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Post by mylittlescholar on Oct 3, 2023 12:26:12 GMT -5
hi everypony!
happy to read all the good news!
Kitty urped on the blanket last night. fortuntely I had brought home some of my foremother's quilts. However the one I put on the bed was so dusty--it has been in storage for ten years at least--and I woke up congested. Got up before I had enough sleep. Stayed up watching the return of the Late Night Talk Shows!
Did planning and updating my calendars this morning. I've been using up my stickers! I also brought home some card making supplies last night. I am so hungry to do something creative. Plenty of birthdays left in the year, not to mention Hallowe'en.
I cancelled work this week. too much to do to prep for the party on Friday. its going to be 95*F/35*C! So I think the best plan is to have it later in the evening. Since DVD put up lights I have wanted to have a gathering to take advantage of that.
Today is errand day, along with as much else as I can manage. I am going to try and lower my expectations. the house is more organized than my party in April, which was more organized than Thanksgiving last year. thank goodness for the housecleaners!!!
ALSO DONE: made coffee checked online balance checked calendar checked email sent scheduling info to DPs, R, C got more contacts to invite from DVD
NEXT UP: revise evites and send wash up and get dressed do face kitty care
do dishes boot laundry
prep for errands
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Post by ohblondie on Oct 3, 2023 12:40:02 GMT -5
So - I cant remember if I shared this or not - but it is the ultimate horror is calling customer service.
I am trying to get my dad's chair fixed using the warranty we purchased. So I called the number and waited and finally got through. I spoke to someone and they said someone would be calling me back. the phone rang - I recognized the company so I answered the phone. I heard this message - "Please ait for the next available customer service rep"... YES - they called me to put me on hold!!
My three hour audit meeting is turning into an all day meeting. UGH
gotta go
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Post by desposito on Oct 3, 2023 13:15:49 GMT -5
Good afternoon scholar and ohblondie!
I've been using up my stickers!
Yay scholar!
they called me to put me on hold!!
Okay, at least that has never happened to me...yet! They don't want to waste one minute of their employees time, but who cares how much of YOUR time they waste! Unbelievable!
So after going downstairs to the basement to look for my other staplers, and not finding them, I remembered that I had put a box of office supplies away in my little upstairs storage space, so I will look there next. All this time of trying to sort things and I still can't remember where things are!
And for some reason my knee is killing me today--usually if I have knee pain it's the left knee and it's mild, this is the right knee and it hurts all around the knee, like I violently twisted it or something, but I don't remember doing anything. Not good when I have to keep going up and down stairs.
I'm eating lunch and trying to think of things I can make myself do today. Unfortunately, my books are calling me from the reading room...
Diane
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Post by desposito on Oct 3, 2023 14:34:53 GMT -5
Okay, so a few weeks ago I called my bank to ask for the forms for the IRA required distribution. The guy I spoke with told me to look in a specific place on the bank website, for a specific form, he gave me the name of the form. Then he told me that it was hard to fill out so I should call for help when doing it . So I went to the website, to the specific place, and there was the name of the form he told me to look for. I printed it, filled it out, and it seemed straightforward, so I sent it in. Well, they sent me a letter saying that they couldn't complete my request for the following reason: "Instructions unclear, incomplete, or required check boxes not selected on the document." Then they included a new form to fill out. They did NOT say which instruction was unclear or incomplete, or which checkbox wasn't filled in. So helpful.
I thought, okay, I guess he was right, I should have asked for help.
So I got my phone and paper and pen resigned myself to having to call them for help. Luckily, I had made a copy of the earlier form I sent in before mailing it in. Before calling I sat down to look and see if I could see what information was missing, and I see that...it's an entirely different form. The guy gave me the wrong form name!
"Filled out entirely wrong form" was not one of the possible reasons they returned it to me.
So...I will try again to fill this out without help, since the information once again is straightforward. Good thing I started this so far before the end of the year deadline!
But first I'm going to cook some brown rice, which I've been craving for the last few days. Using my rice cooker.
Diane
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Post by mylittlescholar on Oct 3, 2023 17:46:00 GMT -5
oh goodness
what have I done?
the washer leaked--hopefully just cause it was an imbalanced load I took to my bed because ugh!
then I found a mop and bucket and sopped it up then cleaned mop and bucket then opened up the shop vac and tossed the filter rinsed the inner filter helped DVD with card and gift for his son
pulled some books to donate
now for errands donation pharmacy
post office bank DMIL's?
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Post by reve on Oct 3, 2023 17:58:23 GMT -5
Done: Handled mail Built little shelf risers for mug cupboard Load of laundry Cleared air dryer Laundry from machine to dryer Took clean laundry upstairs Stacked and ran dishwasher Achieved dining table zero Achieved coffee table zero
To do: Set out clothes for tomorrow
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Post by desposito on Oct 3, 2023 18:01:46 GMT -5
Good afternoon scholar! Sorry about the washer leak, I hope it was just the unbalanced load and not a repair to deal with.
Hello reve!
Well, I'm not having a productive day, I don't know what's going on with my knee but it's really making me limp, hopefully it will feel better after a night's sleep, that usually helps all these random aches and pains I get. I did make brown rice and put it in containers for fridge and freezer, and I worked on deleting email for a while--including some saved things from folders and the trash and spam folders.
I'm going to eat now, maybe I can get one or two things done after eating but before going down to bed.
Diane
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Post by danny15 on Oct 3, 2023 18:45:41 GMT -5
A discouraging day. The handyman has a long list of stuff to do. He started on the front door ~ change the lock. Sounds simple but no. Because the door is about 44 years old he had a hard time getting the handle off and ended up cutting around it. Had to be done. Because styles are so different now he tried one new handle but it didn't work ~ didn't cover the large hole from the original handle/lock. He went back out to buy a different style. Somewhat better but was still going to require a bunch of patchwork and it didn't fit well, the screws were too short, the door is very thick. And there was something about whether the door opens to the right or to the left. The first one he got had no instructions as to what side it should open.
For now the original replacement is on (still openings around it) and the door is being help shut by the dead bolt. The dead bolt has been holding the door closed for years. I asked him about maybe just getting a new door. He didn't recommend it because of the price. He said it would be better to find a handle/lock that would work because it would be less expensive.
This guy is very good, he tries to figure things out and is a perfectionist. Not cheap but not overly expensive. But by the end of the day he was thinking I might have to go with a new door. That could be a problem because there are sidelights along the upper half of the door. I don't want the expense of replacing an entire front entry. I don't even want to replace the door, I love it. But I'm concerned that in just trying to replace the door the fit might not be as tight as ripping everything out and redoing the whole entry. That is not in the budget right now. He said he will do some research on everything.
Next job ~ replace a toilet seat. Simple, right? Of course not. Same issue. Toilet seat is original, about 44 years old and he had to basically cut it apart to get it off. New toilet seat is on now and looks nice.
I looked into some larger companies to get a new door. I thought maybe it would be easier/faster to use a company since that is what they do all the time. I always check reviews now and even the companies I thought were top rated have awful reviews mostly for customer service. Poor installation, no response to repair the problems. What a mess. So I will stick with the handyman and pray everything will work out.
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Post by desposito on Oct 3, 2023 19:16:48 GMT -5
Danny, that's a shame about the old door--there are companies that specialize in hardware and other items for vintage homes, maybe they would have something the right size so that you can keep it? I hate to give up any old house features, you can't replace the character.
Yes, stick with your handyman, he sounds like mine. They are worth their weight in gold, and then some! I assume he'll have to come back tomorrow since he spent so much time today trying to figure out the door?
I went out to check the yard waste can. Since I did almost nothing this week it only has a little bit in the bottom, and I decided to just not put out any cans this week. The garbage never has more than a foot of small bags in the bottom, the recycling I pack very tightly so it doesn't go out every week, and yard waste can just wait--I will have to cut grass next week but probably not the back yard, so it will fit.
And in wildlife news, I think I may have just seen a praying mantis, but it was dusk outside, and it was only there a moment, so I'm not sure. As I walked up the stairs something kind of fell to the step in front of me, and I looked down, it was lime green, long, and as soon as I looked at it the second part of the body (which I assume was the wing part) sort of swelled up larger and it flew away. I think I couldn't see actual wings because of the lack of light, but I don't know what else it could have been--I saw katydids a few times which are the same color, but they were shorter, and I don't think they fly straight up into the air. I'm sad that I couldn't get a good look at it, I have never seen one before, if that's what it was.
It has gotten cooler already, I'm going to crack the windows tonight since there's no chance of rain, maybe it will be more comfortable up here tomorrow.
I'll be going downstairs pretty soon, so I'll say goodnight--see you in the morning!
Diane
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Post by catcats on Oct 3, 2023 21:15:56 GMT -5
Hi Everyone ! I did do the dailies today, and I actually took a 2 hour nap this morning after I fed everyone. (That is not something I usually do.) I spent one hour and 15 minutes outside today, weeding. It still needs more work, but is hard on my back, etc. It was pretty hot out there, but only one side of the house was getting the strong sunlight. Diane, When I was about 10 or 12, I put a Praying Mantis inside a jar for a pet ! I would let it out for a while to eat. One time , it walked toward me and I was sure it was chasing me, so I decided I didn't need that pet any more. This all took place in one afternoon. They are pretty big bugs, and I thought it was kind of scary, after all. Wishing good things for everyone. catcats
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Post by danny15 on Oct 3, 2023 22:11:25 GMT -5
Diane, what an excellent idea about checking for vintage hardware for the door!!!!!! Thank you so much!!! Everything in this house is vintage (including me ) and I love it so I'm sticking with it. And yes, a good handyman is hard to find so I will let him do his magic.
In wildlife news .... I HATE praying mantises!!!!!! They scare me to death! We have a good amount around here. There was one in the garage one time on the floor. I got kind of close staring right at him. That sucker swiveled his head all around and kept his eye on me. Then he stood on his hind legs, spread out those creepy spiky front legs and kind of jumped towards me. I thought as a kid my brothers told me if they spit in your eye you would go blind. Now I don't know if they spit or not but you better believe when that tiny monster was turning his head and WATCHING ME as I circled him and then got all I-am-tiny-but-mighty my reaction was to turn and run.
When my darling grandson was 5 years old he thought it would be funny to scare me. He told me to close my eyes, that he had a surprise for me. Closed my eyes and in a minute he said, now open them. He had a book with a picture of a praying mantis right up in my face! Yeah I screamed, jumped up and took off. He laughed and laughed. But for real, those things scare me.
edit ~ catcats I just read your post. Good thing you let that little alien go before he ate you up!
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Post by catcats on Oct 4, 2023 0:34:42 GMT -5
danny15---I was pleased to read that you are not fond of praying mantises, or maybe it is mantices. They ARE a bit scary when they swivel the head and watch you, . catcats
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Post by cando on Oct 4, 2023 7:47:12 GMT -5
desposito catcats danny15 Thanks for the smiles when I read your praying mantis stories. 🤠Those were great stories! danny15 hope you can get your door fixed without replacing it. We had to replace our front door one time & it ended up a big thing. Yep, couldn’t get new one to fit ended up having to replace the whole enclosure, etc. Handyman tried hard (not one that we’d used more than once before). He got it mostly but then DH just ended up having to fix things. That was years ago & our home is not a beautiful vintage home as yours must be. That was a great suggestion that Diane made! There are TV shows about fixing up vintage type homes, I think. My DH enjoys those shows. mylittlescholar enjoying your posts. You’re doing great! Luv that you’re using calendar & stickers. desposito hoping your knee is better, today! Yesterday, after work. Got mail. Went thru it & tossed 5 into recycle sack. Only kept 1. After work, DH & I met for dinner at Turkish restaurant. We know the owner & he’s struggling to stay in business. It was delicious but it is pricey & just not enuff customers. He hasn’t been paying rent so I tried hard to hint that he must & very quickly… (the writing is on the wall so to speak). Took some important looking mail to read during my lunch break, but didn’t. Needed a real work break. Today is a new day! Cd
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Post by danny15 on Oct 4, 2023 7:56:12 GMT -5
Woke up at 6:00, got up at 7:00. Have to get used to this whether I am tired or not.
Diane, I found some vintage door hardware online that may work, I texted the handyman and he agreed. I was getting nervous about the price of the masonry. I spoke to the guy and since the contract is less than a week old (and I am 71, which gave me 7 days to back out) we are going to go with less expensive caps on the chimneys. I checked the weather forecast and scheduled the plumber to come on Monday to take apart the sump pump piping, scheduled the masonry for the retaining wall on Tuesday/Wednesday and on Thursday the plumber will be back out to put the sump pump back together. Then rain on Friday. I didn't schedule that.
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Post by danny15 on Oct 4, 2023 8:07:10 GMT -5
desposito catcats danny15 Thanks buy for the smiles when I read your praying mantis stories. 🤠Those were great stories! danny15 hope you can get your door fixed without replacing it. We had to replace our front door one time & it ended up a big thing. Yep, couldn’t get new one to fit ended up having to replace the whole enclosure, etc. Handyman tried hard (not one that we’d used more than once before). He got it mostly but then DH just ended up having to fix things. ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Yes, cando that is what I am afraid of. The less the handyman has to mess with things, I think the better it will be. Heading into winter (which I think will be hard for my area this year) I don't want to worry about outdoor things to fix.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~ After work, DH & I met for dinner at Turkish restaurant. We know the owner & he’s struggling to stay in business. It was delicious but it is pricey & just not enuff customers. He hasn’t been paying rent so I tried hard to hint that he must ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ There was a lovely little Brazilian place I used to stop in; a tiny restaurant with a play area for children, a beautiful display case with baked goods, a little grocery store for Brazilian canned and packaged foods (no perishables). The lady was so proud of her place and worked hard to decorate for each holiday. She recently had to close and I felt so badly for her and her employees.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Today is a new day! Cd Thank goodness for new days and fresh starts!!!!
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