Useless Conversation

[Merusk]

I'm jealous of the no-mortgage life but I'm also only paying $800 a month (w/ taxes) for my 2,400 sq. ft. place so I can't complain. I've got almost 90k in equity too, so bonus. 

Only been here two and a half years but I'm already planning on the downsize once the Son goes off to college in 6 years. Got a few big projects (finishing the basement, converting the upstairs loft to a Bedroom, 3-season porch, MBR bath overhaul) that I'll start this winter. That's before the refinish projects like ripping out the shag carpet and putting in hardwood. (Fuck that mid 2000's trend that brought it back.)  Should work out nicely in the end when I finally sell.

[Khaldun]

Our school district is a really good one, but one of the consequences is that the property taxes here are very, very high relative to every other district in the region. So I honestly think we could do better elsewhere, either as renters or buyers.

I also increasingly feel more like living down in the city rather than out here in the suburbs once it's just me and my spouse. But who knows. I might start considering other jobs too again after my kid is out of high school. Beginning to think about stirring up life a bit.

[Strazos]

So, had to change a flat tire on our armored vehicle while down by the Israel-Egypt border. What a pain, but at least no one shot at us. 

[Teleku]

Really, they are making State Department people do that? 

[Yegolev]

So, had to change a flat tire on our armored vehicle while down by the Israel-Egypt border. What a pain, but at least no one shot at us. 

You win.

[Nebu]

So, had to change a flat tire on our armored vehicle while down by the Israel-Egypt border. What a pain, but at least no one shot at us. 

Nobody can ever accuse you of having a boring life. 

Stay safe!

[Strazos]

Really, they are making State Department people do that? 

Who else is going to do it, our escort? Our driver?

Oh wait, I'm not State Department for the next year - no more RSO security envelope, and we're the ones driving. It's just us out there, on the ~Highway to the Danger Zone!~ 

But seriously, it's a good thing to know how to do, especially since they're pretty much the same vehicles. The only thing that was novel at all was the location, and in that location the chances of someone shooting at is are pretty remote.

Also, somewhat off-topic - the southern Sinai and southern Israel look like Mars. Like, if I was allowed (I'm not) I could probably pass off shots of these landscapes as pictures from a Mars rover. Kind of interesting in a way.

[Merusk]

It's very safe, 50/ 50.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKYaEPdcV1g

[01101010]

You would think an armored vehicle would never get flats. Seems problematic.

[Khaldun]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siwpn14IE7E

Stay safe!

[apocrypha]

You would think an armored vehicle would never get flats. Seems problematic.

How could you prevent it? Solid tyres? They just have different failure modes and lots of other disadvantages.

[Sky]

Also, somewhat off-topic - the southern Sinai and southern Israel look like Mars.

The longer humanity has dwelt in a location, the more it looks like Mars.

[Merusk]

Well the government just issued thier, "GTFO out of Gaza" proclamation because Hamas elections are in two months. At least your time will be interesting, Strazos. Stay safe.

[Strazos]

Yup, it's super fun. I was within about 500m of Gaza last week, probably flying over it (and Rafa) [really, just near it] at some point.

You would think an armored vehicle would never get flats. Seems problematic.

How could you prevent it? Solid tyres? They just have different failure modes and lots of other disadvantages.

You can have run-flats, but if you get a puncture you'll get maybe 25-50km while shredding the tire. But as was said, you can have all sorts of failures regardless of vehicle - tanks can throw a track, etc. At least a flat tire is easy enough to address...and with crappy roads, we get a fair number of flats.

[Polysorbate80]

I had to pick my apples a couple days early.  I went out to check on them last night and saw one with weird holes in it.  Turned out yellowjackets had chewed into it and were eating it from the inside out.  Looked around, and found several more being eaten, and some that were just skin husks still attached to the tree.

Had to wait until dusk when they were calm and look at every apple VERY carefully before plucking it 

(No, none of them were Honeycrisps)

[Hawkbit]

They're doing filming for the Horizon Zero Dawn game outside my office. People in robot dinosaur costumes walking around being filmed in public. Weird.

[Torinak]

I had to pick my apples a couple days early.  I went out to check on them last night and saw one with weird holes in it.  Turned out yellowjackets had chewed into it and were eating it from the inside out.  Looked around, and found several more being eaten, and some that were just skin husks still attached to the tree.

Had to wait until dusk when they were calm and look at every apple VERY carefully before plucking it 

(No, none of them were Honeycrisps)

Growing up, we had some very prolific fruit trees in our yard. Once the fruit started dropping, it'd get absolutely covered with wasps. Mowing the lawn near them was an exercise in pointing the mower in the right direction, letting it go (back before they had dead-man handles), running from the clouds of wasps, and then grabbing the mower before it plowed over something important. Fun times.

[01101010]

I had to pick my apples a couple days early.  I went out to check on them last night and saw one with weird holes in it.  Turned out yellowjackets had chewed into it and were eating it from the inside out.  Looked around, and found several more being eaten, and some that were just skin husks still attached to the tree.

Had to wait until dusk when they were calm and look at every apple VERY carefully before plucking it 

(No, none of them were Honeycrisps)

Growing up, we had some very prolific fruit trees in our yard. Once the fruit started dropping, it'd get absolutely covered with wasps. Mowing the lawn near them was an exercise in pointing the mower in the right direction, letting it go (back before they had dead-man handles), running from the clouds of wasps, and then grabbing the mower before it plowed over something important. Fun times.

Flashbacks of summers in the late 80s. 

[Morat20]

Well, shit. Fuck cancer in the ass. My  brother looks like he might not be totally clear. Some remnants, still active, perhaps. Operable, though. They'll just take a melon-baller to his chest right between the bronchial tubes.

At least it's fixable.  They're trying to get a specialist in Hodgkin's to take a look. (Like all he does is Hodgkin's for MD Anderson. Doesn't treat a single other type of cancer. His current oncologist isn't quite so focused, and isn't afraid to refer his patients when necessary).

[Sky]

I had to pick my apples a couple days early.  I went out to check on them last night and saw one with weird holes in it.  Turned out yellowjackets had chewed into it and were eating it from the inside out.  Looked around, and found several more being eaten, and some that were just skin husks still attached to the tree.

Had to wait until dusk when they were calm and look at every apple VERY carefully before plucking it 

(No, none of them were Honeycrisps)

My trees got mobbed by beetles this year. Was a bad beetle year and I totally spaced on treating the roots this spring, plus my neighbor aggressively sprays his yard, so I get spillover.

Had about a dozen apples, but none made it (all honeycrisp! :p)

I did expand the fenced area (deer) because they were getting too big for the original fences. I've trimmed them back a bit but they're getting big!

[Signe]

I'm so sorry, Morat.  I hope everything goes well for him.   

[RhyssaFireheart]

Sorry to hear that, Morat. 

Cancer just flat out sucks.  My mom's still going through her chemo treatments and hopefully they got it all when the lumpectomy was done back in April. 

[Morat20]

Sorry to hear that, Morat. 

Cancer just flat out sucks.  My mom's still going through her chemo treatments and hopefully they got it all when the lumpectomy was done back in April. 

Well, I keep reminding myself it's not the 70s or 80s anymore. They're a lot better at finding and killing that crap. Hope your mom comes through clean and clear.

[WayAbvPar]

My 80-something uncle has prostate cancer that has spread to at least 1 bone (a rib or something). Doc says that 97% of the spread is hormonally driven, so castration is the recommended course of treatment.


So yeah. Fuck cancer.

[Sky]

Left my phone on the nightstand this morning.

How did we ever take dumps without a smart phone!?

[Merusk]

Magazines. You never noticed that unlike newspapers They clung on despite the internet until smart phones hit the scene.

[apocrypha]

Am I alone in needing no reading material in the loo? I go for a shit when I need a shit. I'm in the toilet for like, 3 mins.

[Sky]

Magazines. You never noticed that unlike newspapers They clung on despite the internet until smart phones hit the scene.

Truth.

Although we have a great local paper that's still in business.

[Merusk]

Am I alone in needing no reading material in the loo? I go for a shit when I need a shit. I'm in the toilet for like, 3 mins.

Some of us don't care for fiber in our American diet, Komrade.

[HaemishM]

When else do I have time to read except on the can? 

[Yegolev]

I don't have time to read in there.  What are you people eating?  Stop it.

[Sky]

The break room at work is literally more disgusting than the bathroom in our shared office.

[Signe]

I think I'm done with Useless Conversation today.  Bleh.

[RhyssaFireheart]

I think I'm rather proud of myself.  I'm 15K+ words into a fanfic of all things, and I'm not done yet.  Chapters average about 1500-2000 words each, so not excessively long.  Still, I can't believe I've managed to write this much.

[Viin]

Wow thats a ton. I usually get the outline done and then give up because it's too big. Probably need to start with short stories ..