Post a bad thing that happened in your life today

[Michael Ventura]

29 minutes ago, Betty LaRue said:

Thrilled you’re on the mend, over the hump, etc. I hope you are sleeping better without so much coughing. A good night’s sleep is worth everything. Your stamina may be down for a bit.

 

Been sleeping well the last few nights but after writing, this morning, that I just have a mild cough, I went into a coughing fit that had me nearly pass out!  It was a bit scary, I could barely catch my breath.  My daughter wasn't back from her shift yet, she would have heard me for sure if she was home.   So yes, I need to take it easy on this recovery and not think I am back to normal just yet.

[NYCat]

29 minutes ago, Michael Ventura said:

 

Been sleeping well the last few nights but after writing, this morning, that I just have a mild cough, I went into a coughing fit that had me nearly pass out!  It was a bit scary, I could barely catch my breath.  My daughter wasn't back from her shift yet, she would have heard me for sure if she was home.   So yes, I need to take it easy on this recovery and not think I am back to normal just yet.

 

Oh my. Yes, do rest. Rest, rest, rest is always my prescription when I'm sick. And hot tea. Hot Lemonade. Lots of water. I had problems with asthma years ago and I still carry albuterol just in case. There was only one time that I feared I was going to die from the coughing and that is definitely a very bad scare. Hope you just improve and improve now.

 

Paulette

[Bryan]

42 minutes ago, Betty LaRue said:

Yesterday about 9:45 a.m., my power went out. My provider sent out a text saying it should be fixed by 10:45. About then, another text extending the repair until 2:30. When that time came, another text said 4:30. ❗️❗️❗️
Finally, at 5:45 pm the electricity came back on. Shortly after, a text saying the “reason” was scheduled maintenance. That’s a bunch of hogwash, because surely they would have notified the customers in my area that they were to be without power for 8 hours.

 

Good thing that you have gas ! Maybe not in the future if we have to go all electric, unless they get their act together using hydrogen.

 

I watch house renovation programmes where they always say take out that old gas fire, but our gas fire and oven has kept us warm when the central heating has taken a bad turn. Need to keep it serviced of course and we do have a CO alarm.

 

 

[Dave Nelson]

46 minutes ago, Betty LaRue said:

Yesterday about 9:45 a.m., my power went out. My provider sent out a text saying it should be fixed by 10:45. About then, another text extending the repair until 2:30. When that time came, another text said 4:30. ❗️❗️❗️
Finally, at 5:45 pm the electricity came back on. Shortly after, a text saying the “reason” was scheduled maintenance. That’s a bunch of hogwash, because surely they would have notified the customers in my area that they were to be without power for 8 hours.

I wonder how many people had food in the oven or crockpots who got to watch their food become ruined?

Our overnight low was in the mid-low teens. Luckily, when we bought this house, I had the electric cook stove removed & had natural gas piped to the spot with a new stove/oven. The electric ignition on the burners didn’t work, but a match fixed that. Two burners with half strength fire was enough to keep my living area comfortable, (yes I’m aware of carbon monoxide) later aided by sunshine & a warm-up outside.

I couldn’t do anything on my iPad or computer. I couldn’t vacuum. I couldn’t download a new book on my kindle. I couldn’t listen to music on my tower or radio & didn’t want to drain my phone by playing music.  I couldn’t get my car out of the garage because the door opener didn’t work, & with my surgical back repair, I chose not to wrestle with a double-wide heavy garage door.

Am I pi**ed? You betcha. I don’t like being lied to or not getting an alert if it was routine maintenance.

A good thing after the power came back, I figured out how to connect my new Sony radio to my phone with Bluetooth, & ended up staying up late listening to my smartphone playlist on my radio. Cool beans. I figured out something technical! 

 

We installed a 10KW generator over ten years ago that runs our whole house except for the electric dryer.  When the power goes out up here in the winter and it's really cold you just can't keep the house warm without one.  Right now it's -8F and going down to -20F tonight.

[Rebecca Ore]

Have been having some recurring health problems with Belle, my cat, who was bitten on the belly a few years ago and ended up with a nasty skin infection.  Friends had an FIV positive cat and some of the problems with teeth seem to be associated with FIV (Feline Infective Virus), and also drooling and urinary tract infections.   Not sure whether to get her tested or just presume she's infected and do what I can with the eye infections, keep her dewormed and treated for fleas, and have regular blood work done.   Up until today, I thought probably she wasn't going to be spreading the disease since she avoided cat fights, but today, she went after a stray tom, really seriously.   She obviously feels better after treatment for the UTI and eye stuff, but she also proved that she could be aggressive enough to bite and spread it which means keeping her indoors.

 

$30 for the test.  And the average life span after diagnosis is 5 years.  My British friend just lost her old dog and her young dog and one of the cats seem to be mourning.

 

Couple of you have experience with cats, any suggestions, happy stories, unhappy stories.  At this point, she's indoor/outdoor, with ways to the roofs of other houses and contact with a neighbor's cat (friendly).  The feral tom is likely not to live long for a number of reasons, but he could also spread FIV as an intact tom.

 

This is a photo of the skin infection from several years ago which was quite difficult to clear up.

[Betty LaRue]

4 hours ago, Dave Nelson said:

 

We installed a 10KW generator over ten years ago that runs our whole house except for the electric dryer.  When the power goes out up here in the winter and it's really cold you just can't keep the house warm without one.  Right now it's -8F and going down to -20F tonight.

A generator is good. My sister bought one about 4 years ago, but due to the condition of her joints, she can’t run it by herself. She can’t lift the gas cans, and I can’t remember, but hers might be a pull start & she can’t do that. Plus moving it out of storage…it’s too heavy for her. I think she got to use it once. A lot of ice storms & power losses in her neck of the woods.
 

We single senior women are in a pickle with a lot of things. When I was a spring chicken I took on just about anything a man did around the house/yard & my body is paying for that hard work now. I bricked a courtyard hauling wheelbarrows of sand & grading it. Then carried the brick & laying it. Put in a large rose garden involving shoveling & moving barrows of pebbles across the yard, digging holes & planting 25 rose bushes within timber spaces I laid out in square or oblongs.

I carried large, heavy flagstones and dug them into the ground for an area to park our boat. Made a 50 foot path from stones beside our house & beyond. Only listed about 1/4 of the man-type projects I did including chopping tree roots with a maul. That one did in my neck. I also did all the tree & shrub planting through the years.

I do have a gas artificial log fireplace I can use in a pinch, but haven’t yet. I need to hire a chimney sweep first to make sure the chimney is clean. I keep forgetting to look into it. I sure don’t want to risk a chimney fire.

[Dave Nelson]

3 hours ago, Betty LaRue said:

A generator is good. My sister bought one about 4 years ago, but due to the condition of her joints, she can’t run it by herself. She can’t lift the gas cans, and I can’t remember, but hers might be a pull start & she can’t do that. Plus moving it out of storage…it’s too heavy for her. I think she got to use it once. A lot of ice storms & power losses in her neck of the woods.
 

 

With the Adirondack climate we sprung for a fully automatic Generac generator that starts as soon as the power goes out.  It starts with it's own battery and runs on propane.  At my age and with my health issues there is no way I could go outside in a blizzard and manage a manually operated gasoline generator.

[gvallee]

2 hours ago, Dave Nelson said:

With the Adirondack climate we sprung for a fully automatic Generac generator that starts as soon as the power goes out.  It starts with it's own battery and runs on propane.  At my age and with my health issues there is no way I could go outside in a blizzard and manage a manually operated gasoline generator.

 

We're currently house sitting a very large property in the tropics. It has a monster diesel genset on a trailer which required a full training session on how to operate it. During the monsoon season, it's frequent to have several cyclones and lots of properties have a generator, although not as big. The power company engineers are absolutely amazing. They climb up electric poles for repairs during cyclonic weather. And it blows and pours!! We're always very grateful to them.

[Betty LaRue]

3 hours ago, Dave Nelson said:

With the Adirondack climate we sprung for a fully automatic Generac generator that starts as soon as the power goes out.  It starts with it's own battery and runs on propane.  At my age and with my health issues there is no way I could go outside in a blizzard and manage a manually operated gasoline generator.

That sounds wonderful, Dave. I didn’t realize they were that advanced for homes. I knew places like hospitals had them but didn’t realize they were available on a smaller scale.

[Michael Ventura]

The Generac generators are becoming  popular around this area.  I know of a couple of people who have one, including my brother.  I wish I could afford one.  The last I checked, they ran around $10,000 installed.  I see a lot of custom built new homes get them put in.  About ten years ago, we had this wicked storm come through the DC area and tens of thousands of homes were without electricity for a week or more...myself included.  My brother was in Florida at the time and I went and stayed at his home until I regained power.  His was the only house in his neighborhood that had power, thanks to his Generac.

 

[NYCat]

I am kind of like that about landline telephones during blackouts. I've had three long blackouts since I've lived in NYC and I cling to my old phone. It's an expense but I hate the feeling of not being able to call. At least cell phones have made the situation a bit better but they can run out of battery. A hardware store in the West Village had a generator the last time and was letting people charge their phones.

 

Paulette

[gvallee]

I was going to do some editing for Alamy but with the monsoon humidity, my reading glasses are fogging inside the house! 

[gvallee]

Absolute S*d's Law. I'm a close friend of S*d. Hubby is flying to Sydney tomorrow for a medical appointment, back next day on Thursday. Guess what is forecast in Cairns for Thursday? Cyclone...

Remember the generator discussion? Well I have to take over the mile long instructions on how to operate the monster, only half of them are in writing. Hubby got the training, not me!

We are house sitting a very large mansion. If I fail to start the generator, that will be three very large fridges/freezers jam packed with meat lost. Plus the swimming pool pump not working. I'm not too bothered about that one but the incident would likely end up our 'career' as house sitters...

Let's hope that we don't lose power and that hubby is able to fly back at all. Arghhhh!!!

 

 

Edited February 6, 2023 by gvallee

[Betty LaRue]

On 04/02/2023 at 12:32, NYCat said:

I am kind of like that about landline telephones during blackouts. I've had three long blackouts since I've lived in NYC and I cling to my old phone. It's an expense but I hate the feeling of not being able to call. At least cell phones have made the situation a bit better but they can run out of battery. A hardware store in the West Village had a generator the last time and was letting people charge their phones.

 

Paulette

I gave up my landline when I moved from Oklahoma to Kansas. For at least two years, almost the only calls we got on it were robocalls and they became non-stop, about 15 a day. And we always got a couple during dinner! 😡 I did have caller ID for the few legitimate calls, but they were few. Especially after I began giving out my cellphone number to places I did business with. There have been times I miss it, though.
What I really miss is the old wired phones from Ma Bell before the breakup that had a ringer you could hear from outdoors. Many a time I ran out of my flip-flops streaking from our stone bbq near the alley to the house when I heard the phone ring. It was like running a 30 yard dash. I won the blue ribbon. That was before there was such a thing as robocalls.

[Mr Standfast]

23 hours ago, gvallee said:

Absolute S*d's Law. I'm a close friend of S*d. Hubby is flying to Sydney tomorrow for a medical appointment, back next day on Thursday. Guess what is forecast in Cairns for Thursday? Cyclone...

Remember the generator discussion? Well I have to take over the mile long instructions on how to operate the monster, only half of them are in writing. Hubby got the training, not me!

We are house sitting a very large mansion. If I fail to start the generator, that will be three very large fridges/freezers jam packed with meat lost. Plus the swimming pool pump not working. I'm not too bothered about that one but the incident would likely end up our 'career' as house sitters...

Let's hope that we don't lose power and that hubby is able to fly back at all. Arghhhh!!!

 

 

 

Spiders, Snakes,Crocadiles and now Generators?  Oz isn't for me!  🦔

[Betty LaRue]

On 06/02/2023 at 17:05, gvallee said:

Absolute S*d's Law. I'm a close friend of S*d. Hubby is flying to Sydney tomorrow for a medical appointment, back next day on Thursday. Guess what is forecast in Cairns for Thursday? Cyclone...

Remember the generator discussion? Well I have to take over the mile long instructions on how to operate the monster, only half of them are in writing. Hubby got the training, not me!

We are house sitting a very large mansion. If I fail to start the generator, that will be three very large fridges/freezers jam packed with meat lost. Plus the swimming pool pump not working. I'm not too bothered about that one but the incident would likely end up our 'career' as house sitters...

Let's hope that we don't lose power and that hubby is able to fly back at all. Arghhhh!!!

 

 

I dearly hope this finds all well with you, the cyclone & the generator.
That’s the reason we sold our RV. My hubby was deep into memory problems on our last trip, a 3 week vacation to the east coast to leaf peep. We’d only used the RV for a couple of weekends during summer weather after buying it.  I had to figure out how to run all of the systems and that was never my forte. We had a cold night & couldn’t get the heater to work. After doing what the instructions said 3 times, I asked hubs to ask one of the other experienced campers for help, & he refused. And he would have been furious if I asked.  He was afraid he’d lose his man card, I guess.

So we froze. When our teeth started chattering, he’d get up & start the motor & use that heater to knock the chill off. Which caused a lot of noise in the middle of the night for our fellow campers in the RV park.

When we got home, I called someone knowledgeable and was told all we needed to do was bleed the line. Of course, had I ever lit the cooktop, that would have bled the line. But I was on vacation & cooking is what I was on vacation from. We had a small grill to do hot dogs & hamburgers, & stuff for sandwiches, or soup for the microwave. Cold cereal & a toaster. The rest of the time we ate out. Our steps that were supposed to come out when we opened the door, quit coming out. On the way home, we had engine trouble that cost us $800.

I was rather beside myself & put the RV up for sale shortly after coming home. In spite of all that, we had a blast on that trip. I had read in a RV magazine that we could save on fuel by coasting down large hills, so we decided to do it. Of course, hubs never remembered. The first time, I yelled “COAST” at him over the loud wind noise. He looked at me funny and said, “TOAST?” 😂😁I had hysterics & he joined in. From then on, at the top of every hill I yelled “TOAST”! And, of course, the laughing began.

That was our last trip. His decline was on a steady march & he forgot how to do even simple things he’d done for years with one hand tied behind his back. Like paint a wall. It was a sad thing. He didn’t remember what he didn’t remember though & was happy.  Everything was on me for about 8 years and I wasn’t having fun.

Edited February 8, 2023 by Betty LaRue

[gvallee]

35 minutes ago, Betty LaRue said:

I dearly hope this finds all well with you, the cyclone & the generator.
That’s the reason we sold our RV. My hubby was deep into memory problems on our last trip, a 3 week vacation to the east coast to leaf peep. We’d only used the RV for a couple of weekends during summer weather after buying it.  I had to figure out how to run all of the systems and that was never my forte. We had a cold night & couldn’t get the heater to work. After doing what the instructions said 3 times, I asked hubs to ask one of the other experienced campers for help, & he refused. And he would have been furious if I asked.  He was afraid he’d lose his man card, I guess.

So we froze. When our teeth started chattering, he’d get up & start the motor & use that heater to knock the chill off. Which caused a lot of noise in the middle of the night for our fellow campers in the RV park.

When we got home, I called someone knowledgeable and was told all we needed to do was bleed the line. Of course, had I ever lit the cooktop, that would have bled the line. But I was on vacation & cooking is what I was on vacation from. We had a small grill to do hot dogs & hamburgers, & stuff for sandwiches, or soup for the microwave. Cold cereal & a toaster. The rest of the time we ate out. Our steps that were supposed to come out when we opened the door, quit coming out. On the way home, we had engine trouble that cost us $800.

I was rather beside myself & put the RV up for sale shortly after coming home. In spite of all that, we had a blast on that trip. I had read in a RV magazine that we could save on fuel by coasting down large hills, so we decided to do it. Of course, hubs never remembered. The first time, I yelled “COAST” at him over the loud wind noise. He looked at me funny and said, “TOAST?” 😂😁I had hysterics & he joined in. From then on, at the top of every hill I yelled “TOAST”! And, of course, the laughing began.

That was our last trip. His decline was on a steady march & he forgot how to do even simple things he’d done for years with one hand tied behind his back. Like paint a wall. It was a sad thing. He didn’t remember what he didn’t remember though & was happy.  Everything was on me for about 8 years and I wasn’t having fun.

 

Ah yes, things can and do go wrong in an RV. We are quite disappointed, we spent a large amount of money on a decent newish vehicle and thought we would drive into the sunset. Ha ha! Doing a lot of offroad doesn't help, corrugation caused damage to about everything. We lost water tanks, broke the aircon pipes, etc etc. The list is endless. Worst of all, we thought that house sitting for a month meant no fuel or breakdown expenses. Wrong again! The locking system of the side door broke and cost us about $500. RVs are money pits.

 

The hardest thing to get my head around was our solar set up, what all those screens showed: how much is charging from the solar panels, mains or engine, how much we're inverting, drawing, amps. Now I've got it but I'd better keep travelling or I'll forget it.

 

Dementia is very sad and hard on all persons involved, both sufferers and carers. I am in the direct line of fire as both my father and his mother had it. Recently, I've been having real problems remembering names. The day I forget my own name, I will have the diagnostic. That's how it started for my father.

 

 

[Allan Bell]

8 hours ago, gvallee said:

 

Ah yes, things can and do go wrong in an RV. We are quite disappointed, we spent a large amount of money on a decent newish vehicle and thought we would drive into the sunset. Ha ha! Doing a lot of offroad doesn't help, corrugation caused damage to about everything. We lost water tanks, broke the aircon pipes, etc etc. The list is endless. Worst of all, we thought that house sitting for a month meant no fuel or breakdown expenses. Wrong again! The locking system of the side door broke and cost us about $500. RVs are money pits.

 

The hardest thing to get my head around was our solar set up, what all those screens showed: how much is charging from the solar panels, mains or engine, how much we're inverting, drawing, amps. Now I've got it but I'd better keep travelling or I'll forget it.

 

Dementia is very sad and hard on all persons involved, both sufferers and carers. I am in the direct line of fire as both my father and his mother had it. Recently, I've been having real problems remembering names.

That's how it started for my father.

 

 

 

I do hope with all my heart that it does not happen.

 

Allan

 

[gvallee]

It has to be in the bad thread because I hate techonology. 

I'm trying to connect my tablet to an internet provider in our housesit. Shock! One option offered is the fridge. The fridge has Wifi... 🙃

 

That particular fridge has 3 options on the outside door dispenser: cool water, icecubes, crushed ice. The right panel is a glass door. When the dogs bark, it lights up. Oh the modern world...

 

[Ed Rooney]

 

When it began, the digital era showed great promise. Now, everyday, it threaten me and gives me a new puzzle to solve. 

 

And Gen, it seems that dementia is the price we pay for a longer life. 

[gvallee]

5 minutes ago, Ed Rooney said:

 

When it began, the digital era showed great promise. Now, everyday, it threaten me and gives me a new puzzle to solve. 

 

And Gen, it seems that dementia is the price we pay for a longer life. 

 

You're lucky you don't have to deal with French websites as I do for pension etc. It makes me want not to be alive anymore. 

 

As for dementia, I am not so sure about that. My father passed from it at the age of 77. Not that old nowadays. Some people are diagnosed with it in their 50s and 60s. I believe there is even child dementia. Not a happy subject.

[Bryan]

9 minutes ago, gvallee said:

As for dementia, I am not so sure about that. My father passed from it at the age of 77. Not that old nowadays. Some people are diagnosed with it in their 50s and 60s. I believe there is even child dementia. Not a happy subject.

 

We don't have a history of dementia in my family, but I have never done memory.  Names, places, dates are all something of a mystery, which was a problem at school in many subjects.  However I've always been like this, so not an incipient sign of dementia,  I hope !

[gvallee]

34 minutes ago, Bryan said:

 

We don't have a history of dementia in my family, but I have never done memory.  Names, places, dates are all something of a mystery, which was a problem at school in many subjects.  However I've always been like this, so not an incipient sign of dementia,  I hope !

 

I don't know Bryan, the human brain is a very complex thing. I am currently struggling with names but I can remember many conversations I had word for word in the last 40 years. I know it's hard to believe but it's always been like that without me trying. It occurs naturally. Hubby says it's not fair. Nobody can tell me 'I never said that'. It's most peculiar and not a little bit spooky. But what did I do this morning?? I have to think about it and very often do not remember.

[NYCat]

The names thing is annoying me when I read novels. I'm not crazy about using digital books but I love it that (with a click) you can see where a name has appeared before so you know (more or less) who it is. For some reason that is not working on my current book so I have to go back and look. That is definitely harder in a digital book. It helps if I have been highlighting the names as I go along.

 

Paulette

[aphperspective]

I think my dementia only effects family and wife's birthdays which explains why I'm always in the mire. 🙄