The Vent and Rant Thread

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by Hitch

Charlie, Charlie:

That's because you have NO people. I mean, sure, a few handfuls (30mil or thereabouts, right?) in a landmass that's just a skosh larger than the US, including Alaska. So, one-tenth of the population, same amount of space. Of course you guys are happy to see warm bodies show up! Particularly those with paying businesses. :-)

Best,
Hitch

Yes, and that's the GOOD NEWS.

Where I am, it's an hour to the nearest Tim Horton's, or a half hour to the nearest Starbucks. But only about 2 1/2 hours to downtown Vancouver, and much of that on the ferry. (or 20 minutes by float plane.) So I'm more than close enough to a big city to be able to take advantage of it if I want to, but remote enough to never have to deal with a traffic jam. Our idea of bad traffic is when we get a dozen cars in a row going by from the ferry arrival. But I still have very good internet, with a choice of providers, and am no more than 5 minutes by car from virtually everything I need. (Bank, supermarket, post office, medical centre, liquor store, pub, butcher, restaurants (multiple), building centre, etc.)

We moved here 13 years ago, and I have never looked back or regretted the decision.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by CRussel

Yes, and that's the GOOD NEWS.

Where I am, it's an hour to the nearest Tim Horton's, or a half hour to the nearest Starbucks. But only about 2 1/2 hours to downtown Vancouver, and much of that on the ferry. (or 20 minutes by float plane.) So I'm more than close enough to a big city to be able to take advantage of it if I want to, but remote enough to never have to deal with a traffic jam. Our idea of bad traffic is when we get a dozen cars in a row going by from the ferry arrival. But I still have very good internet, with a choice of providers, and am no more than 5 minutes by car from virtually everything I need. (Bank, supermarket, post office, medical centre, liquor store, pub, butcher, restaurants (multiple), building centre, etc.)

We moved here 13 years ago, and I have never looked back or regretted the decision.

Yes, that's much like where we are, except the "5 minutes" part. We're close enough to Phoenix that I tell people "Phoenix," but we're actually at the far northern edge of the county, at the base of the mountains, next to the federal preserve. We're a bit different than you--our nearest convenience store (the closest commercial thing of any kind) is 10 miles, grocery/drugstore is 15. But, what that buys us in inconvenience is there's no such thing as traffic, at all--we can hear a car coming from a mile away, and so forth.

And yes, because we're higher in elevation, it's probably 5-8 degrees, Farenheit, cooler here than it is in downtown Phoenix, which is a good 40+ miles from here. About the same distance, I'd guess, for your hour drive?

There are always tradeoffs. Our place in the mountains (Wyo) is wonderful; we watch antelope, moose, bison, etc., all day long. However, it has satellite, for Internet, and that's just dog slow if you run an Internet biz. I'd use up in a day the entire "allocation" for a month, and they'd throttle me pronto.

Ah, well.

Hitch

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by Hitch

Well, that's a blessing (house paid for, SSI/Medicaid). At least that isn't killing you off.

The crap with nobody being home--that's a disaster looking for a place to happen. Did you call Social Services, or...?

Hitch

I don't even know where to begin. Mom was supposed to be released today. They were sending her home in an ambulance Because she can't walk and she has IVs. We didn't know about this part. She lied to people saying she had people who could take care of her. So with my sister not being released today due a setback no one would have been there and that house isn't clean enough for IVs. Let alone no one would be there. I don't know what she was thinking!

When I found out I called my sister who put a stop to it. They are trying to find mom a place to go. They are letting her stay another night and trying again in the morning.

Turns out mom's been playing and lying about several things. Sis had no clue. She does now. New social worker. Tough as nails too. She won't let mom walk over her. Hubby had a melt down. He was due as dealing with this I'm surprised he hadn't had one yet. Mom told the hospital her son in law would take care of her and seeing hubby out of kindness was helping take care of the pets and bring mom her laptop, pay their bills so he was seen at the hospital that no one doubted her. When he found out about this.....it was not pretty.

Sent from my XT1528

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by Blossom

I don't even know where to begin. Mom was supposed to be released today. They were sending her home in an ambulance Because she can't walk and she has IVs. We didn't know about this part. She lied to people saying she had people who could take care of her. So with my sister not being released today due a setback no one would have been there and that house isn't clean enough for IVs. Let alone no one would be there. I don't know what she was thinking!

When I found out I called my sister who put a stop to it. They are trying to find mom a place to go. They are letting her stay another night and trying again in the morning.

Turns out mom's been playing and lying about several things. Sis had no clue. She does now. New social worker. Tough as nails too. She won't let mom walk over her. Hubby had a melt down. He was due as dealing with this I'm surprised he hadn't had one yet. Mom told the hospital her son in law would take care of her and seeing hubby out of kindness was helping take care of the pets and bring mom her laptop, pay their bills so he was seen at the hospital that no one doubted her. When he found out about this.....it was not pretty.

Sent from my XT1528

I am glad your mom has a tough social worker. Though if mom keeps it up, she is liable to wind up committed.
Sorry you are going through this.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by Blossom

I don't even know where to begin. Mom was supposed to be released today. They were sending her home in an ambulance Because she can't walk and she has IVs. We didn't know about this part. She lied to people saying she had people who could take care of her. So with my sister not being released today due a setback no one would have been there and that house isn't clean enough for IVs. Let alone no one would be there. I don't know what she was thinking!

When I found out I called my sister who put a stop to it. They are trying to find mom a place to go. They are letting her stay another night and trying again in the morning.

Turns out mom's been playing and lying about several things. Sis had no clue. She does now. New social worker. Tough as nails too. She won't let mom walk over her. Hubby had a melt down. He was due as dealing with this I'm surprised he hadn't had one yet. Mom told the hospital her son in law would take care of her and seeing hubby out of kindness was helping take care of the pets and bring mom her laptop, pay their bills so he was seen at the hospital that no one doubted her. When he found out about this.....it was not pretty.

Sent from my XT1528

Boy, and I thought my issues with my Gran, a few years back, were tough. You have my heartfelts, on that mess. I suspect that Cins may be right--given that your sister needs to convalesce, your Mom may well end up in a care home, for a while--or longer.

(At least, if that happens, you wouldn't have to worry yourself sick over her!!)

Hitch

[Dazrin]

Originally Posted by CRussel

Yes, and that's the GOOD NEWS.

Where I am, it's an hour to the nearest Tim Horton's, or a half hour to the nearest Starbucks. But only about 2 1/2 hours to downtown Vancouver, and much of that on the ferry. (or 20 minutes by float plane.) So I'm more than close enough to a big city to be able to take advantage of it if I want to, but remote enough to never have to deal with a traffic jam. Our idea of bad traffic is when we get a dozen cars in a row going by from the ferry arrival. But I still have very good internet, with a choice of providers, and am no more than 5 minutes by car from virtually everything I need. (Bank, supermarket, post office, medical centre, liquor store, pub, butcher, restaurants (multiple), building centre, etc.)

We moved here 13 years ago, and I have never looked back or regretted the decision.

I had a project up in your neck of the woods a couple years ago and was really bummed they didn't let me travel to see it. I need to make it some day.

[Rumpelteazer]

Thanks to an earlier than predicted "thunderstorm" (by Dutch standards: it rumbled and flashed for an hour and it rained off and on) it cooled down nicely. Most of the house has cooled down significantly, except my bedroom. Due to its orientation it's not possible to create a draft. And unlike Tuesday night there isn't a southerly wind that blows cool air into my room.

Another drawback of this weather: eczema. Since late last year I've been drinking a pro-biotics drink every day and since my regular and stress-triggered eczema has almost disappeared, if I get an outbreak it isn't as bad and it doesn't itch so I don't scratch and it goes away on its own. After a week of warm to hot weather I have break outs in the regular places and for the first time in ages and it itches (though both not as bad as before).

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by Blossom

I don't even know where to begin. <SNIPPAGE>.....it was not pretty.

Blossom:

Are you still alive? Are your family members? As in, you haven't killed them yet?

Hitch

[pdurrant]

I spent two merry hours today getting icloud email working again on an old Mac computer for a relative. It seems that a week ago they stopped supporting that old Mac OS Mail unless done with an app-specific password generated online from an AppleID account with two factor authentication.

Augh!

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by Hitch

Blossom:

Are you still alive? Are your family members? As in, you haven't killed them yet?

Hitch

I'm still breathing Hitch. Yesterday they released my sister to go home. So she's at home. It was last minute so we had to drop everything and run to get her.

Today mom wanted a soda so hubby took her a value meal. Well that turn into him asking how to get her released. Mom got to him but I can't blame him. They are under staff. No air conditioning, forget to feed mom, messed up her meds... Nurse tried to say mom had a seizure. Oh no she didn't. They screwed up. They wouldn't even let her sit up. She's been on her back for three days. It isn't the cleanest but neither is mom's house. There are bugs but it's in the woods so I can understand that. She hasn't had a bath or her hair comb.....grrrrr. I told him to take pictures.

The doctor just signed the release form.
So right now hubby is standing in the hallway of the nursing home while one of the residents sings him a chicken song. (on the song)

We are taking Mom home to be with sis. I wouldn't let my worse enemy be treated like this let alone my mom.

They found her laptop and cellphone. So we are relieved about that. Mom needs her Facebook.


Sent from my XT1528

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by Hitch

Hotter. We're typically around 105-107, not bloody 120. And while that sounds horrible to those who don't live here, 105 is surprisingly livable, GIVEN that we're in the desert and yes, it's nearly unbearable in the summer.

Years back, my then employer sent me to Alamogordo, NM. as part of a team to bring on line a facility they were building out. The trip was in mid-July. My response was "You want me to go to a place where it's 95F-100F during the period when it is that hot?" They did.

And it was that hot, but it was a dry heat and more or less bearable. I called the SO back in NYC, and it was 90F and 100% humidity and she was dying. I said "I can't believe this, but I might have a better deal!"

It would have been nice if food was more than just Tex-Mex, and the hotel I was booked into didn't have a heated pool. (The Front Desk Manager didn't understand it either, but it was what the owner specified, so...) At one point a woman came to the front desk to complain about it, with her young son in tow. He's just gone for a dip and emerged looking like a freshly boiled lobster.

I did get to see the legendary White Sands, and visit the local Air and Space museum which had things like the rocket sled AF Col. Andy Stapp used to set a record on the amount of G force a human could handle. (I was the only one in my party who understood the significance of the device and was tickled to sit in it.) Col. Stapp had lifelong vision problems as a result, because the ride caused detached retinas back when the technology to deal with them wasn't as developed as we have now.

One of my co-workers was a self-described polar bear. He'd sleep back home in NJ with the windows open and on top of the covers in the dead of winter, while his wife huddled under the covers and electric blanket. He said "People don't think I feel the cold. That's not true. I do! But when it's cold enough that your fingers turn blue and hurt, I like that!" But the same chap spent a couple of weeks of his vacation every year in the dead of summer in Mexico where you were lucky if the temperature dropped below 100F, with his church group working with really poor Mexicans.

Alamogordo was a nice little town literally a hundred miles from anywhere. I enjoyed the visit, but was grateful to get back to NYC. On my return, there were joking comments about transferring me to Alamogordo. I said "First, you double my salary. Next, you pay my relocation expenses. Third, you pay for my local housing. Fourth, you pay for my T1 line to the Internet. Fifth, you pay for my charge account at the local book and record store. And last, you pay for my supply of really good drugs, because I'll go screaming up the wall in about two weeks flat without them!" They chose not to call my bluff, which was good because I wasn't bluffing.

It's hot in NYC at the moment, too, but we're behind air conditioning and have no need to spend a lot of time out in it. (My SO shopped at the farmer's market, but she goes first thing in the morning when the other shoppers tend to be local chefs buying fresh produce for their restaurants, and the heat has not reached mid-day intensity.)
______
Dennis

[Hemmi]

Stupid rant of the day: Oh annoying coworker, life was so peaceful when you were on vacation last week. Quit stealing my damn pens out of my damn desk! Just because you have to write in pink ink, get your own damned pens and leave mine alone! Maybe I want to write in pink sometimes. If you forgot yours, suck it up buttercup and write in blue or black for once. Steal the other annoying coworkers green pens and use that. Don't just take mine without asking first!!!!!

*feeling very territorial about my pens today*
*hiding pens in the back of my desk drawer while you're out to lunch*

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by Hemmi

Stupid rant of the day: Oh annoying coworker, life was so peaceful when you were on vacation last week. Quit stealing my damn pens out of my damn desk! Just because you have to write in pink ink, get your own damned pens and leave mine alone! Maybe I want to write in pink sometimes. If you forgot yours, suck it up buttercup and write in blue or black for once. Steal the other annoying coworkers green pens and use that. Don't just take mine without asking first!!!!!

*feeling very territorial about my pens today*
*hiding pens in the back of my desk drawer while you're out to lunch*

Hubby was given a pen for Christmas one year. He took it to work because he loved the way it writes. Within 2 weeks, it came home permanently. He had to retrieve it several times.
The potential thieves always had to give it back since it was engraved with his name on it.

[wodin]

I was gifted with a VERY expensive Montblanc Meisterstück pen a few years ago, and have been carrying it since. It only leaves my pocket when I want to write something or I'm changing shirts. Occasionally someone will want to borrow it, but when they do it's only in my presence so I can keep an eye on it.

[GrannyGrump]

@Hemmi --- I used to make a large sign with magic marker to lie inside my desk drawer --- "Snooping again, I see. HANDS OFF!"

It was effective in my case. Of course, if your kleptomaniac co-worker is hard-core, you might have to graduate to using a mousetrap!