Om.

Sunday I signed up for a sound-bath meditation. You people into Woo know what that means: An hour lying on a mat in a yoga studio, while a woman plays singing bowls at the front of the room, trying desperately to get my buzzing brain to stop buzzing for…not even an hour. Can I get 15 minutes? Fifteen minutes in a theta state? Is that so much to ask?

The leader talked about how her various bowls were tuned to our chakras, and gave us all a heart-shaped piece of rose quartz. She said January was for self-care, and we should all be good to ourselves, and were free to place the quartz heart wherever we felt it could do the most good. Maybe at the end of the mat? Maybe on our third eye? Or just on our heart? (I tucked mine into my bra, where it still is. It’s very warm.) Then she commenced to play her half-dozen bowls, and it was very resonant, and I put on a black eye mask and concentrated on my breathing. I listened to the bowls, and I may have gotten 10 or 12 minutes of true theta state, because I was startled by the closing sound, if one can be startled with a pulse rate of 58.

Then I came home and learned they’re having a January 6 in Brazil. Why bother seeking inner peace. I should have donated that $30 to a charity that helps asylum-seekers. American exceptionalism:

Oh well. Hope you had a great weekend. I didn’t stay up to watch the fun in the House of Representatives, having better things to do. (Sleep.)

Monday awaits.

Posted at 9:09 pm in Same ol' same ol' |
 

56 responses to “Om.”

  1. Deborah said on January 8, 2023 at 9:18 pm

    Are we the assholes? Ok so LB dog sat a cute little dog for 13 days in our condo for 13 days from shortly after Christmas until today.

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  2. Debrorah said on January 8, 2023 at 10:02 pm

    Sorry, I hit something that sent this comment way earlier than I was ready to send.

    To reiterate are we the assholes? LB agreed to take this dog from the the 27th until today, the 8th, she has a rate that is far less than others charge in Santa fe for dog sitting, This dog is adorable and fun to be around but still takes a lot of time and attention. The thing that is weird to us is that the owners of this dog that she has sat for over the last two weeks which included holidays did not think it was necessary to include a tip in their payment to her. She bought a couple of dog toys for the dog and rawhide and dog treats which she indicated on Facebook which the dog owners see that she has had done on her facebook page online. Yet when they picked up the dog as they did today hours after they said they would because of their flight times etc they gave her no tip. It’s not like these people can’t afford a tip, they went to a Caribbean island for their nearly 2 week vacation. This makes me furious because me and my husband have become high tippers because of the inequality of income. Yes we make up for the discrepancy of income for what LB is able to make on her own and we are able to provide for her but when people exploit her it makes me very mad. Plus the whole dog sitting experience turned into a major crisis because of allergies that we didn’t anticipate and incurred my husband flying back to Chicago. I’m not expecting the dog owner to appreciate that aspect but the fact that they don’t even tip for normal services tells me these are people that LB should not be doing business with and she agrees. So are we the ass holes?

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  3. Peter said on January 8, 2023 at 10:22 pm

    I don’t think the Brazilian shaman on the right side of that tweet is from today – those buildings look too close to be in Brasilia – everything in that town is spaced out, except for the two towers at the national congress, and those aren’t in that photo.

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  4. alex said on January 8, 2023 at 11:58 pm

    Roused out of bed just now when my low glucose alarm started shrieking madly. I got a reading of 58. So I ate a butterscotch candy from my coat pocket, heated up a can of Campbell’s tomato soup (and it’s horrid, I never eat the stuff) and now I’m trying to force feed myself as I sit here reading the latest blog entry.

    I have no idea how old this can of shit was. Pretty sure it’s been in the cupboard for years. Very salty and vaguely oversweetened as well. I’ve only had a few spoonfuls and I’m ready to throw the rest away.

    Sugar’s back up to 83, but I’d feel better if it were a bit over 100.

    Okay, I put the soup down the garbage disposal and now having some spinach sloshed in Newman’s Own balsamic vinaigrette.

    Back to bed.

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  5. Dexter Friend said on January 9, 2023 at 3:17 am

    Alex, when I was on a different med for Type 2, my blood sugar would plummet sometimes and leave me feeling I was surely dying. If I felt myself sinking, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich brought me back. My regimen has changed, I no longer crash so hard, but when I get the old creepy sinking coming on, just a tablespoon of creamy peanut butter alone straightens me right out.
    I admit to being a consumer of Campbell’s Tomato Soup, maybe 3 times a year, great with grilled cheese.
    Biden at the border, taking written commands from that fucking Texas governor Abbott. What the hell is going to rectify the situation there?

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  6. beb said on January 9, 2023 at 4:26 am

    It sounds like Brazil’s president has vowed to lower the boom on the insurrectionists. Good for him. The DOJ has gotten hundreds of convictions thought too many got off with probation. I heard a rumor that Barron and Miller were advising the former guy. I would love it if Lulu would charge them with conspiracy and demand their extradition.

    Alex – I don;t have an insulin alarm but there have been mornings when my waking glucose was around 55. VERY light-headed, fortunately I keep some cookies on hand for such emergencies. I enjoy Campbell’s tomato soup. Yours may have been way too old. Even better is Tomato Bisque. And there is nothing like grilled cheese sandwiches dipped in tomato soup.

    I’m too much of a cynic to be able to relax to the sound of singing water bowls. At the same time I often like the sound of a small fan blowing air across my face while trying to fall asleep.

    My wife, who occasionally posted as Crazycatlady, had back surgary back in November and has been doing fantastically better. She can stand up and walk without the struggle and groaning she’d gone for the past several years. Come spring we will be able to go for walks again.

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  7. Connie said on January 9, 2023 at 7:00 am

    Alex et al, I recently discovered that one can purchase glucose tablets for those occasions. Much better than eating something odd in the middle of the night. I keep a bottle on my night stand. They remind me of Rolaids.

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  8. Deborah said on January 9, 2023 at 7:17 am

    I don’t know what happened to that first comment in this thread? Somehow half of it got lost. I asked if we’re the assholes because LB charges lots less than most dog sitters do. She also bought the dog she was sitting for a few dog toys, rawhides, treats etc. She had the dog for nearly 2 weeks, during New Years and her birthday. She gave the dogs owners cookies that she made for Christmas before they left. At one point during the sit the owner texted her asking if she liked wine, sort of insinuating that they might bring her a bottle upon returning at least we thought that. It turns out they spent their vacation in the Caribbean and they didn’t give LB a tip. Not even a thin dime. They never do, she has dog sat for them many times before and they never tip. She really has not expected a tip before but this time it seemed appropriate. To be honest I’m offended, they knew my husband and I were going to be here during part of the sit when we wouldn’t be in Abiquiu and they knew that my husband was allergic. So there were disruptions for us all. Anyway I’ve advised LB not to sit for these people again. Are we the assholes for expecting a tip or at least a holiday acknowledgment?

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  9. alex said on January 9, 2023 at 7:17 am

    Upon awakening this morning my blood sugar was 110, but in reviewing my glucose monitor I apparently plunged back down to about 50 between 3 and 5 AM and the alarm didn’t awaken me from deeper sleep. I suspect it’s because I ate too little for dinner last night.

    Stomach’s in knots because I have my annual review this week with the boss who makes me feel completely demoralized. The “I want a pony” guy I’ve mentioned here before who’s flippant and dismissive of others and thinks he knows everything when he’s clueless. He thinks he’s flattering me by telling me he thinks I’m smart. Which he always does before he lights into me for “making him look bad in front of our clients” or some other such specious attack over some trifling error. I’m ten years his senior and almost a foot taller and this is his way of putting me in my place.

    It’s tough starting over in your 60s but I need to dust off the resume.

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  10. Jeff Gill said on January 9, 2023 at 7:20 am

    Humorous comments come to mind, but regarding sound and mindfulness: the whole multi-singing-bowl deal just sounds too busy for my ADHD oriented mind. I find a single bowl/bell note, that you simply strike and then let linger, is something I can follow as it fades, and get some focus and relaxation and peace out of. The little bowl on a tiny cushion is usually fine for a normal sized room, and gives you a good long resonance to work with.

    And I do pick up shiny rocks as I travel, but they end up around St. Francis next to my front walk.

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  11. sgillie said on January 9, 2023 at 7:29 am

    Alex
    Easy tomato soup,
    8oz can of tomato sauce + 8oz milk + a smidge of butter.
    High fructose corn syrup is the second ingredient in Campbells tomato soup. Ugh. Also, tomato sauce is way cheaper.

    My self-care for January is an area rug for the living room. Gonna perk up the feng shui…

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  12. Dorothy said on January 9, 2023 at 8:56 am

    Deborah I read your three posts and since you seem very anxious to know anyone’s thoughts on the situation, I thought I’d chime in.

    I honestly don’t know much about how dog sitting works. But I know how tipping works. I tip people who work at an establishment where part of the money I’m spending there is going to the owners. Waitresses & hotel cleaning staff come to mind. If someone is dog or cat sitting, they’re either doing it in the owner’s home or the sitter’s home. Tipping in that situation seems a little odd to me. The person setting the price should take that into consideration. If you want to earn $40/day to do that but only set your price at $32/day, hoping you’ll make up the difference in tips, that is probably never going to happen. You tell them your price, they pay you the price. When we had our basement finished we got a price from our contractor and we didn’t pay anything over that amount. (However TBH we did buy lunch for the guys a couple of times – maybe that’s in the tip category).

    I would not say any of you are assholes, but the dog’s owners are not really responsible for reacting to your husband’s allergies. It was his decision to be around the dog. No one forced him to do that. To expect someone to compensate you for allergy meds or tissues or pain and suffering that you bring on by choosing to be around an animal is, in my opinion, seriously unrealistic.

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  13. Deborah said on January 9, 2023 at 9:17 am

    I’m sorry my comments turned into 3, the second one was unknown to me in moderation and I continued my rant to a third because I felt the first comment was hanging out there weirdly. I realize the owners aren’t responsible for my husband’s allergy. I still think the owners are cheap. Many of LB’s dog sits have included food/beverages when she stays at their places and some of them tip or bring her a small gift when they return. She dog sat for this couple also on Christmas Eve, that’s when she gave them cookies she had made. The fact that the dog sit was over a holidays seems like a small gesture would have been appropriate. Ok now I’ll shut up.

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  14. basset said on January 9, 2023 at 9:25 am

    Orange juice seems to work best for our lows, followed by a little peanut butter for protein.

    I remember playing a cassette of Tibetan temple bells awhile back and a visitor calling it “human sacrifice music.” Well, maybe.

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  15. JodiP said on January 9, 2023 at 9:31 am

    We’ve used 2 friends to pet sit and have never tipped them. They’re welcome to whatever food in the house but never touch it. This was/is a side gig for each of them, so it never occured to me to tip.

    Alex, sorry to hear about the ongoing job crap. Having a bad boss is so stressful! You might already have a resource but I follow a career coach on IG, Paddyjobsman. What he shares seems pretty helpful to me and it’s all delivered in a charming Irish accent. He also offers 1:1 resume/CV writing.

    Here’s his website: https://www.paddyjobsman.com/ He’s not just some rando influencer!

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  16. Little Bird said on January 9, 2023 at 10:15 am

    Okay. So from my experience it’s not uncommon to tip for some services like pet sitting, house sitting, or baby sitting. Particularly if it’s over a fairly major holiday (major holiday defined by weather businesses are closed for said holiday). Also not uncommon if service is provided during a nationwide pandemic.
    I never really EXPECT anything extra but it’s always appreciated.
    This particular dog cannot be left alone for more than two hours or so, so that means I am absolutely tethered to the house. I’m rapidly realizing that I should be charging more for this service.

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  17. Icarus said on January 9, 2023 at 10:16 am

    Deborah, best plausible positive guess on the “do you like wine” question: They intended to bring some wine back but forgot or time ran out, etc.

    Dog or even House sitting isn’t something I’d tip on. You agree on a price. I would hope that the person would give you suitable access to whatever food or drink is in the house.

    I wish tipping would go away completely and we just pay what we need to compensate for it. If I’m gonna pay $50 for something and then a $10 tip, just charge me $60 and be done with it.

    It’s interesting, when I come here I read through the comments but it never occurs to me to go back in case someone was stuck in moderation. If only there were some way to highlight the comments that are new from the last visit.

    OMG JodiP I clicked on that link, then when I went to LinkedIn a few minutes ago, one of his posts was the first on my home page!

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  18. Julie Robinson said on January 9, 2023 at 11:27 am

    My sister used those glucose tablets too, but also kept a small tube of frosting for when she dipped really low. The pure sugar had an instantaneous effect.

    Little Bird, I think you should just charge what you think is fair and not be reliant on whether or not someone feels like giving you a tip. I wasn’t thinking one tipped on direct services like that; like Icarus I think prices should be all-inclusive. There’s just too much confusion otherwise.

    I read another story about academic freedom on campuses and how colleges are finding ways to get around tenure. Some are stretching rules about college finances to rid themselves of liberal profs. Our nephew says he’s not too worried since his history classes only use primary sources and he then lets students draw their own conclusions. He is careful to never express his own opinions. So, he’s self-censoring, but he’s got two kids in college and he needs his job. After they’re done, he’ll probably retire.

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  19. Heather said on January 9, 2023 at 11:50 am

    I would never think of tipping for pet-sitting services. If I had someone I used year-round, like a dog walker, I would give them a little something extra for the holidays. Otherwise, no. Charging extra over the holidays could be a good idea.

    My friend was dog-sitting this summer and the owner mischaracterized how much work it would be–the dogs really needed to be watched all of the time. It was very stressful for her and she ended up doing more training (which is her regular job). I told her she should tell the owner the situation and outright ask for more money.

    I also think this tipping expectation has gotten a bit out of hand. I’ve seen stands at the farmers market with tip jars. Uh, I’m not going to tip for putting my croissant into a paper bag.

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  20. Scout said on January 9, 2023 at 11:51 am

    My wife’s post retirement gig is pet sitting. She stays in the pet owner’s home and takes all her own food, packs a suitcase, and basically gives up her life for the duration of the gig. She charges $75 for one pet and an extra $10-15 for each additional pet, depending on the level of care needed (meds, extra walks, etc). As you would expect, her clientele tends to be affluent. Some people question her rates but when she points out that she is making a little over $3/hr they get it. Those who don’t just don’t hire her and that’s ok. Her regular clients understand that while they may pay less to board, their pet is much happier remaining at home with a companion. She gets paid up front and some people have given her a bit extra, especially over the holidays, but it is not expected and many do not. I hope this helps, LB, if pet sitting is something you enjoy.

    I love a good sound bath. I never worry about monkey mind, recognizing it’s happening and letting it go is part of the process.

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  21. Heather said on January 9, 2023 at 12:03 pm

    Also, Alex, best wishes for the performance review. Those things are one of the reasons I opted out of another full-time job and went freelance. I got tired of trying to come up with meaningless goals that aligned with the company’s pillars or whatever. It’s more of the kind of performative bulls**t that I have a hard time dealing with. I follow a job coach who believes managers should be giving feedback regularly instead, which makes more sense to me.

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  22. Peter said on January 9, 2023 at 12:14 pm

    I’m sorry to go off topic here, but there was something about the recent Univ. of Idaho murders that confused me – when I read that some Washington State dorm students were concerned about the unsolved crime, I didn’t quite understand it. Sure, I would be concerned if there was a murderer on the loose who liked college students, but hey, it’s at a different school – what are the odds you’d be next?

    I looked at Google maps a few minutes ago – the two schools are SEVEN miles apart on the same road. I don’t get it. How could two state schools (OK, different states) be only seven miles apart? Sure, maybe in an urban area, but this is the middle of nowhere. And it’s not like this just happened – both campuses are over 100 years old.

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  23. Deborah said on January 9, 2023 at 12:34 pm

    That Irish job finding guy is great, Jodi thanks for the link. I went to his Instagram just to hear his accent, I’m not even looking for work.

    I guess we’re just tippers, we always have been and especially since the pandemic. We tip the people we buy wood from, they also stack it, we tip the guy who cleans our chimney, the woman who cuts our hair, the cleaning lady, the doorman who gets a taxi for us, the maintenance people in the building who fix something for us etc etc. If there’s a tip jar at the market or coffee shop, where ever, we tip. My husband tips more $ than I do, maybe it’s because he does our finances so he knows we can afford it. One of the reasons we tip is because we get good service from the people we tip. They respond to our needs and we can do it so why not? My husband tipped cashiers at the grocery stores during the pandemic. I wish people didn’t need tips but a lot of them do. It shows that you appreciate what they do. LB doesn’t expect tips but sometimes it feels good when people understand that she’s going the extra mile for them. She gives good service, it’s nice to be appreciated.

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  24. Sherri said on January 9, 2023 at 12:59 pm

    Peter, both institutions are land grant universities in different states, which means the legislatures in each state set the location asked on the political needs of the state at the time. In the case of Idaho, which was still a territory, there had been a move to separate the panhandle from the rest of the territory and attach it to Washington. Placing the land grant university in the panhandle was about appeasing the panhandle.

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  25. Dorothy said on January 9, 2023 at 1:13 pm

    We sent $50 (check) to our newspaper delivery person for Christmas. We only get it once a week but we wanted to show some appreciation. I don’t like to spend a lot on a haircut because my hair is so short and really there’s no styling involved. But I do tip big for my cheap haircuts. I paid $18 for one at Super Cuts down the street from my office, and I always tipped Emily $7 because I loved how she cut my hair.

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  26. LAMary said on January 9, 2023 at 1:47 pm

    I tip the person who cuts my hair. I have long hair and cutting and blow drying it takes a while. I tip waitresses and the Instacart person when I get big bags of dog food. That’s about it. My sons did plenty of dog sitting and house sitting and one of them even did a month of kid sitting and they got paid well but I don’t recall them mentioning tips. My older son’s main client was a couple who had a beautiful house overlooking a lake. He watched the two dogs and a cat, kept the garden watered and tended to and got the kids to and from school, helped with homework. I have no idea how much he got paid but he didn’t seem disappointed.

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  27. Julie Robinson said on January 9, 2023 at 2:53 pm

    Hairstylists and wait staff get big tips in cash. The place I get my hair cut takes a portion of tips paid with a card, which is probably illegal, so I put the cash directly in her hand. We also wrote a $50 check to our newspaper carrier. But the guy who delivers library books didn’t get a tip despite him putting his venmo info with a December delivery. I know someone else who does the job and it’s not contracted out; they are employees with full wages and benefits and receive a generous mileage reimbursement.

    Our landscaper is in business for himself and his rates are already high so he doesn’t get a tip either. To clarify, he doesn’t come once a week to mow our lawn, he has designed a new landscape for us with cocquina paths and native plants, and also does the installation.

    When it comes to soup, we really like to make our own, but we do buy Pacific red pepper and tomato soup in boxes at Costco. We just finished making split pea soup with the last of the Christmas ham. Our future daughter-in-law gifted us with a large batch of blueberry muffins and I’m already salivating!

    75° and sunny. Time to go outside.

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  28. LAMary said on January 9, 2023 at 4:07 pm

    If you’re going to make tomato soup from tomato sauce make sure you read the ingredients on the label. Some brands of tomato sauce have lots of corn syrup or other stuff you probably don’t want. NYT cooking has some good tomato soup recipes you could freeze. The tomato red pepper soup Julie mentioned is good and at least at my local Costco they have Harry’s tomato soup. It’s very tasty.

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  29. LAMary said on January 9, 2023 at 4:12 pm

    …and I just saw that New York Magazine has a “best in class” article about bidets and y’all will be happy to know that Tushy topped the list.

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  30. Suzanne said on January 9, 2023 at 4:23 pm

    I just discovered that Paula White, the TV preacher & “spiritual advisor” to DJTrump is married to a member of the band Journey.
    Life is getting too strange for me.

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  31. jerry said on January 9, 2023 at 4:24 pm

    Regarding performance reviews a couple of points.

    Picking up Heather at #21: reviews should be a “no news situation”. Feedback needs to be given close to performance if it is to have any effect.

    And one of the good things retirement brought about was no need for performance reviews – either receiving one or giving one. That and no more meetings. Hurrah.

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  32. Joe Kobiela said on January 9, 2023 at 5:15 pm

    In my line of work I don’t expect to be tipped, but it’s always appreciated, if I receive a tip it’s usually coming back from a sporting event or some type of happy occasion, vacation, wedding family reunion. Actually being complimented on a smooth flight or landing is enough. I picked up a family a couple weeks ago in Pellston Mich, a mom dad and 3 little kids gramma was seeing them off the weather was foggy, as I was getting ready to board myself I could tell gramma was anxious I told her don’t worry I’ll take good care of them she gave me a great big hug, that was tip enough for me.
    Pilot Joe

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  33. David C said on January 9, 2023 at 5:44 pm

    Has anyone else seen this? We’ve ordered online a couple of times lately and there’s a do you want to add a tip so we can give our employees health benefits line item with suggested tips. I don’t really appreciate being guilted by a company that admits it doesn’t pay their employees well. Especially when you have no idea if the employees are getting anything for if the employer is pocketing it. I still tip waitstaff and the woman who cuts my hair with cash because I know they’re actually getting it. But this seems scammy as hell. The two who I’ve seen doing are crunchy type companies which just goes to show that selling “natural” products doesn’t mean they’re not shitty companies.

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  34. Deborah said on January 9, 2023 at 6:24 pm

    I agree that tip adding to online orders sounds like a scam. I’m a big believer that if you want to start a business and can’t give your employees healthcare then you don’t get to start a business if I were queen. Of course I’m not the queen and I have no way to stop people from starting businesses that don’t pay their workers fairly or give them benefits. I can stop going to those businesses for goods and services or I can try to compensate those workers with tips. I can’t make much of a dent in the shitty system of lousy pay for workers but I can tip the workers. It’s a small thing I can do besides voting for government that can make a difference for hard working people who need living wages.

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  35. basset said on January 9, 2023 at 6:49 pm

    As my brother the bartender used to tell me… “always tip cash.”

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  36. alex said on January 9, 2023 at 7:16 pm

    Jodi, thank you for the Paddy link. I’m going to give that some serious consideration. I whipped out a resume last week and sent it for a job for which I didn’t have the requisite experience in the practice area after inquiring first whether they’d consider a trainee. They asked if I’d object to their holding onto my resume for future consideration but aren’t filling the advertised position at present.

    Just took delivery of my first pair of Warby Parker glasses. The frames are nice. I wanted single vision lenses, no bi- or tri-focal stuff going on and they asked if I wanted near, intermediate or distance. I opted for intermediate. They’re great for near-vision purposes. But even looking across the room is like looking into a funhouse mirror. Guess I won’t be driving in these. I think I’ll try distance next and see what I get.

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  37. FDChief said on January 9, 2023 at 10:59 pm

    I’ve tried to sink into a meditative trance but the monkey brain is just too busy to stop looking under rocks or poking at things. And I’m too easily bored to repeat mantras long enough, so I’m kind of impressed at anyone who can.

    There have been a handful of worthwhile ruminations on our J6 that pretty much all make the point that the late House shenanigans point up the only jingle about treason prospering. The Brazil nuts clearly learned from our example that your chances of jail or death are directly proportional to your degree of non-“conservative” politics ( or skin color, but that kinda tracks alongside…)

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  38. Sherri said on January 9, 2023 at 11:09 pm

    Brazil is where some of the defeated Confederates fled after the Civil War, and the Confederacy is still celebrated in Brazil: https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Americas/2022/0816/New-law-could-mark-end-of-American-Confederacy-in-Brazil

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  39. Dexter Friend said on January 10, 2023 at 12:44 am

    Joe, my son-in-law that I have posted about used to fly several famous people, one a former governor whom you all know. He told me to never reveal the names so I won’t, but one couple are both big movie stars, for like 50 years. When the plane landed, the husband slipped 3 C-notes into the pilot’s hand. Nice. Most of the big stars tipped $100 for the pilot and also for the F.O. One woman was the star of a daytime talk show. She didn’t tip, she got banned from ever flying with them again. Her “crime” was getting drunk on the flight and trying to seduce the young handsome F.O. Pilots need a sterile cockpit for preparing to land, no distractions like a beautiful woman coming on strongly to the F.O.

    My mom developed Type 2 late in life and had those sugar /glucose wafer-tabs on hand. I never liked the idea for me, as I never could gauge how much they would affect me. Peanut butter works, peanut butter and jelly sort of rocks the boat a little much.

    And oh damn…I have a video consult Thursday with a V.A. nephrologist in Ann Arbor. My numbers were off a little, caused by the drug Diclofenac, which I had to cold-turkey quit last summer. Man, did I feel it in my joints when I had been off that stuff for just 2 days. I have no idea whatsoever that this doctor will talk to me about, but I am thinking I will have to go there soon to the hospital for an eval. My kids will look after my dog and cat. I used to worry about stuff like this until I made myself sicker than I already may have been. No more. I ain’t saying I don’t GIVE a damn…I just don’t give a damn. In other words, bring it on, suckah!

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  40. LAMary said on January 10, 2023 at 3:25 am

    So…I wake up at 11:30 to use the bathroom. Swing my legs down to the floor and squish. My bedroom carpet is flooded. So is the hallway, the stairs, the livng room. There’s water coming in under my front door. The bedrooms are downstairs. The dog and cats are very confused. I reserved the monster carpet cleaning machine from Home Depot to pick up when they open. It rained yesterday like it was ark building time and it’s going to rain all day Tuesday too. And Saturday and Sunday.This sucks.

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  41. alex said on January 10, 2023 at 7:37 am

    Sorry to hear the celestial river or whatever they’re calling it is intruding upon your space, LAMary.

    Sherri, several South American countries also gave refuge to Nazi officials after WWII and I believe Brazil was one of them.

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  42. ROGirl said on January 10, 2023 at 8:03 am

    The flooding sounds downright apocalyptic, how awful.

    Argentina was a haven for nazis. Eichmann was caught by Mossad agents there.

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  43. JodiP said on January 10, 2023 at 9:14 am

    LAMary, so sorry about the river coming through your house! I hope it cleans up OK.

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  44. Jeff Borden said on January 10, 2023 at 9:51 am

    Sorry to hear about your water issues, Mary. We returned from visiting Johanna’s family in Floriduh to find standing water in parts of our basement, despite my leaving the faucets trickling and keeping the heat up fairly high. Our plumbers revealed it’s not our fault, but the city’s issue. The sewer our line connects to has collapsed under the street in front of our house. Until it is remedied, every significant rain or snowfall is going to flood parts of our basement. You made a smart move getting that machine. My 2.5-gallon shop vac is worthless.

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  45. Julie Robinson said on January 10, 2023 at 10:31 am

    I’m so sorry for the water problems at both Chez Borden and Chez LAMary. We saw the torrents of water on the news last night but I didn’t realize it was in LA already. The weather guy said it will be raining for several days. We’ve been through floods a few times at our own home and my mom’s so I know firsthand what you’re facing. Courage. And chocolate.

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  46. Dorothy said on January 10, 2023 at 10:59 am

    Oh Mary and Jeff – I’m so sorry to hear about these water woes! I would absolutely hate that. The videos I’m seeing from California are just so horrifying. This is something people will be dealing with for a long time.

    I’m with my nearly 10 month old grandson today because he’s got a cold and they preferred keeping him home from daycare. It’s the first time in MONTHS that I got to spend this much time with him. He’s very pleasant for a baby with such a stuffy sinus system. I’ll be bundling him up and getting him in the stroller come 2:45 to go to the bus stop and get his sister. That’s a first since we moved here – taking the baby to the bus stop. I’m grateful I’m able to be here to do this for them.

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  47. Deborah said on January 10, 2023 at 11:04 am

    Wow, photos of the California rains/floods are ghastly, sorry you have had to deal with it LAMary.

    Jeff B, that’s unfortunate, I hope the city acts quickly to repair the sewer collapse. We had a sewer line collapse in Dallas many years ago in my former life when LB was about 2 years old, it was the waste sewer line that went from our house to the city hook up. It turned out to be made of basically cardboard layers with tar, called Orangeburg or something like that. It was used during WWII instead of cast iron because of the military needing iron for the war effort. The expected life of Orangeburg pipe is about 50 years, but much of it collapsed far earlier.

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  48. Jeff Gill said on January 10, 2023 at 11:17 am

    Having dealt with a whole bunch of tile & sewer stuff in closing out my parents’ home a couple of years ago, Deborah got my curiosity aroused, and o brave new world that has such linkage in it:

    https://www.expresssewer.com/blog/exp_what-is-orangeburg-pipe-everything-you-need-to-know

    Orangeburg is “bituminized fiber pipe made from a mixture of hot pitch and wood pulp” named for the manufacturer in New York state . . . and now you know, the REST of the story.

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  49. Jason T. said on January 10, 2023 at 12:01 pm

    When I hear about someone playing bowls, I think immediately of someone playing wine glasses on “The Ed Sullivan Show” or Mike Douglas or something. And then you got to the quartz crystal.

    I’m not sure I would be able to keep from giggling if I were there, which probably means my chakras are misaligned or something.

    https://youtu.be/tVNt0bKZDgk

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  50. LAMary said on January 10, 2023 at 12:47 pm

    Our shopvac sucked too and not in the way I would like it to. Got to head off to Home Depot to pick up the giant carpet shampooer shortly. My efforts with the string mop seems to have saved my hardwood floor in the living room but time will tell. Still raining here. The weather reports aren’t encouraging. I’m glad I don’t live near the beach. It’s worse there. Montecito, where Meghan and Haryy live, has been evacuated.

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  51. LAMary said on January 10, 2023 at 11:12 pm

    In my last two years of college I worked a a bartender. One year is was a Holiday Inn, another year it was a place called The Old Miner Inn. I made more in tips than in salary. Especially at the Holiday Inn. Lots of business traveler guys who ordered a Coors (this was when I lived in Golden, CO.) gave me a five and told me to keep the change. I banked my salary and lived on my tips.

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  52. Dexter Friend said on January 11, 2023 at 1:01 am

    The atmospheric river is heading north to blast the land from Morro Bay to Oregon. Montecito, oh wow, man. Ellen lives there, she was terrified in an interview, standing outside watching the torrent rush by her house. Yep, the whole area is evacuated. My man The Dude (Jeff Bridges) lives there; he doesn’t need this as he just recovered from cancer treatments a few months ago.
    The Weather Channel’s Heavy Rescue show featured an atmospheric river in B.C. in November…it’s a new season, not sure what year this show was taped. This show was about the destruction of parts of the Coq highway and the isolation of Hope, the town…all roads submerged and bridges washed away.
    I watched pro basketball in lieu of The Globies. Anybody get their lights punched out?

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  53. LAMary said on January 11, 2023 at 9:42 am

    Ventura county, just north of LA, land of the Kardashians, got 18 inches of rain in the last week.

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  54. FDChief said on January 11, 2023 at 9:47 am

    So our new House Republican overlords are wasting no time setting about doing their donors’ bidding; introducing a bill to reverse the IRS funding increase. It will “save” $75M and cost $114M in lost tax revenue.

    In the original Rocky the Stallone character shows up for a fight in a new robe with the logo of his brother-in-law’s meat company on the back. Burgess Meredith, playing Rocky’s manager, asks Rock what he got for the advertising; the robe, replies Rocky.

    Meredith’s character looks his fighter up and down and says, in that wonderful Meredith voice: “Shrewd…”

    That’s what we’re gonna get from these gomers, unstoppable, for the next two years. An atmospheric river of stupid QANut bullshit and FAUX News fapping.

    Shrewd.

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  55. Deborah said on January 11, 2023 at 12:07 pm

    I’m hoping the FAA problem is over by Friday when LB is supposed to fly to Portland, OR. I mean if it’s not horrible weather it’s weird outages.

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  56. Scout said on January 11, 2023 at 12:52 pm

    I think flights have resumed.
    https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/u-s-flights-start-to-resume-after-faa-lifts-grounding-order/ar-AA16dgGa?rc=1&ocid=winp1taskbar&cvid=819a590034294cb883c9527247847ce9

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