Useless Conversation

[Polysorbate80]

I want to be the bottom squirrel....

But the middle one is, categorically, the happiest, tho.

Truth.

[schild]

this conversation is bad and don't argue with calapine's personal value judgment, that's for her, not for you all to question

[Polysorbate80]

Dude, I have a bigger nerd crush on Cal than probably anyone else, but she’s just not equipped for middle squirrel.  No judgements being made here.

[Sky]

Good interview question.

"So, do you feel you are properly equipped to be middle squirrel? No judgement."

[Polysorbate80]

I was referring to plumbing, actually.  All the required physical infrastructure might not be in place  

[justdave]

They make things for that. And I redact my original statement to 'IN MY PERSONAL OPINION, being the middle squirrel is the best squirrel." Apologies if I offended with my wording! Was not my intent.

EDIT: ALso possessed of huge space-nerd and Polandball crush on Cal.

[Rasix]

Now, for a different type of plumbing..

$65 quoted pool repair that did myself with $2 worth of plastic tubing and it took all of 5 minutes. You'd think the pool cleaners would just throw in that sort of bullshit as a freebie into what they're already charging me.  Also the people at the pool supply store were pretty hilarious as well, "no, we don't stock a very commonly used tubing. Are you sure it's actually needed? How about re-plumbing the entire setup?"
 

[justdave]

"We don't actually sell tubes...Have you considered a new pool?", basically?

[Samwise]

You can get all that kind of shit on Amazon nowadays.  Which I hate having to do, but it's a nice fallback to have when the local store is inept.

[justdave]

I kind of feel like the upsell is the only reason speciality brick-and-mortar even exists anymore. These days it's either 'Did internet research and just bought the parts myself' or 'I don't know, I have people for that.' Nobody seems to be much interested in having some slightly knowledgeable middle-aged guy with a ponytail suggest a brand of pump.

[Polysorbate80]

The internet being “tubes” anyway, don’t you think that’s apropos?

[Polysorbate80]

EDIT: ALso possessed of huge space-nerd and Polandball crush on Cal.

NERD FIGHT!

Which is probably a couple middle-age dudes in aloha shirts and flip-flops yelling snarky comments at each other until they get winded and then go drinking instead.

I’d buy ya a round.

[Samwise]

I kind of feel like the upsell is the only reason speciality brick-and-mortar even exists anymore. These days it's either 'Did internet research and just bought the parts myself' or 'I don't know, I have people for that.' Nobody seems to be much interested in having some slightly knowledgeable middle-aged guy with a ponytail suggest a brand of pump.

I generally prefer being able to just drive down to the store and pick something up rather than have to figure out delivery logistics, so brick and mortar still serves a valuable purpose as long as they can actually sell me the thing on demand with minimal hassle.  If something's too big to fit into my mail slot I'll generally try a couple of times to find it at a store before I give up and Amazon it.

Lumber is a good example of the sort of thing where it's always going to be less hassle to go to a brick and mortar store.  Come to think of it, so are literal bricks and mortar.

[Rasix]

Luckily Tucson has Ace Hardware stores. They're pretty good about having just about any generic piece of hardware or interior construction material. Plus, most of their employees are fat, middle aged dudes that can help you find shit. It's the kind of place that sells old timey candy at the registers.

My pool GC wasn't a complete moron, so I figured he wouldn't be doing anything completely stupid with the plumbing or use hard to get materials.  Replacing cleaning heads is a bitch though. Very specific and there's tons of them. No one stocks them and there's 1 place that sells. Deliveries are weekly. 

[Polysorbate80]

Just got a call, my Koa wood bar stools should be done by the end of the month.  Yay $6000 bill, but they’re going to look awesome.

[Chimpy]

This is definitely a “first world problems” thread on this page 

[Polysorbate80]

You are 100% right, and I will post photos when they arrive 

[schild]

Just got a call, my Koa wood bar stools should be done by the end of the month.  Yay $6000 bill, but they’re going to look awesome.

How many stools? 8?

[Polysorbate80]

4.  Small bar.

But big enough at least one short person has danced on top  

Edit: I ordered these almost a year and a half ago.  The wood and craftsmanship is that far behind, but worth it.

[justdave]

Just got a call, my Koa wood bar stools should be done by the end of the month.  Yay $6000 bill, but they’re going to look awesome.

For a moment I thought you had ordered custom bar stools based on something you'd see at a KOA and was going to reach through the screen and shake you.

[Polysorbate80]

I’m not THAT drunk (most of the time)

Edit:  i have at least one fat-ass friend who’s not going to be allowed to sit in them 

[RhyssaFireheart]

Random Husband Health Update!

It's good news!  Despite the cancer being stage 3 (arteries/veins involved) there are no signs of spreading, everything else is coming back clear.  Yay!  Even better, the oncologist said that because everything was clear, he's not going to put the husband through any version or chemo and will instead opt for follow-up scans everything 3 months for now.  Obviously, that'll change if they find anything but it's definitely good news.  So double yay!

Extra better news - his hemoglobin counts are going back up, which means (fingers crossed) no more anemia!  You're usually diagnosed with anemia if your counts are lower than 13 for men; his were 6.1 at one point (that got him admitted and given 3 units of blood) and were 7.9 when he was discharged last Tuesday.  Yesterday they were 8.8 already, so he's still anemic but it's going back up.  Just need to keep it going up and he'll start to feel better.  He'll feel even more excellent after getting his staples out today as well.

So yeah, good news all around so far.  I'd like to keep it that way for a bit so I can finally start following up on my annual physicals stuff without worrying about him instead.

[Sky]

Awesome news, Rhyssa!

[calapine]

Great news! (fuck cancer)

[calapine]

May Tree. Normally there is that thing were the men of one village steal the others village's tree and ransom it for beer. But if you look how this one is bolted down our mayor clearly thought "Fuck tradition".

[Polysorbate80]

Your mayor has not dealt with enough rednecks with power tools.  I know folks who would absolutely be up to the challenge of drunkenly dis- and re-assembling that to some awkward location.

I plead the fifth on whether that group includes me  

Edit:  logistical problem:  if one were to chain it to the telehandler forks to use as a lance, then it follows that one would have to steal a second tree.   For jousting, naturally.  Are there any other trees nearby?

Also, cool tank!

[calapine]

Oh and this happend last week already, but a new batch of conscripts had their swearing-in ceremony on the main square and the army brought some vehicles too.

Leopard 2A4 is sexiest tank alive. Change my mind:

[calapine]

Your mayor has not dealt with enough rednecks with power tools.  I know folks who would absolutely be up to the challenge of drunkenly dis- and re-assembling that to some awkward location.

I plead the fifth on whether that group includes me 

Yeah but there rules like has to done by hand and so. But more something for yokels, am more a city girl.

(If I had to guess mayor is scared of insurance if neighbours having the tree crash through their window at 2 am)

[Polysorbate80]

Well, if he’s going to cheat and bolt it down, we have to be flexible in our own interpretation of the rules...

Plus tree-jousting would be awesome  

Edit: also, you might be surprised.  I’ve seen vehicles taken apart and moved by hand.  Or sometimes just moved whole by the football team. The power of males to get up to stupid shit knows few bounds.

On the phone, so hard to link but my favorite Calvin & Hobbes strip ever has Calvin yelling something like, “I have a hammer!  I can put things together and knock them apart, I can alter my environment at will and make an incredible din all the while. Ah, it’s great to be male”

(As long as there’s someone around to bail us out)

More Edit-y:  Having a Y-chromosome means men by definition aren’t quite “all there.”  On behalf of the group I plead for leniency in light of our handicapped status.

Edit Part Yes-Now-Ive-Been-Drinking: holy shit, that’s actual wood?  I thought it was a metal pole while working and setting up for commencement.  We could have that down in minutes, with only maybe a 50% chance of serious property damage or horrible maiming (probably to my friend Kevin who is the most accident-prone mofo you’ve ever seen.  Seriously, it’s a yokel miracle he’s alive.)

This is not an endorsement of the bullshit men get up to, mind you.  We R Dum.

[Sky]

So I won another regional art award with the first charcoal portrait. "Just" Outstanding Portrait (last year I got Best of Show in my city's regional). Oddly, the money award for this show was in the special categories like the one I won, so...still pulling in checks on it!

[Cyrrex]

Same one you posted in the other thread, I see.  If I did not say it specifcally there, I did think it was quite nice.  Good on ya.

[Mandella]

So I won another regional art award with the first charcoal portrait. "Just" Outstanding Portrait (last year I got Best of Show in my city's regional). Oddly, the money award for this show was in the special categories like the one I won, so...still pulling in checks on it!

That drawing is something to be proud of -- glad you are still getting kudos for it.

Also, you look like you could be the gallery owner there. Ever considered the art business?

[Sky]

Yes 

Last year I reconnected with a friend who just got out of gallery ownership after 25 years (though he runs a high end furniture shop now). Unfortunately, I won't be doing it anywhere around here, because I'd like to showcase better art than sells here. I definitely have the persona for it, the fiancee takes her own car because I schmooze like a boss. I'll start thinking about this in a few years when I get closer to retirement and have shared a few more drinks with my old friend.

[calapine]

That's northern Sweden today, 10th May. They still have ice.

Photo shot by Gimfain. But, since he is a Nordic and doesn't care about that whole socialising thing, I thought I post it for him.

[Polysorbate80]

Woke up at 2am feeling crippled from sleeping sideways in a recliner I don’t remember falling asleep in.  Thank God graduation is done for another school year, I am getting too old for this shit.