The Chit Chat Chit Chat Thread

[StarWarsGirl]

Wow....glad they give you antibiotics. They won't do that here. When I was pregnant with my daughter, I had Bronchitis and a sinus infection for 4 months. The doctor kept telling me it was a virus and antibiotics wouldn't help, come back if it didn't go away....so I kept going back because it didn't go away. Finally after 4 months, I went back and he had an intern who was seeing most of the patients who weren't urgent or something really weird. The intern asked me what I had done myself to get rid of it...I said I had been steaming my sinuses, used nasal spray, taken zinc, etc....she said it sounded like I had done everything I could, she would ask if she could give me an antibiotic....he okayed it and within a week of starting antibiotics, it was finally gone. (HARD to find an antibiotic I'm not allergic to that I could have while pregnant, though!) But my question is...if it was a virus, why did it not go away until I had meds?

Good grief. That sounds terrible.

I don't know how they treat non asthmatics, but with me, any time I start to get a lung infection, they're like, "Here! Antibiotics!" It's too dangerous not to treat with full force for someone with asthma. If it turns into pnuemonia...that's really not good.

For sinus infections, my doc usually has me wait two weeks, use my sinus rinse, and if the asthma gets bad, take prednisone and do nebulizer treatments. Then if I still have it, we do antibiotics. Which I understand; he doesn't want me developing a resistance to antibiotics. But two weeks. Not four months.

Last year, I had bronchitis and was misdiagnosed twice by the PA as having asthma symptoms. I finally went to my allergist and got a correct diagnosis. Now I don't see her unless it's for, ahem, something female related. I see one of the doctors for when I'm sick. The asthma just throws a monkey wrench in everything.

 

[StarWarsGirl]

Sorry to hear you had to wait a day, but it's better than an ER where they don't understand asthma.

Pediatric ERs were always great with asthma. Adult ERs are a different story.

I actually preferb if I have to ggoto the ER for an emergency, to see a PA as opposed to a doctor, because the PAs usually don't have a god complex and will call my doctor and work with him.

 

[Gabe1]

3 times as in, fires.. droughts, quakes and now mudslides. Also, hurricanes while rare, can still reach.

Lots of weather related things to consider in Cali but the least is Hurricanes. While Cali receives the remnants of the aftermath of hurricanes it is very unlikely to receive an actual hurricane impact even being on a shore city. Orlando area inland like Irma is far more likely than Cali. The earthquakes, fires and rain/mudslides are more their thing. Nothing to sneeze at.

 

[Gabe1]

I was with you until recently. My uncle has one and I wouldn't want it. But the new redesigned ones are easily up to par with the Malibus. But the Corollas aren't redesigned, and I'm not looking at them for that reason.

That, and so many people have ones with fabric interior, and I'm sorry, but fabric interiors are the worst. They get dirty so quickly. You eat in them, and the crumbs stay there forever. You spill something, and it is impossible to clean. Leather, if you eat in the car, you just brush it to the floor and vacuum it up. If you spill something, you just wipe it up. Whatever car I get will at the very least be leatherette, if not leather. Which works out because, due to being vertically challenged, I also need power seats, and that usually comes with the leather package.

My concern about the GM cars is that I've now had two of them that seem like they hit 100,000 miles and start falling appart. Whereas the Toyotas, well, everyone who I talk to says that they are just extremely reliable.

There are so many things to consider. And in many areas too many things to overthink. Much of it depends on your own personal style and driving habits. I have cloth interior in my car as does my DD but not DS. None of us tend to eat in our car as a result leather is less important so lifestyle comes to play. I take my truck to a full service car wash and I've never had any problems with crumbs and stuff coming off the interior than I have had with the floor rugs. Given the price of cars we are not sloppy folk to that may play into it too. My DS car was purchased new off the lot and it has leather. It has its pros and cons in this climate. Leather is very cold in the winter and extremely hot in the summer where fabric is not as extreme and retains the heat and frozen longer than fabric. My last truck had leather and I actually put a bath towels on the seats in the Winter and Summer so I would wouldn't burn my tush in shorts and freeze my tush in the winter. It cuts both way. Toyota in recent history has been plagued with mega recalls some with no solutions for long lengths of time. American cars are no angels either in all fairness. My advice is too look at the overall big picture, your lifestyle and how long you at least plan on keeping the car of your choice. If you plan on eating your meals in a car leather is important. If you tend not to turn your car into a kitchen not so much, that kind of usage. My DD has a 20 year old Chevy and still going strong. Starts everyday and has had maybe $1000 in maintance in the 10 years she has had it so generalizations are not always a good example. My sons Olds Cutlas Supreme was beyond reliable. He had that car 12 years. The body failed given our climate not the transmission nor the engine.

 

[Gabe1]

Good grief. That sounds terrible.

I don't know how they treat non asthmatics, but with me, any time I start to get a lung infection, they're like, "Here! Antibiotics!" It's too dangerous not to treat with full force for someone with asthma. If it turns into pnuemonia...that's really not good.

For sinus infections, my doc usually has me wait two weeks, use my sinus rinse, and if the asthma gets bad, take prednisone and do nebulizer treatments. Then if I still have it, we do antibiotics. Which I understand; he doesn't want me developing a resistance to antibiotics. But two weeks. Not four months.

Last year, I had bronchitis and was misdiagnosed twice by the PA as having asthma symptoms. I finally went to my allergist and got a correct diagnosis. Now I don't see her unless it's for, ahem, something female related. I see one of the doctors for when I'm sick. The asthma just throws a monkey wrench in everything.

I really wish I had a true understanding of resistance to antibiotics. My kids, DS blew ear infections constantly, to the point where they finally put him on a cycle of Sulfur Drugs for 6 months to break the cycle and it did. My DD with respiratory allergies vs asthma would spring secondary infections, also frequent flier of antibiotics. As they hit their teens came the anti-antibiotic waves trend and staying sick so much longer trend and weakened resistance to other infections.

Still I see individuals like you that are prescribed antibiotics when warranted and others are denied. I wound up with a lung infection because of a gallbladder infection that traveled to my one lung that 'they' wanted to see it run its course. It did and had me in an ER Room as a result missing weeks of works and then finally on antibiotics.

I'd really like to have a firmer grasp as to how much and how often antibiotics have to be given for someone to actually become resistant just to properly advocate for myself and family. I hear the phrase and the vague generalizations but actually not any consistent data. In my life I've seen too many people in very recent years die from pneumonia including my FIL who was not on antibiotics until his last few days, too late. I do Wonder how educated the overall medical field is on the pros and cons of prescribing. Just don't know. But loosing a loved one too known pneumonia in this day and age in our country did cause me to pause and reflect.

 

[Gabe1]

We bought our house with zero down. The VA loan let's any veteran buy a house with zero down up to $430k. We were smart about it though and didn't out kick our coverage, financially.

Yeah, it was not my concern but this couple that bought the house was scraping every corner to close even with the FHA inspector clearing the house beyond one electrical outlet in a bathroom and a light bulb. Yes a light bulb that blew mid inspection. Every dollar they had went to the 2% downpayment. Tried so many ways to squeeze the negotiations which I would not give on. I put 20% down on the house, their gamble with 2%. Still if they were my kids to advise I would have said wait, save, have reserves, have more to put down. I saw what their monthly payments FHA would be, their income. Honestly I didn't know how they'd do it. Still not my concern, they bought it, they bought it further AS IS as the home is well maintained but over 60 years old both a big pro and con. That said I've never been a gambler.

 

[Gabe1]

Oddly enough, that never bothered me at all.

I prefered overall the original FP of yesteryear. It allowed more free form vacationing, it was not as ridged or necessary commitment to planning months in advance. Still on the plus side of FP+ with kids I do not miss criss crossing parks especially Epcot and Animal Kingdom where the footprint is huge. MK and Studios were easy to grab a extinct FP. Both have their pros and cons but given a choice I enjoyed the FP more. I look at FoPassage now, almost impossible day of where in yesteryear ya had a opportunity.

 

[Gabe1]

Unfortunately, its well known that the more stupid a person is.. the less "filtering" he thinks he needs. Therefore they tend to speak more and fear less to be seen as stupid.

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I'm the know the professed news junkie, now I try to avoid all newscasts as much as possible. It is far worse than any Hollywood first world problems, worse than the National Inquire yet it is life altering. There is not any filter, no fear of anyone thinking less of them cause it is the new Normal. I look at Hawaii today. Scaring the daylights out of citizens. Crazy nuts that this OK. Stupid is indeed a word that wraps it in a nice neat package. Not a package I am enjoying by any means but a package that has been delivered. Oy.

 

[Cesar R M]

After brunch it was back to the Ivanhoe Theater at the front of the ship for the Christmas show...!

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Cruise kiddos with antlers getting ready to sing us all a song...!

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A random shot of the show...

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Our cruise director, Frankie...this guy was AWESOME...!!!!!!!
Energy off-the-charts like I've never seen before...!!!!!!!

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Some random ship artwork...

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A drink in the main lounge...!

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Up to the lido deck...!

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I absolutely LOVED the lido deck bar floor tile...!!!!!!!

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One more random shot of the lido deck from our last full day at sea...

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By the way, you indeed are taking very nice photos Donald!

 

[Cesar R M]

I sowwy...!

Pfff, you're not even sorry, at all.. accept it

 

[Gabe1]

65 and raining now I'm airing out my house Tonight ice to snow. Come here little groundhog

Envious. We had 55 yesterday. It was beyond windy and rainy all day. Happy to go outside without my face freezing but was not the 55 I expectd to appreciate at all. Today well nasty. We had ice overnight. 4 for 4 doors were frozen shut. Something I've never experienced with this truck.

 

[Gabe1]

It's tough because you only have a certain amount of vacation days you're given every year, and nine of those go towards school closed days, right off the top. So you have 9 vacation days less than your peers when you start the year. Then add in that my child is still a preschooler, so she's still getting sick a few times a year, or carrying home illnesses that she passes on to me. So that's another 8-10 days a year staying home because one of us is sick or needs to go to the doctor.

We take a family camping trip every year with the in-laws, and usually a couple long weekends (camping, or like this year I'm taking 1.5 days off to go to New Orleans and celebrate my moms 60th birthday), but at the end of the year I have no vacation days left. I'm lucky if I'm not in the hole. Before I had a kid, I usually had a good 10 days to roll over to the next year and took plenty of vacations.

I wish everyone understood the impact kids had on a couple.

I was blessed with 4 weeks of vacation, 12 holidays, 12 sick days and 7 personal days by the time my first was born and it was still a struggle with the illnesses and school days off my kids had over the years. The very reason with my reputation I became a subcontractor over an employee. Same work, same clients, similar pay but enough to make up for it more, less the holiday/vacation pay. I never was blessed with the flex of the Dad taking any days off for school days off or kids illnesses so building a small business was my answer that still left me juggling but not unemployed any how. For me and a career the responsibilities career vs career were very lopsided. Sure at times he felt 'like a paycheck' but minor to what I gave to balancing life and children.
Wouldn't change a thing, my kids are everything to me.

 

[Go.Nijntje]

It's gloves that the Pittsburgh Steelers wear with their logo. Their playoff game is tomorrow.

Thank you, I am not familiar with American sport teams so I couldn't place it. I hope your team does well in their game.

 

[Go.Nijntje]

Yeah, it was not my concern but this couple that bought the house was scraping every corner to close even with the FHA inspector clearing the house beyond one electrical outlet in a bathroom and a light bulb. Yes a light bulb that blew mid inspection. Every dollar they had went to the 2% downpayment. Tried so many ways to squeeze the negotiations which I would not give on. I put 20% down on the house, their gamble with 2%. Still if they were my kids to advise I would have said wait, save, have reserves, have more to put down. I saw what their monthly payments FHA would be, their income. Honestly I didn't know how they'd do it. Still not my concern, they bought it, they bought it further AS IS as the home is well maintained but over 60 years old both a big pro and con. That said I've never been a gambler.

I can't believe how little people have to put down to qualify for a mortgage, in the UK you need to have at least 5%.
When I applied for my mortgage in 2014 I had to show a year's worth of bank statements so the mortgage company could see how I spent my money and that I could afford the upkeep of the apartment not just the mortgage.
I had a 25% down payment and savings for the remodel but it still took some time to get approved.

 

[Go.Nijntje]

Envious. We had 55 yesterday. It was beyond windy and rainy all day. Happy to go outside without my face freezing but was not the 55 I expectd to appreciate at all. Today well nasty. We had ice overnight. 4 for 4 doors were frozen shut. Something I've never experienced with this truck.

Yikes! Sympathy like.

 

[Go.Nijntje]

So glad it turned out well!! Did you know Aldi has Pulled Pork already prepared that you just shove in the oven? Probably not as good as homemade though!

I have seen the Aldi pulled pork but never tried it. I tend to cook from scratch so I can control the ingredients. Have you tried the Aldi one?

 

[Go.Nijntje]

Good morning, I watched the sunrise in Breda this morning. It was very pretty.




Now I am off to my 9 year old nephew's birthday party, wish me luck.

 

[Songbird76]

Good grief. That sounds terrible.

I don't know how they treat non asthmatics, but with me, any time I start to get a lung infection, they're like, "Here! Antibiotics!" It's too dangerous not to treat with full force for someone with asthma. If it turns into pnuemonia...that's really not good.

For sinus infections, my doc usually has me wait two weeks, use my sinus rinse, and if the asthma gets bad, take prednisone and do nebulizer treatments. Then if I still have it, we do antibiotics. Which I understand; he doesn't want me developing a resistance to antibiotics. But two weeks. Not four months.

Last year, I had bronchitis and was misdiagnosed twice by the PA as having asthma symptoms. I finally went to my allergist and got a correct diagnosis. Now I don't see her unless it's for, ahem, something female related. I see one of the doctors for when I'm sick. The asthma just throws a monkey wrench in everything.

I was just so angry that my doctor had no empathy at all....I was EXHAUSTED because I couldn't sleep at night with the constant hacking, and my throat and lungs were sooooo sore. I was pregnant and miserable. You don't make someone endure that for 4 months....that's just a lack of compassion. The only times he's given me antibiotics were when I got a secondary infection...like, the sinus infection caused me to get an ear infection. I remember when DS was 4, and I had a sinus infection, again for a couple of months, but I had lost my voice for 3 weeks, and DS wasn't at school yet or he was home sick. But I went to the grocery store with him, and he ran ahead of me, and turned around and couldn't see me....I was only a few yards away, but there was one of those produce displays in between us and he was too small to see over it, and I could hear him screaming for me, but I had zero voice to answer. So I'm standing there waving my arms like a crazy woman, he's screaming, and I could see him, but he was faced the wrong direction and I couldn't say " Here I am". Fortunately, one of the workers saw me waving, she recognized DS and that he belonged to me, and she pointed and told him "There's your mommy." and it was fine...but I realized that having no voice with little ones was NOT good. I didn't usually bother with the doctor because I knew he wouldn't give me anything anyway, but I went home, had my husband help me write a letter to give to my doctor, and I BEGGED for antibiotics. I wrote about the panic when I couldn't even answer my son...that I'm trying to shout to him and nothing was coming out, and it was also the day before my birthday...so I asked him for the best birthday present....ANTIBIOTICS just this once. He only gave them to me because by the time I went in, I had also developed an ear infection. But then he suggested trying having my adenoids removed, which we did, and I have not gotten a really bad sinus infection with bronchitis since then. But I understand the whole developing a resistance thing, but there are boundaries. When someone has been suffering for months, obviously it's NOT working....you HAVE to try something else.

I prefered overall the original FP of yesteryear. It allowed more free form vacationing, it was not as ridged or necessary commitment to planning months in advance. Still on the plus side of FP+ with kids I do not miss criss crossing parks especially Epcot and Animal Kingdom where the footprint is huge. MK and Studios were easy to grab a extinct FP. Both have their pros and cons but given a choice I enjoyed the FP more. I look at FoPassage now, almost impossible day of where in yesteryear ya had a opportunity.

See, I prefer the FP+ because I'm a planner. I want to make a plan and know where will be, approximately. And I don't want to miss anything....running back and forth to get paper fast passes didn't work for me, because we still missed out on things I'd really have liked to do because the lines were too long and there were no more fast passes. I prefer to get to choose them in advance and know where I need to be at a certain time.

I have seen the Aldi pulled pork but never tried it. I tend to cook from scratch so I can control the ingredients. Have you tried the Aldi one?

I have...I actually prefer the pulled beef from Albert Heijn to the pulled pork from either AH or Aldi, but DH likes the pulled pork better, and it's cheaper at Aldi, so that's what I get. But I slather it with BBQ sauce. Tacos sound really good though! Or the enchiladas...yum. Most things I cook from scratch if I have a decent recipe, but I don't have one for Pulled Pork, so I just get the one from AH. It's pretty good.

 

[MinnieM123]

I have never skype'd. I've only facetimed a couple of times and if I recall it was my DD wanting to see what I thought of an outfit before she left. I'm not a phone person let alone phone with a face type. I do know many people who keep in contact with Grandchildren this way though, or parents and their small kids while they travel.

Skype is sometimes used at work (althoughI don't use it for anything, myself). Sometimes it's really good for specific meetings with off-site clinicians, because it means that no one has to travel--but all can participate in the meeting online. It definitely serves a purpose in specific situations.

Haven't a clue what grandparents do, though. I have seen people talking on their phones (and tablets? not sure), to family members with the "live" images on their screens, while they're waiting for the train to come to the station. Don't know what program they use, though.

 

[Figgy1]