The Vent and Rant Thread

[Lady Blue]

Originally Posted by pshrynk

Welcome to MobileRead, Poo! You should fit in well. you already emulte the Queen by not using caps function on your keyboard!

Using caps is so OLD SCHOOL; quaint, but old fashioned.

I just can't get out of the habit.

[yvanleterrible]

Originally Posted by Verencat

Yes exactly!
For you it's Canada Day, for us it's "let's use this day off from work to go through hell for the fun of it" day!
Well, I scored a nice apartment (cheaper, bigger, better) so I couldn't resist!

@ Alpha: that is a usual day off for me: all systems break loose.

No, no, no! You don't get it, moving is the best reason not to celebrate Canada day, that's a separatist thing...

[Verencat]

Originally Posted by yvanleterrible

No, no, no! You don't get it, moving is the best reason not to celebrate Canada day, that's a separatist thing...

For you.
And it's a darned good thing for me - gives me a mover...

[phenomshel]

Originally Posted by Lady Blue

I don't know where in the DFW area your son is, but have you checked out Southwest Airlines out of Love Field in Dallas? I think they have non-stop flights to Chicago Midway. And Southwest is a very reasonably priced airline. Might be worth checking into.

Well, that's part of the problem actually. My son isn't IN the DFW area.. he's in the Amarillo area. But no non-stops out of Amarillo to Chicago anything at all - and the price goes up by about two hundred dollars. My ex is being nice enough to drive him to DFW (about an 8 hour trip) so we can get the price down enough to even be able to get him up here.
I know I looked at Southwest out of Love, but there was some reason it was highly impractical. I don't remember exactly what it was at the moment, though...

[RickyMaveety]

Originally Posted by phenomshel

Yeah, that whole bit with all the little airlines shutting down has caused major problems for us. We used to be able to fly Jay (my son) from Dallas/Ft. Worth into Chicago Midway on a nonstop flight via AirTran. Now there ARE no direct non-stop flights from DFW to Midway, and this trip he'll have to fly into Chicago O'Hare via American, for over a hundred dollars more than it used to cost us.
Not to mention American's unaccompanied minor charge (Jay is 13, American requires unaccompanied minor on all passengers under 15 flying alone) is almost twice that of AirTran's.

Does he have to fly non-stop? I mean, a stop isn't quite as bad as having to change planes. Check with skyscanner.net to see how the prices are there. They show a lot of flights from Amarillo to Chicago Midway (granted, with stops), but they also generally list "adults" as anyone 12 or over.

[RickyMaveety]

Originally Posted by Verencat

Poo, I must say I agree, a thread like this is pretty useful!

Ok my turn: I have 3 days off to do almost as much stuff as what RM does in an afternoon (paint 2 rooms, find a new job, do homeworks, write a final paper, pack up my things 'cause I'm moving in 3 weeks, see a friend who needs company, and some other things too...), which, for my avatar, is equivalent to a nightmare.
I's raining, so grey you'd think it's 10:30 PM, it's 11 Celsius (52F) and I have some not hangover related stomach bug that won't even let me keep coffee in.
Can I just go back to bed?



Ooh, I know! I'll go back to bed with my laptop, so I can do tonights homework whilst sitting in a precarious position!

Is your friend who needs company too sick to move?? If not, then invite them over to help you paint!!

I am having a rather productive day, myself. Still working on the painting (I've moved on to the master bath .... still dealing with extremely tall ceilings ... about 11-12 feet high in the bathroom .... sigh.) Also have several cat proofing projects in the works and a TON of client work to do.

But ... all is not awful .... my new iPhone comes in 9 days!!

[badgoodDeb]

Originally Posted by RickyMaveety

But ... all is not awful .... my new iPhone comes in 9 days!!

Ohhhhhh! "New" as in -- the new one they just announced? Or merely a replacement? If the former, do tell us what it's like!

[RickyMaveety]

Originally Posted by badgoodDeb

Ohhhhhh! "New" as in -- the new one they just announced? Or merely a replacement? If the former, do tell us what it's like!

The former, a 3Gs. It has 32GB of memory, can hot link between apps, has an actual digital compass, an auto focus still and video camera, longer battery life, copy and paste between apps, you can use the phone as a modem for your computer (when wifi is not available), and you can load an additional two pages of apps on it (so 32 additional apps). The 3G was limited to 9 pages, and the 3Gs allows for 11.

That's about it. Mostly, I just really want the additional HD space. I couldn't fit all of my favorite music on the 16GB HD. I've got about 20GB of music that is just my best of the best, and it killed me not to be able to load it all on the phone (because my phone plugs into the car and acts as my mp3 player there).

[Curly]

Ricky -- are you still painting?! We have high ceilings as well and they are no fun to paint (unless you like hanging onto perilously high ladders). What are you 'cat proofing'?

Verencat -- congrats on the new apartment! Moving is hard work and very stressful isn't it?. Glad to hear you have a willing helper! Why are you still doing homework?! When do your summer holidays begin? Soon I hope.

[nekokami]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

You gals today with your "power tools" so you don't "need" a man. Ah the good ole days...

Ah.. I am sure you admit you prefer a man to do it than use your own power tools.

Er, no. The Muffin Man is discouraged from handling power tools. There are many things that he does very well, but I'd prefer no more urgent trips to the emergency room, thanks.

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

You should train him better... Mine cooks, washes, does the dishes...

The Muffin Man also sees that the bills are paid on time, takes trash to the dump, and cleans the cat boxes. My contribution is to provide income with which to pay the bills. (I wouldn't mind balancing both of these categories a bit more, but that doesn't seem to be in the cards.)

Originally Posted by Verencat

Yes exactly!
For you it's Canada Day, for us it's "let's use this day off from work to go through hell for the fun of it" day!
Well, I scored a nice apartment (cheaper, bigger, better) so I couldn't resist!

@ Alpha: that is a usual day off for me: all systems break loose.

Wait... I'm confused. Everyone moves on Canada Day? This isn't just an end-of-school thing???

[phenomshel]

Originally Posted by RickyMaveety

Does he have to fly non-stop? I mean, a stop isn't quite as bad as having to change planes. Check with skyscanner.net to see how the prices are there. They show a lot of flights from Amarillo to Chicago Midway (granted, with stops), but they also generally list "adults" as anyone 12 or over.

My ex prefers that he fly non-stop and I try to accommodate if at all possible. I will definitely check with skyscanner though on the next flight, any and all help appreciated! I don't book flights enough to know the tricks of the trade, so to speak, so there's probably lots of things I'm missing.

[Verencat]

Originally Posted by RickyMaveety

Is your friend who needs company too sick to move?? If not, then invite them over to help you paint!!

Best advice ever. I don't know why I didn't think of it before, really.
I'll be thinking of you when I'll paint...tomorrow.

Originally Posted by Curly

Verencat -- congrats on the new apartment! Moving is hard work and very stressful isn't it?. Glad to hear you have a willing helper! Why are you still doing homework?! When do your summer holidays begin? Soon I hope.

Thank you! I must say that I'm at a point where all stresses seem to annul each other...

I took an intensive summer class that ends next Tuesday! :sighsofreleif:

Originally Posted by nekokami

Wait... I'm confused. Everyone moves on Canada Day? This isn't just an end-of-school thing???

In Québec, the majority of leases start on July first, Canada day. It's a way separatists found to escape the national Holiday and to show their disdain to the rest of the country. I don't approve (let's not start a political fight between my dad and I) but I must say it is convenient - when you're looking for a new place, there is a lot of choices.

[RickyMaveety]

Originally Posted by Curly

Ricky -- are you still painting?! We have high ceilings as well and they are no fun to paint (unless you like hanging onto perilously high ladders). What are you 'cat proofing'?

Verencat -- congrats on the new apartment! Moving is hard work and very stressful isn't it?. Glad to hear you have a willing helper! Why are you still doing homework?! When do your summer holidays begin? Soon I hope.

Umm .... yes .... still painting. Keep in mind that I am painting (or refinishing) all of the furniture and all of the walls in a 3,500 sq foot house with some ceilings that peak out at 20 feet or so.

I am sort of cat proofing everything. Example: I have a beautiful Chinese porcelain vase that I keep (now) on the long table in the entry hall. The entry hall table is topped with a very thick piece of mesquite wood -- sort of butcher block style. The cats just LOVE to pee/mark up against the vase, and then it tends to puddle up on the wood. Not good. So, I put six coats of tung oil on the wood, and then took a quilted place mat I got at Pottery Barn, and sewed a layer of Pooch Pad underneath it. Both the place mat and the Pooch Pad are machine washable. Now, when the cats pee on the entry table, it just soaks into the Pooch Pad, and each morning (or evening ... whenever I clean out the cat boxes ... which also have Pooch Pads under them), I can just pop them into the washer and put nice clean pads underneath.

All metal items, such as lamps or candle holders, are getting two or more coats of clear Rustoleum enamel paint. It keeps the cat pee from rusting or corroding them. All regular wood furniture is being restained and then getting several coats of Tung oil. The painted pieces are probably going to get glass tops after they are repainted. The faucets are getting a coat of brushed nickel paint and a coat of clear.

All electrical outlets are getting microfiber covers (velcroed on ... so I can pull them off and wash them). This is to keep them from peeing (or spraying) directly into the outlet).

Anything upholstered is getting a layer of Pooch Pad put on it and then is being slip covered in washable suede (and yes, I know how to sew slip covers and do upholstery). That way, again, it the cats pee on it, it's no big deal to pull it off and wash it. It doesn't soak into the cushions.

Any items that I want to display are either weighted down (like the vase, in which I put several pounds worth of florist's glass), or hung up on the walls where the cats can't get to them, or put into glass display cases. Or, like my old model airplanes, they are getting several coats of clear enamel.

The floors are getting yet another coat or two of sealant .... and that is what I consider "cat proofing."

[krisk]

I shoot black powder rifles and use the old round lead balls as bullets. they work very well in precious items that need to be weighted down and may actually be less expensive than what you are using

how is it that you are so casual about the cat pee? I sure do not like cats peeing in my house!

[RickyMaveety]

Originally Posted by krisk

I shoot black powder rifles and use the old round lead balls as bullets. they work very well in precious items that need to be weighted down and may actually be less expensive than what you are using

how is it that you are so casual about the cat pee? I sure do not like cats peeing in my house!

Florist's glass is very inexpensive, and is less dangerous than handling lead. Plus, because it comes in net bags, it is very quick to remove and replace, and wash, if necessary.

I am not exactly casual about cats peeing in the house. They have twelve litter boxes that they use on a regular basis, and that I clean every day. However, there is almost nothing that can be done to prevent male cats from marking their territory by spraying. If my cats were allowed outdoors, then it wouldn't be a problem. However, my cats are largely either ill (with Feline AIDS) or handicapped, so they have to stay indoors.

Rather than go nuts because they spray, or get pissed off when a cat vomits somewhere (which they do all the time), I simply make certain that it is (1) easy to clean up and (2) does not damage my furniture or my collectibles.

When you have 18 cats, all indoors, and many of them either sick or elderly, you simply have to learn to engineer around the potential problems so that both the humans and the cats can live in harmony.