The Chit Chat Chit Chat Thread

[Songbird76]

Exactly. Well stated.

In my town we didn't have sidewalks when my kids were growing up. For us they came during 9/11 with major road rebuilding that year. My DD was in 4th grade my DS already in high school. My kids learned to navigate the roads while walking and riding bikes in the street. I so hated that. I grew up with sidewalks and some people are nuts driving their cars around kids.

I have empathy for you and the ambulance driver. I had my son in his buggy in the mega mall. Maybe 3 months old. I was in the hallway portion and he was screaming his fool head off, colic and all but I needed to buy Christmas Presents so the mall it was him screaming me exhausted. An elderly women sitting on a brick wall next to her husband stood up and stuck her face into the buggy and screamed two inches from my DS face SHUT UP and yelled at me for not keeping him quiet. Yep. Nuts. I ignored her and looked at her mortified husband and told him to get a grip on his wife or I was calling for security. Poor guy. He attempted as I pushed the buggy onward as she then fought with him. I'll never forget the loon in my infant sons face screaming.

Sympathy like. That is terrible! What did she expect him to do at 3 months old? Poor husband though....can you imagine having to live with her?

 

[Songbird76]

That is awful. Some people are unbelievable. I remember taking my son out to the farmer's market when he was an infant. He was colicky and spent 99% of the first four months under my nursing smock. It was also a beautiful but coolish day in May. I decided to leave his hat in the car as it seemed too warm for it and not sunny enough to need protection and he would likely be out from nursing for a couple of minutes at a time. I actually sat and thought this all through and opted for the one less thing to carry. And then we are walking around and some old woman comes up to me and scolds me for not putting a hat on his head and how he is going to get a sun burn and made me feel like the world's worst parent. I wish I would have stood up to her like you did but I was feeling insecure so I just left.

Some people are just so RUDE. I was walking back from the grocery store a few weeks after I had had one of the kids...I don't remember which, but a lady walked up to me...I'm pushing the buggy with an infant in it and she rubs my belly and asks how long till the baby came. I pointed to the buggy and she says "Oh....you're just fat." and walked away. And when DD was only 3 weeks old, I was holding her and talking to her in English...we were at my in-laws' house and one of DH's aunts was there visiting. She looks at me and says "Speak Dutch! I can't understand you!" And I said "Well it's a good thing I wasn't talking to you then." And then I gave her a lecture about how the kids had a whole family in the States who wanted to talk to them, too, and none of them speak Dutch, so my kids have to learn both. She griped that if all I ever spoke was English, how would they ever learn Dutch. I informed her that as we live in the Netherlands, I wasn't worried about them picking up Dutch since EVERYONE would be speaking it to them except me...they'd hear it at the grocery store and from the family, from our neighbors, and once they started school. And sure enough, they speak more Dutch than they do English. Crazy old woman. BUT, funny story: DD was 2 and a half and started at preschool. After a few weeks the teachers asked me if I spoke Dutch to her at home. I said I tried not to because I wanted her to distinguish between the 2 languages. She told me that DD didn't speak Dutch and I needed to start speaking it with her. I said no, that couldn't be right because at home she ONLY spoke Dutch back to me, and that she was at my in-law's twice a week and they only spoke Dutch to her, as did daddy. The teacher said she had been giving the kids instructions in Dutch like "Take your chair and put it at the table and then come back and sit in a circle" and DD would just sit there until they gave her the instructions in English. Then I see DD smirking. I asked her if she had been pulling a joke on the teachers and she just started laughing. She thought it was hilarious. One of her teachers is in choir with me and still remembers that from 5 years ago. Little stinker! After that, she just did what she was told. She was pretending to them that she couldn't understand Dutch!

 

[Songbird76]

I wonder about a lot of things... why do animals have tails, for example, why do men have nipples for another, but, one that seems more of a direct concern is why does 68 degrees feel colder in the winter then in the summer?

I find that if the sun is shining on you, it feels warmer. In the Winter, the sun is too far away to really feel it shining on you. So the same temp feels colder. At least, that's my best guess from personal observation. If I'm in my house and the sun is shining through the front window, 24 degrees C is plenty warm. But if the sun is NOT shining through the window, I need a blanket with the same 24 degrees C. The sun just makes all the difference!

 

[Songbird76]

Where do you live? We measure things in terms of time too. I would have to look up the mileage if I needed to know it but I could tell you how long it takes to get almost anywhere.

Originally from Wyoming. We also didn't use street names. It was a small town and we just knew where everyone lived, so if someone was giving directions, you'd just say "Take a left at the Surwald's house, then go 3 houses down and across the street where the big camper sits outside." Out of towners would come by needing directions to Sundance Circle and we'd ask who they were looking for because no one actually knew which street was which, just who lived where. Ah, the beauty of small towns! You could REALLY confuse people if you told them to keep going until they got to the stoplight and turn left because we didn't have any stoplights.

 

[Songbird76]

Yep, we went through Utah on that same trip and also visited Bryce and Zion. Beautiful.
And, yes, the Grand Canyon is one you really need to see in person. Pictures and video just don't do it justice.

I'll get there someday, I hope. I was so disappointed, but there were 3 of us and I was the only one who wanted to see it, so I was out-voted. I believe my ex had seen if because his grandparents lived near there. My ex was pretty self-absorbed and not really worried overly much about my happiness. He was REALLY super smart, but had zero emotional intelligence. When I broke up with him and told him I wasn't happy, his response was "Well, I'M happy! Can't you just be happy that I'M happy?" Um...no....no, I can't. My husband is MUCH better at compromising and making sure I am happy. So I imagine we'll get there someday...he wants to see it too.

 

[Dead2009]

Almost at 900 posts....party!

 

[French Quarter]

Originally from Wyoming. We also didn't use street names. It was a small town and we just knew where everyone lived, so if someone was giving directions, you'd just say "Take a left at the Surwald's house, then go 3 houses down and across the street where the big camper sits outside." Out of towners would come by needing directions to Sundance Circle and we'd ask who they were looking for because no one actually knew which street was which, just who lived where. Ah, the beauty of small towns! You could REALLY confuse people if you told them to keep going until they got to the stoplight and turn left because we didn't have any stoplights.

Yes! I once lived somewhere where the people gave directions based on landmarks that are no longer there. "You turn left at the corner where the gas station used to be. And then turn left when you get to the house The Browns used to live in." Real helpful!

 

[French Quarter]

Well, I have been a lazy butt all day, sitting around in my jammies with the kids. I think I will go shower now before I make dinner. I'm sure I will be back soon enough for more hijinks. Hope everyone has a good meal.

 

[Gabe1]

Grand Canyon is one I really want to see. We always went the other direction. My then-bf and a friend and I drove down through Utah and saw Zion Nat'l park and Bryce Canyon, then on into Arizona, but we were visiting friends and my BF and friend had no desire to take a detour to see the Canyon, so I missed it. We went through Sedona, which was beautiful, but I really wanted to see the Grand Canyon.

We have a Zion's IL State Beach Park. Haven't been there in years but oh the fun we had up there in my teens and early 20's.
It was so close to the Wisconsin Boarder (and their drinking age was 18) what an after prom that was.

But not nearly as much fun as Winter & Spring Breaks in Breckenridge Colorado. Those wine and cheese parties going down the slopes were a nice way to take a break and warm up. I love cheese.

 

[Gabe1]

Opera has its uses. Despite not really enjoying opera to listen to, I do enjoy singing it, and when I was in college, I had some REALLY loud neighbors...constant music turned up really loud. So I started rehearsing my pieces for voice lessons whenever they had the music on, and suddenly they would turn it down.

Ha! Passive Aggressive.

 

[Gabe1]

the question.. is who are calling it too "unpolitically correct" ?
Social warriors? or the natives?
I know sometimes the social warriors exaggerate and nothing makes them happy.

It has been on all the major TV news programming for the last few days and more so today. Listing all the various states that have reinvented the names and meaning of Columbus Day. When I was a little kid we lived in a very Irish neighborhood. Because we were all Catholic we were allowed to have Christmas Parties and Easter Break. Those words seldom are used by any district anymore. We do have Christmas Trees in all of our lobbies of our schools. I am surprised nobody has balked yet. Waiting.

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

It's great. I've seen a lot. And I grew up pretty poor...all my classmates were well off, and yet I've seen more than any of them, because we drove everywhere. Yellowstone is fantastic, by the way. And we visited Mount Rushmore more times than I can count...my kids have never seen it, so we're going there next summer on the same trip as we go to Disney.

I love Disney, no doubt. But Yellowstone is a close second. I was enchanted by the geysers and hot springs, it was beautiful!

 

[Goofyernmost]

Giggle. You do have an interesting mind Sir. I look at 68 differently than you. On the rare occassion that the temps reach 68 here in the winter I'm calling it a heat wave. Summer 68 is chilly here.

I find that if the sun is shining on you, it feels warmer. In the Winter, the sun is too far away to really feel it shining on you. So the same temp feels colder. At least, that's my best guess from personal observation. If I'm in my house and the sun is shining through the front window, 24 degrees C is plenty warm. But if the sun is NOT shining through the window, I need a blanket with the same 24 degrees C. The sun just makes all the difference!

A agree with both of you, however, I am talking about inside my apartment. In the summer the thermostat is set at 68 degrees and I find it perfectly comfortable. In the winter 68 is too cold. I crank it up to 72. The interior environment is essentially that same summer or winter. The A/C limits the humidity inside in the summer and the humidity remains about the same in the winter. But, it feels so much colder. Now when I lived up north I never questioned it because if I looked outside it was snow covered so that would have sent a signal to my brain that it was cold. However, here in NC if I look outdoors in the winter, it looks pretty much the same as it does in summer even if it is cooler.

So, to me it remains a mystery. As does the animal tails and the other thing. I have other things too, but, that would ignite a massive male vs. female discussion that would be interesting, however, I know it wouldn't end well. Those we will just leave hidden in my brain.

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

Oh! We didn't follow her whole path, but we did see one of the houses where she lived. I can't remember where anymore...I was just a kid, but I remember the outdoor theater they did there. My guess is that it was somewhere in South Dakota or Iowa.

There is a whole big festival in DeSmet (I think) South Dakota. I haven't been but I know of people who have, they liked it even though a tornado went through while they were there.

 

[Gabe1]

Oy. One of the whys I am so germaphobic. Poor Dude.

Daniel Fells‏@danielfells85
My heart is with my brothers tonight. Get that W G-men. I love every one of you
#thiswillnotdefeatme
https://instagram.com/p/8txk77veao/
5:09 PM - 11 Oct 2015

 

[MinnieM123]

@French Quarter I forget where your post is but I am from Rhode Island...not an island and not part of Long Island. Though I do work on the island which RI got the name from.

Gorgeous--the cliff walk, right? Is that the Breakers (Vanderbilt mansion) to the right? I love Newport--been there many times and been to every one of the "Gilded Age" historic homes in the area.

 

[catmom46]

Don't you have today off? It's Columbus Day, and we're off today, thank goodness!

I wish! We only get 8 holidays off during the year, plus 1 floating holiday. Our organization is stingy in that way, but generous with other benefits, so I guess I shouldn't complain too much.

 

[StarWarsGirl]

^^^^^^ This or a 90 or 2 would be nice also

I'm sure @MinnieM123 would love our weather today. 75 and sunny. It was delightful.

Spoiler

She probably would prefer the 51 degrees that is was at 9am. It was 75 at 3:30 pm. Big difference

 

[Gabe1]

I think we talked about this before.. but arent minisplits normal in the US?
In houston every home I seen had central units or window units.
Here in my country is all about minisplits.

I had to look up what a minisplit was, never heard the term. That would be simplier one would think, @donaldtoo would likely know.
The only places I've seen some of the versions in images are on Rec Vehicles, conversions, food truck restaurants etc. Must be a reason.

 

[Gabe1]

I wish! We only get 8 holidays off during the year, plus 1 floating holiday. Our organization is stingy in that way, but generous with other benefits, so I guess I shouldn't complain too much.

Yep, sometimes those other benefits do outweigh other things but we all like time off. I think we are likely one of the few remaining families that still receives health insurance without any employee contribution. Sadly the deductible has hit that ouch level.