before I start thinking about a new car. Still, I think things are changing in a big way as Ford and GM are becoming serious about electric, and Volkswagen and Hyundai and others are already bringing out more electric models. I think electric vehicles have hit critical mass and it's going to snowball from here on. I'm very interested to see what kinds of things will be available in 5 years.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on June 12, 2021, 02:12:15 pm
I was over 65 when I bought the Audi, before that I had a Jetta. This was my first “up market” car. My dad always wanted a Caddy, got one on his eighties. Priorities change.

Your dad getting a Caddy in his 80's is awesome!!
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on June 12, 2021, 02:14:40 pm
I have a feeling that there will be so much change happening in the automotive industry over the next 5 years that buying something right now seems like bad timing.

For me buying something right now would be bad timing anyway and I'm hoping to make my current vehicle last long enough to have my mortgage paid off before I start thinking about a new car. Still, I think things are changing in a big way as Ford and GM are becoming serious about electric, and Volkswagen and Hyundai and others are already bringing out more electric models. I think electric vehicles have hit critical mass and it's going to snowball from here on. I'm very interested to see what kinds of things will be available in 5 years.

 -k

Agreed, a lot is about to change which is why I'm hesitant to go electric.  If I do, it'll be a lease. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on June 12, 2021, 02:22:04 pm
I have a feeling that there will be so much change happening in the automotive industry over the next 5 years that buying something right now seems like bad timing.

For me buying something right now would be bad timing anyway and I'm hoping to make my current vehicle last long enough to have my mortgage paid off before I start thinking about a new car. Still, I think things are changing in a big way as Ford and GM are becoming serious about electric, and Volkswagen and Hyundai and others are already bringing out more electric models. I think electric vehicles have hit critical mass and it's going to snowball from here on. I'm very interested to see what kinds of things will be available in 5 years.

 -k

There is one thing that's standing in the way of EV's trajectory.  All the apartments and condos built prior to 2015 have no capacity for them so it rules out a good segment of the population, and unfortunately, of the demographic that would want an EV.

ETA - Kia is coming up with a fast-charge, long range EV6 which you can charge once a week or two.  Something like that would be a game changer for the condo dwellers but the price range will be 55-70K from what I've read.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Dia on June 12, 2021, 02:28:07 pm
I've thought that way all my life.  I've driven Hyundai, Mazda, Chevy, all the affordable makes.  Like I said, this is totally new to me, prompted really by where I am in life.  I don't really go out anymore and spend money.  I'm not into expensive clothes or jewelry.  Given the age gaps between my kids and my older one's hormones, family vacations are scarce.  My mortality is sinking in as I realise I am not that far off from the age where my dad started mental decline.  It feels like it's a perfect storm for a midlife crisis car.

Having said that, I'm still frugal.  I'm going to put maybe $20K down to keep my payments low and when I say 'expensive' it's relative to my previous cars.  There is no way I'm going to buy a car that's worth my mortgage.

I've never had a new vehicle; the closest was our current car, a 2010 Mercedes B200, which had under 20,000 kms on it when - still smelled new.  We got it in 2017, paid $14,000 cash and hope it'll be our last car.  I like not having a car payment.  :) 

I think if you want to buy a really nice car, you should.  It'll feel good every time you drive it and that's important, in my opinion. 

Also, congratulations on where you are in your life - it sounds like a good place to be.  (Minus the hormonal youngster.)
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on June 12, 2021, 03:22:12 pm
There is one thing that's standing in the way of EV's trajectory.  All the apartments and condos built prior to 2015 have no capacity for them so it rules out a good segment of the population, and unfortunately, of the demographic that would want an EV.

ETA - Kia is coming up with a fast-charge, long range EV6 which you can charge once a week or two.  Something like that would be a game changer for the condo dwellers but the price range will be 55-70K from what I've read.

As someone who lives in an older building, this is a concern for me. One of the reasons why a PHEV appeals. I could charge it up when opportunity presents without worrying too much. Also being able to fill up with gas on long drives (most drives are long drives when I leave Kim City) would make planning road trips easier.

One of my co-workers bought a Kia Niro PHEV last fall; she filled up the tank in November and it's still half full.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on June 12, 2021, 03:27:16 pm
I've never had a new vehicle; the closest was our current car, a 2010 Mercedes B200, which had under 20,000 kms on it when - still smelled new.  We got it in 2017, paid $14,000 cash and hope it'll be our last car.  I like not having a car payment.  :) 

I think if you want to buy a really nice car, you should.  It'll feel good every time you drive it and that's important, in my opinion. 

Also, congratulations on where you are in your life - it sounds like a good place to be.  (Minus the hormonal youngster.)

Wow, what a score!  Do you want to look for a car for me with that luck?  And thanks, it's been an interesting journey.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on June 12, 2021, 04:10:34 pm
Wow, this thread!

Our household income is north of 200k but I would rather eat out every night than spend $1,000 a month on a car, or go fun three European trips then spend $1,000 a month on a car, or save for retirement and spend $1,000 a month on a car.

I already explained the reasons for living in a big city. Although now with work at home it's going to be harder to justify ...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on June 12, 2021, 04:33:20 pm
The A3 and TT both come in RS models. 2.5L 5 cylinder engines 400 HP. Pocket super cars but the RS3 is over $65K and the TTRS over $75K.

I know!  They’re amazing!   I’ve always really like the TT, particularly the RS.  My friend’s Audis both have the 3.2L V6.  It’s a VW group engine and he has a lot of experience working on them, so he does all the mechanical stuff himself.  Great little engines too!  He bought them both used. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on June 12, 2021, 04:40:56 pm
Wow, this thread!

Our household income is north of 200k but I would rather eat out every night than spend $1,000 a month on a car, or go fun three European trips then spend $1,000 a month on a car, or save for retirement and spend $1,000 a month on a car.

I already explained the reasons for living in a big city. Although now with work at home it's going to be harder to justify ...


If the kids were older, travel would definitely take priority over a nice car, but right now the thought of spending time in Europe with my angry tween and difficult preschooler is a nightmare.  I'd rather pluck my hair out one strand at a time.

For better or for worse, my retirement is set because of the real estate lottery I won growing up in Vancouver.  I don't drink much anymore so going out and blowing a few hundred on drinks and dinner isn't my thing any more.

Everyone's situation is different. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on June 12, 2021, 04:41:26 pm
I had my house paid off for the last few years (bought into the market cheap!), so I can afford a few luxuries.  And exactly because things are changing like crazy in the auto industry, I went out and bought my dream-car a couple years ago….  A Ford Focus!   This particular focus is the RS model, built in Germany….  AWD…. Sportier looks…. Sportier engine…. Sportier everything.   The quintessential ’Hot Hatch’!

I’ve always been a ‘car-guy’.

But I can see getting an electric runabout in the next few years….  As soul-sucking as that might be…. Haha
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on June 12, 2021, 04:43:17 pm

If the kids were older, travel would definitely take priority over a nice car, but right now the thought of spending time in Europe with my angry tween and difficult preschooler is a nightmare.  I'd rather pluck my hair out one strand at a time.

For better or for worse, my retirement is set because of the real estate lottery I won growing up in Vancouver.  I don't drink much anymore so going out and blowing a few hundred on drinks and dinner isn't my thing any more.

Everyone's situation is different.

I just don't get it. 

It just seems like a ton of money.  Like if everybody wore $600 sneakers and I was just wearing my Costco nylon kickers...

I mean, good for you if you love it, but to me you're all dupes, kinda... sorry...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on June 12, 2021, 04:52:00 pm
I had my house paid off for the last few years (bought into the market cheap!), so I can afford a few luxuries.  And exactly because things are changing like crazy in the auto industry, I went out and bought my dream-car a couple years ago….  A Ford Focus!   This particular focus is the RS model, built in Germany….  AWD…. Sportier looks…. Sportier engine…. Sportier everything.   The quintessential ’Hot Hatch’!

I’ve always been a ‘car-guy’.

But I can see getting an electric runabout in the next few years….  As soul-sucking as that might be…. Haha

Your Ford Focus sounds fantastic! 

The Kia EV6 looks really interesting to me even though it's a Kia.  Super fast charge, long range, AWD.  I've looked at other EV's and none of them really appealed to me like this one does for some reason.  I'm holding off buying anything until I see it, it'll be out in the fall. 

Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on June 12, 2021, 04:52:33 pm
I just don't get it. 

It just seems like a ton of money.  Like if everybody wore $600 sneakers and I was just wearing my Costco nylon kickers...

I mean, good for you if you love it, but to me you're all dupes, kinda... sorry...

Life isn't about things, but experiences.  A car can very much be an experience.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on June 12, 2021, 05:07:42 pm
I just don't get it. 

It just seems like a ton of money.  Like if everybody wore $600 sneakers and I was just wearing my Costco nylon kickers...

I mean, good for you if you love it, but to me you're all dupes, kinda... sorry...

Meh….  Everyone has different priorities and different likes and dislikes. 

Hell, smoke cigarettes, and there’s a car payment for a Toyota Corolla right there….
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on June 12, 2021, 05:28:15 pm
Meh….  Everyone has different priorities and different likes and dislikes. 

Hell, smoke cigarettes, and there’s a car payment for a Toyota Corolla right there….

This is so true.  I worked with a woman who made 60K/year and had a thing for really expensive purses.  Out of genuine interest I asked what she likes about them and she explained how they're like pieces of art and that they're an investment since their value increases.  I'd never thought of it but yeah, I can see it.

At the time I had a collection of very expensive bikes and my family never understood.  Everyone has a thing that others don't understand... and don't really need to.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: eyeball on June 12, 2021, 07:15:20 pm
Some expensive things are good investments, others are money pits, like most cars.
Try a boat....Bring On Another Thousand
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on June 12, 2021, 07:37:10 pm
I've been interested in EV's but one thing that has put me off is the current wild west state of charging infrastructure. Different adaptors and charging rates, brand restricted stations like Supercharger etc. Every time I look at stations on something like Plug Share, its depressing how many comments there are like, "out of service"," my card or phone app wouldn't work" . I think they would be great if I was just using it in my area and could always charge at home but if I was taking a road trip to somewhere like kim city I would probably take my 1T diesel just to avoid having any fueling hassles, which kind of defeats the purpose of having an EV.

If EV's are to be taken really seriously people need to be able to use any charging station anywhere and be able to pay with with the same options they have at any gas station.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Black Dog on June 13, 2021, 10:25:05 am
My partner has a job opportunity that could take us back to Vancouver. But between real estate prices and the fact we have a kid now (read: daycare and schooling), it's simply impossible. Even mid-sized Canadian cities like Calgary or Edmonton are getting insanely expensive.

I guess I should consider myself lucky that we both have jobs in a place that's relatively affordable. The flip side of that is wages are so low here that we're just as broke as we would be making more money in a more expensive city. But being broke in a more expensive city might actually be worth it for having some access to culture and not having to deal with the rednecks and rampant public drug use here.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on June 13, 2021, 02:18:12 pm
This is so true.  I worked with a woman who made 60K/year and had a thing for really expensive purses.  Out of genuine interest I asked what she likes about them and she explained how they're like pieces of art and that they're an investment since their value increases.  I'd never thought of it but yeah, I can see it.

At the time I had a collection of very expensive bikes and my family never understood.  Everyone has a thing that others don't understand... and don't really need to.

Exactly.

We have a topic here called "Watch This". Why would anyone spend thousands on a watch when they can buy a very accurate perfectly serviceable quartz watch for under $100? Well I would buy several if I had the money.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on June 13, 2021, 02:43:12 pm
My partner has a job opportunity that could take us back to Vancouver. But between real estate prices and the fact we have a kid now (read: daycare and schooling), it's simply impossible. Even mid-sized Canadian cities like Calgary or Edmonton are getting insanely expensive.

I guess I should consider myself lucky that we both have jobs in a place that's relatively affordable. The flip side of that is wages are so low here that we're just as broke as we would be making more money in a more expensive city. But being broke in a more expensive city might actually be worth it for having some access to culture and not having to deal with the rednecks and rampant public drug use here.

It's sad that our cities used to be livable for the average person starting out. Now it's more a matter of survival.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on June 13, 2021, 03:03:22 pm
I had my house paid off for the last few years (bought into the market cheap!), so I can afford a few luxuries.  And exactly because things are changing like crazy in the auto industry, I went out and bought my dream-car a couple years ago….  A Ford Focus!   This particular focus is the RS model, built in Germany….  AWD…. Sportier looks…. Sportier engine…. Sportier everything.   The quintessential ’Hot Hatch’!

I’ve always been a ‘car-guy’.

But I can see getting an electric runabout in the next few years….  As soul-sucking as that might be…. Haha

The Focus RS is a cool car. You don't see a lot of them around which makes them even better.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on June 13, 2021, 04:19:21 pm
Even spending thousands on a watch makes more sense to me than spending tens of thousands annually for transportation, effectively for status
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on June 13, 2021, 04:38:34 pm
Even spending thousands on a watch makes more sense to me than spending tens of thousands annually for transportation, effectively for status

Not necessarily for status except to the knowledgable. To most, squid's RS is another Ford Focus when it is anything but. An Audi RS3 doesn't look much more impressive than many Civic or Corolla four door sedans to anyone who doesn't know what it really is. That's one of the best things about cars like those.

Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on June 13, 2021, 04:48:57 pm
Even spending thousands on a watch makes more sense to me than spending tens of thousands annually for transportation, effectively for status

Well it depends on the intent of the person buying.  Some people buy for status, other people just want a nice car.  A Hyundai doesn't drive like an Audi.  A nice car is a definite upgrade and nice to drive, but for me personally it's not an upgrade worth like 40k+, unless I had that money to burn.  People who buy simply for status are morons and have insecurity issues.

I think a good general rule is that if you can't afford to buy your car upfront with cash then you probably can't afford it.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on June 13, 2021, 05:57:48 pm
My partner has a job opportunity that could take us back to Vancouver. But between real estate prices and the fact we have a kid now (read: daycare and schooling), it's simply impossible. Even mid-sized Canadian cities like Calgary or Edmonton are getting insanely expensive.

I guess I should consider myself lucky that we both have jobs in a place that's relatively affordable. The flip side of that is wages are so low here that we're just as broke as we would be making more money in a more expensive city. But being broke in a more expensive city might actually be worth it for having some access to culture and not having to deal with the rednecks and rampant public drug use here.

When things began getting stupid I kept thinking it's not sustainable and it's a bubble like previous ones in history.  We're going on close to 20 years now and even though I was a bit optimistic when the NDP took over BC (and made some strides) I don't think there will be a solution until the feds step in and they don't seem the slightest bit interested.  Between high immigration, low interest rates and adequate support to diversify economies, everyone will continue to flock to the cities for work. 

The one good thing that may have come out of the pandemic is the shift to remote work within a many industries.  I'm hoping it really takes off and people move away to the suburbs and smaller cities.  Also, a lot of commercial spaces can be revamped to residential increasing supply.

Unfortunately, it does seem like the new normal unless we get a proper left-leaning federal government.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on June 13, 2021, 06:06:59 pm
A Hyundai doesn't drive like an Audi. 

I've had two Hyundais and I think they're great.  Reliable and a tonne of luxury at bargain prices, but you're exactly right, they drive horribly.  When you step on the pedal it just makes more sound. 

My dad's last car was a Lexus and driving that thing was like floating on air.  So smooth, quiet and strong.  Yes, both get you from point A to point B but the experience is nothing alike.

Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on June 13, 2021, 06:51:02 pm
I've had two Hyundais and I think they're great.  Reliable and a tonne of luxury at bargain prices, but you're exactly right, they drive horribly.  When you step on the pedal it just makes more sound. 

My dad's last car was a Lexus and driving that thing was like floating on air.  So smooth, quiet and strong.  Yes, both get you from point A to point B but the experience is nothing alike.

when I first went to Russia to work I had to rent a Lada. Yuk. Many times I could get only half way to the airport before the damn thing quit. Turned into a long term contract so I got sent a Chevy 4x4. Then I got to work on time.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on June 13, 2021, 07:06:46 pm
Well it depends on the intent of the person buying.  Some people buy for status, other people just want a nice car.   

"nice" but if it's double-digit percentages of your take home pay...

My friend just told me about a think in LA where guys have expensive cars that they LIVE out of....
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on June 13, 2021, 07:26:56 pm
"nice" but if it's double-digit percentages of your take home pay...

My friend just told me about a think in LA where guys have expensive cars that they LIVE out of....

That's why I didn't buy one until I was in my late sixties. Now I don't borrow for anything but it took a while to get there.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on June 13, 2021, 07:28:54 pm
That's why I didn't buy one until I was in my late sixties. Now I don't borrow for anything but it took a while to get there.

I only borrowed for my house. 

Now the late 60s thing is starting to make sense.  I expect I will be rolling in it by then, and maybe have money to buy something fun. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on June 13, 2021, 07:38:57 pm
I only borrowed for my house. 

Now the late 60s thing is starting to make sense.  I expect I will be rolling in it by then, and maybe have money to buy something fun.

You don't have to be rolling in it to do a lot of things if you aren't carrying any debt.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on June 13, 2021, 07:42:11 pm
"nice" but if it's double-digit percentages of your take home pay...

My friend just told me about a think in LA where guys have expensive cars that they LIVE out of....

LA is really sad, I have two cousins who live there.  They were visiting with their teenage sons and I mentioned how I'm going to give my Mazda to my daughter when I get a new car and their faces dropped.  Turns out they would be too embarrassed to show up at school with anything less than a BMW.

LA all together is a really status driven city and I would never live there.  You're going to extremes though if you bring that up as an example of why people want a nice car.

As for percentage of income, it all depends on what else is going on with your life.  I know people who are paying 50% of their income for housing.  I don't pay a tonne for housing, I don't have the ability to go out or take expensive vacations.

You can't really have an arbitrary percentage that's 'acceptable'.  It all comes down to how the rest of your budget looks.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on June 13, 2021, 08:34:09 pm
Try a boat....Bring On Another Thousand

Exactly. I bought a boat. Sailed it for 4 years, sold it for 1k over purchase. I do miss it though.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on June 13, 2021, 09:02:57 pm
1.   I know people who are paying 50% of their income for housing.   
2. I don't have the ability to go out or take expensive vacations.
3. You can't really have an arbitrary percentage that's 'acceptable'.  It all comes down to how the rest of your budget looks.

1. Well, I would assume they aren't renting something far beyond their means, which would be akin to throwing money away on expensive car beyond one's means.

2. I didn't catch whether you are paying a lot for locomotion.   

3. I suppose, but the idea is really that you have basic living expenses, and then "disposable income".  Nobody who makes what I make should be buying a $40K car...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on June 13, 2021, 09:52:45 pm
"nice" but if it's double-digit percentages of your take home pay...

My friend just told me about a think in LA where guys have expensive cars that they LIVE out of....

A decent used car that's a few years old with relatively low mileage might be around 10k.  Compared to a new luxury car, let's say a cost of 75k, that extra 65k is a full year's salary for many people.  I can't imagine working an entire year just to be able to go from a used Corolla to a BMW.  As I said I'd much rather retire a year early.  But for the people who can truly afford it hey go nuts.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on June 13, 2021, 09:57:54 pm
LA is really sad, I have two cousins who live there.  They were visiting with their teenage sons and I mentioned how I'm going to give my Mazda to my daughter when I get a new car and their faces dropped.  Turns out they would be too embarrassed to show up at school with anything less than a BMW.

LA all together is a really status driven city and I would never live there.  You're going to extremes though if you bring that up as an example of why people want a nice car.

People in LA are horrible like that.  I'd imagine so many people walking around with plastic surgery, designer pure-bred dogs on their leashes, judging everyone for what they wear.  It's like nothing is real.  That's why it's Hollywood I guess, the land of make-believe.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on June 13, 2021, 10:38:05 pm
1. Well, I would assume they aren't renting something far beyond their means, which would be akin to throwing money away on expensive car beyond one's means.

2. I didn't catch whether you are paying a lot for locomotion.   

3. I suppose, but the idea is really that you have basic living expenses, and then "disposable income".  Nobody who makes what I make should be buying a $40K car...

There comes a time in life where not everything needs to be an investment, unless you are just doing it to leave your kids a bigger estate. As one wise person once told me "if you don't fly business class your kids will."
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on June 14, 2021, 07:52:45 pm
There comes a time in life where not everything needs to be an investment, unless you are just doing it to leave your kids a bigger estate. As one wise person once told me "if you don't fly business class your kids will."

I don't think any parent owes their kids any money.  Don't die with a load in the bank.   Everyone needs a house, they'll get that which is enough.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on June 15, 2021, 11:20:44 am
In the past I have played the proud grandpa with his oldest grand daughter in the UBC rugby program and looking forward to watching her play next year with her sister who is also joining the program. After missing half of her first year rehabbing from a broken fibula and Covid cancelling the next year she has been training like crazy and in the best shape of her life. Last week she was playing touch rugby with her club and she doesn't know whether she stepped in a hole or something but her knee just went pop. Diagnosis, torn ACL and partially torn MCL and meniscus. Surgery in the fall and another season missed. She was devastated but being the person she is she said she cried it all out in the first couple of days and now is just concentrating on doing the work to get back. The kid has never been a quitter. I feel so bad for her, but proud as well.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on June 15, 2021, 11:30:30 am
In the past I have played the proud grandpa with his oldest grand daughter in the UBC rugby program and looking forward to watching her play next year with her sister who is also joining the program. After missing half of her first year rehabbing from a broken fibula and Covid cancelling the next year she has been training like crazy and in the best shape of her life. Last week she was playing touch rugby with her club and she doesn't know whether she stepped in a hole or something but her knee just went pop. Diagnosis, torn ACL and partially torn MCL and meniscus. Surgery in the fall and another season missed. She was devastated but being the person she is she said she cried it all out in the first couple of days and now is just concentrating on doing the work to get back. The kid has never been a quitter. I feel so bad for her, but proud as well.

Rugby is a tough sport….  Not everyone can last, regardless of how good they are.  Sometimes bad luck pops its ugly head up.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on June 15, 2021, 12:27:41 pm
Rugby is a tough sport….  Not everyone can last, regardless of how good they are.  Sometimes bad luck pops its ugly head up.

Up until her broken leg which was the result of someone else falling on her in a ruck, her rugby career had been free of any serious injuries. Just the usual things like a broken nose and dislocated fingers. No concussions or other serious stuff that kept her out for more than a game. Since then she seems snake bit.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on June 18, 2021, 05:32:39 am
Just got the results from my lung Cancer scan and got the all clear. So glad I did this and so glad I quit smoking when we were getting ready to have Easy.

If you smoked, get your GP to set up a scan...

I'm going to live to 90.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: eyeball on June 19, 2021, 07:08:05 pm
Exactly. I bought a boat. Sailed it for 4 years, sold it for 1k over purchase. I do miss it though.
I miss having a working boat to tend and use. The trouble is a working boat without a job rapidly becomes a money pit.  Thank God for hopeless dreamers...but seriously, I think there should be a legal requirement that vessels past a certain age come with a caveat that spells out how they're to be disposed of when they get too old to repair. Theoretically a boat can be replaced piece by piece indefinitely but in practice to many end up abandoned on beaches or sunk in the middle of the night when no one is watching.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on June 21, 2021, 09:36:11 pm
Just got the results from my lung Cancer scan and got the all clear. So glad I did this and so glad I quit smoking when we were getting ready to have Easy.

If you smoked, get your GP to set up a scan...

I'm going to live to 90.

Happy for you my friend.  Live long and prosper.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on June 22, 2021, 05:39:41 am
Thanks, but I maybe spoke too soon.  They sent me for a follow-up about my thyroid, which I mixed up to think it was about something else.  Yesterday I realized, when looking at the requisition form, that it said I had a 1.9 CM growth.

Whatever, apparently these ones aren't as bad but...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on June 27, 2021, 03:10:26 pm
I'm in line to get my second shot.. it's a huge sportsplex in Mississauga and looks like about a thousand people in line ahead of me.. but I'm happy to be here
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on June 27, 2021, 05:54:07 pm
The shut down the biggest vaccination centre in our town because of the heat and it isn't air conditioned.  METAR is showing 40 degrees at YXX.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on June 27, 2021, 07:02:42 pm
The shut down the biggest vaccination centre in our town because of the heat and it isn't air conditioned.  METAR is showing 40 degrees at YXX.

Today, Lytton BC recorded the hottest temperature ever recorded in all of Canada.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on June 27, 2021, 07:16:38 pm
School cancelled in the Valley tomorrow. A scary thing is most of the records being broken were set since 2000.

Nine years ago we moved to our first home with central air. The last two nights were the the first we never turned it off at night.
Not looking forward to grilling on the deck today.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on June 27, 2021, 07:16:50 pm
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/b-c-heat-wave-shatters-temperature-records-across-the-province-1.6082192
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on June 27, 2021, 07:21:01 pm
School cancelled in the Valley tomorrow. A scary thing is most of the records being broken were set since 2000.

Nine years ago we moved to our first home with central air. The last two nights were the the first we never turned it off at night.
Not looking forward to grilling on the deck today.

I got an email about about school district about 20 minutes ago.  I've never been one for AC but I ordered one yesterday.  It'll be too late for this heat wave, but it's obvious they're going to be a necessity from now on.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on June 27, 2021, 08:57:59 pm
The only thing saving me is that there’s a breeze today!   I mean, it’s like a hot fart of a wind…. But still better than no breeze!  (Sans smell…. We only get bad smells from the pulp mill with south easterlies, which are associated with rain, not clear skies). 

We need to hear from climate expert Graham about this….  What does he think?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on June 27, 2021, 09:07:30 pm
The only thing saving me is that there’s a breeze today!   I mean, it’s like a hot fart of a wind…. But still better than no breeze!  (Sans smell…. We only get bad smells from the pulp mill with south easterlies, which are associated with rain, not clear skies). 

We need to hear from climate expert Graham about this….  What does he think?

It gets hot and smelly in the summer.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Omni on June 27, 2021, 09:13:02 pm
Well I was sweating heavy to day even though I was lucky enough to be just strolling down to the beach on the south end of Van. Isle. I heard the news that Lytton set the Canadaall time record today reaching 46.1. I was bitching about dealing with mid 30's so I'll doff my hat to them, next week or so, maybe. And who doesn't like warm sunny weather? Maybe just dial'er back a bit Mr. Weatherman, and store up some of this for January.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on June 28, 2021, 12:18:48 am
It gets hot and smelly in the summer.

I'm not a fan of dumb-tagging but dude...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on June 28, 2021, 05:07:18 pm
I'm not a fan of dumb-tagging but dude...

It seems he’s a climate change denier….   

But without any sources or evidence…. Par for the course with that type, I guess.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on June 28, 2021, 07:33:39 pm
But it does get hot and smelly in summer.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on June 28, 2021, 07:44:08 pm
Temperature is 42 at YXX right now, Density altitude is 3600 feet. That means your aircraft would perform like it was taking off in Calgary on a 20 degree day.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: eyeball on June 28, 2021, 10:48:13 pm
Temperature is 42 at YXX right now, Density altitude is 3600 feet. That means your aircraft would perform like it was taking off in Calgary on a 20 degree day.
Meaning you need to burn more fuel to compensate for the extra heat. I guess this is why climate change seems to lead to a zero sum bias so easily.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on June 28, 2021, 11:08:34 pm
Meaning you need to burn more fuel to compensate for the extra heat. I guess this is why climate change seems to lead to a zero sum bias so easily.

Meaning your engine will produce the same power and your wing will give you the same lift as if you were taking off on a runway that was 3600 ft above sea level on a normal day, even though YXX is actually at 60 ft ASL.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: eyeball on June 29, 2021, 12:47:05 am
Meaning your engine will produce the same power and your wing will give you the same lift as if you were taking off on a runway that was 3600 ft above sea level on a normal day, even though YXX is actually at 60 ft ASL.
So the opposite of what I thought? A thicker hot atmosphere is good news for aviators?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on June 29, 2021, 08:15:02 am
 :'(
So the opposite of what I thought? A thicker hot atmosphere is good news for aviators?

Nope. Hot air is less dense, that’s why hot air balloons work.

https://www.faasafety.gov/files/gslac/library/documents/2011/Aug/56396/FAA%20P-8740-02%20DensityAltitude%5Bhi-res%5D%20branded.pdf
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: eyeball on June 29, 2021, 09:32:09 am
Still looks like pilots have to step on the gas to make the plane perform better.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on June 29, 2021, 10:28:01 am
Still looks like pilots have to step on the gas to make the plane perform better.

Except the engine loses power at higher temperatures and there is the possibility of overheating.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on June 30, 2021, 07:52:51 am
I got a gold star 'diversity' award at work :)

This means... a $10 Starbucks card !

Really it means I'm the only white guy and ok with it.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on June 30, 2021, 07:56:06 am
Sounds like you have a ridiculous workplace.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on June 30, 2021, 07:58:02 am
Sounds like you have a ridiculous workplace.

How so ?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on June 30, 2021, 10:09:22 am
You don't think getting a gift card for being a white guy sounds ridiculous?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on June 30, 2021, 10:21:56 am
You don't think getting a gift card for being a white guy sounds ridiculous?

I was one of many who got gift cards for our 'diversity and inclusion' initiative. 

Some people did presentations, other people did other things.  As far as I can tell, somebody would have recommended me based on my inclusive behaviour and that resulted in a positive call-out.  I see what you are saying, but my experience is that inclusion works better if it's actively promoted... as insipid as all of it can seem.

Think about the bland abstractions that form our cultural infrastructure: freedom, multiculturalism.  It seems like sloganeering on these themes makes them into something meaningful, moves them from a philosophical concept to something emotional, spiritual.

But, yeah, it is insipid for those of us who were never 'joiners'.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Dia on June 30, 2021, 12:39:22 pm
I've been off work since May 26, due to a major depressive episode.  I've had these episodes since my teens and actively considered/pursued suicide - until I read that parents who kill themselves create children who kill themselves.  Not wanting that for my kids, I determined that I would not ever suicide, unless I could do it in a way that would look accidental. 

My doc referred me to a psychiatrist, first time in decades I've been to one.  He asked me about my life experiences for about 45 minutes, asked me not to tell him any diagnoses I'd had in my past, he just wanted to hear about my subjective experiences.  He then described my "mood" life for me - succinctly, and remarkably accurately.  I was pretty stunned that his description of my experience was so accurate, even some details I hadn't shared.  The diagnoses is Bipolar II.  In case anyone is wondering, this is like Bipolar I except instead of going entirely off the rails in the mania stage, one just gets very active, productive, feel great, racing thoughts and ideas, view life as full of excitement and possibility, and may engage in some risky behavior.  No delusions, no hallucinations, no hospitalizations.  This is referred to as hypomania.  Sadly, as one matures, the mania stages become less frequent, and the depressive stages more frequent and lower.  I admit, I've missed the mania stage - even though I didn't know what it was, exactly, just that it was great.   I was told at one point that I had 'cyclothymic personality disorder", but because the depressive episodes were much more prevalent, and no subsequent health care professional mentioned it, I felt that this must have been an incorrect diagnoses. 

I get home, and tell my partner - and he says "Yes, that is exactly right".  I talk to my doctor, who I've only been seeing for about two years, and she says "I kinda thought so, but needed a psychiatrist to confirm it".  I've been prescribed mood stabilizers and I hope they work better than the anti-depressants I've taken off and on for years.   According to the psychiatrist, they'll help keep my mood within 'normal' ranges.  I do wonder what that will be like. 

At work I've been pretty open about my struggles with depression and am generally pretty open about things.  The doctor has advised that I take a full 7 weeks off work (one week longer than the original off-work note provided), and my return to work be graduated - 4 to 6 weeks of half-time, as the meds take some time to become fully operational.  I see the point of this because I don't sleep well a lot of the time, my work is stressful and these two factors could very well impact whatever improvement the medication might provide.  I both want and don't want to tell my supervisor the new diagnoses.  I know I don't have to, and bipolar has pretty negative connotations, but at the same time I feel like I have to justify all this time off work.  I know that any kind of mental illness affects how one might progress in one's career, but as I can retire in a couple of years, this isn't really a concern to me.  So, do I assuage my guilty feelings by letting my supervisor know that my diagnoses has changed?  Or just say nothing more than what the doctor's note says?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on June 30, 2021, 12:51:31 pm
From one anonymous internet person to another….  I really am glad you got a diagnosis and it sounds like the proper medical treatment you need!   Great work! 

You should have absolutely zero guilt about not telling your employer details.  It really is none of their business.  Unless of course you want to. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Dia on June 30, 2021, 12:57:51 pm
From one anonymous internet person to another….  I really am glad you got a diagnosis and it sounds like the proper medical treatment you need!   Great work! 

You should have absolutely zero guilt about not telling your employer details.  It really is none of their business.  Unless of course you want to.

Thanks, 'anonymity' is exactly why I posted it here.  Plus it's friendlier than than the other place.  Yes, it is none of their business, good point.  ;)
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on June 30, 2021, 02:32:38 pm
Well, you may want to explain that you have been diagnosed with *something* and it's *better* and you will be *better* after the treatment takes hold.

But, up to you...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on June 30, 2021, 09:28:25 pm
I both want and don't want to tell my supervisor the new diagnoses.  I know I don't have to, and bipolar has pretty negative connotations, but at the same time I feel like I have to justify all this time off work.  I know that any kind of mental illness affects how one might progress in one's career, but as I can retire in a couple of years, this isn't really a concern to me.  So, do I assuage my guilty feelings by letting my supervisor know that my diagnoses has changed?  Or just say nothing more than what the doctor's note says?

That's fantastic you got what seems like an accurate diagnosis.

You don't have to tell your supervisor any medical details, it's none of their business, you don't have to justify anything other than give them the doctor's note.  I wouldn't tell them.

You should also be eligible for EI sickness benefits if you haven't taken them.  Up to 15 weeks per year.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on July 01, 2021, 01:13:01 pm
Juniper Rose, I'm sending you a big cyber hug.  Finding the right medication is life-changing, I am very happy for you.  I also agree with squid and Graham, don't feel obligated to mention it.  I once told an employer about my post-partum struggles thinking it'll make them more understanding and even though it may have, I kinda wished I hadn't.  Unfortunately, there is still a lot of stigma about these things even though they are really no different than physical ailments.

Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Dia on July 02, 2021, 12:47:53 pm
Thanks for the responses and cyber hug.   :)   I won't go into detail; "It isn't any of their business" is the most persuasive argument. 
___________________________________

In happier personal stuff, my partner and I rented a small motorhome and took us the the dogs to Salmon Arm to visit kids.  We had a really nice visit, the problem granddaughter has left her abusers and seems to be doing much much better.  The other two are a typical tween/teen, and the 7-year-old is adorable.  :)

My dog hated the motorhome, but loved living outside.  Pretty sure he decided to self-identify as an "wild canine" - despite the leash and food delivery.  He'd park himself as far from the humans, or maybe it was the motorhome, as he could, settle down in a shady spot where he could survey the entire expanse of the local environs.  He was pretty cute.  My partner's dog just took it all in stride; her world revolves around my partner so if he was nearby, she was all good. 

This is the first time my partner and I have vacationed together since we got together 11 years ago, and it went pretty well.  Both my partner and my dog have quirks which makes social interaction challenging for them, but the motorhome really gave them both more comfort than staying at a hotel or with one of my kids.  We hope to make it an annual event, at least, especially since my son has recently acquired a fifth wheel which we can use when we are in Salmon Arm.  We'd also like to spend some time in Manning Park, and possibly in other parks in BC, but would want to rent a larger motor home.   The one we had worked well enough, but if there'd had been any rain and we'd been stuck inside it for anything other than sleeping, it would have quickly become unbearable.   

Anyway, it was definitely an adventure, but overall went well enough that we're going to try it again.  :)

Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on July 14, 2021, 03:35:08 pm
I am now double vaccinated.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on July 16, 2021, 01:14:34 am
Wasps are really a nuisance this year.  Can’t sit out on the back patio without them trying to fly off with my steak!  Or have a sip of my beer!

So I got a bug zapper shaped like a small tennis racquet.  4200 volts of rechargeable wasp-killing electricity.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on July 16, 2021, 02:18:51 pm
As I mentioned a few pages ago, I wanted to buy myself a nice luxury vehicle, but I am conflicted about buying gas.  But on the flip side, I was hesitant about EV because the technology changes so fast and they depreciate faster than gas cars.

After a few months of looking and thinking, I'm ready to make the jump.  I'm going Tesla model 3. 

I'm so excited... it should be here by the end of September.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on July 16, 2021, 03:57:42 pm
As I mentioned a few pages ago, I wanted to buy myself a nice luxury vehicle, but I am conflicted about buying gas.  But on the flip side, I was hesitant about EV because the technology changes so fast and they depreciate faster than gas cars.

After a few months of looking and thinking, I'm ready to make the jump.  I'm going Tesla model 3. 

I'm so excited... it should be here by the end of September.

Wow! 

I’m sure you will love it!  THat’s very cool.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on July 16, 2021, 09:01:59 pm
As I mentioned a few pages ago, I wanted to buy myself a nice luxury vehicle, but I am conflicted about buying gas.  But on the flip side, I was hesitant about EV because the technology changes so fast and they depreciate faster than gas cars.

After a few months of looking and thinking, I'm ready to make the jump.  I'm going Tesla model 3. 

I'm so excited... it should be here by the end of September.

You could do hybrid and get best of both worlds.  Rented one and a tank of gas lasted forever.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on July 22, 2021, 12:21:08 am
As I mentioned a few pages ago, I wanted to buy myself a nice luxury vehicle, but I am conflicted about buying gas.  But on the flip side, I was hesitant about EV because the technology changes so fast and they depreciate faster than gas cars.

After a few months of looking and thinking, I'm ready to make the jump.  I'm going Tesla model 3. 

I'm so excited... it should be here by the end of September.

Congratulations on your new car!

You mentioned an initial negativity toward Tesla earlier in the thread, before your test drive.  I feel the same way... and it's nothing about the car itself (although I find the styling quite bland), it's the general vibe of the owners that I find grating.  The closest comparison I can think of is Apple people. They're not just brand loyalists or brand enthusiasts, they're brand evangelists. They have some quality that I can only compare to genuine actual religious zealots, the kind who will knock on your door or stop you in the street to share their testimony. It doesn't just grate, it makes creates actual antipathy for me.

I would by just about any other kind of cell phone before I considered an Apple.  And I would likewise look at every other brand of EV before I went to Tesla. I would have to convince myself of the merits of Tesla relative to other brands. Even then I would probably be desperately seeking just about any reason to purchase some other brand before the Tesla.  I fully concede this is an irrational bias on my part. "The Tesla may be the better vehicle in every measurable sense, but I like the styling of this Mustang Mach E, and also it has  better cup-holders."

Congratulations to you, not just on your new car, but also on putting aside your biases to arrive at objectively the best decision for you.

(I am just desperately hoping that other brands step up their game before I'm in the market for an EV.)

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on July 22, 2021, 12:22:37 am
The amount of smoke in the air right now is causing me a lot of difficulty. I'm not doing well at all right now.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on July 22, 2021, 09:19:25 pm
The amount of smoke in the air right now is causing me a lot of difficulty. I'm not doing well at all right now.

 -k

That sucks.

Does your cloth COVID mask work outside to keep smoke out?  That might be some rough indicator of how well these things work at keeping out the COVID.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: waldo on July 23, 2021, 12:27:18 am
Does your cloth COVID mask work outside to keep smoke out?  That might be some rough indicator of how well these things work at keeping out the COVID.

no - cloth masks ain't worth shyte in protecting against smoke particles (that are 10 to 100 times smaller than respiratory droplets). Of course double/triple layer cloth masks are better; however, still little protection as compared to N95 or KN95 masks
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on July 23, 2021, 11:46:18 am
Three ply medical masks might help some. If you have forced air heating keeping your fan running and using a Merv 13 rated filter will help with indoor air quality.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on July 23, 2021, 01:00:16 pm
Congratulations on your new car!

You mentioned an initial negativity toward Tesla earlier in the thread, before your test drive.  I feel the same way... and it's nothing about the car itself (although I find the styling quite bland), it's the general vibe of the owners that I find grating.  The closest comparison I can think of is Apple people. They're not just brand loyalists or brand enthusiasts, they're brand evangelists. They have some quality that I can only compare to genuine actual religious zealots, the kind who will knock on your door or stop you in the street to share their testimony. It doesn't just grate, it makes creates actual antipathy for me.

I would by just about any other kind of cell phone before I considered an Apple.  And I would likewise look at every other brand of EV before I went to Tesla. I would have to convince myself of the merits of Tesla relative to other brands. Even then I would probably be desperately seeking just about any reason to purchase some other brand before the Tesla.  I fully concede this is an irrational bias on my part. "The Tesla may be the better vehicle in every measurable sense, but I like the styling of this Mustang Mach E, and also it has  better cup-holders."

Congratulations to you, not just on your new car, but also on putting aside your biases to arrive at objectively the best decision for you.

(I am just desperately hoping that other brands step up their game before I'm in the market for an EV.)

 -k

I'm an Apple owner and I resent this comparison!  We are not brand evangelists who gush about our products the way Tesla owners do.  Many of us are just living our lives and not in any need to switch to a new platform.  For some strange reason there is a reason hate on for iPhones.  I mean, I'm not a Samsung user, but I don't despise it and spend energy on bashing it.  I know several people who seem to have a weird obsession about iPhones and convincing everyone that their phone is better.  Whatever.  They are more evangelist in their negative feelings than any iPhone user I know seems to be about their positive feelings. 

I'm a little embarrassed to do this, but I ended up cancelling the Tesla order and losing my $100 deposit.  I chickened out.  It's not the brand, or the Tesla culture (haha we should start a thread).  I actually ended up meeting a Tesla owner who was living proof of all the negative things I'd read about Tesla online.  He loves his car and how it drives but he even said the build is not as quality as some other EV's.  I feel a bit foolish, but that test drive was so amazing, but I should've given myself a few days to come off the high of it before making such a big purchase.

My search continues after all.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on July 23, 2021, 01:02:35 pm
You could do hybrid and get best of both worlds.  Rented one and a tank of gas lasted forever.

Hybrids are great if you don't like cars that accelerate.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on July 23, 2021, 06:29:24 pm
Hybrids are great if you don't like cars that accelerate.

There are hybrids that accelerate. Most of them aren't cheap.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on July 24, 2021, 12:24:55 pm
Hybrids are great if you don't like cars that accelerate.

Are you still thinking EV?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on July 25, 2021, 12:58:49 am
Are you still thinking EV?

I'd like to, yes.  They drive beautifully and I don't road trip enough for it to be a hindrance in my life.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on July 25, 2021, 03:07:23 pm
I'd like to, yes.  They drive beautifully and I don't road trip enough for it to be a hindrance in my life.

Not a great selection out there if you want performance at an affordable price. The dual motor Mustang might be the best bet for performance and build quality at the moment. I like the look of them.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on July 26, 2021, 01:01:30 pm
Looks like there are a bunch of new EV's from different manufacturers coming down the pike in the next year, it might be worth waiting. Even Toyota is coming out with an EV and the Kia EV6 looks quite interesting if you want performance.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on July 26, 2021, 01:13:03 pm
This is now the personal EV thread.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Are people doing better with Covid ?

We have socialized, seen grandparents and gone out to dinner twice for BBQ, which feels like being drunk and dancing at burning man ... relative to Dec-May.

I hope you are ok.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: eyeball on July 26, 2021, 01:23:18 pm
This is now the personal EV thread.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Are people doing better with Covid ?

We have socialized, seen grandparents and gone out to dinner twice for BBQ, which feels like being drunk and dancing at burning man ... relative to Dec-May.

I hope you are ok.
Still no alien threatening to burst out of my chest, seems my PSA numbers warrant a biopsy though and my wife has been struggling with issues too. No vaccine for growing old I guess.

Otherwise we're seeing grandkids, bbqing, working again...could be worse but for the moment - all that really matters - life is good.
 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on July 26, 2021, 01:57:34 pm
This is now the personal EV thread.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Are people doing better with Covid ?

We have socialized, seen grandparents and gone out to dinner twice for BBQ, which feels like being drunk and dancing at burning man ... relative to Dec-May.

I hope you are ok.

Coming up on the 2 weeks to make me us a fully vaccinated household mid-week.  Spent 5 days camping. Was great.

Now we need to figure out what we’re comfortable doing the next while.  It’ll probably mean socializing with friends who are also fully vaccinated (all of them, i think?), some indoors.  Could mean beer and food on a restaurant patio….   We’ll see.

One thing it will mean is traveling wth friends together in the same vehicle now when we go fishing, rather than a convoy, or meeting them somewhere. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on July 28, 2021, 01:02:58 am
Love these responses.  I started feeling back to normal when I went to work a couple of months ago, but now I'm taking the kids for the first road trip post COVID too.  Thankfully the hotels up in kim city were charging mafia rates or else we'd be arriving right in the middle of a super-spreading anti-vaxxer COVID-a-thon. 

But we're heading to Whistler instead.  Gonna hang out at the pool and the local lakes.  Anxious a bit but excited.     
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on July 28, 2021, 11:46:18 pm
You made the right call.  Between the covid outbreak and the smoke, this place is a disaster right now.  Starting tonight a mask mandate is back in force here, because we're freaking amazing. With our unique blend of morons, rednecks, conspiracy kooks, anti-vaxxers, drug-dealers, meth addicts, and brain-dead tourists, this really is Canada's version of Florida. 

Kim City is surrounded by mountains and I haven't even been able to see them for three days. There isn't a horizon anymore, everything just disappears into a fog. It's like a Stephen King movie.  Between watering eyes, sinus headaches, tension headaches, and asthma attacks, I've been feeling awful.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on July 31, 2021, 09:57:35 pm
It is dryer than I've ever experienced, and the smoke is pretty widespread. I have a feeling when it does eventually rain, we'll get 10 inches in a half hour and flood everything.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on July 31, 2021, 10:12:07 pm
It's kind of surreal this year. Normally we get a lot of smoke in the Fraser Valley during big fire seasons. This year there has been none, it's like these fires are in another world.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on August 01, 2021, 06:17:57 pm
Not surreal anymore, smoke moved in with a vengeance today but it has been worse. Should have kept my observations to myself.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on August 01, 2021, 06:20:15 pm
Not surreal anymore, smoke moved in with a vengeance today but it has been worse. Should have kept my observations to myself.

It certainly did, but it seems to be keeping fairly high…. Or it’s maybe not that thick?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on August 01, 2021, 08:00:50 pm
It certainly did, but it seems to be keeping fairly high…. Or it’s maybe not that thick?

Spoke too soon.  Smells very smoky at ground level this evening. Stings the eyes.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: eyeball on August 01, 2021, 09:06:45 pm
Out on the coast sunrise and sunsets are quite red the last day or so. It's been a little typically foggy but when it cleared today the haze was quite apparent higher in the sky.  It's not really thick and fortunately there's no smell. There's a noticable orange cast to the sun's light in the waning light this evening. The weather's been generally cool as it often is in the old fog zone and out on the water but the heat of the inland is apparent when you're up a long inlet.

Rain is scarce and local creeks and rivers are all low. Snow is pretty much nonexistent on most mountains hereabouts now as well.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Dia on August 02, 2021, 09:45:42 am
As I mentioned a few pages ago, I wanted to buy myself a nice luxury vehicle, but I am conflicted about buying gas.  But on the flip side, I was hesitant about EV because the technology changes so fast and they depreciate faster than gas cars.

After a few months of looking and thinking, I'm ready to make the jump.  I'm going Tesla model 3. 

I'm so excited... it should be here by the end of September.

That's awesome, especially with the cost of gas projected to rise.  We're kind of thinking about it, but would have to take on a car payment .... yuck!  On the other hand, it's starting to look like a car payment may cost us less than the gas bill.     

I'll wave at random Teslas in October, on the off-chance its you.  :)
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Dia on August 02, 2021, 10:01:43 am
This is now the personal EV thread.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Are people doing better with Covid ?

We have socialized, seen grandparents and gone out to dinner twice for BBQ, which feels like being drunk and dancing at burning man ... relative to Dec-May.

I hope you are ok.

Yup, we're both double-vaccinated, and have seen my kids once, and hope to see them again this summer, wildfires permitting. 

New meds are working great, feel a bunch better, but titrating up very slowly and doc says no full time work till I'm at full dose. 

Sadly, we lost one of our dogs a couple of weeks ago; she was older so it was expected but up until the last day she was absolutely fine - eating, playing, everything normal, so the actual passing was a shock.  But better for her; she'd suffered an injury related to her age and trying to fix it would have led to a long, slow and painful death, according to they vet. 

It's our 12th anniversary (of meeting) today, so we're going to bake a blueberry pie and blackberry tarts and have steak for dinner.  Big excitement, LOL.

Got a Quest 2 VR headset, and it's pretty nice.   I like the games where you hit things in time to music, or explore different parts of the world; tried a couple racing games but very quickly got motion sickness.  There's a Netflix app that puts you in huge theatre like atmosphere, which is neat, but it's not a lot of fun since we can't enjoy it together. 

That's my life in a few sentences; a good live, if a bit boring compared to 30 years ago.  :)



Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Dia on August 02, 2021, 10:08:53 am
I'm a little embarrassed to do this, but I ended up cancelling the Tesla order and losing my $100 deposit.  I chickened out.  It's not the brand, or the Tesla culture (haha we should start a thread).  I actually ended up meeting a Tesla owner who was living proof of all the negative things I'd read about Tesla online.  He loves his car and how it drives but he even said the build is not as quality as some other EV's.  I feel a bit foolish, but that test drive was so amazing, but I should've given myself a few days to come off the high of it before making such a big purchase.

My search continues after all.

That's too bad, but you need to get the right car for you - it's a big commitment.  Looking forward to hearing what you do end up with.

Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on August 05, 2021, 01:39:16 am
So Whistler was certainly.... interesting.

The place was so busy and virtually nobody was masked.  It was really weird after a year and a half of not being around any breathers. 

It was liberating in some ways, but also freaked me out whenever I allowed myself to think about COVID.  I guess this is the way it's going to be from now on. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: cybercoma on August 06, 2021, 10:38:37 am
Oh hi.

I've been busy with a new job. That's why you're not seeing me much.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on August 06, 2021, 12:14:12 pm
Oh hi.

I've been busy with a new job. That's why you're not seeing me much.

 ??? 

Do tell !
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: cybercoma on August 10, 2021, 06:07:41 pm
Oh, you know… data analyst stuff and things. Goof around with tables until I go cross eyed then collect a pay heck and go home….well stay home. Remote work by design these days.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: eyeball on September 03, 2021, 12:14:35 pm
Yeehaw! Positive biopsy but negative bone scan! Caught it early!
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Dia on September 17, 2021, 08:00:44 am
We're off to small-town BC to see the kids.  We have our vaccine passports, but I suspect they won't be asked for at any restaurant we might go to. 

Have one daughter-in-law who isn't vaccinated at all - claiming it's too risky for her, but it's an excuse; her particular ailment means she needs the vaccine more, not less.  She's the home-schooling, home remedy, anti-vax type.  But so far everyone has survived, so that's good.  I won't see her; she's off taking care of her parents who are quite ill.

I have a daughter who may or may not have gotten around to getting vaccinated; she did tell me she was 'on her way' to do it one day, but given her distractibility I've no idea if it really happened.

But son and son-in-law are all vaxed up.  :) 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on September 17, 2021, 08:17:35 am
Easy is in the terrible-two-threes.  Wails for us to hand him something (a banana, spoon, cup) then whips it across the room.  Then cries for it again.  Good arm on him.

Also can yell "NOOOOOOOOOO !' really loudly and forcefully.  He **** me up when I said "I love you." and he retorted with "NOOOOOO !".  Eventually we both laughed.

Turning these bad moods around is an art form.  He was bawling because he was hungry but would throw any food we gave him.   He wanted a banana, and took that then broke it.  Then he bawled for me to "fix" it.  I couldn't.  He detected my fake "fix".  Solved by handing him a chocolate cookie.  After that a healthy breakfast followed.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on September 17, 2021, 08:24:55 am
Nobody likes toddlers.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on September 17, 2021, 08:43:54 am
Nobody likes toddlers.

We went to a patio with 3 of them on Tuesday.  Danger.  Danger.  Danger. 

Single me would have passed out.

Full beer glasses everywhere, toddlers in full flight, steak knives, sizzling plates, quesadiallas
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Dia on September 17, 2021, 08:57:02 am
Nobody likes toddlers.

I like four to six year olds; fascinating conversationalists, with a worldview combining facts, wishes, guesses and magic. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on September 17, 2021, 09:32:30 am
I like four to six year olds; fascinating conversationalists, with a worldview combining facts, wishes, guesses and magic.

Actually Eazy surprises me with language.  When he doesn't want to do something he reverses what we say, as in "Come on Easy 1 2 3 GO !"

"NOOOOO 3 2 1 STOP !!"
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: eyeball on September 17, 2021, 09:59:40 am
Nobody likes toddlers.
They're way more fun when you can hand them back to mom or dad if they start acting up.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on October 03, 2021, 08:19:40 am
Well.... Joan's pregnancy sucks.  She is still sick and sloggy to get around.  I am exhausted and Easy is a full-on rebel.  Easy also has  been barfing randomly.  Last night I went out to move the patio furniture around and put my hand in a gloppy mound of raccoon ****.

Life is gross.

And I am online far far far too much.    Lately I have been spending too much time arguing with anti-vaxxers (strangers) on Facebook.

I'm hoping that the arrival of the new kid lowers my stress level.  What did I just say ?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on October 05, 2021, 04:32:48 pm
So sadly, I don't think my GP is going to come back to work.  He's been gone now for 18 months, it's looking like he may be permanently disabled from covid.  :(

I've had shoulder pain for a year now but since about August it's gotten really bad.  It wakes me up in my sleep and makes working difficult.  I need a doctor and everywhere I call they talk to me like I'm begging for change on a street corner. 

Our healthcare sucks.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on October 05, 2021, 04:36:36 pm

Lately I have been spending too much time arguing with anti-vaxxers (strangers) on Facebook.


At least it's a worthy cause.  I responded to a couple of anti Harry & Meghan posts on twitter and next thing I knew I fell into the algorithms and I'm bombarded with posts about those two. 

It's my new thing now... defending the British Monarchy on twitter.  Sigh...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on October 05, 2021, 04:46:43 pm
My facebook account is going to be deleted.  I guess they found out I'm not who I say I am :(
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on October 05, 2021, 04:48:01 pm
What??  How so?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on October 05, 2021, 05:12:38 pm
My facebook account is going to be deleted.  I guess they found out I'm not who I say I am :(

Are you posting as me again?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on October 05, 2021, 07:08:35 pm
My facebook account is going to be deleted.  I guess they found out I'm not who I say I am :(
Weird they would pay someone to worry about that.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Dia on October 05, 2021, 07:11:08 pm
So sadly, I don't think my GP is going to come back to work.  He's been gone now for 18 months, it's looking like he may be permanently disabled from covid.  :(

I've had shoulder pain for a year now but since about August it's gotten really bad.  It wakes me up in my sleep and makes working difficult.  I need a doctor and everywhere I call they talk to me like I'm begging for change on a street corner. 

Our healthcare sucks.


Have you tried physio?  Even a couple of exercises can really help if you do them for a while.  I had my other shoulder injured, lived with it for a couple of years till I could barely lift it to do anything.  Went to physio, got some simple exercises and about six weeks later it was much better. 

Anyway, highly recommend physio, if you haven't gone already.   
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on October 05, 2021, 08:18:34 pm
Are you posting as me again?

Why in blazes would I do that ?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on October 05, 2021, 09:00:39 pm
Why in blazes would I do that ?

I'm sexy-smart.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on October 05, 2021, 09:06:14 pm
I'm sexy-smart.

Yeah, but I can't even hope to bottle your sexiness or extreme intelligence.

Hell, I lie awake at night hoping you will hit QUOTE on one of my posts...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on October 05, 2021, 09:08:08 pm
So I just heard a bunch of commotion on the side of my house and outside my main floor house window which i've heard before.  Like someone was climbing on my roof.

I turn on the lights outside and open the door and there's a family of racoons, and one of them was in a small tree/bush that sits against my house and maybe eating stuff out of the eaves-trough.  So I got a flashlight and light-harassed them until they left.

About a month ago they woke me up in the middle of the night and one of them was high up in a tree eating berries.

A week ago I went fishing in the middle of nowhere.  While exploring the middle of nowhere I was in the forest and came across another family of racoons.  They were massive, about 4 of them.  They hissed at me.

Coonlight Graham is back.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on October 05, 2021, 09:09:35 pm
Yeah, but I can't even hope to bottle your sexiness or extreme intelligence.

Hell, I lie awake at night hoping you will hit QUOTE on one of my posts...

I am, right now, fulfilling your dreams and desires.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on October 05, 2021, 09:10:49 pm
I am, right now, fulfilling your dreams and desires.

REFRESH REFRESH REFRESH REFRESH REFRESH
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on October 05, 2021, 09:30:18 pm
So sadly, I don't think my GP is going to come back to work.  He's been gone now for 18 months, it's looking like he may be permanently disabled from covid.  :(

That's really sad.  I fear long-COVID a lot.  I've heard terrible things.  It can harm your mental cognition, so your concentration, memory etc.  You have brain fog you can't shake.

Quote
Our healthcare sucks.

Someone I know recently went to the ER on the advice of their doctor because they were having symptoms of a stroke.  They sat in the ER waiting room for 5 hours until they finally saw a doctor for 10 minutes, who ran no scans/machine tests on them and told them to get them from their doctor.  COVID was not an issue affecting the hospital where they live.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Dia on October 06, 2021, 08:44:32 am
That's really sad.  I fear long-COVID a lot.  I've heard terrible things.  It can harm your mental cognition, so your concentration, memory etc.  You have brain fog you can't shake.

Someone I know recently went to the ER on the advice of their doctor because they were having symptoms of a stroke.  They sat in the ER waiting room for 5 hours until they finally saw a doctor for 10 minutes, who ran no scans/machine tests on them and told them to get them from their doctor.  COVID was not an issue affecting the hospital where they live.

Surrey gets a bad rap, but I have to say Surrey Memorial Hospital is pretty good.  My partner has a number of health issues, and tends to end up in emergency a few times a year.  He has to wait a long while, but gets a thorough exam and various scans, if indicated.  He's even had the emergency doctor call him a few days later to find out how he's doing.  SMH is definitely affected by Covid, but are certainly working hard to maintain a good standard of care.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on October 25, 2021, 08:06:29 pm
I miss being a kid and dreaming about all the toys I wanted for Xmas.

I don't seem to want adult toys nearly as much as I wanted (or enjoyed) kids toys when I was a kid.  I guess that's a good thing since I'm not very materialistic and am often content without very much.  I could use a lambo though.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on October 26, 2021, 09:21:01 am
Aside from a few records and guitars I don't pine for much.

Experiences, though, and friends.

OMG .... I went to the Raptors game to watch this limp team lose to Chicago.  Exciting enough but ... forging a new friendship with my wife's bestie's hubby.  He is a drinker so  .... when in Rome.   

He got the tickets, so I get the first round: a pint of some craft brew and a Heineken tall boy: $35

At halftime I get the next round: Two Heineken tall boys... roughly same price.  Then he bought two shots of Bullit Bourbon: $25

Then we got the 4th quarter beers and missed half of the 4th quarter.  I don't remember who paid... I think it was each/each.

Then after the game beers and wings.... the Lyft guy dumped me at home 1230 ... wow .... Monday night

I drank 3 pint glasses of water, as my drinking mate had insisted I do, and woke up at a merciful 630 AM.  Feeling like I was working my limbs via remote control.

But... what a feeling to be there... just dazzling... all the people and lights... I felt like a little kid and I don't even like basketball
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: eyeball on October 26, 2021, 05:27:27 pm
I'm alive! Hospital drugs are great!

Food, not so much.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: eyeball on October 26, 2021, 05:28:10 pm
No beer though.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on October 26, 2021, 05:40:40 pm
What kind of hospital doesn't have a full slate of beer on Tap??
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on October 26, 2021, 06:30:12 pm
I'm alive! Hospital drugs are great!

Food, not so much.

If you don’t mind my asking, what happened?  If you do mind, glad you’re alright!!
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: eyeball on October 26, 2021, 07:43:48 pm
Radical prostatectomy.

Better than Earnest Angley. I had a friend take that route. Note the past tense.

That  said I do think I might inquire into supplementing my recovery with Turkey Feather fungus. I'm kind of impressed with the direction mycology is pointing.

Seen the movie Fantastic Fungus yet? Its on Netflix.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on October 26, 2021, 09:56:39 pm
I'm bored.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: eyeball on October 26, 2021, 11:43:02 pm
Yep...One meal and I'm bored with hospital food already.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: eyeball on October 26, 2021, 11:45:48 pm
Just finished visiting my wife.... she's in a room down the hall. Speaking of bored she's been in here for 36 days now.  They're kicking me out tomorrow. It doesn't seem fair.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on October 27, 2021, 12:16:15 am
Just finished visiting my wife.... she's in a room down the hall. Speaking of bored she's been in here for 36 days now.  They're kicking me out tomorrow. It doesn't seem fair.

Just read your situation.  Best of luck to you.

Hospital food is indeed yucky, microwaved mush.  You'd think food would be a higher priority for people who are recovering from illness. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on October 27, 2021, 12:33:28 am
My roommate bought Great Value brand "Pumpkin Spice Cream" cookies.  WTF why do you hate yourself and me?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on October 27, 2021, 12:33:58 am
Thinking of trimming my nipples.  Might get highlights too.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on October 27, 2021, 12:35:42 am
If I were to transition to "female", when I visit the hair stylist I would still pretend i'm a man in order to save money on haircuts.  Nipple haircuts (and highlights).
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on October 27, 2021, 12:36:13 am
Socks that are too thin or too thick are bulls*hit.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on October 27, 2021, 12:38:22 am
The guy in my avatar is Freddy Mercury.  I didn't choose it because I like his music, I chose it because he died from AIDS due to bum-sex and I really respect that.

I lied I love Queen.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on October 27, 2021, 12:39:13 am
Sparkling water tastes like sizzling garbage.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on October 27, 2021, 12:40:33 am
How is it possible for a leaky roof to be a thing if plastic exists?  Stop making roofs out of wood and shingles you idiots.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on October 27, 2021, 12:41:36 am
Animals don't love you, they just want access to the food you give them.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on October 27, 2021, 12:43:03 am
I read a news article from some shady rightwing site recently where the author said mRNA vaccines change your DNA so therefore stay away.  100% true story not kidding.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on October 27, 2021, 12:47:41 am
Confession:  been legit working from my bed the last 18 months.

Dreams do come true.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: eyeball on October 27, 2021, 01:13:03 am
Just read your situation.  Best of luck to you.

Hospital food is indeed yucky, microwaved mush.  You'd think food would be a higher priority for people who are recovxering from illness.
My wife says ICU food is way better but chances are probably good you won't have the appetite to appreciate it.

I was in the same hospital 10 years ago for an extended stay and I started a petition on the ward. I recal coming back to my room after a walkabout to find some poor guy retching over his dinner.  It was a mangy old dried out freezer burned humpy (pink salmon) with boiled hashbrowns on the side  Maybe they mixed our food delivery truck up with the truck destined for the local prison. A couple of brave nurses even signed the petition. It worked too we didnt get prime rib but it must have stuck a nerve somewhere.  Didn't hear anything about a prison riot though.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on October 27, 2021, 08:33:30 am
Sorry about the boredom and hospital visits...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: eyeball on October 27, 2021, 10:53:19 am
They're releasing me in an hour!

Not bored now!
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Dia on October 27, 2021, 02:14:57 pm
Thinking of trimming my nipples.  Might get highlights too.

Why not just get them pierced, and braid the hair around them.  Would be a lot more eye-catching.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Dia on October 27, 2021, 02:16:52 pm
They're releasing me in an hour!

Not bored now!

Sorry to hear of the health issues of you and your wife.  Glad you're out, and hope she can join you soon.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: eyeball on October 27, 2021, 02:28:28 pm
Sorry to hear of the health issues of you and your wife.  Glad you're out, and hope she can join you soon.
She gets out tomorrow! Nurses thought it was cute us sitting beside each other with our tubes and bags hanging off us. One nurse thought we'd just met and fallen for each other. I guessed it's not everyday that see spouses in at the same time.  We'll still manage to keep our rental going, groceries and laundry with friends taking up the slack the next 4 - 6 weeks. Life goes on.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on October 28, 2021, 06:53:01 pm
Yesterday a horrendous emotional wound that has haunted me for the last 25 years was finally resolved and put to rest and in a very good place.  It happened suddenly and was totally unexpected and feels like a million pounds i've been carrying much of my life was lifted off of my shoulders.  One of the most cathartic moments of my life.  I don't believe in fate but now i'm not too sure.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: The Cynic on October 28, 2021, 07:23:52 pm
Confession:  been legit working from my bed the last 18 months.

Dreams do come true.

I've been suffering daily pain for eight months now, most of it at home in bed. I finally got in to see a surgeon last week, and he wedged me into his operating room schedule today. All it took was 30 minutes. He said the pain should start to fade in 2-3 days and I could be back to normal in a week to ten days. I've lost what optimism I had months ago and find it hard to imagine being up and about again and pain-free but boy... hope this does it. I want out of this **** bed!

Guy in the pre-op bed beside me had been waiting two years. And then they told him his blood pressure is too high and they won't operate. He was... unhappy, to put it mildly. No one in all the tests he's done and all the doctors he'd seen over two years had ever suggested his BP was too high. And he gets told TODAY! Sorry, no surgery for you, bud. Go see your family doctor and get some treatment for high blood pressure. Yeesh. I never saw him but boy did I feel for the guy!
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on October 28, 2021, 08:32:12 pm
Yesterday a horrendous emotional wound that has haunted me for the last 25 years was finally resolved and put to rest and in a very good place.  It happened suddenly and was totally unexpected and feels like a million pounds i've been carrying much of my life was lifted off of my shoulders.  One of the most cathartic moments of my life.  I don't believe in fate but now i'm not too sure.

WOW.  Holy smokes.. CG... I'm so happy for you...

Maybe you won't be so bored now !
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on October 28, 2021, 08:33:54 pm
He said the pain should start to fade in 2-3 days and I could be back to normal in a week to ten days.

And... good for you too !
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on October 28, 2021, 11:14:17 pm
WOW.  Holy smokes.. CG... I'm so happy for you...

Maybe you won't be so bored now !

Thank you MH.

But the boredom will continue lol, though work is picking up.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on November 02, 2021, 07:50:18 pm
Kid #2 is 10 days away... luckily I am taking a heap of time off so I'm actually hoping this will be restful...

People with two kids: am I nuts ?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Dia on November 03, 2021, 08:13:00 am

People with two kids: am I nuts ?

Not yet, but in about 12 years ...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on November 03, 2021, 08:45:18 am
Not yet, but in about 12 years ...

oh f***ing great timing... I'll be older than dust's pappy ...

So, my dad's dad was in his 70s when HIS son hit teenager hood, so I'm in the weird position of asking my poppa for advice on how HE was raised.  Basically the grandpa imbued my dad with the values and let him work it out.  I'm 1000% more neurotic than those guys those - from my mother - so that will be ... interesting.

😬
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on November 03, 2021, 10:21:02 pm
Not yet, but in about 12 years ...

This is not an exaggeration, parenting takes a sharp turn at this age.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on November 04, 2021, 09:16:55 pm
Kid #2 is 10 days away... luckily I am taking a heap of time off so I'm actually hoping this will be restful...

People with two kids: am I nuts ?

That's so exciting, Michael!  I hope everything goes 1000% smoothly.  Did we decide on a name?  I think we settled on "Coonlight" if it's a boy and "BC Cheque" if it's a girl, right?


I was all stressed out last week because I was supposed to have some major medical testing done on Wednesday.  But Monday morning they phoned and told me it's being delayed. Kim City General laid off about 25 cleaners who wouldn't get vaccinated, so they had to close rooms because of that. So I get to go through all the build-up and stress at some later date.  Dad is also waiting for an in-patient surgery that they can't perform until the hospitals in Alberta are less full of anti-vax idiots. I feel like kicking the crap out of some anti-vaxxers.


 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on November 04, 2021, 10:09:33 pm
1. Did we decide on a name?   

2.  I feel like kicking the crap out of some anti-vaxxers.

 

1. Let's go with lil kim
2. I hear you.  Get a good test result now, ok ?  ❤️
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on November 04, 2021, 10:22:49 pm
That's so exciting, Michael!  I hope everything goes 1000% smoothly.  Did we decide on a name?  I think we settled on "Coonlight" if it's a boy and "BC Cheque" if it's a girl, right?

"Coonlight" was canceled for being racist.  His kid would be a walking hate crime
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on November 04, 2021, 10:23:22 pm
Good luck with the new baby Mikey.  Hope all goes smoothly as well.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on November 05, 2021, 08:59:18 am
"Coonlight" was canceled for being racist.  His kid would be a walking hate crime

Especially because she would be half-black.. or shadier... or maybe depicted/seen as such...

Dunno 🤔
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: eyeball on November 05, 2021, 01:05:43 pm
I was all stressed out last week because I was supposed to have some major medical testing done on Wednesday.  But Monday morning they phoned and told me it's being delayed. Kim City General laid off about 25 cleaners who wouldn't get vaccinated, so they had to close rooms because of that. So I get to go through all the build-up and stress at some later date.  Dad is also waiting for an in-patient surgery that they can't perform until the hospitals in Alberta are less full of anti-vax idiots. I feel like kicking the crap out of some anti-vaxxers.


 -k
Maybe we need an extra tier in the health system for the willfully unvaccinated.  It's a stressful time to be going thru a medical system alright.  Both my wife and I are home now recovering from surgery so if its any consolation there's 2 less people in the queue.

Good luck.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on November 07, 2021, 01:24:45 am
So dad has covid now.  He was in emergency because of issues relating to the surgery that he's still waiting for. They gave him a covid test as per usual, and it came back positive. So they're isolating. He's double vaccinated and doesn't actually have any symptoms, and if he hadn't been in the hospital for other reasons he probably wouldn't have ever known.

"Coonlight" was canceled for being racist.  His kid would be a walking hate crime

Wait, I thought Coonlight referred to your love of nature.
(https://i.imgur.com/vYt3FN2.png)


 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on November 07, 2021, 06:59:51 am
"Partied" last night.  2 beers and a puff with some buddies who came over and gave Joan and I some custom Korean style chicken wings.

Not much more of this kind of fun will be happening for awhile. 

Kimmy posted a reply to me on the Cancel Culture thread with a graph ?  I will need to work up to... that.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on November 07, 2021, 03:12:20 pm
Good luck MH, it’s also Easy’s third bday this month isn’t it?  Not that I’m a stalker I just remember you’re exactly one year after my little one.

What a month poppa!

Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on November 07, 2021, 03:28:41 pm
Good luck MH, it’s also Easy’s third bday this month isn’t it?  Not that I’m a stalker I just remember you’re exactly one year after my little one.

What a month poppa!


Yes Easy just turned the 3 !!
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on November 12, 2021, 02:10:46 pm
Mikaru! GIVE LUNCH!

What is your status, Michael? Is to day the big day? Our thoughts are with you and the missus! Best wishes!

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on November 12, 2021, 03:20:29 pm
Thanks, she just went into the OR five minutes ago... 😜
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: eyeball on November 12, 2021, 03:46:43 pm
Thanks, she just went into the OR five minutes ago... 😜
Hopefully I won't be...fricken complications from my surgery a couple weeks ago landed me back in the clink a couple days ago. I should know in less than an hour. My wife bought this ticket a couple times too the last few weeks....it's hard to text with so many fingers crossed but I still got a couple toes to spare you Mike!
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: eyeball on November 12, 2021, 05:36:24 pm
Freedom!
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on November 12, 2021, 08:37:05 pm
Peasy kimmy Hardner 10 lbs minus a bit... All's WELL 😂

Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on November 12, 2021, 08:45:24 pm
Peasy kimmy Hardner 10 lbs minus a bit... All's WELL 😂


YAYYYYY!!!! Congratulations Michael!

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: eyeball on November 12, 2021, 09:46:17 pm
Peasy kimmy Hardner 10 lbs minus a bit... All's WELL 😂
Ha...I lost 10 lbs minus a bit. That's 34lbs since January. 24 of it honestly up until two weeks ago the last 10 are a bonus I guess.  Cardiologist better be doing backflips when I go see him next week.

Ouchie wa wa what a year!

Congrats Michael!  Don't get old heh heh!
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on November 12, 2021, 11:41:52 pm
Peasy kimmy Hardner 10 lbs minus a bit... All's WELL 😂

Ouch, that’s a good size baby!  Congrats to the whole Hardner family. ❤️
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on November 13, 2021, 12:13:55 am
Peasy kimmy Hardner 10 lbs minus a bit... All's WELL 😂

Congrats Mikey!!
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Dia on November 13, 2021, 08:57:55 am
Peasy kimmy Hardner 10 lbs minus a bit... All's WELL 😂

Congratulations!
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on November 16, 2021, 11:37:34 pm
How are my BC friends doing after that storm?  Our fence was knocked over into the neighbour’s house and the pond nearly overflowed but luckily that was it. A friends house was flooded and another was without power all day.

The coquihalla is doneso for possibly months even though some people think it’s too optimistic. Seeing pictures of all the flooded cities with people canoeing through them was peak Canadian.

Our beautiful piece of paradise of a province is turning into a **** storm between the heat domes, forest fires and floods.

Climate change isn’t mucking around.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Dia on November 17, 2021, 07:52:31 am
Fine here.  Pretty tough for the people in Hope, don't know how they're going to manage if they're stuck there for any length of time.  Got some groceries on Monday, so haven't been to any stores to see how empty the shelves are getting. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on November 17, 2021, 08:25:13 am
Thinking of you BC folks.

😔
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: eyeball on November 17, 2021, 09:46:35 am
Ok out here on the outer shores. We're built for the heavy rain. Afaik the record rain event in Canada still stands just a few miles away in Toquaht Bay in Barkley Sound. 485 mm in 24 hrs on Oct 6 1967.

I still can't help but feel we're in a little sweet spot of little change with regards to the climate. The signs are certainly there but they're a little subdued. Storms don't seem any stronger really. Summer drought conditions are offset somewhat within the fog zone, small creeks and ditches dry up but you need go a few miles inland to really feel and see the heat.  The heat killed the berries inland and drove the bears out to the coast this year. Open ocean conditions seemed pretty typical, no invasions of odd creatures or massive algal blooms. Whales, fish and birds seemed happy enough.

We see and sometimes smell the smoke from the east but there's still no acheological record of a wildfire on the outer coast.  Fingers crossed, as always I guess.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on November 17, 2021, 11:06:13 am
All good here.  I’m further north of any of the bad flooding on the Island.  Malahat and Duncan were hit hard.

(https://www.vmcdn.ca/f/files/victoriatimescolonist/json/2021/11/web1_11162021-malahat-washout.jpg;w=960;h=640;bgcolor=000000)

Pretty crazy how many roads on the Mainland are now destroyed! 

Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on November 17, 2021, 09:29:06 pm
Wilber, how are you guys doing?  There was a lot of flooding in Abbotsford from what I read.

I was just reading that Chilliwack has basically become an island with no way in or out, gas has run out and supplies are running out.  This is incredible. 

Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on November 17, 2021, 09:33:13 pm
Pretty crazy how many roads on the Mainland are now destroyed!

I'm at a loss, it feels surreal.  Highway is practically empty even at rush hour.  There is no way into Vancouver from almost every direction. 

Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on November 18, 2021, 12:11:05 am
I don’t know why this is hitting me so badly. Maybe it’s that so many records broke back to back. Im scared for the future.

I actually shed tears for the first time in my life today because of the weather.

Canada’s most expensive natural disaster. Right after that deadly heat dome that killed 700 people.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on November 18, 2021, 09:07:43 am
My heart is breaking at the pictures.  I can only hope that you get help soon. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Dia on November 18, 2021, 09:16:13 am
 It does feel pretty devastating, and I wasn't even affected.  I think it's knowing that there's more of this coming over the next decade or 10; I worry about my kids and grandkids and feel pretty helpless, given the lack of motivation among so many humans to actually address the underlying cause.

In better news, people are out of Hope this morning and the Feds have sent the Army in. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on November 18, 2021, 01:52:01 pm
We live on Sumas mountain and have a view of the prairie. Our daughter and her family  have a dairy farm on Whatcom road. They and a hired hand stayed with us when the evacuation order was given and the men snuck back to the farm yesterday morning and stayed there. Our daughter and the dogs are staying with us until the evacuation order is lifted. So far they have been lucky. They still have power, gas and city water, haven't lost any animals, their house stayed dry but some water got into the barns, milking parlour and the milking machine pump disabling the milking machine. They managed to get that temporarily repaired so they can milk. When the machine was down they could only do three cows at a time instead of 15 so they were just doing each cow enough to keep them comfortable. They have to dump the milk anyway because the trucks can't get in to pick it up. They are now cleaning out the barns etc. Another concern is feed. Chicken farms are getting priority for grain because that is all they can feed so dairy farmers might not get any for a couple of weeks.Their fields straddle the Sumas river and at one point their timber bridge between the two was starting to float but last I heard it was still in tact. All in all, they have been very lucky so far compared to many out on the prairie. Touch wood.

I got up yesterday morning to make a cup of coffee looked out the kitchen window and was greeted to grand stand view of the Fraser Way RV storage area going up in flames. The wind was keeping the smoke to the south of us so I had a good view but what a mess. This is where they keep their rental units and there were several hundred Class C motorhomes and HD pickups stored there. It looks like about 2/3 of them were destroyed. Covid killed the rental business the last two years and now they will be really short of units if things open up next summer.

We also have a 5th wheel on a recreational lot at Hatzic lake which is also flood plane. I can't get to it but a neighbour took a boat around and took some photo's. I looks like the water just made it up to the bottom of the trailer so it might be OK. My boat was sitting on its trailer beside the 5th wheel with the drain plug out so water will have got into at least the bilge and possibly the rest of the boat. Hopefully it didn't reach the dipstick hole on the engine. There is about a foot and a half of water in the shed and I don't know about the deck boxes, paddle boards and kayaks etc but those are minor problems compared to the 5th and the boat. Hopefully the water will be down enough in a day or two so I can get in.

Our son is an Abbotsford police officer. He is on the drug squad but is now fully involved with the flood. Rescues and chasing people off the prairie who are trying to find alternative routes to Chilliwack. There aren't any. The other night was the first time I had seen hin a uniform for two years. He worked from 7AM Tuesday to 3 AM on Wednesday and had to be back at noon the same day.

The farmers are pretty pissed at the provincial government about its lack of involvement. No warnings or preparation for an event they were told was coming. In contrast, Washington State did both, calling it an emergency before the event, making sand bags available and other preparation, not two days after the fact.

https://vancouversun.com/opinion/columnists/vaughn-palmer-b-c-must-rethink-foot-dragging-reaction-to-emergencies
The feds are supposedly sending military help but with no regular army based in BC since they closed CFB Chilliwack in 1995 and moved the engineers to Edmonton, I don't know what that is worth. In a typical federal government move, they upgraded the runway at Chilliwack airport to accommodate military C-130's and then closed the base.

There are worse things going on in my life right now which are day to day but don't feel able to elaborate just yet.

Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on November 18, 2021, 03:23:08 pm
Condolences for all the troubles Wilber. 

I’m not so sure much could have been done short term.  There are entire towns in Washington State flooded as well, so to say they had less impact because they prepared prior isn’t quite correct.

This is an ongoing climate emergency that most governments are ignoring as they’re afraid of the costs and the disruption it is going to cause to make real changes so this doesn’t affect so many people. Not something that can be dealt with 2 days prior.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on November 18, 2021, 05:14:36 pm
Condolences for all the troubles Wilber. 

I’m not so sure much could have been done short term.  There are entire towns in Washington State flooded as well, so to say they had less impact because they prepared prior isn’t quite correct.

This is an ongoing climate emergency that most governments are ignoring as they’re afraid of the costs and the disruption it is going to cause to make real changes so this doesn’t affect so many people. Not something that can be dealt with 2 days prior.

No but they could have been working on doing things like moving animals to higher ground.
 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on November 18, 2021, 05:37:24 pm
My daughter went back to the farm and says things are going good enough that the two grandsons are out helping other farmers. She says they are seeing some pretty bad stuff.

My nephew made it out to our place at Hatzic. Looks like we may have dodged a bullet with the fifth wheel. The water got 2/3 of the way up the stern drive on the boat so the motor should be OK, everything will just have to be dried out and cleaned up. It is a boat after all and meant to get wet. At least it is under cover.

A deck box and a kids kayak are missing but will probably turn up somewhere. A few things floated into our place that aren't ours. Probably be a big swap meet going on when this is over. Be a lot of pressure washing going on as well.

Had my third Covid shot today. My first two were Pfizer but they are now recommending Moderna as a booster for geezers like me.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on November 18, 2021, 06:50:03 pm
I'm heart-broken to read your posts, Wilber.  I'm glad you're coming out relatively unscathed and you can provide a safe place for your daughter.  As a parent, I'm sure you're going through all her pain alongside with her.

I saw that fire on the news yesterday, it looked horrible.  I can't imagine waking up to it. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Dia on November 19, 2021, 10:06:27 am
Last night, the effects of the storm overwhelmed our sewage pipes, and it's started backing up into our unit.  For some reason which I don't understand, if there's a backup, nobody in our complex is affected except us.  :(   Every time someone upstairs flushes or runs water, our pipes go "glug glug glug", and we can watch the sewage water level raise in the drainage pipe by the hot water tank (which is essentially in our bedroom).  In the meantime, our toilet won't flush at all. Spent a couple of hours last night vacuuming water and cleaning up the mess.

First plumber I called:  We're so busy, we'll come but at emergency rates: $450.00 first hour, $150 each 1/2 hour after.  I'm trying other plumbers, but I expect much the same response and cost.  I'm hoping that they can run a line and remove a blockage but am worried that it's just flooded and we're stuck with this till the water level goes down.

Not sure what we're going to do for toilet breaks for the day, but compared to what some people are enduring, this is pretty mild.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on November 19, 2021, 11:15:11 am
I'm no plumber, but it sounds like the main drain to the sewer needs to be augured now and then maybe a backflow valve installed on it once things get back to normal?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Dia on November 19, 2021, 11:32:05 am
We have someone coming now, and there's a reasonably good chance it'll be at Strata expense and not ours.

Backflow valve sounds great and I'm going to ask, but I suspect that it's not practicable for this particular issue.  I think they'd have to dig beneath the concrete foundation to install it, which I don't think is likely.  The plumbing here is pretty screwed up, was probably to code 25 years ago, but it isn't now, or so we've been told by multiple plumbers.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on November 19, 2021, 12:34:21 pm
This is a FB post made by my son in law yesterday. This is what people are doing.

Quote
"Yesterday I spent a whole day working with 20-30 volunteers from my rugby club and lacrosse club going to farms to clean out 1-2 feet manure spoilt feed and debris. The exhaustion and stress on their faces was so apparent but the end of the day a weight had been lifted from their shoulders. This wasn’t even planned. I had one barn that needed cleaning so friends and their kids came to help and we were done in an hour. Through Facebook more people saw I needed help and before I knew it word went out that I was cleaning out my barn.  We were done before most people showed but rather than tell them to go home I said we should go across the road and clean out the neighbors barn. And it so went. We would travel from farm to farm with an army willing of community members to the shock of the farmers. What we accomplished in hours would have taken days if not weeks."





They have noticed no animal rights advocates have showed up to help, only criticize.

My son dropped by yesterday and his voice was almost gone from yelling at idiots trying to get on to the prairie. He was headed back in for another 12+ hour overnight shift. He asked one woman from Vancouver where she was going and the answer was, Kelowna to check out the vineyards. Man there are a lot of brain dead people still walking.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on November 19, 2021, 12:42:27 pm
We have someone coming now, and there's a reasonably good chance it'll be at Strata expense and not ours.

Backflow valve sounds great and I'm going to ask, but I suspect that it's not practicable for this particular issue.  I think they'd have to dig beneath the concrete foundation to install it, which I don't think is likely.  The plumbing here is pretty screwed up, was probably to code 25 years ago, but it isn't now, or so we've been told by multiple plumbers.

A back flow valve could be put in the main line to the complex.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Dia on November 20, 2021, 09:35:43 am
Everything got taken care off, free of charge since it's a strata issue, and not originating in our unit - the blockage was about 55' away.  We've regularly asked Strata do clean out the lines since the last time this happened, but so far no luck.  Last time was much worse; we were out of our home for three months while floors and walls were repaired.

I'm told there are check valves on the lines, but that they're old (25 years) and probably aren't working as well as they could be.  The ideal solution would be to install new sewer lines, which would involve taking the floor up in everyone's unit - so I'm thinking that's not going to happen.  Also a check valve installed just for our unit could result in a pressurized explosion into our next door neighbor's place if another blockage occurred. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on November 23, 2021, 12:27:19 pm
My post count is 6666.  All hail sweet Satan.

Now 6667 :(
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on November 23, 2021, 01:52:50 pm
I wonder what mine is.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on November 28, 2021, 05:58:13 pm
Kim City wasn't directly affected by the big storm. We had high winds and heavy rain and hail, but nothing too serious.  We did have a lot of evacuees from Merritt, I'm not sure if they're back home yet.   After the storm there was a bunch of panic-buying at the grocery stores.  The produce and meat and dairy shelves were empty for a while. I hear that things are back to normal. Going grocery shopping soon, will see for myself.

I finally had the medical testing that had been delayed due to all the covidiot support workers being fired at the hospital. It went well.  They did not find the thing that I had been dreading. They found a minor issue that should be fairly manageable with preventive care. Quite relieved.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on December 07, 2021, 10:08:01 am
Hot damn life is busy with 2 kids, work and life....

How do you guys do it ???
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on December 08, 2021, 02:01:43 pm
Kids are a lot of work, I know.  I can't say anything unfortunately to ease the pain, nobody can.  It's those moments where they snuggle or melt your heart that make up for it. 

One thing I can say though is cherish these moments because before you know it they want nothing to do with you.  With my older one I kept thinking oh I can't wait until she's more (whatever) and next thing I knew there is a tween scoffing at me and I really miss the little cutie who thought I was her everything.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on December 08, 2021, 02:12:05 pm

One thing I can say though is cherish these moments because before you know it they want nothing to do with you.  With my older one I kept thinking oh I can't wait until she's more (whatever) and next thing I knew there is a tween scoffing at me and I really miss the little cutie who thought I was her everything.

Oh THAT is depressing...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on December 08, 2021, 02:21:16 pm
Oh THAT is depressing...

Yes, parenting is very overrated in my opinion.  lol
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on December 08, 2021, 02:25:15 pm
Yes, parenting is very overrated in my opinion.  lol

Easy is SOOOOO cute... a lil blonde muppet... he will sidle up beside you and just hug you or say "hi daddy I missed you" and genuinely perks up when he sees us

I don't enjoy the thought of this going away

Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on December 08, 2021, 03:43:00 pm
Hot damn life is busy with 2 kids, work and life....

How do you guys do it ???

Take them fishing and hunting.  There’s no better bond than being out in the wilderness together.  I don’t believe you get that kind of bond from doing city-people stuff. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Black Dog on December 08, 2021, 04:05:39 pm
Take them fishing and hunting.  There’s no better bond than being out in the wilderness together.  I don’t believe you get that kind of bond from doing city-people stuff.

Great way to bond or make them hate you and/or the wilderness since the wilderness is an extremely unpleasant place to be for kids.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on December 08, 2021, 04:15:50 pm
Take them fishing and hunting.  There’s no better bond than being out in the wilderness together.  I don’t believe you get that kind of bond from doing city-people stuff.

Not.  Happening.

We will bring Shakepeare's words to life together... not end the life of one of God's sweet fishies...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on December 08, 2021, 04:16:24 pm
Great way to bond or make them hate you and/or the wilderness since the wilderness is an extremely unpleasant place to be for kids.

So far he is most enthralled with the gym.  I think he's athletic.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Black Dog on December 08, 2021, 04:45:35 pm
So far he is most enthralled with the gym.  I think he's athletic.

How old is Thing One?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on December 08, 2021, 06:30:03 pm
Especially if they aren't the type of kid who loves to kill animals.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on December 08, 2021, 06:47:13 pm
How old is Thing One?

He's three.  Almost speaking in sentences and delights us with little kid gaffes like 'look the moon is on'

Also defiance.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on December 08, 2021, 06:49:30 pm
Especially if they aren't the type of kid who loves to kill animals.


Which is kind of... normal? 🤔
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on December 08, 2021, 07:58:23 pm

Which is kind of... normal? 🤔
I could never understand it. I have a niece who kills anything she can: bear, moose, tons of geese and ducks, deer, and she even has a trapline for added torture. Of course, she's a cop.
I smile at her hunting stories politely and say how I will never, ever understand how you get pleasure from that
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on December 08, 2021, 07:59:19 pm
I could never understand it. I have a niece who kills anything she can: bear, moose, tons of geese and ducks, deer, and she even has a trapline for added torture. Of course, she's a cop. She lives way up north where the killing is plentiful.
I smile at her hunting stories politely and say how I will never, ever understand how you get pleasure from that
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on December 08, 2021, 11:19:31 pm
I’m still horrified at a lamb slaughter I saw on a farm when I was seven or eight. I couldn’t eat that night knowing they’d cooked the lamb I watched get killed. 

My brother watched with excitement and he later went on to enjoy hunting. I could never do it.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on December 09, 2021, 12:48:51 am
Not.  Happening.

We will bring Shakepeare's words to life together... not end the life of one of God's sweet fishies...

Well…. Then get used to being shunned during their teens.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on December 09, 2021, 08:12:33 am
Well…. Then get used to being shunned during their teens.

If you lived your life to make your cohort teens accept you, then you are due for a bitter adulthood where you go on forums and ... oh ... oops .... sorry
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on December 09, 2021, 12:57:57 pm
If you lived your life to make your cohort teens accept you, then you are due for a bitter adulthood where you go on forums and ... oh ... oops .... sorry

You go ahead and bring Shakespeare to life while your teen texts their friends about how bored they are. 

At least get them into nature and hiking…. No cellphones….  No city noises and certainly no boring Shakespeare.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on December 09, 2021, 01:18:36 pm
1. You go ahead and bring Shakespeare to life while your teen texts their friends about how bored they are. 

2. At least get them into nature and hiking…. No cellphones….  No city noises and certainly no boring Shakespeare.

1. You mean he text his friends to say ". I have of late—but wherefore I know not—lost all my mirth, forgone all custom of exercises, and indeed it goes so heavily with my disposition that this goodly frame, the earth, seems to me a sterile promontory;"

2. You mean in case he thinks: " This brave o'erhanging firmament, this majestical roof fretted with golden fire—why, it appears no other thing to me than a foul and pestilent congregation of vapors."
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on December 09, 2021, 01:19:45 pm
THat was FUN> :D
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on December 09, 2021, 04:35:32 pm
As a suburban parent living in the mountain with access to plenty of hiking, two lakes and an inlet at my footstep, I feel like I get both of these worlds in one.

You're actually both right.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on December 09, 2021, 05:54:11 pm
As a suburban parent living in the mountain with access to plenty of hiking, two lakes and an inlet at my footstep, I feel like I get both of these worlds in one.

You're actually both right.

Only one of us advocates literature AND hunting/fishing/outdoors. 

I’m a huge fan of literature and the arts.  But to never create a bond with a child doing outdoor activities and getting away from it all is a mistake.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on December 10, 2021, 08:44:05 am
Serial killers would do well to rebrand their hobby as a sporting "outdoor activity".
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on December 10, 2021, 09:21:26 am
Serial killers would do well to rebrand their hobby as a sporting "outdoor activity".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnsamMb7VZE

Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on December 10, 2021, 07:04:38 pm
Guess who's back, back again.  Guess who's back, guess who's back, guess who's back.  ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

No, not Shady

MY DOCTOR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OMG, one remote appointment call and he's sending me prescription refills and for an MRI for my shoulder.  I could cry, I've been living in pain for 1.5 years with this shoulder.

ETA, not to sound selfish either, I'm also very happy for him.  He's still not anywhere near what he was he said and still deals with fatigue doing everyday things but he's back to working remotely and easing back into things.  That's amazing. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on December 11, 2021, 06:07:24 am
K.Peasy is doing great, but a possible heart murmur.  This is not worth worrying about as we are busy with a small family media restriction. 

Easy has his own tablet and knows how to use it completely at exactly three years old so ..

Looking forward to this winter with dread on Covid.

It looks like we'll be barely in the office at all when we return...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Black Dog on December 11, 2021, 01:05:36 pm
Well…. Then get used to being shunned during their teens.

That's gonna happen no matter where you take them.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on December 16, 2021, 02:26:28 am
I spent a nice week in Edmonton visiting family and old friends.

Dad's health is terrible. He's not doing well at all. My brother's mental health has plummeted. He's barely functional and is on some kind of long-term disability support from the government due to severe depression.  The only bright spot is that mom is apparently sober these days. She has been a violent alcoholic sociopath for most of my life, so seeing her sober and calm was kind of strange. I guess she's trying to keep it together for the other two. 

Lindsey is having an expensive bathroom renovation done, with money from her parents. She has been over here almost constantly. She has lots of free time for herself because she's not working a lot. And she's monopolizing all my free time because she's bored and lonely, and I'm getting cranky because of it. I feel like every spare moment I have is filled with her talking about this contractor who did a thing wrong or that contractor who is stressing her out or something wrong with the tiles or the thing she ordered didn't arrive and I can no longer pretend to give a **** about any of this.




 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on December 16, 2021, 05:24:34 am
Sorry.

Joan started crying in bed last night due to her family's problems.  They had a seemingly normal upbringing but her sister and mother craziness have brought bad financial stress upon everyone.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on December 17, 2021, 11:45:02 pm
K.Peasy is doing great, but a possible heart murmur.  This is not worth worrying about as we are busy with a small family media restriction. 

This confuses me.  I hope Peasy is ok.

Quote
Easy has his own tablet and knows how to use it completely at exactly three years old so ..

It always amazes me how well children 3-and-under can manipulate a phone or tablet.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on December 17, 2021, 11:46:56 pm
I spent a nice week in Edmonton visiting family and old friends.

Dad's health is terrible. He's not doing well at all. My brother's mental health has plummeted. He's barely functional and is on some kind of long-term disability support from the government due to severe depression.  The only bright spot is that mom is apparently sober these days. She has been a violent alcoholic sociopath for most of my life, so seeing her sober and calm was kind of strange. I guess she's trying to keep it together for the other two.

That's terrible, i'm sorry kimmy.

I'm glad your mom has been strong for them.




 -k
[/quote]
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on December 18, 2021, 06:17:02 am
1. This confuses me.  I hope Peasy is ok.

2.  It always amazes me how well children 3-and-under can manipulate a phone or tablet.
1. With kid #2 you learn to listen to exactly what they say and not worry  beyond that.  She has a heart murmur, but they say it's common and we shouldn't worry so we don't.

2. I'm too proud of him but he's amazing to me.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Black Dog on December 19, 2021, 02:16:36 pm
Got boosted Friday, woke up Saturday with a sore throat. Bean's been home from daycare with a nasty cough we think is RSV for a few days and i've been primary caregiver so I'm pretty sure I've got that now. Still getting my 'rona test today, but the last few months have well and truly sucked ass.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Dia on December 27, 2021, 03:40:14 pm
We're trying to keep hummingbirds fed with nectar that's not too cold.  Full time job, changing it every 30 to 40 minutes.  Stress producing too, but found out that several neighbors are doing that too, so feel more hopeful they'll survive.

We made a little heater using a light bulb and utility light to try and keep the nectar a little warmer.  It's helping a bit, but the nectar can still freeze.  Hummingbirds can get brain freeze from nectar that's too cold and that can cause them to pass out.  This cold weather is lasting a few more days, sure hope they make it through.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on December 27, 2021, 03:49:54 pm
We are hunkered down out of town with Covid exploding around us.  Hit a grocery store today... lots of empty shelves, not many people (it was early) and everyone tired but polite
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on December 27, 2021, 04:59:47 pm
I wish this shitty dystopian movie would end.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on December 28, 2021, 12:38:46 am
I wish this shitty dystopian movie would end.

yeah.

Hopefully in another month we'll have lots of good data on just how dangerous omicron is.  Cases are ridiculous but hopefully hospitalizations are much less common.  If it's not much more dangerous than a nasty cold i'm resuming normal activity lol.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on December 28, 2021, 03:18:57 am
It’s climate change too. We had record breaking heat followed by catastrophic flooding and now a record breaking deep freeze. We’re normally known for our temperate climate in southern BC.

Add in the plague and it feels like a never ending shitty movie.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: eyeball on December 28, 2021, 04:32:51 pm
It’s climate change too. We had record breaking heat followed by catastrophic flooding and now a record breaking deep freeze. We’re normally known for our temperate climate in southern BC.

Add in the plague and it feels like a never ending shitty movie.
More like a series of sequals and trilogies. How long until we see franchise merch for sale I wonder? Team Moderna mugs and I survived COVID tee-shirts...   

Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on December 29, 2021, 02:42:29 pm
I wish this shitty dystopian movie would end.

Geez, everybody shat on me during the spring 2020 lockdown when I called this dystopian.  I think it's like Boiled Frog Syndrome... some of us noticed it was getting hot sooner than others, but we're all pretty much boiled by now.

The good news is that we're much better off than we were back then. We're vaccinated. We can go out and do our thing. We can enjoy life. Everything is good. And if you do get Omicron, you'll be mildly inconvenienced at worst, and your immune system will be that much stronger when the next variant rolls along. We're all good. We've got this.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on December 29, 2021, 02:51:24 pm
I have been enjoying the beautiful winter weather this week.  Fresh beautiful snow, temperatures cool enough to keep it from turning into slush, and time off to enjoy it. It's wonderful. It reminds me of Christmases gone by when I was growing up in Edmonton and Ottawa. Kim Country is beautiful when the valley is wrapped in snow and frost. I am going out on my snowshoes this afternoon. 

Lindsey's bathroom reno is finished. At considerable cost to her parents' wallets, and even higher cost to my sanity.  Of all the things I'm thankful for this Christmas, first and foremost is that I don't have to listen to her whining about the contractors any more. She's back to work, and I have some time just for myself.

It wasn't all bad. Watched Christmas movies, decorated all the things, had a nice time.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on January 02, 2022, 12:52:08 pm
Speaking relationships, have two kids if you ever want to turn your romance into a functionally based body fluids management team.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on January 02, 2022, 01:09:39 pm
Speaking relationships, have two kids if you ever want to turn your romance into a functionally based body fluids management team.

I know how hard it is….  I have a cat.  Pretty much the same thing, as far as I can see.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: eyeball on January 02, 2022, 02:19:21 pm
I know how hard it is….  I have a cat.  Pretty much the same thing, as far as I can see.
Ever lived with a cat that had a cone around its head?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on January 02, 2022, 03:24:19 pm
Ever lived with a cat that had a cone around its head?

Had a cat that would run backward so fast if a cone was put on its head that it wouldn’t stay on.   This current cat has been very healthy.

Hope your kitty gets healthy.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on January 04, 2022, 06:48:48 am
Folks... buckle in... we are really getting close to the end of this thing and spring will be glorious.

In other news, we are a complete family here and now have to figure out how to donate our frozen embryo ... very strange kind of problem
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on January 04, 2022, 07:32:40 am
Try not to donate it to a human trafficking cartel
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on January 04, 2022, 08:15:13 am
Try not to donate it to a human trafficking cartel

I suppose I will do my best...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on January 05, 2022, 05:34:18 am
Ok - day 2 of the work--year.... As far as I can see we have nothing to look forward to until spring at this point.

Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: eyeball on January 05, 2022, 11:00:17 am
Ok - day 2 of the work--year.... As far as I can see we have nothing to look forward to until spring at this point.
I can a see better year ahead for sure. I guess I'm in some kind of working retired mode now. I average about 15 hours a week running our STR. Its less hours in the summer because people stay longer. A lot more two-day trippers in the off season.

I'm thrilled to have gotten my medical certificate renewed so I can carry on driving boats when that starts picking up in March.  Cancer hasn't slowed me down a bit and the examiner bought it when I told him I've trained my crew how to perform single-foot chest-compressions should my alien decide to act up - joking aside though people with my condition typically don't just drop dead, we usually make it to the hospital.

Judging by the numbers of Europeans we were seeing at the end of last season and the way bookings are piling up we should have a much stronger year.   
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on January 11, 2022, 10:05:19 am
SICK.

Not Covid - did three rapid tests...  Intestinal thing but the symptoms are pretty close to covid: chills, nausea...

And being sick with kids is pure hell.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Ginxa22 on January 11, 2022, 10:31:11 pm
hope you recover quickly MH Over here in Ont. it's been cold - normal winter weather, really then it gets warm? below 0 but above -10 ..wthey but we got 2 ft of snow not our usual 3-4 ft but hoping more snow falls. Got keep the forests watered .. risk of forest fires just skeery
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on January 12, 2022, 09:17:50 am
hope you recover quickly MH Over here in Ont. it's been cold - normal winter weather, really then it gets warm? below 0 but above -10 ..wthey but we got 2 ft of snow not our usual 3-4 ft but hoping more snow falls. Got keep the forests watered .. risk of forest fires just skeery

I'm here in the Centre of the Universe too - where are you ?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on January 12, 2022, 01:35:51 pm
I'm here in the Centre of the Universe too - where are you ?

@Ginxa22 has her location under her username.  Thunder Bay.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on January 27, 2022, 02:55:24 pm
Easy is becoming  ... Itchy ... he's pretty whiny and in the terrible 3s ... throwing things when he's board ... smacking me ...

k. Peasy is becoming K. Pesky ... she is fussy and also whiny

How do marriages survive kids ?  I feel like we are no longer a couple capable of romance but a specialized child management squad. 

Shopping and TV ... that's the fun ...

My bachelor self would have a breakdown over the fact that I enjoy cleaning as a relaxation exercise ...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on January 27, 2022, 03:27:36 pm
Easy is becoming  ... Itchy ... he's pretty whiny and in the terrible 3s ... throwing things when he's board ... smacking me ...

k. Peasy is becoming K. Pesky ... she is fussy and also whiny

How do marriages survive kids ?  I feel like we are no longer a couple capable of romance but a specialized child management squad. 

Shopping and TV ... that's the fun ...

My bachelor self would have a breakdown over the fact that I enjoy cleaning as a relaxation exercise ...

What are the options?  Getting rid of the kids probably isn’t an option…. So that leaves you with:

Make the best of it and work harder on the relationship and live a happy productive life…. Or let it decay, get divorced and live a happy, productive life seeing your kids on weekends….   
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on January 27, 2022, 03:28:53 pm
1. What are the options?  Getting rid of the kids probably isn’t an option…. So that leaves you with:

2. Make the best of it and work harder on the relationship and live a happy productive life…. Or let it decay, get divorced and live a happy, productive life seeing your kids on weekends….

1. I learned long ago never to take anything off the table..
2. No ... divorce is not happening ... we are growing closer and more loving, emotionally, with the kids to bond with.  Just not a romantic couple, no.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on January 27, 2022, 03:34:35 pm
1. I learned long ago never to take anything off the table..
2. No ... divorce is not happening ... we are growing closer and more loving, emotionally, with the kids to bond with.  Just not a romantic couple, no.

Glad to hear you went with my first option. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: eyeball on January 27, 2022, 03:44:10 pm
Just not a romantic couple, no.
Well, maybe subconsciously you realize that romance might produce a third reason for you to give pause to consider. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on February 08, 2022, 09:19:37 pm
How are we doing ?

I'm getting derangement syndrome again and doomscrolling again.

This is where we are
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on February 09, 2022, 07:48:01 am
Discovered THC distillate. What a wonderful product. Anything can be an edible for way less money than edibles. Life just gets better and better.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on February 09, 2022, 08:17:31 am
There are so so many weed cafes in Toronto now that people who don't like weed like weed.

I am meeting with my besties Thursday and may imbibe.  Wish me luck ...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on February 09, 2022, 03:22:30 pm
How are we doing ?

I'm getting derangement syndrome again and doomscrolling again.

This is where we are

I have learned over the pandemic that too much internet is bad for the mind and body.  Easier said than done.

My best solution so far:  stay busy with projects around the house, go for walks and drives, sometimes exercise.

Finding  projects to do is key, keeps the mind focused on present tasks instead of meandering about useless bs on the internet.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on February 09, 2022, 05:04:13 pm
Yep
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on February 11, 2022, 01:42:08 am
How are we doing ?

I'm getting derangement syndrome again and doomscrolling again.

This is where we are

Coonlight has it right.

 -get out of the house. Walk around your neighborhood or go to a park or the coffee shop or whatever it is people do where you live.
 -exercise.  Physical activity improves your mood and stimulates your mind. Walking is good, but some strength training is even better. If you don't have anything to lift, pushups and leg-raises and planks and things like that. Look up some bodyweight fitness programs.
 -less social media. Especially threads about trucks. I've been deliberately cutting back lately.
 -not sure if it's true for everybody, but for me some alone time is vital. This might not be easy for somebody with a wife and two young children, but I highly recommend finding some time each day to sit by yourself with a tea or coffee, and no TV or radio or phone or computer.
 

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on February 16, 2022, 12:40:44 pm

Doing a little better now. 

Personal events:

- Joan's family came for a short visit and pretty clear her sister & sister's BF are using some substances :( Nothing to be done as they are still lying and hiding it, having already been confronted about this last year or so
- Our family is doing better - trying to stay alert, less screen time, more walks.  Kimmy II is already trying to talk at 3 months and seems even smarter than Easy.  She's also a pretteh little flower.
- I am going to take a **** ton of time off this summer, period.
- All of our friends are stressed and depressed due to lockdown.  More and more disappearing from social media or showing up on social media a mess.
- Rediscovered ... fun.  Saturday night the kids fell asleep at 830 so we had about 2 hauls each of something called Meringue Pie and a coupla drinks and it felt like 10 years ago again
- Health habits good overall
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on February 16, 2022, 03:21:08 pm
I am always surprised when I hear people have nothing to do cuz “lockdown”. 

Maybe this is a big city thing where people don’t go do outdoor activities?  I get that it’s cold in the rest of Canada, but ****…. Go skating on a pond!  Go skeet shooting!  Do something!!

Skeet shooting while skating on a pond!
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on February 16, 2022, 04:49:29 pm
I am always surprised when I hear people have nothing to do cuz “lockdown”. 

Maybe this is a big city thing where people don’t go do outdoor activities?  I get that it’s cold in the rest of Canada, but ****…. Go skating on a pond!  Go skeet shooting!  Do something!!

Skeet shooting while skating on a pond!

A lot of people thrive on social activity, I think, of which there is not much anymore.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on February 16, 2022, 08:29:02 pm
timbiebs.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on February 17, 2022, 11:10:48 am
A lot of people thrive on social activity, I think, of which there is not much anymore.

Not if you never leave the house…. 

You can still do social activities if you’re smart about it. 

I really do think this is a big city issue.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on February 21, 2022, 10:06:08 pm
delete
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Dia on February 22, 2022, 01:34:28 pm
We've had another flood in our house; this time the hotwater tank in the upstairs unit failed, and the water came through our kitchen ceiling.  The damage is minimal, thankfully, but we'll have to live out while the repairs are done, 6 to 10 days.  The dog has to be dragged (I do mean literally) into new places, so I'm dreading this.  We are trying to arrange to stay in an RV instead of a hotel.  The dog doesn't like this much better, but it is easier to get him in.

My daughter and her family have been given notice where they live; the landlord says his daughter will be moving in - but rumour has it that she's not the least interested in the idea.  Hoping that rumour is true.  If not, they may well be homeless come Aug 1, given the rental market in Salmon Arm.  This fear keeps me awake at nights.  I've thought of financing a rental home for her, she's willing to move away from Salmon Arm, to some place that has more affordable properties.  To do that, I'd have to go into significant debt, and I'm not sure how supportive the bank would actually be despite having their mortgage expert tell me I could do it.  I really need a financial advisor or maybe a mortgage broker that isn't associated with any bank. 

What's really tough about this is that she has started her own business, which is just beginning to make money, but not enough to support a $3000.00 monthly rental.  She's now gotten a full time job, which still won't be enough for what she'll have to pay in rent and will make it hard to grow her business, which is in accounting so its very marketable, especially in an growing region.

I'm sure it'll all work out, eventually, although perhaps not before she's been living in a shelter for a while.  :(  (Yes, I'd put them up ... but I'm in a one-bedroom, with den and certainly not enough room for 5 more people).

In better(?) news, I found out that my place could be worth as much as 1/2 million on the market than I owe on my mortgage.  That's insane, and I can't imagine this market will be sustainable for much longer.  I certainly don't want to use up much, if any, of that equity just in anticipation of a major "correction". 

Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on February 22, 2022, 02:25:12 pm
We were amazed last year to find pretty much every house on our street for sale go for over a million, then one went for $1.4M... and some pitiful shacks started to go for over $1M ... then some shacks on our old street went up for $1.75M.

Who is going to lose this game of musical chairs ?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Dia on February 22, 2022, 03:37:28 pm
We were amazed last year to find pretty much every house on our street for sale go for over a million, then one went for $1.4M... and some pitiful shacks started to go for over $1M ... then some shacks on our old street went up for $1.75M.

Who is going to lose this game of musical chairs ?

Easy answer - anyone who makes less than a hundred thousand a year.  But at some point, the number of homeless families, empty properties, no renters and all the minimum wage workers leaving town must create some change?  Or am I too naive?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: eyeball on February 23, 2022, 10:27:43 am
Easy answer - anyone who makes less than a hundred thousand a year.  But at some point, the number of homeless families, empty properties, no renters and all the minimum wage workers leaving town must create some change?  Or am I too naive?
I think Canada's liveability compared to other countries will keep demand percolating for a long time to come. One day it will be the prime consideration for wealthy people looking for a place to resettle.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: eyeball on February 23, 2022, 10:34:55 am
I'm sure it'll all work out, eventually, although perhaps not before she's been living in a shelter for a while.  :(  (Yes, I'd put them up ... but I'm in a one-bedroom, with den and certainly not enough room for 5 more people).

In better(?) news, I found out that my place could be worth as much as 1/2 million on the market than I owe on my mortgage.  That's insane, and I can't imagine this market will be sustainable for much longer.  I certainly don't want to use up much, if any, of that equity just in anticipation of a major "correction".
I don't know how you feel about moving to Salmon Arm, but maybe cashing out and having enough to probably pay cash and live mortgage free could be an option. Another consideration is the fastest growing home buying trend I recently read about, family members pooling their resources to buy larger properties/homes that can accommodate them all more affordably that if they were on their own.  Maybe an acreage with a two residences for your family and one for your daughters? 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on February 23, 2022, 10:59:39 am
Jesus... so pretty...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salmon_Arm
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: eyeball on February 23, 2022, 01:12:19 pm
Jesus... so pretty...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salmon_Arm
Smoke is probably coming out her ears.  Closer to the grandkids...

We shoulda been realtors.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on February 23, 2022, 04:02:05 pm
Jesus... so pretty...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salmon_Arm

The rainbow trout fishing in the Adams River estuary is amazing when the sockeye are running!  The trout are there feeding on all the salmon eggs that are coming out of the river. 

Throw out an egg imitation fly on a sinking tip line, or a weighted leader. 

https://youtu.be/ST__lqz6gg4
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Dia on February 23, 2022, 04:29:26 pm
I don't know how you feel about moving to Salmon Arm, but maybe cashing out and having enough to probably pay cash and live mortgage free could be an option. Another consideration is the fastest growing home buying trend I recently read about, family members pooling their resources to buy larger properties/homes that can accommodate them all more affordably that if they were on their own.  Maybe an acreage with a two residences for your family and one for your daughters?

Something like that is the long-term plan, once I retire which is a couple of years out. My partner doesn't want to move at all, so retirement is a compromise, else I'd probably already have put the townhouse on the market and be moving my ass - there's lots of employment in SA. 

 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Dia on February 23, 2022, 04:33:43 pm
Jesus... so pretty...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salmon_Arm

It's lovely in the summer, for sure.  I used to go with a group of friends to houseboat on the Shuswap, that was really nice.

Anyway, we're going in May, renting an RV and camping by a river in Enderby.  :)
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on March 04, 2022, 12:22:17 am
I've been out quite a bit lately, and things have been more fun lately, both thanks to spring being in the air, and restrictions being lifted. People talk about how important it is to see friendly faces, but one of the things I've missed has been interacting with strangers.

Interacting with strangers is not always pleasant (https://canadianpoliticalevents.createaforum.com/general-discussion/personal-stuff/?message=24497), but it is stimulating and invigorating.

Get vaccinated, get your vaccine passport, get out of your basement, and rediscover HUMANS.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: cybercoma on March 04, 2022, 06:30:51 am

 -less social media. Especially threads about trucks. I've been deliberately cutting back lately.

 -k
This puts a hell of a lot of things into much needed perspective. Step away from social media and be present with those around you who matter in your day-to-day life. Internet strangers don't really matter.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: waldo on March 04, 2022, 06:58:17 am
This puts a hell of a lot of things into much needed perspective. Step away from social media and be present with those around you who matter in your day-to-day life. Internet strangers don't really matter.

insignificant and inconsequential internet stranger says what?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: cybercoma on March 04, 2022, 07:03:42 am
insignificant and inconsequential internet stranger says what?
Exactly! lol
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Black Dog on March 07, 2022, 02:51:59 pm
I've been out quite a bit lately, and things have been more fun lately, both thanks to spring being in the air, and restrictions being lifted. People talk about how important it is to see friendly faces, but one of the things I've missed has been interacting with strangers.

Interacting with strangers is not always pleasant (https://canadianpoliticalevents.createaforum.com/general-discussion/personal-stuff/?message=24497), but it is stimulating and invigorating.

Get vaccinated, get your vaccine passport, get out of your basement, and rediscover HUMANS.

 -k

MY BASEMENT: big TV, snuggly cat, blankets, my choice of beer/wine/cocktails and snacks
THE WOLRD OF HUMANS: expensive, full of unpleasant strangers in horseshoe moustaches, requires driving or transit to access, beer selection usually sucks

Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on March 07, 2022, 08:42:36 pm
Agree. I took the dive into full blown middle age and got a La Z Boy. Who knew there is so much happiness in a simple life.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on March 07, 2022, 08:57:57 pm
Agree. I took the dive into full blown middle age and got a La Z Boy. Who knew there is so much happiness in a simple life.

I love La-Z Boyz, pets, and TV but being a hermit also isn't healthy.  I wonder if the pandemic is going to create millions of crazy cat ladies and creepy basement bros?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on March 07, 2022, 09:29:44 pm
Going to?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on March 10, 2022, 05:19:46 pm
Some time ago I said my absence from the forum was due to personal reasons that I wasn’t ready to expand on. I don’t know if I am ready but have no idea when I will be so I might as well do it now.

In July my high school sweetheart and beautiful bride of almost 53 years started having mobility problems and doing things which were most uncharacteristic for someone so disciplined and organized. It got to the point where in early August I finally took her to Abby Regional emergency where a CT scan showed a mass on her brain. The scan was sent to the RCH neurological department and they kept her overnight then transported her to RCH the next morning. A MRI showed a tumour in a place that prevented total removal. She underwent surgery to remove half of the tumour a few days later and six days after surgery came home. A biopsy found it was glioblastoma, the most aggressive of brain tumours with basically a 0% survival rate. (John McCain, Beau Biden, Gord Downey etc.)  We were told 9 to 12 months. A few weeks later she started having violent nausea and to make a longer story short, ended up in emergency for a few days and then almost three weeks in palliative where she started radiation treatment. She was at home for the rest of the treatment and we expected things to get better as she got over radiation and we would have a few quality months but things continued to go downhill. I was desperate to keep her at home but eventually had to take her back to palliative because I just couldn’t manage.  No matter how hard I tried it wasn’t good enough and I felt like a failure. Another CT scan showed a second tumour developing. After a few days in palliative we managed to get her into hospice where she died two weeks later, ten days before Christmas and just over 4 months after first diagnosis. I would only hope I could show half the courage and grace she did as she went through her ordeal.

This was a fit, healthy 74 year old woman who never smoked or did drugs, drank little, ate healthy and walked 5Km in 50 minutes before breakfast every morning. Other than having children she never spent a day in hospital. Don’t take anything for granted.

I am absolutely crushed. Aside from missing her desperately and being incredibly angry at what that **** thing did to her, for the first time in my life I am alone and have no one who really needs me. Yes, my kids and grand kids love me, have been great and friends have been very supportive but none of them really need me. That is something I have taken for granted all my life because we were a mutually dependant pair. Now that is gone and I am at a loss to see a future at this point. What is the point of still being here if no one needs you? I became quite antisocial, turning down invitations from all except the closest relatives and friends because I am so easily triggered and don’t want to lose it in front of people. I’m not ashamed at losing it, just pissed off that I can’t control being barely coherent at times. I am getting some mentorship through the hospice society, (they are fantastic and I’m very lucky to have them) have also joined one of their walking groups, and am attending a group grief session once a week. I am learning a tremendous amount from other people and about myself. I’ve never questioned myself so much in my life and am resigned to the fact that I will never get answers to some of them. I’ve learned that much of what society believes about grief and how it needs to be dealt with is wrong. I’m going over to the Island later this week to visit some old friends and a cousin who have been bugging me to come for some time but as I told them, I didn’t want to go until I could be better company. I’m still easily triggered but these are people I can count on understanding if I do. It’s one day (or hour) at a time and I think I may be on the way to becoming semi functional but it’s clear this will be a very long haul which will never completely end.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: waldo on March 10, 2022, 05:32:24 pm
wilber! The waldo is gut wrenched... be well/better.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on March 10, 2022, 05:43:12 pm
wilber! The waldo is gut wrenched... be well/better.

Thanks waldo. That means more than you know.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on March 10, 2022, 06:53:35 pm
 

Wilbur, please consider reaching out to group engagements.  I know someone who went through this, this very year, and he recommends it.

You are in our thoughts, 🌻, please continue to share and ask questions.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: eyeball on March 10, 2022, 11:33:47 pm
I would only hope I could show half the courage and grace she did as she went through her ordeal.
Her courage and grace was clearly a reflection of the life of love and devotion you had for her.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Dia on March 11, 2022, 09:51:59 am
Friends of ours went through this a few years ago, virtually the same scenario - healthy and active older guy, then gone within a few months.  It's devastating and my heart goes out to you. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on March 17, 2022, 12:28:45 am
I'm deeply sorry to hear that, wilber.   I'm sure that words from random weirdos on the internet are little comfort, but for what it's worth I wish you all the best.

Also, thanks for sharing this with us.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on March 17, 2022, 01:16:17 pm
I'm deeply sorry to hear that, wilber.   I'm sure that words from random weirdos on the internet are little comfort, but for what it's worth I wish you all the best.

Also, thanks for sharing this with us.

 -k

Part of the process. The random weirdos here seem like a pretty decent bunch despite their differences. Otherwise i wouldn't have posted it.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on March 18, 2022, 01:07:08 am
Very sorry to hear that wilbur, that's awful to hear.  I'd wondered where you had gone.  Maybe consider a dog?  A good companion and someone who will always depend on you.

A few years ago I had a friend who had the same cancer of the brain.  They lasted 2-3 years but eventually died.  They were in their late 30's, had a loving husband and 2 young children including a new baby.  So if it helps any, take some solace in knowing your beau passed at 74 instead of 34 or 44, and their kids had a chance to grow up with their mom.

Anyways, my condolences, stay well.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Dia on April 01, 2022, 05:21:38 pm
Daughter got a place; 4 bed, 2 bath, large yard out in the country.  $2,500.00 per month.  But she thinks she caught a unicorn. 

Hope I don't end up feeding them.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on April 09, 2022, 11:57:21 pm
Linz and I are going on vacation tomorrow.  We're going to Squid Island. First to Victoria, then Tofino.  Hopefully a nice relaxing week.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on April 10, 2022, 01:20:58 pm
Linz and I are going on vacation tomorrow.  We're going to Squid Island. First to Victoria, then Tofino.  Hopefully a nice relaxing week.

 -k

Very nice.  Wave hello please.  I own a black hatchback. 

You should walk around the grounds of the Lieutenant Governor’s residence.  It’s a hidden gem.
https://ltgov.bc.ca/getting-here/

Check out Cowichan Bay on your way north; quaint little seaside village.   Get some chowder at the Rock Cod Cafe.

Are you bringing your kayaks?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on April 19, 2022, 10:30:20 am
Weird new Covid stress pt:

The parents in daycare have noticed that all the kids are staying up until 9, 930.  Easy finally gave it up at 1015 last night.  He was still awake but not fighting me, getting out of bed etc.

Turns out that Covid protocol means daycare rooms can't cover each other - Childhood Educators must stick with one group.  This makes a problem because nobody can supervise for lunch.  So they HAVE to take a nap.  And they actually fall asleep.  If you took a 1-2 hr nap every day would you go to bed at 8 PM ?  Parents are harried.

Lil P Kimmy Hardner, though, is the most personable and adorable baby there is.  Rare is the time I can't get her to flash a big beautiful smile by smiling at her first.  It's a true joy and a big help against the stresses, pains and tragedies of which there are many.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on April 22, 2022, 03:39:51 am
Very nice.  Wave hello please.  I own a black hatchback. 

Oh! I think I saw you!

Check out Cowichan Bay on your way north; quaint little seaside village.   Get some chowder at the Rock Cod Cafe.

Are you bringing your kayaks?

Lindsey doesn't kayak, she's into mountain biking. We didn't bring bikes or kayaks. After seeing the pounding waves on the west side of the island, I'm grateful to have a nice calm lake to kayak on; I'm sure I'd have been killed in minutes out there. We did lots of hiking. Loved it very much. The giant cedars and firs were awe-inspiring. My family lived in Victoria for a few years when I was young... being from the prairies, I was always in awe of both the ocean and the giant trees.

Didn't get to Cowichan Bay, didn't see the goats on the roof at Coombs, but stopped at Chemainus for a little break on the way west.  The drive to Ucluelet was a bit of a disaster. Siri told us that there was a closure on highway 4, and came up with this great shortcut to get us around it. So we drove up towards Quallicum Beach and then took this backwoods road that goes around Spider Lake, and... ends. So we had to drive all the way back, down highway 4, and spent an hour in a traffic jam near Cathedral Grove. When we finally got to the Cathedral Grove parking lot, there's a burned out camper van blocking one lane of the road.  Like, all that was left of the van was white ash-covered still-smoking metal. I'm guessing their propane system caught fire. Between Siri's stupid shortcut idea and the traffic jam caused by the burned out hippie drug van, it was about 3 hours. We stopped in Port Alberni to pick up food because everything in Ukee would be closed by the time we got there. It was about 10pm that we finally got to the resort. Next day, everything was great. Barely rained, we hiked a ton, we went for a walk on the Long Beach and saw the surfers, hung out in Tofino for a bit, heard seals arp-arp-arping at the harbor in Ucluelet, visited a tiny brewery, ate good food.

On the way home, we stayed in Vancouver for a couple of days. Went to the aquarium... loved the sea lions and sea otters. Walked around Stanley Park and Coal Harbour, went to the Steamworks Brewery, had dim sum with a friend that I hadn't seen for a few years. Last stop before coming home was at the Ikea in Coquitlam. Got back to Lindsey's shitwagon and the starter motor would not turn. Lights and radio come on, the motor does nothing... not even a click.  The BCAA guy arrives, says "let me try something..." comes back with a hammer, and reaches behind the engine and starts banging on it with the hammer while Lindsey turns the key. IT WORKS!  Apparently the contacts and brushes were worn out and it stopped at a spot where the contacts weren't making a connection with the brushes.  So we made sure to not turn off the engine until we were safe at home.

At first I was like "god dammit Lindsey your car is such a piece of crap" but then I realized how lucky we were. Of all the places we'd been where the car could have refused to start, the Ikea parking lot with the BCAA guy 15 minutes away was the luckiest thing. Imagine if it had happened in the middle of that traffic jam outside Cathedral Grove.


 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on April 22, 2022, 10:58:00 am
Quote
So we drove up towards Quallicum Beach and then took this backwoods road that goes around Spider Lake, and... ends.

Siri is a fuckin’ idiot!  There are no alternate routes to get to the west coast! 

Where Siri forced you to go is near where we go mushroom picking for chanterelles.  Also, Spider Lake has some good trout fishing this time of year.  I haven’t been yet though.

Quote
heard seals arp-arp-arping at the harbor in Ucluelet, visited a tiny brewery, ate good food.

Those were probably sea lions….  Seals are actually very quiet.  Sea lions, not so much. 

I love the Tofino Brewery.  They brew some great beer.

Smart having BCAA if your car is crappy…. It pays for itself after a single call! 

Usually, you’re 85 years old if you have BCAA…. I had it in my twenties when I owned cars/trucks that broke down all the time!  I have it now too, but mostly for piece of mind, I guess… I haven’t had to use it in years, despite my pickup being pretty unreliable.  And the discount on home insurance helps pay for the membership.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on May 08, 2022, 08:28:57 pm
Little Easy is turning out to be a stormy 3 year old.  He has a couple of social problems which are not related to each other.

He shoves kids at daycare as a way to getting into games that others are playing.  Not a huge deal but it could cause problems if it persists so we are working on it ... but ... stressful and it takes work.

He hits and slaps us and today he slapped his little sister :( It seems to be pure impulse and not some kind of anger.  At most it's frustration that sometimes causes it but at worst it seems to be boredom. 

Everybody says he's sweet and empathetic, and he is, but he has these habits and he will not listen to us or talk about it.  Too young and impatient.

We're torn up over it.  He's in such a phase where we can't get him to get to bed so our lives are being 100% occupied by stress parenting. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on May 08, 2022, 08:55:10 pm
Remember the days when parents thought modelling that behaviour and spanking them would work to stop it?
My puppy is still in the biting stage. You can see him twig to "No bites!" now and he's starting to lick instead. I'm sure it's a similar phase with your lad. Just be firm, patient, and non-violent. My children are all grown and they hardly hit anyone anymore.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: eyeball on May 10, 2022, 05:10:21 pm
I have two grandkids with only two weeks difference in age between them. From about age two until just recently they seemed to have a particular sometimes violent dislike for one another that we figured was just a phase.

Sure enough the last time we got them together they announced their engagement.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on May 10, 2022, 06:09:17 pm
Please tell me they're not twenty...



Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: eyeball on May 11, 2022, 12:31:15 am
Please tell me they're not twenty...
Just turned 5. In any case their older sister/cousin straightened them out pretty quick. It was clearly doomed from the start but they still seem to be friends.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on May 11, 2022, 05:35:57 am
The little ones seem to know their relations.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on May 21, 2022, 07:46:49 pm
Ok well it IS spring.

Easy is still stormy and has outbursts but nobody is telling us it's unusual.  It IS tough to deal with and we worry that he could jump and land on Peasy Kimmy or hurt one of us even.  But this is supposed to be a phase.

Not easy with Easy.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on May 22, 2022, 01:07:51 am
Ok well it IS spring.

Easy is still stormy and has outbursts but nobody is telling us it's unusual.  It IS tough to deal with and we worry that he could jump and land on Peasy Kimmy or hurt one of us even.  But this is supposed to be a phase.

Not easy with Easy.

If you get a spirited kid like that it can be a tough age.  They're basically Genghis Khan and trying to assert dominance and break your will.  Parents have to assert control and not let them win when they're not supposed to.  But man it takes a lot of willpower and preservence and it's exhausting.  A battle of wills.  I knew a toddler of a friend who often acted like a crazy highly manipulative bipolar person at age 2... then became normal.

I've worked with the occasional entitled young person who you can clearly tell that they won that battle of wills vs their parents and walk around thinking they're the boss of everything.  Some people aren't used to someone saying no to them.  But with easy it seems like more a problem of aggression?

I knew this one kid of a friend who around 5 years old who was a good kid but where he was a holy terror with so much energy and then by 10 he was pretty calm. It's hard being a male at any age if you have that male aggression in you that you need to let out.  Sitting in a classroom all day must be like torture for some kids.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on May 31, 2022, 01:22:07 am
Lindsey's parents have been in town for a couple of weeks. This is the first time I've met them in person, although Lindsey has introduced us in video calls and stuff.

It has gone pretty well. They seem nice. One day she dumped her dad on me for a whole afternoon while she went shopping with her mom. I took him to a microbrewery. I was expecting awkward questions like "so, what are your intentions regarding my daughter?" or "why did you turn my beautiful girl into a lesbian?" but it was actually very nice.  We talked about work and hockey and beer and real estate prices and economy stuff and Kim City and all kinds of stuff that didn't involve awkward questions.


Work is still going okay, though we're struggling right now. It's not that demand for our products has decreased. We're just having trouble getting the parts we need to build our products, and when we can get the parts we need they're more expensive than normal. International Supply Chain Issuestm are causing all kinds of trouble for us right now.  We've had to lay off Boring Stories Bob, but hopefully we can bring him back when things improve. So far no talk of additional layoffs. I'm apparently not expendable yet.  Our #1 product is actually paperwork and documentation, and I'm heavily involved in it.

It's still abnormally cool here, and while that's probably a good thing in helping avoid a repeat of last summer's terrible fire season, I'm really craving the heat.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on May 31, 2022, 11:27:21 am
The cool weather bodes well for good trout fishing well into the spring and maybe even summer around here. 

Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on June 06, 2022, 10:57:04 pm
Today was International Kim Day. I hope everybody had a wonderful Kim Day!


Lindsey's parents have finally gone back to Ontario.  It was a very long visit, and it comes as a relief that it's over. Linz has such a tough time with her mom.  Each time after we saw them she started crying once we were in the car on the way home. "She treats me like I'm 8 years old" and this sort of thing.  I am glad things can get back to normal now.


 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on June 08, 2022, 02:43:09 pm
Depressing....

We had an idea to rent a cute trailer and try a real family thing just the four of us... but a hitch was quoted at $1300 and with the cost of gas and trailer I'm not looking to spent $3500 for 6 days in a shitty provincial park.

So sad... we'll be tenting it I guess :(

Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on June 08, 2022, 02:44:11 pm
I also have been dinged for $2600 for a tax audit as well as unplanned car rental for our trip later this summer for $1500.

No wonder people don't want families.... I'm headed to debtors' prison...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on June 08, 2022, 02:50:13 pm
I also have been dinged for $2600 for a tax audit as well as unplanned car rental for our trip later this summer for $1500.

No wonder people don't want families.... I'm headed to debtors' prison...

Your family cost you more in taxes?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on June 08, 2022, 03:24:21 pm
Depressing....

We had an idea to rent a cute trailer and try a real family thing just the four of us... but a hitch was quoted at $1300 and with the cost of gas and trailer I'm not looking to spent $3500 for 6 days in a shitty provincial park.

So sad... we'll be tenting it I guess :(

Rent a cabin (aka “cottage” in ON) for a few days. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on June 08, 2022, 03:27:03 pm
Your family cost you more in taxes?

No.... my employee share plan is making me phantom money which is good but I can't actually cash out while I pay for the gains...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on June 08, 2022, 05:26:00 pm
I also have been dinged for $2600 for a tax audit as well as unplanned car rental for our trip later this summer for $1500.

No wonder people don't want families.... I'm headed to debtors' prison...
Beware of dance classes. I have literally spent over $100k on classes, costumes, choreography, competitions, and travel.
U-Haul often has affordable hitches.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on June 08, 2022, 05:36:37 pm
I also have been dinged for $2600 for a tax audit as well as unplanned car rental for our trip later this summer for $1500.

No wonder people don't want families.... I'm headed to debtors' prison...

We will come visit u in Penetanguishene.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on June 08, 2022, 06:01:46 pm
I have often rented a car when driving to dance competitions out of town just because it was cheap and saved mileage on my own vehicle. Pre-pandemic I could get a sedan for about $150 for a week; post-pandemic it was about 4x that. I drove my own car this time.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Dia on June 08, 2022, 06:12:10 pm
Depressing....

We had an idea to rent a cute trailer and try a real family thing just the four of us... but a hitch was quoted at $1300 and with the cost of gas and trailer I'm not looking to spent $3500 for 6 days in a shitty provincial park.

So sad... we'll be tenting it I guess :(

It cost us $1200 to rent an RV, and they put it in the RV park for us.  The RV park charged us $240.00 - so, $1,500 for 7 nights.  But it was off-season, not sure what it'd be now, but certainly more.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on June 08, 2022, 07:46:23 pm
It cost us $1200 to rent an RV, and they put it in the RV park for us.  The RV park charged us $240.00 - so, $1,500 for 7 nights.  But it was off-season, not sure what it'd be now, but certainly more.

Air bnb a cottage.

RVs are in massive demand since the pandemic.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Dia on June 11, 2022, 10:43:51 am
Think my daughter is getting scammed.  Her fledgling business was contacted by a subsidiary (we'll call Strong) of a Chinese multinational company (we'll call Heavy).  Heavy definitely exists, and Strong probably exists. Strong is offering a lucrative two year contract and told my daughter they wanted to break into the Canadian market and were avoiding large, well-known firms because they thought it would be more expensive, and less personal.  There's the promise that if they grow, my daughter's business will grow as well.  They've signed an MOU, and the company is currently applying for whatever it is they need in Canada to operate - GST numbers, etc.  There are two people on Linked-In who list their employer as Strong; one of them has the same name as the person my daughter is talking to.

My red flags:
1. a billion yen company from China would seek out a two-person bookkeeping company to send out invoices for them, at an inflated price.  They don't even have any customers yet - but are offering a two-year contact.
2.  The link to Strong on Heavy's website is broken, but info about the subsidiary remains on the main website.
3.  Strong does not have a dedicated website, but I can find random financial news, latest being 2020.
4.  Both of the people on Linked-In show an error message if I click on their "Connect" button.
5.  The email address my daughter's contact uses ends in .net, rather than .com or whatever Chinese companies might use.

I've explained all my misgivings and it seems that my daughter did share some of them, but is satisfied with the answers she's been provided by her contact and says she'll move forward with caution. 

I don't know what the scam might be.  Perhaps someone here has some ideas?  Or has some ideas of what I could tell or show her to persuade her to rethink this involvement?  Her business is growing, but she still has to work a second job, so I can see why the idea of a single client to essentially double her income is so inviting. 


Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on June 11, 2022, 10:51:17 am
Think my daughter is getting scammed.  Her fledgling business was contacted by a subsidiary (we'll call Strong) of a Chinese multinational company (we'll call Heavy). 


https://www.tradecommissioner.gc.ca/china-chine/market-facts-faits-sur-le-marche/148081.aspx?lang=eng
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Dia on June 11, 2022, 10:55:00 am

https://www.tradecommissioner.gc.ca/china-chine/market-facts-faits-sur-le-marche/148081.aspx?lang=eng

Thank you.  I will forward on to her.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on June 11, 2022, 06:10:03 pm
Would love to know how much of China and India's economy is based on fraud, IP theft, and other illegal activity.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: eyeball on June 11, 2022, 09:56:44 pm
Would love to know how much of China and India's economy is based on fraud, IP theft, and other illegal activity.
I bet tightening up our financial transparency and doing a little housecleaning of our own would provide us a good place to begin assessing that question.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on June 11, 2022, 11:16:18 pm
I bet tightening up our financial transparency and doing a little housecleaning of our own would provide us a good place to begin assessing that question.

There's a lot of dirty laundry in Canada, but do you think there's any comparison with those countries?  C'mon man.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: eyeball on June 11, 2022, 11:56:20 pm
There's a lot of dirty laundry in Canada, but do you think there's any comparison with those countries?  C'mon man.
Well, we should know better and I think that has a multiplying effect that puts us on par.

What I meant was that examining the laundering that does go on here should provide clues to how much corruption there is in countries we launder for.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on June 19, 2022, 08:23:01 am
 :D Happy Father's Day to those that celebrate
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on June 19, 2022, 11:55:08 am
:D Happy Father's Day to those that celebrate

Same to you. Have a good one.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on July 19, 2022, 11:06:12 pm
I've been in Edmonton visiting my family.  Things aren't that good.

Mom has about a year left to live, they figure.  She's in her early sixties.  That's how things go in my family. The cancer started in her lady parts, metastasized, and they've been trying to treat it, but it looks like the part that spread to her intestines is what will finish her off.   Mom and I aren't close, to say the least, so this isn't a big blow to me.  But... she may be a physically abusive, emotionally abusive abusive alcoholic, but she's still my mom. Movies have conditioned me to believe that before she is gone for good we're supposed to have some kind of moment together. Is that realistic? Should I try to make this happen? Should I care much if it doesn't happen? I don't know.

Dad is a wreck.  He's in his late sixties and his brain seems to be declining faster than it should for his age. Probably anxiety over mom is a factor in that. The medical troubles he had last year probably didn't help either. Still, he's not old enough to be declining this fast. He can't remember stuff that he used to. We were out driving to his sister's place west of Edmonton and he was looking for a place where the pavement turns to gravel as a landmark where we were supposed to turn. But that gravel was paved 30 years ago, and he used to know that. He used to be so smart and so capable and now he seems like a shadow of his old self.

And my brother is ... no help at all. He's mostly just trying to scam money out of dad. He has managed to convince Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped to classify him as "severely disabled" due to chronic depression, but I have a hard time seeing it. I'm not ignorant of mental health struggles. I've fought my own battles on that front for much of my life. I know it isn't easy. But when I am with him, I just don't buy it. I don't sense it at all. I don't feel someone who is too depressed to work, I just sense someone who feels entitled not to work. I've had to fight and claw for everything I have in life, and I've done a pretty good job for myself without any help from my parents or the government or anybody else. I look at my brother and see a guy who had all the ability in the world who couldn't do anything with it and has only survived by leeching off my parents and by abusing government programs and I just can't respect him. And you'd think that since he's being paid by the government to do nothing, he could spend some of his copious free time to help out my parents who desperately need it, but he doesn't. He's more or less useless. I got there and mom and dad had this list of chores for me to do, which I was happy to do for them, but it occurred to me that they could have asked my brother to do this stuff, but they didn't, because he's useless and they know he can't be bothered to do much of anything. He does the bare minimum to help them, and when he does he has his hand out for money. Gas money, food money, etc. They give him lots of money, and probably most of it he spends on his online gaming habits or on fast food. Just really disappointed in him.  Thinking back as long as I can remember, I'm not sure if he's ever done anything that didn't directly benefit himself. Is that the definition of a sociopath?

Anyway, wasn't a good visit. 

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on July 19, 2022, 11:50:32 pm
Sometimes it’s ok to pull back for your own mental health and happiness.   

My dad died of liver cancer.  I’m sure he was a good guy at some point, but not in my lifetime.  Why should I expose myself to that, just cuz he was dying?  Did dying make him not a dick?  Maybe…. I doubt it….  and I wasn’t going to find out.

Take care of yourself and your current loved ones/family. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on July 20, 2022, 10:56:44 am
Sorry kimmy.

Joan's family has a similar sibling.  The only thing she has going for her is her daughter, and she has come to use this little girl as a bargaining chip to get anything she wants.

As for your mom, I had an uncle estranged from two sons.  After he was diagnosed, he tried to reach out.  One did, and one didn't and I didn't hear regrets from either. 

My advice is to armour your heart and think of it almost like a gift to a stranger.  It could be good kharmically.  But it's absolutely your choice and your voice.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on July 21, 2022, 09:54:24 pm
You have to do what you think is right for you.  Not my place to preach regarding a relationship I know nothing about but my only thought is that if you try and and you don't have that moment with your mom, a least you can look back knowing that you tried.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: eyeball on July 22, 2022, 02:46:59 pm
Movies have conditioned me to believe that before she is gone for good we're supposed to have some kind of moment together. Is that realistic? Should I try to make this happen? Should I care much if it doesn't happen? I don't know.

 -k
My wife had a rocky unloving relationship with her mother who in turn had similar relationship with her mother. My wife was always hopeful but it didn't really ever work out. A lot was left unsaid and unresolved. My wife and daughter OTOH are like best friends. I guess hope manifests in different ways.

There's always hope.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on July 22, 2022, 03:40:26 pm
I can only go from my personal experience in that I regret things I didn't say when I still had the chance, more than things I did say.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on July 22, 2022, 03:52:39 pm
I know so many from damaged families who are turning it around with their kids.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Dia on July 22, 2022, 06:01:16 pm
My mother and I were not close, but when she was at the end of her life, my sister and I took care of her.  There were no momentous reveals or resolution of our issues, but it was still one of the most rewarding times of my life, although I can't really say why.  YMMV of course.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: eyeball on July 22, 2022, 09:16:26 pm
I know so many from damaged families who are turning it around with their kids.
Mine was a little dinged up alright but far from being demolished compared to some that I've seen. Most of my old cohorts that I still call friends had more or less the same background. I certainly know more tighter families now than I did when I was a kid but that's probably a result of having lived in the same place for nearly 50 years as opposed to the multiple neighbourhoods I grew up in.  My wife and I live as a-partners, under separate roofs on the same property running the same business - our kids and grand-kids however are the strongest thing keeping us bound together.

I had my granddaughter out on the boat today. Of course that meant I had to let a couple other kids onboard that she made friends with come up to the wheelhouse too. Apparently it's pretty cool when your papa's Capt.
 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on July 23, 2022, 05:29:56 am
Well that sounds cool I very much doubt I will live to see my grandkids.

My observations are that the world cares more and so families are more precious.

Birth control and abortion ensure kids today are wanted.  There's no wars to take daddy away and make him damaged.  Violence is shunned and hitting the child is illegal.

Like this.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on July 26, 2022, 07:20:13 pm
Camping with the kids plus the niece in My. Ontario.
Lots of work and Joan and I are bickering a lot.

But still, it feels good to be building memories for these kids.  And the setting is idyllic.

Love to everyone...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Black Dog on July 27, 2022, 09:45:10 am
Camping with the kids plus the niece in My. Ontario.
Lots of work and Joan and I are bickering a lot.

But still, it feels good to be building memories for these kids.  And the setting is idyllic.

Love to everyone...

You couldn't pay me enough to go camping with a kid/kids, so godspeed.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on July 28, 2022, 05:15:55 am
Ok, as the stress day of travel+setup floats into the distance, we are doing better. 
LOTS of kids here, which is an amazing opportunity for our little ones to grow socially... maybe the most important thing for them to learn now.

Meltdowns, bugs, and such still happening.

Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on August 02, 2022, 01:50:55 am
I hope the camping trip goes well.    For me when I think back on the camping trips we went on when I was little, I only remember the good parts.



Thank you everyone for your thoughts. My family is a mess. I don't know what to do, but I guess the bright side is that I don't really need to do anything. I moved away from them for a reason.

On the bright side, Lindsey's family love me. Her niece and nephew call me Auntie. :)


 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on August 02, 2022, 07:28:23 am
It was hard for us but we definitely made memories and we will do this every year....
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on August 26, 2022, 01:00:28 am
I've been in Edmonton visiting my family.  Things aren't that good.

Mom has about a year left to live, they figure.

So I was back  in Edmonton again last week, as mom is now in hospice. She went downhill so rapidly, and rather than a year to live she will be dead before September. She is applying for assisted death. The cancer attacked her intestines so aggressively that she is bleeding heavily inside, and her hemoglobin levels have fallen through the floor. She has no energy left. The slightest activity tires her. She can't even get out of bed now.

She told me that she loves me, and that she is proud of me.  Those feel like two of the biggest lies she has ever told me. She never missed an opportunity to remind me that I was unplanned and unwanted. Nonetheless I was a complete wreck all week.  I don't think I was actually distraught over mom, I think it was more like I was grieving the relationship that I never even got to have with her.  Meanwhile my little brother, the one who was constantly doted upon, he could barely have seemed less concerned with it all.  It seemed more like an annoyance for him... something that was taking up his valuable time and cramping his social life.

Lindsey was there with me for a couple of days, and she was a big help.  Everybody appreciated how strong and steady she was, especially when dad and I were completely falling apart.

I think I'm fairly at peace with things right now.  We've hardly talked for about 15 years.  We said our goodbyes.  I think I feel okay with closing this chapter.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on August 27, 2022, 06:09:27 am
Oh kimmy I'm sorry.  I guess it unfolded as it had to.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Dia on August 27, 2022, 01:52:35 pm
I'm glad there was some kind of closure for you.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on August 27, 2022, 04:10:46 pm
The trip to end all trips is done.

We went to the southern USA and all things "family" make sense to me now: family restaurants, family attractions, family parks.  All are necessary things.   

So much family ....
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on August 27, 2022, 08:56:37 pm
Glad you didn't get shot.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on August 27, 2022, 09:53:47 pm
So I was back  in Edmonton again last week, as mom is now in hospice. She went downhill so rapidly, and rather than a year to live she will be dead before September. She is applying for assisted death. The cancer attacked her intestines so aggressively that she is bleeding heavily inside, and her hemoglobin levels have fallen through the floor. She has no energy left. The slightest activity tires her. She can't even get out of bed now.

She told me that she loves me, and that she is proud of me.  Those feel like two of the biggest lies she has ever told me. She never missed an opportunity to remind me that I was unplanned and unwanted. Nonetheless I was a complete wreck all week.  I don't think I was actually distraught over mom, I think it was more like I was grieving the relationship that I never even got to have with her.  Meanwhile my little brother, the one who was constantly doted upon, he could barely have seemed less concerned with it all.  It seemed more like an annoyance for him... something that was taking up his valuable time and cramping his social life.

Lindsey was there with me for a couple of days, and she was a big help.  Everybody appreciated how strong and steady she was, especially when dad and I were completely falling apart.

I think I'm fairly at peace with things right now.  We've hardly talked for about 15 years.  We said our goodbyes.  I think I feel okay with closing this chapter.

 -k

Sorry to hear about your mom's decline.

Your family dynamics aren't that rare, if it's any solace.  I've seen it before quite a few people/families I know.  It's also extremely common for moms to coddle their sons.  Some kind of Freudian thing that happens with many mothers.  Growing up being coddled for 20+ years is almost as bad for someone as outright abuse/neglect.  It's also common for mothers and daughters to be at each other's throats, again some kind of Freudian thing.

Your mom sounds like someone who needs to be in control and doesn't like a daughter or anyone else in her life with their own mind who challenges her, and can say no to her.  And this causes fights, among other things.  Maybe she even behaves a lot of the time like a kind of tyrant.  I imagine your brother was the compliant one, and probably your dad too.  Anyways, i'm sure it was the right thing to remove yourself from an unhealthy situation, while your brother is trapped in a permanent state of childhood-like dependence instead of being able to take on all the responsibilities adulthood requires us all.  Everyone needs to set their own boundaries and enforce them when someone continually crosses them, so good for you.  It's not your fault if someone won't respect them.

I wish you, your mom, and your family good luck.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on August 28, 2022, 07:15:33 am
Glad you didn't get shot.

Yeah me too, although I felt safe the entire trip.  I even went through some sketchy areas and still felt safe.

Culturally, southern Pennsylvania was the most alienating.  We were off the interstate and driving through pathetic small towns with handmade Trump signs. The general poverty that's constantly visible in the richest country is always heartbreaking to me.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on August 28, 2022, 07:24:24 am
My sister-in-law had an odd mix of both of these.  Huge vicious fighting with the MIL and yet also coddled and dependent.

Now that I am parenting I can understand the difficulty in raising children.  The wisdom and discipline required is almost impossible to find in the average person

Given the typical selfish person out there it's amazing that the community persists.  Maybe it does take a village to raise the child.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on August 30, 2022, 07:23:37 am
Being home after the big trip is a little odd.

Without the feeling of being a refugee, deadlines and so on the stress is less.  However when I was on "vacation" we had respite and I'm back to the day to day of being a parent.  I'm still not sure if I'm cut out for this.  For sure, it erodes your relationship with your partner into a functional arrangement to provide for the kids and to try - befuddledly - to keep yourself and your mate happy.

What's clear to me is that I have nobody to talk to, who can relate or be in any way helpful on these things.

With Joan going back to work in the new year a whole host of new problems will come up, while others will get solved.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on August 31, 2022, 10:19:01 pm
Oh kimmy I'm sorry.  I guess it unfolded as it had to.

She passed away Monday afternoon, with medical assistance. She was quite content and in fact glad that it was over. She phoned me at work Monday, a couple of hours before it happened. It was an extremely difficult phone call.  It was kind of surreal talking to her knowing that she would be dead in a couple of hours.   She again told me that she was proud of me, and that she would see me again in the afterlife.  Since neither of us actually believe in an afterlife, that was an odd thing for her to tell me, but I guess she was just trying to support me. It's funny to me that she was the one who was dying and I was the one that needed support. Regardless, she was remarkably composed and uncharacteristically kind.

My brother told me afterward that they had a bit of a party in the room while they were waiting for the event.  Everybody had wine or other drinks. Mom was the only sober person in the room, which is ironically the exact opposite of how she lived most of her adult life.

Anyway. I'm feeling okay right now. I've had a while to prepare mentally for this, and although last week was extremely difficult, I am okay.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on August 31, 2022, 10:19:54 pm
The trip to end all trips is done.

We went to the southern USA and all things "family" make sense to me now: family restaurants, family attractions, family parks.  All are necessary things.   

So much family ....

Where all did you go? 

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on September 01, 2022, 07:53:06 am
Where all did you go? 

 -k

Weird assembledge of visits to satisfy family/friend visits and also have some family time *somewhere* memorable.

We ended up finding resorts last-minute on the US atlantic coast, where we went for two weeks.  But before that we cottaged with friends, camped at a provincial park for a week (with Easy and p-kimmy's lil 6-year old cousin.  f*** that was hard) and then a road trip to E. Ontario and Quebec for a week or so.

 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on September 01, 2022, 08:11:22 am
She passed away Monday afternoon, with medical assistance. She was quite content and in fact glad that it was over. She phoned me at work Monday, a couple of hours before it happened. It was an extremely difficult phone call.  It was kind of surreal talking to her knowing that she would be dead in a couple of hours.   She again told me that she was proud of me, and that she would see me again in the afterlife.  Since neither of us actually believe in an afterlife, that was an odd thing for her to tell me, but I guess she was just trying to support me. It's funny to me that she was the one who was dying and I was the one that needed support. Regardless, she was remarkably composed and uncharacteristically kind.

My brother told me afterward that they had a bit of a party in the room while they were waiting for the event.  Everybody had wine or other drinks. Mom was the only sober person in the room, which is ironically the exact opposite of how she lived most of her adult life.

Anyway. I'm feeling okay right now. I've had a while to prepare mentally for this, and although last week was extremely difficult, I am okay.

 -k

I am glad to hear you're ok.

It seems to me that facing the void... imminently... must clear our all of one's petty concerns and earthly pains.  I may have mentioned an uncle that seemed irredeemable that did the same thing as your mom. 

As a parent, I can say with perfect certainty that she loved you and held you at some point with the purest and least selfish love in her heart.  Whatever issues permeated her life and your relationship in the years that followed don't erase that, and I can only hope that she felt it again in the end.  At least, she did want to care from you as you say.

What I hope you get out of it is that even your poor broken mother saw what an incredible person you are and maybe saw wonder as to the positivity you bring into the world and felt proud.   

Now I'm upset, but since I don't "know" any of the people involved here I suppose it's just the eternal sadness+joy of our human condition.
  F*** parenthood and what it did to my previously cold heart....
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on September 01, 2022, 09:53:46 pm
Sorry to hear kimmy.  That was a fast decline.  I had a family friend in hospice several years ago, everyone waiting around for her last breathe. That wasn't fun I didn't want to be there for that, so I left.

Glad you seem at peace with things.

Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on September 05, 2022, 07:29:10 pm
Easy starting JK this week.  Joan is stressed.

Easy is cute, fun, personable, conversational and smart.

But... he won't do what you tell him if he doesn't feel like it and he'll shove a kid sometimes.

I'm a little worried because she is, but we know parents who were in the same situation and this phase should just end.

I'm not a Mom though I am a Dad.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on September 05, 2022, 08:21:30 pm
But... he won't do what you tell him if he doesn't feel like it and he'll shove a kid sometimes.

If it were me, personally, in this situation I would make my child do what they're told and punish them until they do it.  It sounds like a battle of wills that the child is winning.  If a child can ultimately just get away with doing whatever they feel like that's a dangerous situation to be in as a parent, so I feel your pain.  You have to punish them and then let them scream and howl and punch and throw every tantrum imaginable but persist and don't let this break your resolve.  It's a battle of wills.  When the child sees that you won't bend despite all their tantrums then they should stop throwing tantrums because they know it's pointless and will have no effect on you.  They will know you are the boss.

I have no idea about your specific situation but a lot of kids will use all the manipulation tactics at their disposal to make the parent feel guilt for punishing them in order to eventually get their way. Long ago most parents wouldn't give a hoot since parenting was stricter, and the kids would eventually fall in line and do what they are told because they knew they weren't going to win.  So it comes down to who controls who?

The older the child gets the harder it will be to break them because they're used to ultimately getting their way.  When they're a toddler it's harder to discipline them but when they're old enough to understand consequences and punishment it gets easier.  Punishment doesn't have to be done out of anger, it just has to be persistent and consistent so that the child falls in line.  If a parent shows the child they feel bad for punishing them, if the child is manipulative they can try to use this to their advantage.

Even as a toddler in the terrible twos, they say it's "just a phase", which it is, but it's a phase where the child is trying to assert their independence and dominance over their parents and other people in authority.  It's usually only a phase because the situation will eventually resolve itself over time:  the parents will assert control and get their way, or the child will, and patterns between them will develop.

Great example (I think you have open Youtube to watch: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2SDsrd1lvo

I once volunteered at an elementary school and there was a student around grade 1 that had oppositional defiant disorder.  I don't know the cause of that situation but it was tough, and the school's solution was to just let the child do as they wish when they wouldn't do as they're told.  I have no idea if that was the right call in that specific case since i'm no child psychologist.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on September 05, 2022, 09:36:37 pm
Thanks for the advice.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on September 05, 2022, 11:36:12 pm
Thanks for the advice.

I could also be totally off since I don't know your situation, apologies if so.  Either way, good luck with Easy hope he enjoys school.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on September 07, 2022, 08:45:02 am
Easy is currently in his first hour of JK and if he gets expelled day 1 it will be better than having to deal with Joan's stress vibes for another day...

omg kids wreck your life....

Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on September 07, 2022, 10:24:41 am
Easy is currently in his first hour of JK and if he gets expelled day 1 it will be better than having to deal with Joan's stress vibes for another day...

omg kids wreck your life....

You people need to chill. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on September 07, 2022, 10:35:54 am
You people need to chill.

Do you have kids ?  I fergawt...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on September 07, 2022, 01:18:37 pm
Easy is currently in his first hour of JK and if he gets expelled day 1 it will be better than having to deal with Joan's stress vibes for another day...

omg kids wreck your life....

Easy is kindergarten Hitler.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on September 08, 2022, 12:54:53 pm
Do you have kids ?  I fergawt...

I’ve owned cats…. trust me when I say…. I know what it’s like. 

I’ve lost many good friends to kids….

Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on September 08, 2022, 01:35:41 pm
Trust me when I say...you have no idea.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on September 08, 2022, 02:05:35 pm
Trust me when I say...you have no idea.

Cats are more difficult than kids.  We just don’t complain like parents do….  Kids are simple. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on September 08, 2022, 02:21:00 pm
You probably wouldn't die for your cat though.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on September 08, 2022, 02:44:38 pm
You probably wouldn't die for your cat though.

The way most people b!tch about their kids, and how their lives suck because of them, it seems like half of them wouldn’t either. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on September 08, 2022, 03:02:24 pm
Most people? You exaggerate.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on September 08, 2022, 07:01:25 pm
Cats are more difficult than kids.  We just don’t complain like parents do….  Kids are simple.

HAHAHA.

Cats sh!t in a box, you don't have to take them for a walk or change their diapers, they are as low maintenance as you can get.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on September 08, 2022, 10:36:31 pm
HAHAHA.

Cats sh!t in a box, you don't have to take them for a walk or change their diapers, they are as low maintenance as you can get.

I dunno.  I had a cat for awhile and now I have two kids.  Squid is convincing me...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on September 09, 2022, 08:40:07 pm
I lived with a girl who had a cat in the late 1980s. It was inbred and she was allergic so we gave it to a mentally ill drug addict friend. Last I heard he got a notice that the mailman refused to deliver to his place. They had scratched out "dangerous dog" and added "cat."

I highly doubt she would have given a baby to my mentally ill drug addict friend, but you never know.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on September 09, 2022, 10:52:12 pm
I lived with a girl who had a cat in the late 1980s. It was inbred and she was allergic so we gave it to a mentally ill drug addict friend. Last I heard he got a notice that the mailman refused to deliver to his place. They had scratched out "dangerous dog" and added "cat."

I highly doubt she would have given a baby to my mentally ill drug addict friend, but you never know.

What if the baby was also inbred?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on September 12, 2022, 06:53:03 am
What if the baby was also inbred?

Too soon.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on September 16, 2022, 01:12:36 am
I am glad to hear you're ok.

It seems to me that facing the void... imminently... must clear our all of one's petty concerns and earthly pains.  I may have mentioned an uncle that seemed irredeemable that did the same thing as your mom. 

As a parent, I can say with perfect certainty that she loved you and held you at some point with the purest and least selfish love in her heart.  Whatever issues permeated her life and your relationship in the years that followed don't erase that, and I can only hope that she felt it again in the end.  At least, she did want to care from you as you say.

What I hope you get out of it is that even your poor broken mother saw what an incredible person you are and maybe saw wonder as to the positivity you bring into the world and felt proud.   

Now I'm upset, but since I don't "know" any of the people involved here I suppose it's just the eternal sadness+joy of our human condition.
  F*** parenthood and what it did to my previously cold heart....


Oh Michael. You are a very sweet man.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on September 16, 2022, 07:08:49 am

Oh Michael. You are a very sweet man.

 -k

I have been sweet my whole life and I only discovered that late in life, because while sweet ... I definitely *am* catty and I tease, and I feel bad for that.  So maybe 98% sweet.  I also have many many conservative friends, and come from a staunchly religious yet also liberal background.  Our family was forward-thinking on prejudice even in the 1960s...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on September 17, 2022, 12:05:58 am
Cats are more difficult than kids.  We just don’t complain like parents do….  Kids are simple.

And cheap. Compared to the cost of having cats kids are nothing.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on September 17, 2022, 12:14:45 am
I have to admit though, I never really realised how easy kids are until one became a tweenager. All of a sudden the toddler meltdowns seem like a walk in the park.

Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on September 17, 2022, 07:14:58 am
I have to admit though, I never really realised how easy kids are until one became a tweenager. All of a sudden the toddler meltdowns seem like a walk in the park.

Stop it
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on September 17, 2022, 04:17:10 pm
Stop it

I shall not, it's true. I'll report back at 15/16 if I'm still alive.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on September 17, 2022, 07:02:14 pm
I shall not, it's true. I'll report back at 15/16 if I'm still alive.
The best thing is that it is a phase. The worst thing is it lasts for around ten years.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on September 18, 2022, 01:15:23 am
The best thing is that it is a phase. The worst thing is it lasts for around ten years.

Are you serious!? Good lord, I’ll run away before she does.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on September 18, 2022, 09:54:24 am
Are you serious!? Good lord, I’ll run away before she does.

Exaggerating maybe a but hormones are powerful things. It seems like you go from being god to the dumbest thing on two legs. Once our daughter had her own family, her mother all of a sudden became her go to support system when things at home were getting to her, she has two daughters of her own. Her mother's death has hit her very hard.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on September 18, 2022, 02:19:18 pm
Exaggerating maybe a but hormones are powerful things. It seems like you go from being god to the dumbest thing on two legs. Once our daughter had her own family, her mother all of a sudden became her go to support system when things at home were getting to her, she has two daughters of her own. Her mother's death has hit her very hard.

Oh Wilber, I had no idea. I’m so sorry, it must have been fairly recent, you guys were in California together when Covid hit right? My sincerest condolences to your family. 💔

Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on September 18, 2022, 02:49:59 pm
Oh Wilber, I had no idea. I’m so sorry, it must have been fairly recent, you guys were in California together when Covid hit right? My sincerest condolences to your family. 💔

Thank you. Glioblastoma. A fit healthy woman, diagnosed last August, gone in December. We had been together since our teens and married just short of 53 years. I'm still somewhat in denial and angry at what happened to her. I really don't know any other life and  feel like I am just going through the motions these days. It's amazing how many of your plans and things you thought were important lose their appeal when you realize you no longer have that person to share them with.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on September 18, 2022, 03:52:12 pm
That's the life you've ever known. I can't even begin to imagine such a loss, I'm at a loss for words.

I lost my brother at 35 and even though it's nothing compared to losing a life partner, I remember the anger and denial and emptiness. It's a surreal time until little by little the enormity of it starts to seep in.

Be kind to yourself and take it one minute at a time. I hope you have a support network and in grief counselling. For what it's worth, a perfect stranger is shedding tears with you today.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on September 19, 2022, 10:15:17 pm
We spent her last two weeks in hospice so I have been involved with that. I did an 8 week group grief session but it was probably too early. It was 2 months after and they recommend at least three. I have been involved in a weekly walking group once a week and the core group has become quite close. Even though it has been a few months for some and years for others, we are all singing from the same song sheet and don't have to explain or justify anything. I have had them out to our place at Hatzic a couple of times after our walks, last week we were at another members for lunch and and talking about making these get togethers more often. A few of us have met at the Dewdney Pub for blues night a couple of times. Still, i feel like I am just treading water. I tell myself I have to get on with life but don't really know how. So many mixed emotions. On the one hand, I think grief is holding me back and on the other, I feel it is helping keep her alive in me and don't want to lose that. To make a long story shorter, I feel pretty screwed up right now and am just hoping there are better days ahead.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on September 20, 2022, 07:03:19 am
I woke up from a nap and was like '*... Oh... Right...'

Ha ha ha
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on September 22, 2022, 07:15:39 pm
I love Michael Hardner personally, I don't love MH politically lol
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on September 22, 2022, 09:10:01 pm
I love Michael Hardner personally, I don't love MH politically lol

You have it switched around...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on October 06, 2022, 09:18:35 am
Wow.  Life is hard, even when it's rewarding... and people don't like to talk about problems... just distract distract distract....

I can't blame 'em I guess
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on November 07, 2022, 04:57:39 am
Holy Moly... Just hosted our first kids party, ten four year olds.

That's a big ten four.

How do people do this ****...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Black Dog on November 07, 2022, 09:55:41 am
Holy Moly... Just hosted our first kids party, ten four year olds.

That's a big ten four.

How do people do this ****...

A pro tip I got was to keep the party attendance limited to the age of the kid.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on November 07, 2022, 10:08:27 am
A pro tip I got was to keep the party attendance limited to the age of the kid.

10-4.

Well, we had it at a "facility" so... not as bad as all that... although it wil probably end up costing us $600
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Black Dog on November 07, 2022, 10:13:07 am
10-4.

Well, we had it at a "facility" so... not as bad as all that... although it wil probably end up costing us $600

Yikes.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on November 07, 2022, 10:39:24 am
Yikes.

I must be getting better at it... no meltdowns (from me I mean) and good teamwork from my former romantic partner and current child management partner.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Black Dog on November 07, 2022, 10:55:16 am
I must be getting better at it... no meltdowns (from me I mean) and good teamwork from my former romantic partner and current child management partner.

I hope the other kids' parents were there at least lol. We went to a few kid's b-day things this summer and they were mostly chill "go to a park" type affairs. That's the only way imo.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on November 07, 2022, 11:39:43 am
I must be getting better at it... no meltdowns (from me I mean) and good teamwork from my former romantic partner and current child management partner.

Did you distribute loot bags?  I love loot bags.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on November 07, 2022, 12:14:34 pm
Yeah all kids had parents there.  No loot bags but loaded arcade cards were given out...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Black Dog on November 07, 2022, 01:12:37 pm
Yeah all kids had parents there.  No loot bags but loaded arcade cards were given out...

Cute thing some parents did at the last couple of b-day shindigs was, instead of loot bags, they had an "adopt a pet" where all the kiddos got to choose a stuffy to take home.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on November 07, 2022, 01:46:17 pm
Yeah all kids had parents there.  No loot bags but loaded arcade cards were given out...

Whoa.   Dave and Busters FTW
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on November 22, 2022, 01:30:24 pm
Blargh....

Easy is turning out to be super smart but antisocial.... somehow.  He may just be super bored with his surroundings.  He's too agressive with other kids when bored.  This is causing us much pain, it's no easy fix.  More discipline may make it worse, no easy answer.

All aspects of life are so much more taxing than 10 years ago.... just getting by is such a drain on energy.

How you all doing ?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on November 29, 2022, 11:58:50 pm
How you all doing ?

Not bad, but not great either.  A lot of stress over a lot of things.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on December 25, 2022, 08:39:12 am
A wonderful Christmas 🎄

To you all...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on December 25, 2022, 07:50:28 pm
Ho ho ho

Merry Baby Jesus Day! 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on January 01, 2023, 06:55:02 am
And for auld lang syne...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on February 03, 2023, 11:22:36 am
Well that was fun.

1/2 the family down with Norovirus for 24h

Don't do it.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Black Dog on February 03, 2023, 11:33:52 am
Well that was fun.

1/2 the family down with Norovirus for 24h

Don't do it.

This happened to a buddy of mine.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on February 03, 2023, 03:24:22 pm
Update: one more has it...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on February 08, 2023, 02:39:08 am
Lindsey's ex husband tried to drink himself to death last week.  He called her from the hospital and she went to visit him. Brought him a cell phone charger and everything else she could think of because she's good at that sort of thing. She said that the first thing he asked her was "so, still with that guy?"   He knows that she's not with a guy.   I'm a terrible person so my first reaction when she told me about all this is to think that he's trying to pull her back into his life.  She's been separated from him for over 5 years and they're still legally married, and that doesn't usually bother me but I sometimes ask myself why she hasn't made it official yet.  She said that this is the year she's going to do it. She was joking that getting him to sign the divorce papers while he was  in bed after his suicide attempt would have seemed a little insensitive.

Things are going okay for me.  Work is good. I love the people I work with. I've been out snowshoeing. Staying offline mostly. Days are getting longer.

I was looking over my financial situation, my assets and liabilities, and realized that I'm very nearly a Half-Millionaire.  Look out, Galen Weston Jr!   Remember when being a millionaire meant you were rich? Oh well.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on February 08, 2023, 01:09:35 pm
Norovirus Free, New Dishwasher, P. kimmy is a walkin, and a new and enthusiastic daycare participants.

Parenting on Easy is not easy but getting better.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on March 09, 2023, 12:45:57 pm
Family had covid.

Easy got it first... we didn't know what it was... he was a mess but for 24 hours only.  (He was vaxd)
Then me and Joan got it... she had the bivalent vax too and was down for 1-2 days last weekend
P kimmy probably gets double vaxd from her shot AND breastmilk so she got NOTHING but is teething poor thing
And I with my measly 3 vaxes was low allllllll week .... in a fog....

Getting better and taking off next week to have fun with my sweetie I hope :)
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on March 09, 2023, 08:16:07 pm
Feel better @MH
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on March 09, 2023, 11:59:50 pm
Family had covid.

Easy got it first... we didn't know what it was... he was a mess but for 24 hours only.  (He was vaxd)
Then me and Joan got it... she had the bivalent vax too and was down for 1-2 days last weekend
P kimmy probably gets double vaxd from her shot AND breastmilk so she got NOTHING but is teething poor thing
And I with my measly 3 vaxes was low allllllll week .... in a fog....

Getting better and taking off next week to have fun with my sweetie I hope :)

Glad you guys are better.

If breastmilk gives covid antibodies i guess i don't need a booster for several years at this point. (for those that didn't get the joke, I like to suck on a lot of boobies).
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on March 10, 2023, 06:57:53 am
Lactating boobies?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on March 10, 2023, 08:34:29 am
Lactating boobies?

Maybe I am weird but I find that gross.

My fetishes for chubbies is quite normal in comparison.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: ArriveScam Shady on March 10, 2023, 09:33:50 am
Didn’t this use to be a conspiracy theory? 😂
Honestly, what hasn’t turned out to be true when it comes to covid.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Black Dog on March 10, 2023, 09:41:55 am
Didn’t this use to be a conspiracy theory? 😂
Honestly, what hasn’t turned out to be true when it comes to covid.

The conspiracy theory was babies were getting vaccine RNA from breastmilk not antibodies. You posted about that very theory yourself but I understand that your head is so full of garbage it must be hard to keep track.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: waldo on March 10, 2023, 09:57:35 am
The conspiracy theory was babies were getting vaccine RNA from breastmilk not antibodies. You posted about that very theory yourself but I understand that your head is so full of garbage it must be hard to keep track.

waldo piling on: No Indication Breast Milk After Vaccination Unsafe (https://www.factcheck.org/2022/10/scicheck-no-indication-breast-milk-after-vaccination-unsafe-despite-posts-about-new-study/)
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: ArriveScam Shady on March 10, 2023, 10:05:56 am
waldo piling on: No Indication Breast Milk After Vaccination Unsafe (https://www.factcheck.org/2022/10/scicheck-no-indication-breast-milk-after-vaccination-unsafe-despite-posts-about-new-study/)
I love how the goal posts keep moving!  I also love the “no indication” despite no long term studies.  I’d rather err on the side of caution and NOT have new borns receive mRNA into their systems.  That used be common sense.  You people are insane.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on March 10, 2023, 10:10:33 am
I love how the goal posts keep moving!  I also love the “no indication” despite no long term studies.  I’d rather err on the side of caution and NOT have new borns receive mRNA into their systems.  That used be common sense.  You people are insane.
mRnAs aRe DaNgErOuS! Y0u Pe0PlE ArE aLL G0iNg t0 DIE!
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Black Dog on March 10, 2023, 10:38:37 am
I love how the goal posts keep moving!  I also love the “no indication” despite no long term studies.  I’d rather err on the side of caution and NOT have new borns receive mRNA into their systems.  That used be common sense. You people are insane.

Shiddy wait until you hear that you have mRNA inside of you right now but if you drink a gallon of bleach you can flush it out.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Black Dog on March 10, 2023, 10:40:06 am
mRnAs aRe DaNgErOuS! Y0u Pe0PlE ArE aLL G0iNg t0 DIE!

Quote
But mRNA itself is not a new invention from the lab. It evolved billions of years ago and is naturally found in every cell in your body. Scientists think RNA originated in the earliest life forms, even before DNA existed.

How deep does this rabbit hole go (https://today.tamu.edu/2021/04/12/what-is-mrna/)?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: ArriveScam Shady on March 10, 2023, 10:44:51 am
mRnAs aRe DaNgErOuS! Y0u Pe0PlE ArE aLL G0iNg t0 DIE!
I can't imagine how deranged somebody needs to be to push against erring on the side of caution when it comes to a brand new medicine and newborns.  You people are scary as f**k.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on March 10, 2023, 11:13:40 am
I can't imagine how deranged somebody needs to be to push against erring on the side of caution when it comes to a brand new medicine and newborns.  You people are scary as f**k.
COVID killed a million Americans. Keep erring on the side of "caution", chickensh!t.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Black Dog on March 10, 2023, 11:21:03 am
I can't imagine how deranged somebody needs to be to push against erring on the side of caution when it comes to a brand new medicine and newborns.  You people are scary as f**k.

Not as scary as MRNA tho. That stuff is everywhere!
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: ArriveScam Shady on March 10, 2023, 11:27:19 am
COVID killed a million Americans. Keep erring on the side of "caution", chickensh!t.
It ain’t killing pregnant women and/or young children in the “millions”.  Stop ignoring the science dipshit.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on March 10, 2023, 11:34:19 am
Neither is the mRna. But I see they have you scared. It's so easy with you.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: ArriveScam Shady on March 10, 2023, 11:41:13 am
Neither is the mRna. But I see they have you scared. It's so easy with you.
I certainly didn’t say that it was killing newborns.  I said it would be prudent to err on the side of caution when it comes to babies and new medicine.  That used to be the default position until you Branch Covidians came along.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Black Dog on March 10, 2023, 11:46:55 am
I certainly didn’t say that it was killing newborns.  I said it would be prudent to err on the side of caution when it comes to babies and new medicine.  That used to be the default position until you Branch Covidians came along.

If the evidence suggested there was any harm being done, sure. You have no such evidence.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on March 14, 2023, 02:51:33 pm
Coming out of Covid.

March Break...

keeping the kids in daycare for the most part to get stuff done...

Bless you who have had Covid, it wasn't fun
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: ArriveScam Shady on March 14, 2023, 05:24:34 pm
Coming out of Covid.

March Break...

keeping the kids in daycare for the most part to get stuff done...

Bless you who have had Covid, it wasn't fun
Good to hear MH!  The upside is you have strong immunity now. 💪
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Black Dog on March 14, 2023, 05:28:45 pm
Good to hear MH!  The upside is you have strong immunity now. 💪

KYS
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on March 14, 2023, 06:29:21 pm
The downside is you don't particularly have strong immunity and subsequent infections can be even worse with long-term consequences. Continue to be careful and to encourage shady to KHS.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: ArriveScam Shady on March 14, 2023, 06:47:11 pm
The downside is you don't particularly have strong immunity and subsequent infections can be even worse with long-term consequences. Continue to be careful and to encourage shady to KHS.
Well, you don’t have long lasting protection from the vaccines either.  At least natural immunity is natural, and better and longer lasting.  Hey Bubber, is it time yet for your 8th booster? 🤣
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on March 14, 2023, 06:56:13 pm
Why tell someone to kill themselves when they were just nice to me ?  ???
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Coolio on March 14, 2023, 10:08:53 pm
Well, you don’t have long lasting protection from the vaccines either.  At least natural immunity is natural, and better and longer lasting.  Hey Bubber, is it time yet for your 8th booster? 🤣

I find it amusing that for decades, roughly 99% of parents had no problem vaccinating their children during infancy for a variety of diseases.  However, within the last decades, a significant percentage of uneducated people are falling for misinformation on social media or other venues. As a result, some diseases that were nearly eradicated, are making a slow comeback, putting children at risk.

It really telling that many of the media figures peddling this misinformation (Alex Jones, Tucker Carlson, GOP, etc) are the first to get the jab.  They know that telling millions of uneducated fools that "vaccines are more dangerous than COVID itself" will garner more ratings.

Shady, the rogue "doctors" on your YouTube channels are playing you like a violin.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: ArriveScam Shady on March 15, 2023, 06:54:33 am
I find it amusing that for decades, roughly 99% of parents had no problem vaccinating their children during infancy for a variety of diseases.  However, within the last decades, a significant percentage of uneducated people are falling for misinformation on social media or other venues. As a result, some diseases that were nearly eradicated, are making a slow comeback, putting children at risk.

It really telling that many of the media figures peddling this misinformation (Alex Jones, Tucker Carlson, GOP, etc) are the first to get the jab.  They know that telling millions of uneducated fools that "vaccines are more dangerous than COVID itself" will garner more ratings.

Shady, the rogue "doctors" on your YouTube channels are playing you like a violin.
Actually you’re quite wrong.  Parents have always had concerns with vaccinating children to some degree, but that concerned had waned due to a vigorous process of trials for safety.  These new covid vaccines never went through the normal process of trials and safety.  You’re conflating existing vaccines with long term studies and data, with vaccines without that, related to a virus that doesn’t effect children in the same way as adults.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on March 15, 2023, 07:41:08 am
Really what was new was that people weren't used to having to do risk assessments on their own. The natural anxiety was exploited by offshore interests, who inflamed the conspiracy set.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Black Dog on March 15, 2023, 09:48:05 am
Actually you’re quite wrong.  Parents have always had concerns with vaccinating children to some degree, but that concerned had waned due to a vigorous process of trials for safety.  These new covid vaccines never went through the normal process of trials and safety. You’re conflating existing vaccines with long term studies and data, with vaccines without that, related to a virus that doesn’t effect children in the same way as adults.

I would bet my house you are incapable of articulating how the process of testing and approving COVID vaccines differed from other vaccines.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: ArriveScam Shady on March 15, 2023, 10:02:57 am
Really what was new was that people weren't used to having to do risk assessments on their own. The natural anxiety was exploited by offshore interests, who inflamed the conspiracy set.
The timeline for approval was significantly decreased.  Vaccines are usually tested over several years to determine possible long term side effects.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Coolio on March 15, 2023, 11:06:48 am
Actually you’re quite wrong.  Parents have always had concerns with vaccinating children to some degree, but that concerned had waned due to a vigorous process of trials for safety.  These new covid vaccines never went through the normal process of trials and safety.  You’re conflating existing vaccines with long term studies and data, with vaccines without that, related to a virus that doesn’t effect children in the same way as adults.

"In 2014, a large measles outbreak swept through the Disneyland theme park in California, infecting over 50 people. Several of the children who initially spread the disease were intentionally left unvaccinated by their parents.

Outbreaks such as the one in the Disneyland theme park are becoming increasingly common due to falling vaccination rates. Undoubtedly, organized anti-vaccination groups have contributed to the drop in vaccination compliance and anxieties concerning vaccination. These groups often have a strong presence on social media and well-developed websites that attract people to their cause. But these sites have drawn very little critical attention. In order to combat falling vaccination rates, it is important for those supporting vaccination to be aware of, examine, and counter the claims of these groups."

source:  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5489284/

This article is from 2017, long before COVID appeared.  The anti-vaxx movement has been extremely dangerous, and in the last few years, the World has seen the consequences of this. The anti-vaxx people are less concerned about the health and welfare of children, and more concerned about personal politics. It boggles my mind how seemingly intelligent people, such as yourself, can hold these bizarre positions.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: ArriveScam Shady on March 15, 2023, 11:23:00 am
"In 2014, a large measles outbreak swept through the Disneyland theme park in California, infecting over 50 people. Several of the children who initially spread the disease were intentionally left unvaccinated by their parents.

Outbreaks such as the one in the Disneyland theme park are becoming increasingly common due to falling vaccination rates. Undoubtedly, organized anti-vaccination groups have contributed to the drop in vaccination compliance and anxieties concerning vaccination. These groups often have a strong presence on social media and well-developed websites that attract people to their cause. But these sites have drawn very little critical attention. In order to combat falling vaccination rates, it is important for those supporting vaccination to be aware of, examine, and counter the claims of these groups."

source:  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5489284/

This article is from 2017, long before COVID appeared.  The anti-vaxx movement has been extremely dangerous, and in the last few years, the World has seen the consequences of this. The anti-vaxx people are less concerned about the health and welfare of children, and more concerned about personal politics. It boggles my mind how seemingly intelligent people, such as yourself, can hold these bizarre positions.
The anti-vaccine “community” pre-covid was like 1% of the population.  Completely overblown.  Regardless, the covid vaccines were expedited and did not follow normal vaccine protocol.  That’s a fact.  It normally takes several years to bring a new vaccine for use.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Coolio on March 15, 2023, 11:24:00 am
The timeline for approval was significantly decreased.  Vaccines are usually tested over several years to determine possible long term side effects.

Why not prove to us that the vaccines are more dangerous than COVID itself. I mean you're whole argument is to downplay the negative effects of COVID (no worse than the common cold), and exaggerate the side effects of the vaccines.

You must have proof from reliable sources to validate your point..
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Coolio on March 15, 2023, 11:26:04 am
The anti-vaccine “community” pre-covid was like 1% of the population.  Completely overblown.  Regardless, the covid vaccines were expedited and did not follow normal vaccine protocol.  That’s a fact.  It normally takes several years to bring a new vaccine for use.

I just provided a reliable source, that the anti-vaxx movement is growing in numbers, and you respond by saying "No! You're wrong!"

Can you at least try to prove your point, rather than result to unproven rhetoric?

Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Black Dog on March 15, 2023, 11:32:41 am
The anti-vaccine “community” pre-covid was like 1% of the population.  Completely overblown.  Regardless, the covid vaccines were expedited and did not follow normal vaccine protocol. That’s a fact.  It normally takes several years to bring a new vaccine for use.

So what.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Black Dog on March 15, 2023, 11:33:25 am
Why not prove to us that the vaccines are more dangerous than COVID itself. I mean you're whole argument is to downplay the negative effects of COVID (no worse than the common cold), and exaggerate the side effects of the vaccines.

You must have proof from reliable sources to validate your point..

Countdown to that English nurse YouTuber in 3...2...1...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on March 15, 2023, 12:12:05 pm
The timeline for approval was significantly decreased.  Vaccines are usually tested over several years to determine possible long term side effects.

Right.  So people had to assess this.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on March 15, 2023, 12:44:52 pm
The timeline for approval was significantly decreased.  Vaccines are usually tested over several years to determine possible long term side effects.
You sound like a different person from when you were gushing praise and thanks to Trump for Operation Warp Speed. Amazing how a change in administration immediately brings a complete change in your worldview.

Remember this? "Thank you operation warp speed.  Thank you America.  You’re indispensable in the world. ...Thank you President Trump!"
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Black Dog on March 15, 2023, 01:21:58 pm
Here's another good one.

Once again Gov. Covid is failing the people of New York.  Oh wait, I mean, Trump’s fault! 🤣

New York has administered less than a third of COVID vaccine it has
https://nypost.com/2020/12/31/ny-has-administered-less-than-a-third-of-covid-vaccine-it-has/

Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: ArriveScam Shady on March 15, 2023, 05:18:15 pm
Right.  So people had to assess this.
I agree, but when it’s mandated, it’s wrong.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on March 15, 2023, 05:22:20 pm
I agree, but when it’s mandated, it’s wrong.

It wasn't always fair as it was mandated I agree.

You may get a hint though of how normal people felt about the Vax conspiracy.  I personally didn't give a **** about people getting fired at that time, given the sheer lunacy of these people. I have since relented.  I had a sad acquaintance who got arrested a lot.

Just a pathetic conspiracy dude.  My bleeding socialist side feels sorry for his antiVax libertarian ass
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: ArriveScam Shady on March 15, 2023, 05:26:01 pm
You sound like a different person from when you were gushing praise and thanks to Trump for Operation Warp Speed. Amazing how a change in administration immediately brings a complete change in your worldview.

Remember this? "Thank you operation warp speed.  Thank you America.  You’re indispensable in the world. ...Thank you President Trump!"
Operation Warp Speed provided for funding, and provided financial guarantees for companies that spent a lot of money on research and development of the vaccines.  There’s nothing wrong with that.  The approval of these vaccines were independent of Operation Warp Speed, and was conducted by the FDA/CDC.

Anyways, this is thread drift, all because I pointed out that the only good thing about MH getting covid recently is that at least he’ll have high immunity.  But to Branch Covidians, that’s interpreted as shot against their precious vaccines.  So they feel the need to attack the basic and accepted scientific concept of your body producing antibodies during an infection and your immune system recognizing the same or similar viruses in the future.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Black Dog on March 15, 2023, 05:40:03 pm
Operation Warp Speed provided for funding, and provided financial guarantees for companies that spent a lot of money on research and development of the vaccines.  There’s nothing wrong with that.  The approval of these vaccines were independent of Operation Warp Speed, and was conducted by the FDA/CDC.

Quote
Protocols for the demonstration of safety and efficacy are being aligned, which will allow the trials to proceed more quickly, and the protocols for the trials will be overseen by the federal government, as opposed to traditional public-private partnerships, in which pharmaceutical companies decide on their own protocols. Rather than eliminating steps from traditional development timelines, steps will proceed simultaneously, such as starting manufacturing of the vaccine at industrial scale well before the demonstration of vaccine efficacy and safety as happens normally.


link
 (http://chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://health.mo.gov/living/healthcondiseases/communicable/novel-coronavirus-lpha/pdf/fact-sheet-operation-warp-speed.pdf)

Approval was based on the same trials you were crying about being rushed which were rushed because of OWS timelines.

Quote
To meet OWS timelines, some vaccine companies relied on data from other vaccines using the same platforms, where available, or conducted certain animal studies at the same time as clinical trials. However, as is done in a non-pandemic environment, all vaccine companies gathered initial safety and antibody response data with a small number of participants before proceeding into large-scale human studies (e.g., phase 3 clinical trials). The two EUAs issued in December 2020 were based on analyses of clinical trial participants and showed about 95 percent efficacy for each vaccine. These analyses included assessments of efficacy after individuals were given two doses of vaccine and after they were monitored for about 2 months for adverse events.

link (https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-21-319)
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on March 24, 2023, 12:49:18 am
Norovirus Free, New Dishwasher, P. kimmy is a walkin, and a new and enthusiastic daycare participants.

I predict great things for that child.  However, if she grows up to be an alcoholic lesbian, don't blame it on me.


Lindsey and I are getting a puppy!  We're picking her up in about 2 weeks.


 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on March 24, 2023, 07:00:34 am
I predict great things for that child.  However, if she grows up to be an alcoholic lesbian, don't blame it on me.


Lindsey and I are getting a puppy!  We're picking her up in about 2 weeks.


 -k

As long as she's a clever alcoholic lesbian who is a nice person...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on March 24, 2023, 07:42:17 am
Lindsey and I are getting a puppy!

What kind of puppy?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on March 24, 2023, 09:38:41 am
Looking forward to first Zellers visit in 15 years.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on March 24, 2023, 12:57:06 pm
What kind of puppy?

Lesbian puppy obv....

Wait - is there such a thing ?  I was joking but ... is there like a puppy equivalent of a Suburu ?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on March 24, 2023, 01:37:35 pm
Hopefully not alcoholic.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on March 27, 2023, 08:02:32 pm
What kind of puppy?

She's a mix. Part bichon frise, part spaniel, and part toy poodle.  Both of her parents are 50% bichon frise.  We're hoping for a calm-natured, non-allergenic, small-sized, and less-energetic pet that will be well-suited to our small apartments.

Lesbian puppy obv....

Wait - is there such a thing ?  I was joking but ... is there like a puppy equivalent of a Suburu ?

I guess in a sense this is our "we probably aren't going to have children" project, so if we start dressing her up in cute clothes and Halloween costumes and having birthday parties and play dates and stuff that might be the sign that it's a "lesbian dog".

But we aren't going to get her a flat-top haircut or a flannel shirt or feed her generic wheat squares, if that's what you're asking.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on April 01, 2023, 09:48:19 pm
She's a mix. Part bichon frise, part spaniel, and part toy poodle.  Both of her parents are 50% bichon frise.  We're hoping for a calm-natured, non-allergenic, small-sized, and less-energetic pet that will be well-suited to our small apartments.

I guess in a sense this is our "we probably aren't going to have children" project, so if we start dressing her up in cute clothes and Halloween costumes and having birthday parties and play dates and stuff that might be the sign that it's a "lesbian dog".

But we aren't going to get her a flat-top haircut or a flannel shirt or feed her generic wheat squares, if that's what you're asking.

 -k

Please don't. I can't imagine how embarrassed it would be down at the dog park.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on April 23, 2023, 10:57:25 am
How's life?

What's the new??
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on April 23, 2023, 12:53:20 pm
Please don't. I can't imagine how embarrassed it would be down at the dog park.

(https://i.imgur.com/hW9Hrj3.jpg)

I'm just sayin

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on April 23, 2023, 01:01:34 pm
How's life?

What's the new??

We have our little dog now. :) She's adorable and sweet and biting everything.  There is a lot of training to do.  The toilet training is going well, which is a big plus.

We had a disaster that resulted in us being unhoused for a few days. :(   Things are slowly returning to normal. It could have been worse.

I got a raise in pay! :) 

My little brother is back in the hospital for issues related to his cancer surgery. :(   They don't believe the cancer itself has returned, but things didn't heal properly after the initial surgery apparently.

It seems like every time something good happens something bad happens to even the scale. We are surviving, but I don't feel like we are getting ahead, just barely keeping afloat.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on April 23, 2023, 06:42:06 pm
I'm feeling that way also...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on April 23, 2023, 08:47:49 pm
I didn't know dogs could be toilet trained. I was happy just to get my large puppy to go in the yard.
But he's a good boy.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest7 on April 23, 2023, 09:20:10 pm
I had a dog that was three parts Border Collie and one part Old English Sheepdog.  He was smarter than many people I've met.

One time when he was young he crapped in the middle of the sidewalk when I didn't have a bag.  I got all pissed off and picked it up with sticks and moved it over into the bushes at the side of the road.  I was muttering and cursing and he must have picked up on that.

The next time he went to the toilet during a walk he pulled me over to the side of the road, stuck his butt into the bushes as far as could, and went.  All the while staring at me right in the eyes.

I praised the living daylights out of him after that and that's how it was from then on.

Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on May 14, 2023, 06:45:00 am
Happy Mom's Day for those who celebrate 💐
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: ArriveScam Shady on May 15, 2023, 02:55:50 pm
A message to the parents of the forum.

[attachimg=1]
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Black Dog on May 15, 2023, 03:56:34 pm
A message to the parents of the forum.

(Attachment Link)

Not taking parenting advice from someone with no kids and who has never known the touch of another human being, thanks.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest7 on May 15, 2023, 07:48:03 pm
Not taking parenting advice from someone with no kids and who has never known the touch of another human being, thanks.

I'm sure he's been smacked by someone...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on June 04, 2023, 05:04:56 pm
Happy Mom's Day for those who celebrate 💐

First Mother's Day since mom's death, and I didn't even know what to think.  Lindsey went out of her way to be super kind and was super conscious of it and went over the top in so many ways and I was just sort of blank inside about the whole thing.  I spent so much time hating that woman. Now she's gone and I don't hate her and I don't miss her and I can just kind of feel sad that I never got to have a normal relationship with her. I can say that much of who I am today, for good as well as for bad, is because of her.

Now Father's Day is approaching, and dad is on the decline.  I don't know if you'd call it early-onset dementia, or just plain dementia. But he's just not the man he used to be. He's acutely aware of it himself.  "I used to be brilliant and now I'm dumber than a sack of hammers." He used to be one of the smartest people I've ever known, and I work with very smart people.  Now he struggles with things that used to be very easy for him. It makes me very sad.  He's very lonely. My brother lives with him now and is of no value at all as a companion. Dad tells me how much he misses me every time we talk, which is very strange because we went through a period of over 10 years of barely talking at all.

We're just a couple days away from the 40th Annual International Kim Day celebrations. The idea of me at 40 is an idea that I have a hard time wrapping my head around. In my mind's eye, I'm still 28. I still look amazing. I still feel amazing. I'm in better shape than I've been in for quite a while, partly thanks to the dog. I do pretty intense daily exercise as part of my mental-health self care routine. Weights, distance running, biking, Russian kettle bells, Persian clubs, paddling, plus the planks and bodyweight kind of stuff. But one thing I haven't done for a really long time is sprinting. The dog loves sprinting. We'll take off and run full out for 30 seconds and then she stops and finds a flower she needs to sniff or some grass she needs to roll in. Then after a minute of that she's reading for more sprinting. The sprinting is an intense, explosive burst of activity that is really missing from adult life, and I think it's having amazing benefits for my body.

The dog is completely mental.  We'll be out for a walk and meet a hundred people and she'll be completely fine, then one person for whatever reason sets her off and she goes completely apeshit and barks at them like they're the devil or something. And we can't figure out what sets her off. For a while we thought maybe our dog is racist. But no, she flips out on some white people and she's fine with most non-white people. For a while I thought it might be hats, but I wear hats myself and she's usually okay with people in hats. There's no real pattern to it. Maybe her acute canine senses are picking up things that humans just can't detect.  Like in Terminator 2: Judgment Day, when the human survivors in the future used dogs to detect the skin-clad Terminators. Maybe our dog is just picking up something about people that Lindsey and I can't.  Maybe the people she flips out over are flesh-wrapped killer robots, or space aliens, or the undead, or possessed by demons, or anti-vaxxers or Convoy people or PPC voters or some kind of deranged **** like that.


I spend a lot of time thinking about having sex with women that aren't Lindsey. I'm not sure how normal this is. I sometimes wonder if this is some sort of Charlie Sheen type mental health issue that I should get counseling for.


 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on June 05, 2023, 10:36:54 am


I spend a lot of time thinking about having sex with women that aren't Lindsey. I'm not sure how normal this is. I sometimes wonder if this is some sort of Charlie Sheen type mental health issue that I should get counseling for.


 -k

Holy.... now THAT is honest. 

Yeah, Joan and I are feeling the pressures of being parents and I have a full understanding of what the vows of monogamy mean.

I'm actually fascinated with the topic, and mostly how people just kind of avoid it...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Black Dog on June 05, 2023, 10:39:17 am
Holy.... now THAT is honest. 

Yeah, Joan and I are feeling the pressures of being parents and I have a full understanding of what the vows of monogamy mean.

I'm actually fascinated with the topic, and mostly how people just kind of avoid it...

As a parent, I don't understand how anyone in this situation has the time or energy to be unfaithful.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on June 05, 2023, 12:12:40 pm
As a parent, I don't understand how anyone in this situation has the time or energy to be unfaithful.

Unfaithful how ?  I have opportunities for flirting, which is over the line.  An "affair" ?  No, that wouldn't have time.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Black Dog on June 05, 2023, 02:31:12 pm
Unfaithful how ?  I have opportunities for flirting, which is over the line.  An "affair" ?  No, that wouldn't have time.

With whom, the moms at daycare pick up?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Coolio on June 05, 2023, 03:31:15 pm
With whom, the moms at daycare pick up?

Yummy mommy
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Black Dog on June 05, 2023, 04:02:38 pm
Yummy mommy

(https://media3.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExM2Y5OGRiYjA5ODRjMjRiMmZhZGNiMzZhOTljOGJiMjlmYmM5OWI2OCZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZzX2dpZklkJmN0PWc/KDVswimTNahWzcd7sV/giphy.gif)
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on June 05, 2023, 05:25:56 pm
With whom, the moms at daycare pick up?
Among others.  Married people who are desperate for attention, even a laugh or a smile....
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on June 05, 2023, 05:26:33 pm
The moms are all 20 years younger than me so... Yeah 👍🏾
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: ArriveScam Shady on June 05, 2023, 06:08:46 pm
I hit a new PR with my deadlift on Sunday.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Black Dog on June 06, 2023, 10:44:59 am
I hit a new PR with my deadlift on Sunday.

You finally got the bar off the ground? Good for you lil guy!

Post the #
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on June 06, 2023, 10:51:41 am
Come ON.

Next thing we'll be bragging about d1ck size...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on June 18, 2023, 06:48:48 am
Happy Father's Day to those who celebrate.

Tonight I get Swiss chalet 😀
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on June 20, 2023, 05:48:15 am
We're doing School field trip supervision now 😀

Elementary school teachers are BONKERS.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Black Dog on June 30, 2023, 02:49:13 pm
A person I know turned up in our local paper as one of those school board-crashing religious crazies, easiest Facebook unfriending of all time.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: ArriveScam Shady on June 30, 2023, 02:57:39 pm
A person I know turned up in our local paper as one of those school board-crashing religious crazies, easiest Facebook unfriending of all time.
You’re so brave.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Black Dog on June 30, 2023, 03:05:21 pm
You’re so brave.

I have everything you want and it is eating you up lol.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: ArriveScam Shady on June 30, 2023, 03:21:56 pm
I have everything you want and it is eating you up lol.
😂😂😂
Ok, that made me legitimately laugh.  Well played.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on June 30, 2023, 03:22:55 pm
Everything I have is 180 degrees from 5 years ago.

No house -> house
No kids -> two kids
Lots of money -> no money
Lots of time -> no time
Lots of fun -> no fun
Lots of social activity -> no social activity

but.... the weight of spontaneous joy knocks me over sometimes... like 'lil peasy who can pretty much talk, but refuses to say 'mama'... just saying 'mama' lovingly to Joan the other night out of nowhere.

You think you can't cry from happiness ?  That will do it.

That said, I am starting to see myself as a part of a machine... and one that will wear out in not too much time. 

Kind of morbid so I will stop there.

-----

I will add: Canada Day seeing grandparents and cousins, nothing better.

I wish ALL of you a joyous and happy summer weekend with all of my heart <3
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on July 01, 2023, 12:04:06 am
1. Everything I have is 180 degrees from 5 years ago.

No house -> house
No kids -> two kids
Lots of money -> no money
Lots of time -> no time
Lots of fun -> no fun
Lots of social activity -> no social activity

2.  That said, I am starting to see myself as a part of a machine... and one that will wear out in not too much time. 

1.  Would you make the same decision again?  Is it all worth it, in all honestly?  I won't tell easy or peasy of the wife.

2.  I have seen people inside a machine, and ground into the ground, then quickly replaced and the cycle begins again.  It is inhuman.  If you ever have to get out i would say get out before hitting rock bottom forces you to.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on July 01, 2023, 05:43:26 am
1.  Would you make the same decision again?  Is it all worth it, in all honestly?  I won't tell easy or peasy of the wife.

2.  I have seen people inside a machine, and ground into the ground, then quickly replaced and the cycle begins again.  It is inhuman.  If you ever have to get out i would say get out before hitting rock bottom forces you to.

1. I couldn't imagine regretting this. It would be like imagining your best friend doesn't exist.  Times two.

2. All options need is a little love and attention to continue.  But I now get why people have affairs.  I never really got infidelity before.  All it would take would be to be able to do it, and to lie, and I would have a nice break from the intensity once in awhile... 😪

But... Not happening...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on July 01, 2023, 01:01:46 pm
Oh I thought you were referring to work.  I guess affairs make sense when people are looking for an escape.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Black Dog on July 01, 2023, 01:08:19 pm
Oh I thought you were referring to work.  I guess affairs make sense when people are looking for an escape.

Mikey ****.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on July 03, 2023, 07:58:47 pm
Holy.... now THAT is honest. 

Yeah, Joan and I are feeling the pressures of being parents and I have a full understanding of what the vows of monogamy mean.

I'm actually fascinated with the topic, and mostly how people just kind of avoid it...

Honestly, it's mostly the flirting. It's exciting and addictive. I don't think I really want an affair, I just like imagining it.  There's somebody I see from time to time who has dropped pretty strong hints that she is 100% DTF if I want to and having the "yes" is not nearly as exciting as the "maybe" was. This is somebody who if I was single I'd be seriously interested in... but I don't think I could drop what I have with Lindsey for a random fling with somebody I barely know.


I sometimes think back on this post:
2. OMG what.  I never thought a gay person would have worse gaydar than me !  No wonder you end up converting straights.... (admittedly successfully tho)

The truth is that no, I never end up converting straights.  At best I have ended up as a Limited-Time Trial Offer for a few bi-curious women.

One thing about me is that I'm pretty vain, and I tend to think that when I notice women checking me out, it's sexual interest.  They might be thinking "I like her hat" or "who wears suspenders in 2023???" but my brain always goes straight to "she's into me." I am of course rather attractive. I wouldn't say movie star attractive, but at least Network TV attractive. So being checked out, by men and by women, is pretty common for me. And while being checked out by men is something I tend to ignore, being checked out by women is pretty intoxicating. And the flirting, the eye contact and body language and all of the non-verbal stuff, I love that stuff. Sometimes they look away and never look back. Sometimes they smile back, or blush and play shy.

One of the women I think about a lot is the manager of a fairly major establishment near me. She's very pretty and has these big blue eyes, and when I go to her restaurant I often glance up and find her looking at me with her big blue eyes and this Mona Lisa smile. She has worked there for maybe two years, and in that time we've talked exactly once. She told me a white lie to impress me, we made some very awkward small talk, things got blushy and giggly very quickly, and she high-tailed it away very quickly to get back to work. It was delightful. It was so good. I still see her at least once a week, we still never talk, and she still makes eyes at me and gives me that cute smile.

The thing is, I know that most of the ones who do interact non-verbally with me aren't interested in sex. Theymight be maybe curious or intrigued, but mostly I think they're straight women who are just enjoying the interaction in the same way that I am, enjoying the validation and the thrill of interacting with a stranger, without the inherent danger that comes with playing these sorts of games with a man.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on July 03, 2023, 09:28:47 pm
Honestly, it's mostly the flirting. It's exciting and addictive. I don't think I really want an affair, I just like imagining it.  There's somebody I see from time to time who has dropped pretty strong hints that she is 100% DTF if I want to and having the "yes" is not nearly as exciting as the "maybe" was. This is somebody who if I was single I'd be seriously interested in... but I don't think I could drop what I have with Lindsey for a random fling with somebody I barely know.

If you're not happy and madly in love with Lindsey drop her like it's hot.  Learned that lesson the hard way, wasted years of my life humming and yawing.

Quote
One thing about me is that I'm pretty vain, and I tend to think that when I notice women checking me out, it's sexual interest.  They might be thinking "I like her hat" or "who wears suspenders in 2023???" but my brain always goes straight to "she's into me." I am of course rather attractive. I wouldn't say movie star attractive, but at least Network TV attractive. So being checked out, by men and by women, is pretty common for me. And while being checked out by men is something I tend to ignore, being checked out by women is pretty intoxicating. And the flirting, the eye contact and body language and all of the non-verbal stuff, I love that stuff. Sometimes they look away and never look back. Sometimes they smile back, or blush and play shy.

One of the women I think about a lot is the manager of a fairly major establishment near me. She's very pretty and has these big blue eyes, and when I go to her restaurant I often glance up and find her looking at me with her big blue eyes and this Mona Lisa smile. She has worked there for maybe two years, and in that time we've talked exactly once. She told me a white lie to impress me, we made some very awkward small talk, things got blushy and giggly very quickly, and she high-tailed it away very quickly to get back to work. It was delightful. It was so good. I still see her at least once a week, we still never talk, and she still makes eyes at me and gives me that cute smile.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdIT74L8hGI
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on July 04, 2023, 05:32:35 pm
🤔
I get the part about flirting, I don't like the idea that you drop somebody if it's not great.. otherwise who would ever be with anyone for more than like a year?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on July 04, 2023, 05:33:37 pm
kimmy 🤔

femme?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on July 04, 2023, 06:40:49 pm
🤔
I get the part about flirting, I don't like the idea that you drop somebody if it's not great.. otherwise who would ever be with anyone for more than like a year?

People should follow their heart.  Which, for women, is located inside their ****.

For men, their hearts are located in their chests, far away from their genitals.  But their brains are located inside the knob of their ****.

For more information, contact me by email me or consult your local library.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on July 04, 2023, 06:51:39 pm
No.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on July 04, 2023, 10:29:52 pm
Well I didn't say drop her if it's "not great", there's always periods of ups and downs in any relationship.  The frequent wandering eye in my experience is often a symptom of something not right in the relationship or at least a trying time.  Sometimes it's just yearning for an escape from the reality of the relationship and life when it's hard, or sometimes it's a symptom of someone emotionally checked out of the relationship altogether and they want to get out but don't want to pull the trigger.  People will know in their gut which one it is.

Having kids changes everything because you don't just have yourself to consider if you leave.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on July 05, 2023, 05:41:29 am
Right.
Well I don't think leaving is an option.
Not for us.
But luckily love and care abound...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on July 06, 2023, 02:01:53 pm
Well that's good.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on July 11, 2023, 10:04:23 am
Passport office 1h 45m yesterday... DONE.

Kid passports, Michael/Joan passports DONE

Then... chicken wings and food truck... parent fun until the daycare calls to say EZ is swearing up a storm and hitting kids :( wtf
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on July 11, 2023, 02:03:54 pm
Passport office 1h 45m yesterday... DONE.

Kid passports, Michael/Joan passports DONE

Then... chicken wings and food truck... parent fun until the daycare calls to say EZ is swearing up a storm and hitting kids :( wtf

If PP was in charge, you would’ve been in and out in 10 minutes AND with a bucket of chicken so you didn’t have to stop at a food truck.   Trudeau, you suck!  Where’s our passports and chicken???
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on July 11, 2023, 02:09:57 pm
It was what it was...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on July 11, 2023, 02:13:50 pm
It was what it was...

I’m glad it was a pain-free experience!

Where are you headed with your passports?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on July 11, 2023, 03:09:00 pm
I’m glad it was a pain-free experience!

Where are you headed with your passports?

Ours were due for renewal, so we had to do ours and we figured that we might as well get the kids' passports too.

We are planning to go to a BurningMan event if not THE BurningMan event next year with the kids.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on July 11, 2023, 04:09:18 pm
Passport office 1h 45m yesterday... DONE.

Kid passports, Michael/Joan passports DONE

Then... chicken wings and food truck... parent fun until the daycare calls to say EZ is swearing up a storm and hitting kids :( wtf

I like EZ's moxy.

EZ's Burning Man when he's 16:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EORH8Nx6FHU
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on July 11, 2023, 07:10:21 pm
Well THAT ruined my night 😔...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on July 11, 2023, 08:19:33 pm
Well THAT ruined my night 😔...

I'm sorry.  I broke the first rule of Fight Club.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on July 25, 2023, 12:09:34 am
kimmy 🤔

femme?

I don't understand the question. Is this about flat top haircuts and generic wheat squares again?

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on July 25, 2023, 12:20:04 am
If you're not happy and madly in love with Lindsey drop her like it's hot.  Learned that lesson the hard way, wasted years of my life humming and yawing.

We've been together for well over 4 years now, and it's different but it's not worse. 

Four years ago my heart rate increased whenever I thought about her.  That doesn't happen anymore.  But instead of tachycardia I have an almost-niece and almost-nephew that I'm emotionally invested in, and almost-inlaws who care about me, and our happy little dog that we're raising together, and all these other things that grown out of having a long and stable relationship.

Even though Lindsey sometimes drives me mental, I do love her and the life we've built together.  I think that dumping all that in favor of some girl who makes my heart rate increase right now would be a mistake I'd regret later, for a long time.
 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on July 25, 2023, 02:47:21 pm
I don't understand the question. Is this about flat top haircuts and generic wheat squares again?

 -k

I am trying to picture what you look like.... probably not a good idea to do that.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on July 25, 2023, 02:55:53 pm
We've been together for well over 4 years now, and it's different but it's not worse. 

Four years ago my heart rate increased whenever I thought about her.  That doesn't happen anymore.  But instead of tachycardia I have an almost-niece and almost-nephew that I'm emotionally invested in, and almost-inlaws who care about me, and our happy little dog that we're raising together, and all these other things that grown out of having a long and stable relationship.

Even though Lindsey sometimes drives me mental, I do love her and the life we've built together.  I think that dumping all that in favor of some girl who makes my heart rate increase right now would be a mistake I'd regret later, for a long time.
 -k

This is why open relationships make a kind of sense.

I think I will leave it at that.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on August 01, 2023, 02:15:14 pm
Ok - we took Easy to see his first flick - Super Mario Bros.  Suffice it to say it's worth having a kid to take them to movies.  Never saw anybody laugh that hard, almost warmed my heart :D
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on August 02, 2023, 01:51:49 am
This is why open relationships make a kind of sense.

I think I will leave it at that.

Look man, I am not joining a "throuple" or a "polycule" or any **** like that, if that's what you're wondering about.  I didn't even know the word "polycule"  until the FTX cryptocurrency scam fell apart, and now that I know what a "polycule" is I will never forgive the crypto community.

I am trying to picture what you look like.... probably not a good idea to do that.

So, I refuse to subscribe to terms like "femme" or "butch".  I find it fucken weird that people who think that inherently binary things (like sex) are on a spectrum, while inherently nonbinary things ("butch" and "femme", "top" and "bottom", etc) are binary.

Clothes... I usually wear tight jeans or loose slacks or maybe leggings.  I can't remember the last time I wore a skirt or a dress. I wear loose blouses or men's button up shirts, especially men's dress shirts.  In summer, usually loose linen slacks and a loose linen shirt because it's always hot in Kim City. I usually don't wear shorts or short-sleeve shirts, because sun is not good for me.

Hair... my hair is long, thick, lustrous, and blonde. It's pretty straight and I don't usually do much with it, but sometimes I play around with braids or ties, as befits a descendant of Vikings.

Skin... my skin is very fair, burns easily, and is dusted with light freckles in places where the sun finds it. I have the most delicate coat of little clear hairs that are invisible except when the sun hits them just so. The effect is quite stunning and tends to make people unable to form complete sentences.

Makeup... usually none. At most, maybe some lipstick.

Accessories... I love masculine accessories.  As I've talked about with Squidward and Wilbur in the Watches thread, I like men's wrist-watches. I like to wear a men's tie or bow-tie if I'm wearing a dress shirt. I sometimes wear suspenders (elastic suspenders pulled tight against the kimmables when I'm wearing a loose shirt creates an appealing 3-d effect). When I get home from work I like to put on men's cologne (our office is officially scent-free, so I can't wear cologne to work or I'd cause Beta Minion to go into anaphylaxic shock or something).  I seldom wear jewelry (aside from watches) but I have a couple of big masculine rings that I wear sometimes. Aviator sunglasses, in the style of Joe Biden or Hunter S Thompson. I'm seldom without sunglasses.

Hats. I love hats. I have a straw Panama hat and a couple of big straw sun hats that I wear in summer.  For cooler weather I have a pretty beige felt fedora. As I mentioned, sun is not good for me, and I tend to wear hats and clothing that protect me from direct sunlight.

Beyond that... as I've probably mentioned I'm more than a little vain, and deservedly so. I'm rather attractive. Maybe not blockbuster movie attractive, but at least Network TV attractive. I'm built like an anvil...  not very tall, wide at the top, narrow in the middle, and wide at the bottom. The kimmables are formidable to say the least, and the booty is just as much so. I'm in the class of people that if you go by BMI I would be considered obese and yet my body fat % is well below average for a female. I work out slightly fanatically, not just because I'm vain but also because intense physical activity is important for my mental health. 



 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on August 02, 2023, 06:10:07 am
Sometimes you get what you asked for.

The poly thing wasn't for you...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on August 02, 2023, 06:12:25 am
Latest thing...
Me and Joan smoking again... her tobacco, me absurdly light prerolls.  Light beers.  Sitting in the backyard.  Talking about the kids.  Loving each other.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Black Dog on August 02, 2023, 10:05:02 am
I'm trying to cut back on alcohol since I've hit a life stage where it really f*cks up my sleep, maybe I need to find some of these absurdly light prerolls.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on August 02, 2023, 11:59:41 am
I'm trying to cut back on alcohol since I've hit a life stage where it really f*cks up my sleep, maybe I need to find some of these absurdly light prerolls.

Look no further

https://ocs.ca/products/balance-slims-pre-roll-solei-nordle
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Black Dog on August 02, 2023, 12:09:40 pm
Look no further

https://ocs.ca/products/balance-slims-pre-roll-solei-nordle

I'll keep my eye out for those at our local weed store, though the pickings are slim now since most of the good ones have closed since the big Cannabis Store Collapse of 2022.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on August 02, 2023, 01:10:06 pm

In Manitoba, there's a weed store on every street. I literally have more than 10 within walking distance of my house. Unfortunately the ridiculous Conservative government legislated they paper their windows over so they look abandoned. Yes, they're really that stupid
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Black Dog on August 02, 2023, 01:15:32 pm
In Manitoba, there's a weed store on every street. I literally have more than 10 within walking distance of my house.

We had a huge surge in Alberta (at one point there was one weed store for every like 5000 people) and now I'd say about half have closed down in the last year and a bit.

Quote
Unfortunately the ridiculous Conservative government legislated they paper their windows over so they look abandoned. Yes, they're really that stupid

They do that here too even though most of them look like cellphone stores inside.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on August 02, 2023, 03:12:29 pm
I am a lightweight.... still I can smoke 3 of these in a night :)

So...

Also new thing -> I am starting a new job.  JFC.... at my age...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on August 02, 2023, 03:15:52 pm
4-8% THC seems like you would need to smoke three. I'm not sure what the advantage of having to smoke more is. The smoking is the worst, most unhealthy part.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on August 02, 2023, 04:46:22 pm
4-8% THC seems like you would need to smoke three. I'm not sure what the advantage of having to smoke more is. The smoking is the worst, most unhealthy part.

I love smoking.  I quit smoking tobacco over 5 years.... this way you can keep it going all night
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on August 03, 2023, 12:01:02 am
4-8% THC seems like you would need to smoke three. I'm not sure what the advantage of having to smoke more is. The smoking is the worst, most unhealthy part.

MH is fooling himself into thinking they’re “healthier” than cigs.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on August 03, 2023, 12:16:46 am
I imagine MH's voice sounds like Optimus Prime now.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Coolio on August 03, 2023, 08:33:25 am
In Manitoba, there's a weed store on every street. I literally have more than 10 within walking distance of my house. Unfortunately the ridiculous Conservative government legislated they paper their windows over so they look abandoned. Yes, they're really that stupid

Now that pot is legal, Manitoba should privitase liquor sales. Born and raised in Winnipeg, it's a hassle to find an MLCC store (20 in the entire city), and have to order before they close at 10 PM). If one wanted to get booze after that time, they would have to stop by a beer vendor, attached to many of the hotels.

It's far more convenient in Alberta, where not only do they have hundreds of liquor stores, but they usually close at 1-2 AM, depending on the store. I heard MLCC employees are on strike. As Government employees, they already make more than they should, so what is the reason they decide to strike?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on August 03, 2023, 09:28:43 am
Government employees don't make what they did in the 1970s. Many make less than $18 an hour, get casual hours, and have a 1.5 -2% increase on the table as a final offer.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on August 03, 2023, 10:44:49 am
MH is fooling himself into thinking they’re “healthier” than cigs.

They're healthier because I smoke maybe 10-20 a month vs 10-20 a day.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on August 05, 2023, 08:37:03 pm
Sometimes you get what you asked for.

But wait, I didn't get your verdict. Am I femme (because long hair) or masc (because no makeup and no skirt)?

The poly thing wasn't for you...

I know, Michael. I was just teasing.  It could never work out between us... I'm Albertan.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on August 05, 2023, 08:47:52 pm
Latest thing...
Me and Joan smoking again... her tobacco, me absurdly light prerolls. 
(https://i.imgur.com/XujToMT.png)

Light beers. 
(https://i.imgur.com/G2YGGrc.png)

Sitting in the backyard.  Talking about the kids.  Loving each other.



 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on August 05, 2023, 09:32:13 pm
But wait, I didn't get your verdict. Am I femme (because long hair) or masc (because no makeup and no skirt)?


(https://media.tenor.com/z7CCojz4Hu8AAAAC/spoken-reasons-john-baker-jr.gif)
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on August 06, 2023, 07:01:56 am
But wait, I didn't get your verdict. Am I femme (because long hair) or masc (because no makeup and no skirt)?

I know, Michael. I was just teasing.  It could never work out between us... I'm Albertan.

 -k

I think that it's better I just stop thinking about what kimmy looks like.

Did I mention that I'm getting lotsa new lesbian buddies?  A couple of new mom couples and a thruple and a single...
What's a big group of lesbians called?

It's a... a... flannel of lesbians...

They all dig me and it's mutual.   One of the six is femmy.  The thruple is two gay guys and a mom who presumably gave birth.

The scary part is that the single has detected that I am older than I seem and has taken to asking me for my age.  Wth.  I might come forward, but I don't want to be treated weirdly... weirder or weird.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on August 06, 2023, 07:50:00 am
You think you look light years younger than you are? Perhaps you're delusional and actually look more or less your age.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest7 on August 06, 2023, 09:01:17 am
The scary part is that the single has detected that I am older than I seem and has taken to asking me for my age.  Wth.  I might come forward, but I don't want to be treated weirdly... weirder or weird.

One would think, given the potential their lifestyle has for having them be treated differently, that they might be fairly tolerant.

Ask the single how much they weigh.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on August 06, 2023, 05:24:40 pm
You think you look light years younger than you are? Perhaps you're delusional and actually look more or less your age.
I get it, and I wouldn't be MH if I doubted what I have heard since I was on my twenties.

Like what I was 30, taking a cab to the airport one day for a business trip and the cabin says to me.. kind of young for wearing a suit aren't you?

So yeah maybe
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on August 06, 2023, 05:26:19 pm
One would think, given the potential their lifestyle has for having them be treated differently, that they might be fairly tolerant.

Ask the single how much they weigh.

They're all fat except for the femme one and her gawky gf.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on August 06, 2023, 05:27:17 pm
Also... I have aged at an accelerated rate since the bairns came along...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest7 on August 06, 2023, 08:34:41 pm
Also... I have aged at an accelerated rate since the bairns came along...

We all do that.  It never stops.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest7 on August 06, 2023, 08:36:12 pm
They're all fat except for the femme one and her gawky gf.

Yeah, but they'll get a taste of how you feel about being asked your age.

Although I have to admit, I never could see the issue with admitting how old one is.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on August 07, 2023, 12:41:16 pm
Did I mention that I'm getting lotsa new lesbian buddies? 

So out of curiousity, how many of them have flat-top haircuts, Subarus, and eat generic wheat squares for breakfast?

What's a big group of lesbians called?

It's a... a... flannel of lesbians...



 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on August 07, 2023, 04:22:25 pm
So out of curiousity, how many of them have flat-top haircuts, Subarus, and eat generic wheat squares for breakfast?


All but the femme one.  She's the only one that doesn't seem to have warmed to me. Bim guessing that it's the 100,000 guys who have tried to hit her up for a 3way made her suspicious of dudes.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on August 07, 2023, 05:23:57 pm
Why  the hate for Subaru's?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on August 07, 2023, 06:38:00 pm
Why  the hate for Subaru's?
No they LOVE 'em


Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on August 07, 2023, 09:35:28 pm
They're all fat except for the femme one and her gawky gf.

Is that why you like to hang out with them?  Eye candy?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on August 08, 2023, 05:05:53 am
Is that why you like to hang out with them?  Eye candy?

Hahahaha.  I like chubby AND femme though.

I hang out with the flannel BC their kids are friends with mine.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on August 12, 2023, 05:51:22 am
Ok... Day five of camping with the family.

It's possible to enjoy and treasure something, while also hoping that it ends soon 😀.

Our kids are City for sure, but they are charming us with their discoveries and growth out here.  Easy asking to see the stars, P. kimmy enthralled with the dark.

I'm so tired all the time...I haven't had a drink all week, and only a couple of those CBD joints..

Lots of cute chubby moms at the beach, with smoothie lil calves and their hair tied up in a fluffy pompom..

Monday we're at a lake house...
 Talk more later.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on August 16, 2023, 10:40:06 pm
Lake house now... the lake is a great one.  More pompom chubby moms at the beach today.  That's not important, the kids are increasing in power daily.  They can sing together now.  Kinda.

Truly we are living for others now.

Pray for me 🙏
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: ArriveScam Shady on August 21, 2023, 12:18:29 pm
Yep!

[attachimg=1]
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Black Dog on August 21, 2023, 12:34:05 pm
Yep!

(Attachment Link)

Admitting you don't have sex, friends or any kind of social life to own the libs.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: ArriveScam Shady on August 21, 2023, 03:26:14 pm
Admitting you don't have sex, friends or any kind of social life to own the libs.
Yeah that’s what it must mean. 🙄🙄🙄
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Black Dog on August 21, 2023, 03:27:00 pm
Yeah that’s what it must mean. 🙄🙄🙄

That's not a denial, loser.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on August 25, 2023, 05:51:31 pm
I know I am a parent but objectively p-kimmy is the cutest baby that has ever lived.

I'm sorry if you disagree, you're just wrong.  Wish I could post pics but privacy/security etc.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on August 27, 2023, 01:24:45 pm
I know I am a parent but objectively p-kimmy is the cutest baby that has ever lived.

As she was destined to be.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on September 04, 2023, 12:50:45 pm
I have reached a bit of a milestone. I have enough money saved to pay off my mortgage!

But I'm not sure if I should.

My mortgage is locked in for 2 more years at 1.9% but if I put that money into a GIC right now I can get like 5.2% interest. So if I keep paying my mortgage and just buy a GIC I am theoretically gaining money over where I would be if I pay off the mortgage. Then when it's time to renew the mortgage I cash in the GIC and pay off the mortgage and invest what's left over.

On the one hand, I feel like this is the sensible thing to do and if I didn't have to spend that money on mortgage payments I would have to find some way to keep myself from doing something foolish with it anyway.

On the other hand, this is something I've looked forward to for a really long time, and delaying the payoff for 2 more years is hard.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on September 04, 2023, 12:59:12 pm
I think the math makes it a no-brainer to just lock it in a GIC until the mortgage is up. But I was surprised when I paid off my mortgage that my house insurance cost went down something close to $200 a year. I'm not sure why that is and whether it's just my insurance company that does it, but you might be able to factor that into your equation as well.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on September 04, 2023, 01:01:05 pm
Thanks for the tip, I'll look into that.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on September 04, 2023, 10:19:29 pm
I have reached a bit of a milestone. I have enough money saved to pay off my mortgage!

But I'm not sure if I should.

My mortgage is locked in for 2 more years at 1.9% but if I put that money into a GIC right now I can get like 5.2% interest. So if I keep paying my mortgage and just buy a GIC I am theoretically gaining money over where I would be if I pay off the mortgage. Then when it's time to renew the mortgage I cash in the GIC and pay off the mortgage and invest what's left over.

On the one hand, I feel like this is the sensible thing to do and if I didn't have to spend that money on mortgage payments I would have to find some way to keep myself from doing something foolish with it anyway.

On the other hand, this is something I've looked forward to for a really long time, and delaying the payoff for 2 more years is hard.

 -k

Do what the math tell you to do.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on September 13, 2023, 10:41:20 am
Easy is at the point where he can almost dress himself... today I'm working away and he's dressing while he watches Minecraft videos on his tablet... I look over and his briefs are on backwards.

So then he learns a basic guy thing: "Boyo, the door goes in the front"

A few minutes later I look over and he's fumbling again, this time with his dlck...

"What's wrong ?"
"I want to use the door for when I go to the bathroom"

:D

Another lesson: the door is a stupid idea that no man ever uses... he can use that in his standup comic act...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on September 29, 2023, 11:22:30 am
Let the record show: ALL of the white folks at elementary school had Orange Shirts on, NONE of the nonwhite, and LATAM folks did.

Once again we are part of a club that excludes others...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on September 29, 2023, 11:27:51 am
Were they excluded or did they choose not to join?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on September 29, 2023, 01:16:50 pm
Were they excluded or did they choose not to join?

Dunno.  They're minorities though so who cares amiright?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on September 29, 2023, 01:20:42 pm
Personally, I don't care what colour a person's shirt is no matter what their skin colour is.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest7 on September 29, 2023, 01:37:33 pm
Dunno.  They're minorities though so who cares amiright?

It sounds like you're stretching for some outrage here.

What if they all chose not to join in?

What if, like me, they don't own an orange shirt?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on September 29, 2023, 02:50:21 pm
Let the record show: ALL of the white folks at elementary school had Orange Shirts on, NONE of the nonwhite, and LATAM folks did.

Once again we are part of a club that excludes others...

It was the white children who put the aboriginals in the residential schools so they should be the ones to wear the shirts.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: ArriveScam Shady on September 29, 2023, 03:42:50 pm
What if, like me, they don't own an orange shirt?
Good point.  Honestly, who owns orange anything?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on September 29, 2023, 04:01:03 pm
Good point.  Honestly, who owns orange anything?

I now own 3 orange shirts.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on September 29, 2023, 04:01:18 pm
only one has writing on it...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on September 29, 2023, 08:59:14 pm
Let the record show: ALL of the white folks at elementary school had Orange Shirts on, NONE of the nonwhite, and LATAM folks did.

Once again we are part of a club that excludes others...

I felt like an a-hole today cause neither of my kids went with orange shirts. In past we actually did but I wasn't thinking this year which is not really an excuse.

But to touch on your point, I live in a heavily asian area (something like 25% speak either Korean or Chinese at home) and I was delighted to see so many dressed in orange shirts today.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on September 29, 2023, 09:02:39 pm
It was the white children who put the aboriginals in the residential schools so they should be the ones to wear the shirts.

Nah, I'm an immigrant and I am benefitting from everything that Truth and Reconciliation represents. This is something that all Canadians need to acknowledge.

Besides, many white kids are not directly descended from colonizers, it's a weird and slippery slope to draw that line.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on September 29, 2023, 10:01:18 pm
Nah, I'm an immigrant and I am benefitting from everything that Truth and Reconciliation represents. This is something that all Canadians need to acknowledge.

Besides, many white kids are not directly descended from colonizers, it's a weird and slippery slope to draw that line.

I agree, I was being sarcastic.  No white child has ever put an indigenous person in a residential school.  This shouldn't be opt-in or opt-out based on your skin colour.

I don't really even like campaigns where you feel social pressure to wear a certain something.  I like wearing a poppy, but what if I don't wear one?  Am I a bad person?  Am I anti-vet?  It's so silly, it becomes virtue signalling.  "OMG that reporter on tv isn't wearing a poppy or an orange shirt!".
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on October 06, 2023, 12:45:49 pm
Let the record show: ALL of the white folks at elementary school had Orange Shirts on, NONE of the nonwhite, and LATAM folks did.

Once again we are part of a club that excludes others...

Maybe expecting recent immigrants and non-white people to take part in our self-flagellation exercises was a little unrealistic.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on October 06, 2023, 12:52:47 pm
Some guy has been harassing me on the way to the dog park.   Doesn't speak english very well, seems to be a recent immigrant from a culture where they believe western women are all wh*res.  Tries to chat me up while while I'm walking to the park, then waits on a bench nearby while I'm in the park with my dog park friends, then tries to chat me up again when I leave.

"We have party?"
"What, you mean like we're having a dog walking party?"
"No, have party, you and me!"
"What kind of party?"
"We go home we have the drinks--"
"No party! NO party!"

I've started changing my route and also starting to mix up my schedule a bit. Haven't seen him for a couple of days, but I hate feeling like I have to look over my shoulder every time I'm out.  I fucken hate it. Men are disgusting.


 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: ArriveScam Shady on October 06, 2023, 01:02:16 pm
Some guy has been harassing me on the way to the dog park.   Doesn't speak english very well, seems to be a recent immigrant from a culture where they believe western women are all wh*res.  Tries to chat me up while while I'm walking to the park, then waits on a bench nearby while I'm in the park with my dog park friends, then tries to chat me up again when I leave.

"We have party?"
"What, you mean like we're having a dog walking party?"
"No, have party, you and me!"
"What kind of party?"
"We go home we have the drinks--"
"No party! NO party!"

I've started changing my route and also starting to mix up my schedule a bit. Haven't seen him for a couple of days, but I hate feeling like I have to look over my shoulder every time I'm out.  I fucken hate it. Men are disgusting.


 -k
Good idea.  When I lived downtown, I used to walk home from work and would take a different route every couple of days.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Black Dog on October 06, 2023, 02:21:59 pm
Good idea.  When I lived downtown, I used to walk home from work and would take a different route every couple of days.

Soft.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: ArriveScam Shady on October 06, 2023, 03:00:59 pm
Soft.
No, it's just smart.  If you take the same route home everyday, people may start to notice a pattern.  That's why you mix it up.  I suggest you do the same, because you never know who might be noticing.  I don't tend to do it when I'm driving though, although I probably should as well.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Black Dog on October 06, 2023, 03:09:28 pm
No, it's just smart.  If you take the same route home everyday, people may start to notice a pattern.  That's why you mix it up.  I suggest you do the same, because you never know who might be noticing.  I don't tend to do it when I'm driving though, although I probably should as well.

Nah for one thing I'm a burly bearded dude and for another I'm not a paranoid weirdo who thinks anyone is out to get me.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on October 06, 2023, 05:28:23 pm
Tell us how you roll on the mean streets of Lethbridge, G.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Black Dog on October 06, 2023, 08:31:01 pm
Tell us how you roll on the mean streets of Lethbridge, G.

 -k

The city with one of the highest crime rates in the country? How is it navigating all the dangerous retirees where you are?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on October 09, 2023, 08:57:15 am
Oh wow. I'm in Edmonton this week to visit Dad. Not sure if I will have much time to get online and respond to stuff in the gender thread but I will get back to Michael's post there as soon as I can.

I can't believe it is warmer here than in Kim City in mid October. I packed warm things to wear and I should have brought summer clothes.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on October 12, 2023, 09:58:01 pm
Hello from downtown TO Michael. Nice city you got here. Changed a tonne in the last 20 years since we was here. Makes Vancouver feel like a small town.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on October 13, 2023, 02:54:57 am
Hey there BC where you at?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on October 13, 2023, 02:55:41 am
Let's grab a latte 😁
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on October 13, 2023, 11:03:45 am
Richmond and Bay, financial district. I would love a latte! I’m only here for two days for a wedding though and heading back Saturday. Got a bit drunk last night, lol at not catching that autocorrect.

I had to say hi. I’m in awe of how big everything is. I need to come back soon. Love this city.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on October 13, 2023, 12:02:53 pm
Give me some notice next time and I will meet you...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on November 03, 2023, 08:33:53 am
OK - for those keeping track - Easy is 5 now and P. kimmy is almost 2.

P. kimmy is boss **** who can be the cutest thing on earth when she turns on that switch.  She says "daddy" in that soft voice and my heart turns to melted chocolate...

But for anybody watching, make damn sure you want to wreck your life entirely if you want to have kids.  I am not the person I was.  Now, for the record I AM GLAD OF THIS... but the old guy is gone and there's a new old guy.  Joan and I are simple home managers now, not a romantic couple.  That used to strike me as sad and shocking when I heard people talk about it... in my 20s I knew an older guy who seemed like a slave to me... running around to keep his wife happy and his kids... but here I am now and I suppose I understand it.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on November 22, 2023, 01:04:43 am
The city with one of the highest crime rates in the country? How is it navigating all the dangerous retirees where you are?

You're out here burnishing your Iamverybadass credentials and I'm just trying to get to the dog park without getting harassed by creeps.

Also, Kim City has the highest crime rate in Canada. Something to do with all the unhoused drug addicts, apparently.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on November 22, 2023, 01:08:04 am
P. kimmy is boss **** who can be the cutest thing on earth when she turns on that switch.  She says "daddy" in that soft voice and my heart turns to melted chocolate...

As was foreseen

But for anybody watching, make damn sure you want to wreck your life entirely if you want to have kids.  I am not the person I was.  Now, for the record I AM GLAD OF THIS... but the old guy is gone and there's a new old guy.  Joan and I are simple home managers now, not a romantic couple.  That used to strike me as sad and shocking when I heard people talk about it... in my 20s I knew an older guy who seemed like a slave to me... running around to keep his wife happy and his kids... but here I am now and I suppose I understand it.

I'm feeling this right now and we only have a dog. I can't even imagine how much harder it must be trying to raise human beings. I can't even handle being a dog parent. I'd be such an abject failure as a real parent. I feel like my relationship with Lynz is turning into little more than constantly negotiating responsibilities.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on November 22, 2023, 01:23:53 am
Oh wow. I'm in Edmonton this week to visit Dad. Not sure if I will have much time to get online and respond to stuff in the gender thread but I will get back to Michael's post there as soon as I can.

I can't believe it is warmer here than in Kim City in mid October. I packed warm things to wear and I should have brought summer clothes.

I've been British Columboid for over 16 years, and when I go back to Edmonton it still feels like home for some reason.

So, dad really is not doing well.  He's still heartbroken over mom's death and he's not "moving on".  I don't know how to tell someone to "move on" without sounding completely insensitive, but he's really not "moving on". 

His hearing is really bad, and it's making it hard for him to socialize and make new friends. Also, he might be showing signs of dementia. He's 70 now... I don't know if it's "early onset dementia", or just dementia at his age. But he's mentally not what he used to be.

He talked about how much he misses me and he wants to move out here now so that he can be with me. He is sad that he hardly ever gets to talk to Lindsey, which surprises me. I never thought he liked the idea of me having a girlfriend at all... the idea that he's sad that he doesn't get to talk to her is so strange to me.

I wish I had some way of helping him. He's not happy and I don't know what to do.  And after being estranged for him for so long, I feel kind of guilty for the years we lost.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on November 22, 2023, 05:41:49 am
As was foreseen

I'm feeling this right now and we only have a dog. I can't even imagine how much harder it must be trying to raise human beings. I can't even handle being a dog parent. I'd be such an abject failure as a real parent. I feel like my relationship with Lynz is turning into little more than constantly negotiating responsibilities.

 -k

And I know childless couples who end up there, like you.

Becoming a parent makes most people better at parenting, if that makes sense.  Except for the online habits I don't have any personal priorities anymore.

I connected with an old girlfriend from 40 (!) Years ago via Facebook and we have been texting on that platform.  She explained her experience as a wife and mother and it made me realize that the experience just removes the aspects of romance and passion from your vocabulary.

This is why women choose mates in a certain way and I guess I should be flattered.  I mean, when you choose someone as we did you know it's SUPPOSED to be for life but you don't know what it means. Not really.

No wonder there's so much divorce and family problems... People are not raised to sacrifice and share as you must...

Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on November 22, 2023, 05:45:41 am
My advice:

Get your dad to kim city, and talk to Lindsay about how you are.

I know that despite all of the burdens, Joan and I aren't going anywhere.  We're both aware of what isn't working in the relationship but it makes it more real, even if it doesn't fix it.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on November 23, 2023, 03:14:07 pm
I've been British Columboid for over 16 years, and when I go back to Edmonton it still feels like home for some reason.

So, dad really is not doing well.  He's still heartbroken over mom's death and he's not "moving on".  I don't know how to tell someone to "move on" without sounding completely insensitive, but he's really not "moving on". 

His hearing is really bad, and it's making it hard for him to socialize and make new friends. Also, he might be showing signs of dementia. He's 70 now... I don't know if it's "early onset dementia", or just dementia at his age. But he's mentally not what he used to be.

He talked about how much he misses me and he wants to move out here now so that he can be with me. He is sad that he hardly ever gets to talk to Lindsey, which surprises me. I never thought he liked the idea of me having a girlfriend at all... the idea that he's sad that he doesn't get to talk to her is so strange to me.

I wish I had some way of helping him. He's not happy and I don't know what to do.  And after being estranged for him for so long, I feel kind of guilty for the years we lost.

 -k

Far be it for me to comment on your family dynamic but I would like to make some comments on your father's inability to "move on".

It is nearly two years since I lost my high school sweetheart and bride of almost 53 years and when you have lost someone you have been with most of your life, finding out what "moving on"  means and how to do it is something everyone struggles with. Any future relationships will involve three people, four if it is with a person who has also lost a spouse. I alternate between a real desire to move forward and still being in denial depending on the day and how tired I am. I never know what will trigger me into a bit of a melt down. I'm certainly better than I was but sometimes it just ambushes me right out of the blue.

A couple of weeks ago my daughter and two oldest grand daughters came by and went through my wife's clothes. I was really happy that they took a lot of it and they bundled the rest up to go to a charity, minus the few things I wanted to keep. I was kind of cool watching their fashion show. Both are in university, one graduates this year and is really happy she now has some business attire. When they left and I walked into that half empty closet,  I just lost it. Part of the process I guess and it had to be done sometime but there is no good or easy time.

A month ago I was going through a period of really wanting to move forward, I decided to get my wedding ring resized for my right hand. I took it to a gold smith and then lay awake at night feeling like a traitor and wanting to go back and get it before it was resized  but told myself to hang in there, you will get over it. I got the ring back, wore it on my right hand for a day and decided I wasn't ready. It is now back on my left hand but lined with adhesive tape so it won't fall off. I think I will move it eventually but have no idea when. Moving on is a hell of a lot harder than you might think when you are older. For the first time in most of your life, no one really needs you and finding another reason to live other than just existing is no simple matter.

My wife passed away in hospice and a few months later they started a walking group of people who have lost their spouses. Although we are no longer associated with hospice we have a core group of 14. We started out with one day a week and have since expanded to three. We occasionally have weenie roasts after a walk, go for lunch or coffee and have get togethers at different homes. I have had the group to my place at the lake for BBQ and boating several times and we are having our pre Christmas gathering tomorrow at another members home. Even though my family is close and very helpful they have busy lives of their own, I really look forward to being around other people who really get it and are easy to talk to about things that are uncomfortable for others. Maybe there is something like that your dad could get involved in.

Our group consists of people who have lost loved ones from fairly recently to seven or eight years ago, range in age from their late fifties to their eighties and even though many have very active lives, everyone really values what they get from this group. One who lost her husband five years ago and has a very busy life stopped volunteering at Meals on Wheels so she could walk on Mondays. She said it might seem selfish but she gets more out of being with this group.

I guess what I am trying to say is don't think your dad's difficulty in "moving on" whatever that means, is unusual. It's not. At best, moving on is a relative term.

Dealing with our own guilt is also very much part of grieving.

I hope you can find a way to be closer to your dad.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on November 23, 2023, 06:20:45 pm
I wish you happiness.

 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on November 23, 2023, 06:47:39 pm
Wilber, I wasn’t posting much when you let us know about your wife but I was thinking of you so much after. I even talked to my mom about it because we lost my brother the grief groups she went to were very helpful for her.

The first few years after losing my brother were surreal. It feels like going through the motions and life is never really the same. It slowly becomes a new normal and the tears become less frequent and less severe but 20 years later I still cry. 

Take as long as you need and don’t feel bad about the pace. Even if the day never comes, it’s ok. Grief affects everyone differently.

I’m happy you have a support system.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on November 23, 2023, 08:15:15 pm
Wilber, I wasn’t posting much when you let us know about your wife but I was thinking of you so much after. I even talked to my mom about it because we lost my brother the grief groups she went to were very helpful for her.

The first few years after losing my brother were surreal. It feels like going through the motions and life is never really the same. It slowly becomes a new normal and the tears become less frequent and less severe but 20 years later I still cry. 

Take as long as you need and don’t feel bad about the pace. Even if the day never comes, it’s ok. Grief affects everyone differently.

I’m happy you have a support system.

Thank you.

I attended a grief seminar at the local hospice and there were people there who had lost siblings, some of them years ago but it was still affecting them so much that they felt they needed to be there, so I can appreciate how much losing your brother has affected your life.

Yes it is different but one thing I have found through this group is that the similarities outnumber the differences. We are all on a different schedule but the experience is common. Many have said that they don't know what they would have done without this group and I certainly don't. They have literally been a life saver for me. It would be great if kimmy's dad could get involved in something similar.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on November 24, 2023, 01:20:07 pm
Thank you.

I attended a grief seminar at the local hospice and there were people there who had lost siblings, some of them years ago but it was still affecting them so much that they felt they needed to be there, so I can appreciate how much losing your brother has affected your life.

Yes it is different but one thing I have found through this group is that the similarities outnumber the differences. We are all on a different schedule but the experience is common. Many have said that they don't know what they would have done without this group and I certainly don't. They have literally been a life saver for me. It would be great if kimmy's dad could get involved in something similar.

A friend of my mom said to her recently 'if I come over you have to promise no talking about [your son]'. Not that my mom goes on and on, but he gets brought up and she wells up. Her friend never married and never had kids so I guess she can't really empathise how painful it would be to lose a child.

For me it got easy after a few years but for a situation such as yourself or my mom, I think the road is much more difficult. You lose a part of your identity as well and need to redefine yourself.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on November 26, 2023, 12:37:49 pm
Not being able to hear can come across as signs of dementia.   Not making a diagnosis here, but try and convince him to get hearing aids that work first and then go from there.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on November 26, 2023, 01:50:36 pm
Not being able to hear can come across as signs of dementia.   Not making a diagnosis here, but try and convince him to get hearing aids that work first and then go from there.

That might not be a bad idea, not being able to hear is isolating. I have hearing aids. I can normally get on fine without them but find I am missing parts of conversations or they aren't clear when with a group if I don't wear them.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on November 26, 2023, 05:27:01 pm
I have reached a bit of a milestone. I have enough money saved to pay off my mortgage!

But I'm not sure if I should.

My mortgage is locked in for 2 more years at 1.9% but if I put that money into a GIC right now I can get like 5.2% interest. So if I keep paying my mortgage and just buy a GIC I am theoretically gaining money over where I would be if I pay off the mortgage. Then when it's time to renew the mortgage I cash in the GIC and pay off the mortgage and invest what's left over.

On the one hand, I feel like this is the sensible thing to do and if I didn't have to spend that money on mortgage payments I would have to find some way to keep myself from doing something foolish with it anyway.

On the other hand, this is something I've looked forward to for a really long time, and delaying the payoff for 2 more years is hard.

 -k

I was thinking about this post today as I did a similar analysis for myself. I suggest you actually put together a schedule of how things would look in both scenarios. Off the bat, anyone knows 5.2% is preferable to 1.9% but once you crunch the numbers, you have tangible amounts to make informed decisions with.

For example, my mortgage is also low (1.87) and I should be at a threshold by the time it's up for renewal that my savings would pay it off, but doing so would cost me close to $20,000 for the next 8 years than if I renewed at 6%. I should add here, I kept my monthly payments the same so practically all the mortgage payment would be interest but it was still advantageous to dumping most of my savings into the mortgage.

I know psychologically it's a great feeling to not have a mortgage but when you can put an actual cost to that comfort, it may not be comforting anymore.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on November 26, 2023, 07:09:55 pm
It's a little more complicated than 1.9% vs 5.2%. Your mortgage payments are in after tax dollars and that 5.2% would be taxable. Still you would probably be better off investing that in a two year GIC instead of paying off your mortgage.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on November 26, 2023, 08:28:33 pm
I assumed the investments are TFSA otherwise yes definite no no to take out RRSPs.

Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on November 26, 2023, 09:14:59 pm
Putting it in a TSFA would definitely be the way to go if you have the room.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on November 27, 2023, 09:51:23 am
Went to a funeral yesterday... Celebration of life really

There was a gal probably just over 40, black hair, Mohawk probably, squeezed into a short skirt, boots a d wide curvy fleshy claves..

I think we exchanged looks and smiles... Since we were both helping out with the service.

No words, no name, I will never see her again...

Still thinking about her presence.. confident, graceful yet clumsy...

Do others on here ever get such obsessions?

I'm also obsessed with wanting to discuss it...

Advice?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest7 on November 27, 2023, 09:56:48 am
Went to a funeral yesterday... Celebration of life really

There was a gal probably just over 40, black hair, Mohawk probably, squeezed into a short skirt, boots a d wide curvy fleshy claves..

I think we exchanged looks and smiles... Since we were both helping out with the service.

No words, no name, I will never see her again...

Still thinking about her presence.. confident, graceful yet clumsy...

Do others on here ever get such obsessions?

I'm also obsessed with wanting to discuss it...

Advice?

Get a library card.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Black Dog on November 27, 2023, 10:19:41 am
Went to a funeral yesterday... Celebration of life really

There was a gal probably just over 40, black hair, Mohawk probably, squeezed into a short skirt, boots a d wide curvy fleshy claves..

I think we exchanged looks and smiles... Since we were both helping out with the service.

No words, no name, I will never see her again...

Still thinking about her presence.. confident, graceful yet clumsy...

Do others on here ever get such obsessions?

I'm also obsessed with wanting to discuss it...

Advice?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vjcd4CXkJCs
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on November 27, 2023, 10:37:16 am
0 for two.... 🤣
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Coolio on November 27, 2023, 11:09:34 am
Went to a funeral yesterday... Celebration of life really

There was a gal probably just over 40, black hair, Mohawk probably, squeezed into a short skirt, boots a d wide curvy fleshy claves..

I think we exchanged looks and smiles... Since we were both helping out with the service.

No words, no name, I will never see her again...

Still thinking about her presence.. confident, graceful yet clumsy...

Do others on here ever get such obsessions?

I'm also obsessed with wanting to discuss it...

Advice?

It's like Will Farrell's character once said in the movie Wedding Crashers- "Death is the greatest aphrodisiac." 

She was ready to rumble, if you know what I mean ;)

Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on November 27, 2023, 12:37:12 pm
It's like Will Farrell's character once said in the movie Wedding Crashers- "Death is the greatest aphrodisiac." 

She was ready to rumble, if you know what I mean ;)

She was DRESSED like death, but I doubt death could have a butt like that.  OOOooooooWEEEEEE...

[out of character post for the month]
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: guest18 on November 27, 2023, 01:58:29 pm
Delete it before your children learn to read. And maybe your wife.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on November 27, 2023, 03:43:58 pm
Delete it before your children learn to read. And maybe your wife.

I wouldn't mind her reading it.... she's not on here... unless she is Shady the only other Ontarian.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on December 06, 2023, 12:47:56 am
Went to a funeral yesterday... Celebration of life really

There was a gal probably just over 40, black hair, Mohawk probably, squeezed into a short skirt, boots a d wide curvy fleshy claves..

You make her sound like a mash-up of Joan Jett and Lizzo.

I think we exchanged looks and smiles... Since we were both helping out with the service.

No words, no name, I will never see her again...

Still thinking about her presence.. confident, graceful yet clumsy...

These sort of interactions are exciting for me, because they leave so much open to interpretation.  They're probably as banal as can be, but the slightest gestures can inspire your imagination. I can't help thinking that our minds' desire to detect attraction in innocuous interactions is similar to how some people are compelled to see images of Jesus in their toast.


Do others on here ever get such obsessions?

I'm also obsessed with wanting to discuss it...

Advice?

Advice?  I spend most of my waking hours daydreaming about some woman I shouldn't. If you find an answer, I hope you can bottle it and send me some.


 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on December 06, 2023, 12:55:20 am
Putting it in a TSFA would definitely be the way to go if you have the room.

I did end up putting the money in a TFSA.  I've sold this to myself by thinking of it as two years of a strictly-scheduled savings plan.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on December 06, 2023, 01:00:47 am

I guess what I am trying to say is don't think your dad's difficulty in "moving on" whatever that means, is unusual. It's not. At best, moving on is a relative term.

Dealing with our own guilt is also very much part of grieving.

I hope you can find a way to be closer to your dad.

Thanks for writing about this, Wilber.   When mom was in hospice, I thought about what you wrote about that experience as well. It helped give me perspective. And, this gives me perspective about dad's situation as well.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on December 06, 2023, 04:51:56 am
1. You make her sound like a mash-up of Joan Jett and Lizzo.

2. These sort of interactions are exciting for me, because they leave so much open to interpretation.  They're probably as banal as can be, but the slightest gestures can inspire your imagination. I can't help thinking that our minds' desire to detect attraction in innocuous interactions is similar to how some people are compelled to see images of Jesus in their toast.


Advice?  I spend most of my waking hours daydreaming about some woman I shouldn't. If you find an answer, I hope you can bottle it and send me some.


 -k
1. Her butt was many sizes smaller than Lizzos, she was dark dressed like Jett but very Mohawk... which is like native Strong curvy fleshy calves with a heart tattoo, yum.
2. Yeah, but we did keep looking at each other.  I had to stop after 3, 4, 5 times because... well why stir up trouble?  I only in the last ten years or so figured out that noticing those things is a tactic I could have been using in my twenties to hook up more.  And by more I mean more than twice.
3. Yes I know that about you.  I can start posting my thinking on this.  But my situation is definitely due to children rearing.  I have known other people who were closer to you, which I would attempt to characterize as trapped by love.  You love someone so much that you think that revealing the lack of spark would hurt them so you don't.

Well.  They know.  And if you tell them you don't want to leave and start there, but still talk about it you might get somewhere.

We all deserve to pursue happiness.

Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on December 27, 2023, 10:39:00 am
Okay.. hanging around an indoor Playland in Collingwood Ontario.

$35 for unlimited time... After an hour and a half we're all getting tired.

Is a kind of bond here.  I have nothing in common with the neck tattoo Dads 20 years my younger. But everyone here is on the same page. It's raining. It's December 27th. There is nothing else to do here. The kids get their yaya's out.

Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on December 27, 2023, 12:03:47 pm
Okay.. hanging around an indoor Playland in Collingwood Ontario.

$35 for unlimited time... After an hour and a half we're all getting tired.

Is a kind of bond here.  I have nothing in common with the neck tattoo Dads 20 years my younger. But everyone here is on the same page. It's raining. It's December 27th. There is nothing else to do here. The kids get their yaya's out.

Take your kids fishing. You get to do fun stuff.  Kids get to play outdoors.  No one with a neck tattoo is there to bother you.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on December 27, 2023, 12:19:26 pm
Take your kids fishing. You get to do fun stuff.  Kids get to play outdoors.  No one with a neck tattoo is there to bother you.

Not fishing.  Hiking, but as I said it's raining.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on January 05, 2024, 04:29:03 pm
I've been home from work this week with a bad cold. IT'S NOT COVID, I did the nose swab.  Wednesday and Thursday my head was so full of snot and antibodies and confusion that I could hardly think straight, but today my brain is feeling more back to normal, but I'm still home because I'm coughing a lot and I don't want to make everybody else at work sick.

I feel a little guilty about it, but I'm kind of enjoying this. I feel like this is the first time in months that I've had any time to myself.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on January 05, 2024, 04:45:06 pm
I've got it too.

Fully working, fully fathering,

And not enjoying it.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on January 06, 2024, 01:10:59 am
So the stupid Netflix thread had me thinking of 90's music today and I threw on a Biggie Smalls playlist on full blast as I was driving home today. One hand on the wheel, the other swinging in the air while I swayed and bopped to Hyptonize. What a great song.

Next came Get Money and the mood kept going. I was blushing a bit during Lil Kim's interlude thinking of my middle aged ass driving around singing to such salacious lyrics. I remembered the time my mom came in my room as I was listening to Tupac, and she couldn't really follow the lyrics was was loving the music. My dad came overheard and was aghast at the sight of my mom dancing to gangsta rap. I chuckled at the memory.

I went with it, "f*ck ****, get money, f*ck **** get money" I was singing away when I got to a stop sign. Lo and behold, my daughter's ex best friend and current arch enemy was at the stop sign. She heard the music and looked up, and we fully locked eyes. It was too late to turn it down.

School starts Monday and I didn't know if I should let this go or confess. I ended up telling my daughter and she was horrified. OMG MOM!!!

Getting old sucks.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Coolio on January 06, 2024, 02:22:09 am
So the stupid Netflix thread had me thinking of 90's music today and I threw on a Biggie Smalls playlist on full blast as I was driving home today. One hand on the wheel, the other swinging in the air while I swayed and bopped to Hyptonize. What a great song.

Next came Get Money and the mood kept going. I was blushing a bit during Lil Kim's interlude thinking of my middle aged ass driving around singing to such salacious lyrics. I remembered the time my mom came in my room as I was listening to Tupac, and she couldn't really follow the lyrics was was loving the music. My dad came overheard and was aghast at the sight of my mom dancing to gangsta rap. I chuckled at the memory.

I went with it, "f*ck ****, get money, f*ck **** get money" I was singing away when I got to a stop sign. Lo and behold, my daughter's ex best friend and current arch enemy was at the stop sign. She heard the music and looked up, and we fully locked eyes. It was too late to turn it down.

School starts Monday and I didn't know if I should let this go or confess. I ended up telling my daughter and she was horrified. OMG MOM!!!

Getting old sucks.

Biggie and Tupac were at their absolute peak when they were murdered.  All Eyez on Me and Life After Death were two of the greatest hip hop albums ever made. They probably would have dropped even bigger albums going into the new millennium. Such a shame.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on January 09, 2024, 04:28:20 pm
How's everyone?

Blue Monday is coming 😞

💙

I got some troubles a-brewing...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on January 09, 2024, 04:35:32 pm
How's everyone?

Blue Monday is coming 😞

💙

I got some troubles a-brewing...

Great, spending January in Mexico. 25 C every day.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on January 09, 2024, 04:55:04 pm
Great, spending January in Mexico. 25 C every day.

Wow!  Nice! 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on January 09, 2024, 05:00:52 pm
Great, spending January in Mexico. 25 C every day.

Lucky guy 🍀
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on January 09, 2024, 05:52:37 pm
Great, spending January in Mexico. 25 C every day.

Hey!  My brother is there right now.  Tell him I say “hi”!
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on January 09, 2024, 06:05:27 pm
Hey!  My brother is there right now.  Tell him I say “hi”!

Sure.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on January 09, 2024, 06:07:08 pm
Lucky guy 🍀

That I am, sorry if I don’t feel guilty.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Coolio on January 11, 2024, 06:13:42 pm
Great, spending January in Mexico. 25 C every day.

Must be nice....

It's going down to -41 C tomorrow in Edmonton.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on January 11, 2024, 07:35:31 pm
Must be nice....

It's going down to -41 C tomorrow in Edmonton.

Ya, I looked at the weather back at home. Low -13 and a wind chill of -23. That's brutal for the BC lower mainland. Picked a good time to get out of Dodge. Nothing wrong with dumb luck.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on January 12, 2024, 10:39:25 pm
It’s insane, my garage door wouldn’t open this morning. My dog is like nah I’m good, I’d rather risk a UTI.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on January 12, 2024, 10:56:11 pm
It’s insane, my garage door wouldn’t open this morning. My dog is like nah I’m good, I’d rather risk a UTI.

I want to meet the dog that has risk assessment abilities to this level.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on January 12, 2024, 11:13:20 pm
Maybe I’m exaggerating. She probably thought thanks but I think I’d rather pee in the house today.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Bubbermiley on January 13, 2024, 05:44:20 am
My dog sometimes doesn't feel like peeing in the morning and just waits another 12 hours or so and then he pees for like five minutes straight. I envy his bladder.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on January 16, 2024, 05:40:26 pm
I wiped out on black ice on a steep concrete stairway. I’m covered in bruises and everything hurts.

I wish I was Mexico for the winter. Lucky Wilber.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on January 16, 2024, 07:11:54 pm
I wiped out on black ice on a steep concrete stairway. I’m covered in bruises and everything hurts.

I wish I was Mexico for the winter. Lucky Wilber.

Ouch!  Sorry to hear that! 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on January 16, 2024, 08:39:44 pm
Thanks Squid. It hurts to breathe. I’ve never been a winter person but crap like this just make me long for retirement when I can be a snowbird.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on February 02, 2024, 09:08:21 am
My relax time has evolved into 6 am to 7 am.

Who would have thought.  Easy and Peasy-Kimmy also enjoy that time.

Our beverages, for me + them + mom are: black coffee, IOGO yogurt drink, IOGO yogurt drink, black coffee.

After that all hell breaks loose.

Post your morning routine.  ( Inspired after reading a fictional version of Hunter S. Thompson's)
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Black Dog on February 02, 2024, 10:02:24 am
My relax time has evolved into 6 am to 7 am.

Who would have thought.  Easy and Peasy-Kimmy also enjoy that time.

Our beverages, for me + them + mom are: black coffee, IOGO yogurt drink, IOGO yogurt drink, black coffee.

After that all hell breaks loose.

Post your morning routine.  ( Inspired after reading a fictional version of Hunter S. Thompson's)

Get up around 7, turn the light on in kiddo's room, shower, make coffee, make kiddo breakfast, maybe make my own breakfast if I'm lucky, call kid down, sit with her and drink my coffee while she eats, clean up, chase kiddo upstairs to pick an outfit, fight over which outfit she's picked, give up, gather our stuff for the day, herd everyone to the car, day care drop off, then work.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on February 02, 2024, 10:40:10 am
Get up around 7, turn the light on in kiddo's room, shower, make coffee, make kiddo breakfast, maybe make my own breakfast if I'm lucky, call kid down, sit with her and drink my coffee while she eats, clean up, chase kiddo upstairs to pick an outfit, fight over which outfit she's picked, give up, gather our stuff for the day, herd everyone to the car, day care drop off, then work.

Ok.  I didn't mention that I work from home most days.  Maybe 10% of days I go in and it feels like Homer's Odyssey
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Black Dog on February 02, 2024, 10:53:40 am
Ok.  I didn't mention that I work from home most days.  Maybe 10% of days I go in and it feels like Homer's Odyssey

Are your kids in school/day care?
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on February 02, 2024, 12:02:20 pm
Are your kids in school/day care?

Ya.  JK and daycare level 2 of 3.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on February 02, 2024, 12:02:52 pm
Ya.  JK and daycare level 2 of 3.

There's INFANT, TODDLER, PRESCHOOL, JK and SK. 

After that, I think you get your Masters...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Black Dog on February 02, 2024, 12:04:09 pm
There's INFANT, TODDLER, PRESCHOOL, JK and SK. 

After that, I think you get your Masters...

wtf we have daycare-preschool (which is just daycare) and kindergarten and that's it.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on February 02, 2024, 12:09:43 pm
fight over which outfit she's picked, give up, gather our stuff for the day, herd everyone to the car

This is so relatable
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on February 02, 2024, 12:20:40 pm
wtf we have daycare-preschool (which is just daycare) and kindergarten and that's it.

INFANT is crazy to me.  I think it's less than 2 or younger ?  Soviet style childcare for sure.

Then the 2- and 3- year olds get separate classes. 

You don't have JK ??  Where do you live again ?  I thought London... oh... wait... everybody is in BC or Winnipeg but me and Shady...

Let's see...

Yeah I think there are 5 levels before grade 1, which is grad school really.  P. Kimmy hasn't picked a major yet but we think she'll be going for drooling.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Black Dog on February 02, 2024, 12:33:07 pm
INFANT is crazy to me.  I think it's less than 2 or younger ?  Soviet style childcare for sure.

Then the 2- and 3- year olds get separate classes. 

You don't have JK ??  Where do you live again ?  I thought London... oh... wait... everybody is in BC or Winnipeg but me and Shady...

Let's see...

Yeah I think there are 5 levels before grade 1, which is grad school really.  P. Kimmy hasn't picked a major yet but we think she'll be going for drooling.

I'm in Alberta for my sins. The kid started daycare at 18 months and I'm sure daycare has their own internal tiers but we don't have to worry about any of that stuff until real kindergarten starts.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on February 02, 2024, 01:11:18 pm
I'm in Alberta for my sins. The kid started daycare at 18 months and I'm sure daycare has their own internal tiers but we don't have to worry about any of that stuff until real kindergarten starts.

Hmmm....

I've been to Alberta 3 times.  Otherworldly experience.

We finally met a kid who seemed nice ... on my 2nd trip there.  Pumped gas for us.

"Yall from Toronto ?"
"Yes"
"Wow, that's great.  Welcome"
"Thanks you are pretty friendly.  Most people seem to look askance at our Ontario plates"
"Yeah well I moved out here from Ontario a few years ago.  It sucks"

Anyway.  Then we had a relative and her husband move there and we visited them.  That life didn't end well for them.

Nice mountains.

We camped on Lake Koocanusa just west of the AL BC border that time.  Magnificent scenery and not many people anywhere.  Joan got stopped by a Montana State Trooper on the US side for speeding.  He let us go and told us he had never heard of Ontario before.

All in all, I think any place that has your loved ones is a great place.  Worst place I ever lived was Kitchener, and if I was in a good place in terms of social support I would have loved it.

Where I live now.. I would have turned my nose up at it 20 years ago, but every morning Easy and I walk the same way to school... wave at the same people.. the Mexicans waiting for the bus... big Tim getting his bike ready for the long ride... and alllllll the many parents and little ones...

It's wonderful and at the same time you have to remind yourself that nothing matters...
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on February 02, 2024, 01:21:40 pm
Here some daycares choose to have tiers and some are ‘multi age’ so everything from 1 year to pre k. Typically only family daycares are multi age and even then only some. Both my kids did a mix of both. Pre K was offered at a Montessori preschool which my older one did but it’s not its own thing in the daycare system. Only infant/toddler, preschool and then school.

Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: BC_cheque on February 02, 2024, 01:26:05 pm
The year my older one graduates high school the little one will be graduating elementary school. My little midlife surprise, I am back to doing home reading and after school care while the older one is talking to me about her boyfriend troubles.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Black Dog on February 02, 2024, 02:40:53 pm
Hmmm....

I've been to Alberta 3 times.  Otherworldly experience.

We finally met a kid who seemed nice ... on my 2nd trip there.  Pumped gas for us.

"Yall from Toronto ?"
"Yes"
"Wow, that's great.  Welcome"
"Thanks you are pretty friendly.  Most people seem to look askance at our Ontario plates"
"Yeah well I moved out here from Ontario a few years ago.  It sucks"

That kid was right. It sucks and is getting worse.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on February 02, 2024, 04:18:27 pm
That kid was right. It sucks and is getting worse.


When I moved from Edmonton to Toronto in the late seventies I recall my Alberta plates getting the finger.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Bubbermiley on February 02, 2024, 04:21:31 pm
I drove to Winnipeg from Montreal with a friend during the 1995 referendum and our Quebec plates got lots of people honking and giving thumbs up.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Black Dog on February 02, 2024, 04:29:25 pm

When I moved from Edmonton to Toronto in the late seventies I recall my Alberta plates getting the finger.

This was a popular slogan in Alberta when I was a kid and the sentiment still holds strong today.

(https://lautjournal.info/sites/default/files/field/image/202004706ouest.jpg)
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on February 02, 2024, 04:51:05 pm

When I moved from Edmonton to Toronto in the late seventies I recall my Alberta plates getting the finger.

Will Toronto is nice so you must have done something wrong.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on February 06, 2024, 11:37:20 am
This was a popular slogan in Alberta when I was a kid and the sentiment still holds strong today.

(https://lautjournal.info/sites/default/files/field/image/202004706ouest.jpg)

Yup, a reaction to PET's national energy policy. Canadians can be a parochial bunch.
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on February 06, 2024, 02:58:04 pm
Yup, a reaction to PET's national energy policy. Canadians can be a parochial bunch.

There should be a national energy policy. 
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on March 03, 2024, 10:24:03 am
There should be a national energy policy.

Yeah, but not the one that Trudeau The First implemented.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: kimmy on March 03, 2024, 10:38:54 am
My kitty passed away a few weeks ago. It was very sudden...  Sunday afternoon she was her usual self, curled up with me on the couch purring while I watched the Superbowl, but Monday morning she was very ill and I knew it was time. The vet said that it might have been a blood clot or a stroke.  She was 19 years old. I adopted her from the SPCA when she was 14, and I didn't know how long she would be with me. I got to spend 5 years with her, and she was a wonderful pet.  My favorite part of the day was waking up, getting my first coffee, and sitting down on the couch with her curled up next to me purring.  It's the little things I miss the most. I still imagine I hear her light footfalls around the house sometimes, and look up expecting to see her. Or look at her favorite places and she isn't there.  There's a strange feeling that something's missing, even though I know exactly what's missing.

 -k
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: Michael Hardner on March 03, 2024, 11:09:19 am
So sorry @kimmy :(
Title: Re: Personal Stuff
Post by: wilber on March 03, 2024, 04:04:42 pm
Losing a pet is always very hard.