In the garden, and RAIN!!!! by SIGNYM

REAL WORLD EVENT DISCUSSIONS

In the garden, and RAIN!!!!

POSTED BY: SIGNYM
UPDATED: Tuesday, November 1, 2022 17:55
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VIEWED: 705840
PAGE 10 of 231

Friday, June 8, 2018 5:28 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK:
Quote:
Originally posted by Brenda:
I want my allergies to go away!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Also would like to be able to heat this azzhat place without my idiot landlady flipping out.

Man.... I can't wait to hear that you finally got out of there. I've had some pretty terrible apartment management in my life, but I couldn't deal with what you're going through right now. I said I'd never rent again after I got out of my last apartment and they weren't half as bad as yours are. :(

It's still cold up by you?

Do Right, Be Right. :)

Neither can I Jack. Neither can I.

That's why I want to move into an apartment so I am not under someone else's thumb. I can heat and cook and whatever how I want to.

It's Spring in BC which means on the Lower Mainland where I am rain. Which is what we got today and it is not a warm rain but cold. So, yeah I am still cold in this place.

Environment Canada is predicting a long dry, hot summer. Which will be a welcome relief to me. Bad for forest fires in my province and possibly other parts of the country. But I will welcome the heat as my allergies will go away.

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Saturday, June 9, 2018 12:08 AM

Well either my landlady or her husband decided to take it on themselves to deliver my mail and my neighbour's. He meaning my neighbour leaves his for days on end. I would have probably picked mine up tomorrow after I got back from doing my washing.

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Thursday, June 14, 2018 3:03 AM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.

Quote:
Environment Canada is predicting a long dry, hot summer. Which will be a welcome relief to me. Bad for forest fires in my province and possibly other parts of the country. But I will welcome the heat as my allergies will go away.

I'm sure someone has told you this already, but if your allergies are worse in wet weather, it's probably due to mold, and not pollen. Possibly cherry blossoms just signal weather that's warm enough for the mold to start sprouting!

Yanno BRENDA, I feel that Vancouver is just not going to be the place to find reasonably-priced housing, at least not until Chinese buyers stop bidding up real estate prices so ridiculously. I know that you used to live in Edmondton, but with rising oil prices, home prices are going up too ... altho not anywhere near as ridiculous as the Vancouver area! Is it possible to move someplace else? Do you have a friend that you can stay with for a few months? Because with RE prices are they are, I think that with you trying to find decent affordable housing where you are, you're just swimming against the tide.

*******

In the meantime, "Dave" called me up from his new home in Idaho, and he sounds like a different person! Living as he was in LA .... where life is difficult at ANY income level! ... he was just being swirled around the temporary-housing bureaucracy, and in a situation where it was difficult for him to know what to do because, well, frankly ... most of the factors of his life were out of his hands anyway.

He sounded happy and confident, whereas before he was always so very, very careful not to offend, to be meek and grateful no matter how much he was kicked around. So he has a job, he knows how to do it, and it's clear to him what he needs to do to survive decently. The differences between "here" and "there" - more work; housing much much much cheaper; and wages not depressed by a large population of illegal immigrants. Plus, the intangibles: It's pretty and peaceful. I DID warn him about winter, tho! That's something he has yet to experience!

As I gathered from conversation he had never been out of LA before and was hesitant to leave, but the beauty of Idaho just blew him away. There's a place where I mow the lawn, and there are two horses there just waiting for me to feed them. _____, it's just so beautiful he said. I'm so happy for him, I hope things will continue to go well. He always has a job here, but honest to god, why would anyone move back to LA if you can go someplace else???

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

As long as you insist that everything is the Republicans'/ Democrats' fault, then you fail to grasp the REAL problem with American politics.

America is an oligarchy http://www.fireflyfans.net/mthread.aspx?tid=57876

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Friday, June 15, 2018 12:03 AM

It probably is mold now but it does start off as pollen allergies.

It is not possible for me to go back to Alberta financially.

And no there is no one that I can stay with until I can find another place. I've already mentioned that to people and they just turn me down.

I can't move out of the area as I need transportation. I do not drive and bus service is not good when you get out into the valley also that would just isolate me. Not good for someone who suffers from mild depression.

I'm glad Dave is doing good though. I'm happy that is on a better track and happy.

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Friday, June 15, 2018 7:54 AM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.

Well, yes, I thought of some alternatives for you then canceled them out because of your need for transportation. (Long story but if you're interested I'll tell you what they were.)

You also mentioned that you work for a lady somewhere? Is your job of critical importance also? Or do you think it can be replaced readily? Are there any other factors - like (a) doctor(s) who know your history - that tie you to that specific area? Because right now, you're facing a human wave of Chinese billionaires competing for living space, and until that stops (and that will only stop when you have a real estate crash) it will be very difficult to find affordable housing alternatives.

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

As long as you insist that everything is the Republicans'/ Democrats' fault, then you fail to grasp the REAL problem with American politics.

America is an oligarchy http://www.fireflyfans.net/mthread.aspx?tid=57876

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Friday, June 15, 2018 8:38 AM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.

Well, "Dave" worked for us for about 4.5 hours one day a week (from 9-2, with about 30 minutes for lunch), and he kept the place in pretty good shape. I figure if I work about a an hour a day (in the AM, when it's cool) I can keep it up, and even make some progress.

So far, the plan has been working OK, but I'm definitely going to have to hone my handyman (er, "handywoman"?) skills. Some ahole broke off an irrigation sprinkler, and unfortunately part of the "riser" thread was still stuck in the threaded "T". I tried turning it out with pliers and then making a sort of home-made easyout with a chisel which didn't work, but fortunately when shopping for replacement parts (couplers, riser, T, and glue) I found an easyout for irrigation risers, yay! That little piece was really stuck, I had to get s small piece of pipe to extend the handle of the easyout and kinda bent the handle a little, but come out it eventually did. I have a feeling that by next month I'll know everything there is to know about irrigation systems and how to fix them.

I managed to lever some 3' X 1' X 4" slabs of concrete over into the veggie garden as walkways, designed and installed some "rose trellises" from heavy-duty shelf supports attached to the block wall and 6' posts attached to the supports, and sprayed the avocado trees with Neem oil (first time they've ever been sprayed for persea mites; I used a pump-sprayer but before next weekend I'll have to fix the hose end so I can use a hose-end sprayer).

Planted four tomatoes, four eggplant, two basil, one bu chives, two zucchini, and one cantaloupe. Oh, and I trimmed and picked my Christmas lima beans (planted last winter) and gathered about 1.5 pounds. If we had to live off the garden, we'd starve, but I'm developing my "farmer" skills.

One of the things I realized is that - despite my age, aches and pains, and health issues - I still LIKE "doing things"! My happiest times as a chemist were in the lab, fixing/tweaking instruments and attempting new methods. It was something I missed when I was promoted and got buried in endless reams of paperwork and data files. I had to learn to work THRU other people .... no matter how good a person is, they can never do the work of a dozen other people ... and so the role of a supervisor is to make those dozen other people more effective and then pick up a big broom and follow the elephant parade. Still, I guess I would rather "do things myself"; it's more fun.

There are so many things to fix/ modify this summer, starting with the irrigation system and doing some major pruning on bushes encroaching on the driveway, then somewhere in the middle repairing and washing windows and ending towards winter with cleaning off the roof, cleaning out and repairing the gutters. I realize it's "low value" work, but that's the beauty of being retired ... I don't always have to be so careful with my time; I can do some of what I want.

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

As long as you insist that everything is the Republicans'/ Democrats' fault, then you fail to grasp the REAL problem with American politics.

America is an oligarchy http://www.fireflyfans.net/mthread.aspx?tid=57876

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Friday, June 15, 2018 12:41 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by SIGNYM:
Well, yes, I thought of some alternatives for you then canceled them out because of your need for transportation. (Long story but if you're interested I'll tell you what they were.)

You also mentioned that you work for a lady somewhere? Is your job of critical importance also? Or do you think it can be replaced readily? Are there any other factors - like (a) doctor(s) who know your history - that tie you to that specific area? Because right now, you're facing a human wave of Chinese billionaires competing for living space, and until that stops (and that will only stop when you have a real estate crash) it will be very difficult to find affordable housing alternatives.

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

As long as you insist that everything is the Republicans'/ Democrats' fault, then you fail to grasp the REAL problem with American politics.

America is an oligarchy http://www.fireflyfans.net/mthread.aspx?tid=57876

Doctors are of importance. As I have to medical clips in my left breast from mammograms finding calcifications and they needed to do a biopsy. I am clear on that but still need to go in and get that done at my local hospital every so many months. I need to be near a neurologist if my seizure meds stop working. My family doctor knows my history.

As long as I am living where I am I do need this job. And jobs are another thing that is hard to come by when you have limited work skills. I can walk to my job.

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Friday, June 15, 2018 5:18 PM

SIG, I like doing things too. Which is another reason for staying in this area. My mah jong group meets at least 4 times a week. That I enjoy.

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Wednesday, June 20, 2018 3:15 PM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.

Since our gardener left for bigger and better things (Gosh, the pix he sends me of Idaho look so pretty!) I've been a lot more involved with the garden!

Right now, my poor avocados look like they're being devastated by the dastardly persea mite (Again. This is a recurring problem as the persea mite has become established in southern CA). So I did a quick spraying with Neem Oil last week, and bought some live predatory mites (Neoseiulus californicus).

Well, they arrived today and I was left puzzling over how I would distribute the damn things. First of all, they are TINY ... almost microscopic! I know because I wanted to check the delivery, so I poured it out on a piece of paper (they come mixed with vermiculite and finely-ground corncob) and saw these teeny-tiny specks running around, much MUCH smaller than the period at the end of a sentence!!

They came with small french-fry bags and the instructions say ... distribute them among the bags, staple the bags to leaves, so that the leaf reaches the bottom of the bag. This will allow the mites to crawl out of the bag.

RU effing kidding me? These are backyard avocados, not "production" avocados ... they're at least 30 feet high, and the lowest leaves are well out of reach, even with a ladder. I'm not about to reach any of the leaves, let alone staple anything to them.

Hmmm.

So I wet the tree leaves, xfered the critters (and their media) to an empty spice bottle with a "shaker" top, and taped the bottle sideways to the end of my very long avocado-picker. That way, I could hoist the bottle into the tree, rotate the picker so the bottle was upside-down, and bang the picker against a branch/ over a bunch of leaves until I saw media falling out. I'm sure I xfered SOME of the critters into the trees, I hope it was enough. I'll just have to keep checking the progress of the trees. Fingers crossed!

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

As long as you insist that everything is the Republicans'/ Democrats' fault, then you fail to grasp the REAL problem with American politics.

America is an oligarchy http://www.fireflyfans.net/mthread.aspx?tid=57876

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Wednesday, June 20, 2018 5:06 PM

The ants, I do believe, are finally gone. :)

Amdro ant block is probably the best thing I've bought since I bought my house.

The little indoor bait traps did eventually get the ones in my living room gone, and I had even thought they were successful in getting them out of my kitchen too, but then the weather got warm there seemed to be no stopping the hoards of them coming inside. Every time I'd make a pot of coffee go back for a refill, I'd lose 5 minutes killing about 100 of them with my fingers, only to come back later and kill 100 more!

I was out on the front steps taking a break in the middle of mowing my lawn when I saw what was happening. Along my front concrete patio there were 8 trails of ants marching back and forth between the front of my house and the hasta beds. Not just a few here or there, but a constant progression of armies of them!!!!!

I took my bottle of Amdro ant block that seems to have been successfully killing the ones on the back paver patio to the front and sprinkled just a little bit at the front of the lines where the dirt met the patio and even more along side of the house. The next day there were literally thousands of ant carcasses surrounding each pile of the bait. There was still some residual marching to and fro, so I put a second application down, and by the next day there was no activity at all outside. I haven't seen a single ant in my house for days now either.

Even on the back patio where the activity was the highest and they totally decimated it by pulling up all the sand from under the pavers, the activity has slowed to a crawl. Most of the ant hills have died (the telltale sign being the holes are closed up), and all it takes is a small sprinkle of the stuff when a new one pops up and they're gone.

After two years of trying different types of poisons and even considering paying big bucks for the Orkin man to come around, a single 7 dollar bottle of the stuff was all it took. :)

Do Right, Be Right. :)

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Wednesday, June 20, 2018 7:30 PM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.

Quote:
the activity has slowed to a crawl.- SIX

HAHAHA!

No pun intended???

Around our house, the ants are small and polite. They only come in once in a while. Plus, they keep the subterranean termites away, so I'm happy with the ant-ecology here! But, should the situation ever get out of hand, I'll definitely keep it in mind!

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

As long as you insist that everything is the Republicans'/ Democrats' fault, then you fail to grasp the REAL problem with American politics.

America is an oligarchy http://www.fireflyfans.net/mthread.aspx?tid=57876

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Thursday, June 21, 2018 12:36 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by SIGNYM:
Quote:
the activity has slowed to a crawl.- SIX
HAHAHA!

No pun intended???

Around our house, the ants are small and polite. They only come in once in a while. Plus, they keep the subterranean termites away, so I'm happy with the ant-ecology here! But, should the situation ever get out of hand, I'll definitely keep it in mind!

Can't say I can take credit for the pun.

The ants I had were all small ones. I've seen big black ants before, and these weren't them. That's actually probably the reason I never noticed them out in the front porch before. That's not the first time in the last two summers I'd stopped to have a coffee and a smoke while mowing my lawn. I probably only noticed them now because the sheer volume of them was outstanding and it was practically making solid black lines going into and out of my house. The majority of them that were inside my house must have been in the crawl space under the visqueen where I'd never notice them, because at the rate they were coming in there had to be 10 times as many inside the house than I was seeing in the kitchen.

Funny thing was that second day when the activity was almost gone I noticed the ants were even smaller. I figure the ones that were left weren't even matured and the hives were in desperation mode at that point. (Hives plural, because I'd imagine with how many were around my house since last summer there must have been quite a few queens).

For anybody having similar issues, I now swear by this stuff. You're going to want to make sure to keep the dogs and any kids away from the areas you apply it for a few days though.

https://www.amazon.com/Amdro-Block-Home-Perimeter-Granules/dp/B001H1JK
SY/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1529555287&sr=8-3&keywords=amdro+ant+block

I'd shop around... This Amazon listing is really high priced. I got the same size bottle for less than half this price at Menards. It looks like the only bottles on Amazon that are worth the price are the much larger ones that aren't all that much more expensive than the 12oz bottle. My Menards didn't have a larger size. You probably won't need more than 12 ounces though. I'll buy a second bottle when this runs out just to have on hand to prevent this from getting out of control again in the future, but I doubt that I'm going to even use the whole bottle by the time this is taken care of.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

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Thursday, June 21, 2018 10:08 PM

First day of summer and it was trying to rain up here. Don't know about the weekend. I hope not.

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Friday, June 29, 2018 7:47 PM

Rain today. Could mean a soggy Canada Day on Sunday. Hope not.

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Friday, June 29, 2018 9:33 PM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.

Happy Canada Day! May the weather be bright, sunny, and warm!

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

As long as you insist that everything is the Republicans'/ Democrats' fault, then you fail to grasp the REAL problem with American politics.

America is an oligarchy http://www.fireflyfans.net/mthread.aspx?tid=57876

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Friday, June 29, 2018 9:38 PM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.

I mentioned somewhere that I had surgery on the 28th. It was sinus surgery to (hopefully) clear up the chronic sinusitis that I've had since last Thanksgiving, when I could no longer smell ANYthing. (Garlic, vanilla, strawberries ... all the same to me. Can't smell smoke, either.)

I kept asking them what they would be doing... turns out that they run a tiny camera up your nose and just do whatever they think needs doing: In my case, bilateral maxillary sinuses (which I expected), bilateral ethmoid sinuses (not expected but not exactly a surprise either) and turbinate trimming (a total surprise).

It was the worst anesthesia I've ever had, both going under and coming out I felt as if I were suffocating. But my nose has more-or-less stopped dripping blood so I hope that the swelling will go down soon and then I can get a decent night's sleep.

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

As long as you insist that everything is the Republicans'/ Democrats' fault, then you fail to grasp the REAL problem with American politics.

America is an oligarchy http://www.fireflyfans.net/mthread.aspx?tid=57876

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Friday, June 29, 2018 10:26 PM

Thanks Signy.

Glad your surgery went okay and I think you did mention it up the thread somewhere.

Camera up the nose sounds almost like laposcopic surgery that they do nowadays for gallbladder removal.

I've had that done and was bummed out that I wouldn't get to see what they were doing to me.

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Friday, June 29, 2018 10:51 PM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.

Quote:
Camera up the nose sounds almost like laposcopic surgery that they do nowadays for gallbladder removal. I've had that done and was bummed out that I wouldn't get to see what they were doing to me.

I think that's it exactly - laparoscopic procedure. How was your recovery from gallbladder? That's a lot more consequential than sinus surgery!

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

As long as you insist that everything is the Republicans'/ Democrats' fault, then you fail to grasp the REAL problem with American politics.

America is an oligarchy http://www.fireflyfans.net/mthread.aspx?tid=57876

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Tuesday, July 3, 2018 3:17 PM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.

I got some Xmas Lima beans seeds from a neighbor, and yesterday I made ham and bean soup using homegrown limas. It was GREAT!! (Or, that's what the family said anyway; I wouldn't know). Used up some pork and chicken drippings to make the broth tastier, too.

This looks like another hot humid summer. The avocado tree leaves have been decimated by the persea mite; I guess I didn't spray and release "good bugs" soon enough. Next year, I'll do better.

And family obligations once again take center stage, so I'll be around less. Happy Fourth, for those who celebrate!

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

As long as you insist that everything is the Republicans'/ Democrats' fault, then you fail to grasp the REAL problem with American politics.

America is an oligarchy http://www.fireflyfans.net/mthread.aspx?tid=57876

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Tuesday, July 3, 2018 5:55 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by SIGNYM:
Quote:
Camera up the nose sounds almost like laposcopic surgery that they do nowadays for gallbladder removal. I've had that done and was bummed out that I wouldn't get to see what they were doing to me.
I think that's it exactly - laparoscopic procedure. How was your recovery from gallbladder? That's a lot more consequential than sinus surgery!

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

As long as you insist that everything is the Republicans'/ Democrats' fault, then you fail to grasp the REAL problem with American politics.

America is an oligarchy http://www.fireflyfans.net/mthread.aspx?tid=57876

My recovery was good. Now, I had that done about 20years ago. For the first couple of days after I was sore and stiff, walking kind of hunched over. But I wasn't in any pain and healed very quickly. No infection, stitches came out cleanly.

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Tuesday, July 3, 2018 5:57 PM

Suppose to hit 29C tomorrow which is about 88F. I kind of hope it does.

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Tuesday, July 3, 2018 8:38 PM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.

Quote:
My recovery was good. Now, I had that done about 20years ago. For the first couple of days after I was sore and stiff, walking kind of hunched over. But I wasn't in any pain and healed very quickly. No infection, stitches came out cleanly.

Wow, that WAS a good recovery! I remember when my dad had his gallbladder out, that was b4 laparoscopy, and they had to use the "whipple" incision which went from the belly button to the breastbone. Oh, that was bad!

Quote:
Originally posted by Brenda:
Suppose to hit 29C tomorrow which is about 88F. I kind of hope it does.

IMHO there are two kinds of people in the world - those who like hot weather, and those who don't. I'm the kind that doesn't. Kind of ironic, don't you think BRENDA, that I'm in LA and I hate hot weather and you're near Vancouver and you hate cold weather?

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

As long as you insist that everything is the Republicans'/ Democrats' fault, then you fail to grasp the REAL problem with American politics.

America is an oligarchy http://www.fireflyfans.net/mthread.aspx?tid=57876

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Tuesday, July 3, 2018 9:01 PM

I don't like either, really...

It topped out at 90 degrees in my house the other day. During the winter I keep the thermostat at around 58. I guess I prefer the winter more these days. You can always put on another layer of clothes.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

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Tuesday, July 3, 2018 9:15 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by SIGNYM:
Quote:
My recovery was good. Now, I had that done about 20years ago. For the first couple of days after I was sore and stiff, walking kind of hunched over. But I wasn't in any pain and healed very quickly. No infection, stitches came out cleanly.

Quote:
Wow, that WAS a good recovery! I remember when my dad had his gallbladder out, that was b4 laparoscopy, and they had to use the "whipple" incision which went from the belly button to the breastbone. Oh, that was bad!
Quote:

My mom had her gallbladder removed before laparoscopic surgery too. She had a nice scar on her abdomen from it but then hers had been infected before she went in for surgery. So the surgeon had to insert a tube for drainage. I can remember her telling me how painful removal of that tube was.

Originally posted by Brenda:
Suppose to hit 29C tomorrow which is about 88F. I kind of hope it does.
IMHO there are two kinds of people in the world - those who like hot weather, and those who don't. I'm the kind that doesn't. Kind of ironic, don't you think BRENDA, that I'm in LA and I hate hot weather and you're near Vancouver and you hate cold weather?
Quote:

I have to admit that I agree with you Signy and it is. But there is a medical reason why I can handle the heat. My blood pressure is normally low. The only real problem I have is that it messes with my blood sugar until my body gets used to it. Once my blood sugar settles down I am fine.

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

As long as you insist that everything is the Republicans'/ Democrats' fault, then you fail to grasp the REAL problem with American politics.

America is an oligarchy http://www.fireflyfans.net/mthread.aspx?tid=57876

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Wednesday, July 4, 2018 1:09 AM

Goodbye, kind world (George Monbiot) - In common with all those generations which have contemplated catastrophe, we appear to be incapable of understanding what confronts us.

Jack - just speaking of ants ... so I looked up Amdro for Argentinian ants because those are the little buggers we have here. It would work well! Only, this year I don't have any ants ... so far. I did have the heavily lead-contaminated soil dug up around my house and filled with clean dirt and decomposed granite on top. Maybe THAT fixed my ant problem ... so far? I dunno. It's not that I miss them or anything, but I'd like to know what worked ... so far.

In any case, if they come back, I will definitely be getting Amdro. Thank you for the tip. :)

SECOND is a troll because it constantly misrepresents what people post, fails to address their actual positions, and resorts to personal attacks when its brain isn't working (which is most of the time).

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Wednesday, July 4, 2018 7:49 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by 1kiki:
Jack - just speaking of ants ... so I looked up Amdro for Argentinian ants because those are the little buggers we have here. It would work well! Only, this year I don't have any ants ... so far. I did have the heavily lead-contaminated soil dug up around my house and filled with clean dirt and decomposed granite on top. Maybe THAT fixed my ant problem ... so far? I dunno. It's not that I miss them or anything, but I'd like to know what worked ... so far.

In any case, if they come back, I will definitely be getting Amdro. Thank you for the tip. :)

No problem.

Seriously... the stuff is amazing. I'm usually really skeptical about everything and I rarely ever go out of my way to sing praises for any products out there, but that 8 dollar bottle of Amdro helped me get my house back. :)

Defo way cheaper to buy it at Menards than on Amazon though, at least if it's the same price in the stores by you. I just went back there to buy some more and take another item back and I verified the price. They also had the 24 oz bottle this time as well for under 12 bucks.

The cheapest I found the 12 oz bottle on Amazon was $12.91, and the cheapest they had the 24 oz bottle was $19.36.

This 24 oz bottle should be more than I need. I've beaten them back. They're completely gone from the back patio they were destroying. They had made a small comeback in the front of my house, but I put a few little piles out there and that was that. I think I'm going to slowly start moving out in circles around the perimeter of my house with it and see if I can't just completely eradicate them from my property now.

Glad to hear that they weren't a problem for you this year. I don't know if the wind or water gets to it, or if ants have always come and gotten all of them eventually, but it seems like whenever I drop the stuff there isn't a trace of it left after about 3 or 4 days. Just remember if you ever need to use this stuff not to use it around areas where you'd have pets or children for a few days. It's got to be seriously poisonous.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

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Wednesday, July 4, 2018 11:01 PM

Rain, rain go away. Come back another day.

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Thursday, July 5, 2018 8:16 AM

Dietary breakthrough :)

I didn't want to say anything yesterday, because I thought it was just a fluke.

At lunch I tested my blood pressure and I was around 145/85, with BPM around 85 to 90. This was by far the best reading in all 3 categories I've ever had since I tested it in the last 5 years.

I tested it again today and I was 130/91 with BPM of 91.

This still isn't "good", mind, but for me those back to back readings are amazing.

I never seriously calculated averages before, but if I were to guess my normal numbers were around 150-155/90-98 with a BPM of 105-115.

I'm going to just keep doing what I'm doing and I may be able to fix this on my own without BP meds yet.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

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Thursday, July 5, 2018 7:55 PM

Good for you Jack and I hope you can fix it without BP meds.

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Friday, July 6, 2018 2:32 AM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.

Damn, SIX! That's progress. Did you add anything special to that diet of yours????

*****

BRENDA ... OMFG if you can believe it, we're predicted to reach 108 F tomorrow in my fair city. Rain, rain, go away from BC and come here!.

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

As long as you insist that everything is the Republicans'/ Democrats' fault, then you fail to grasp the REAL problem with American politics.

America is an oligarchy http://www.fireflyfans.net/mthread.aspx?tid=57876

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Friday, July 6, 2018 3:01 AM

108F, yes I can believe it Sig. I wish I could send the rain down there.

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Friday, July 6, 2018 7:58 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Brenda:
Good for you Jack and I hope you can fix it without BP meds.

Thanks! Me too. :)

Quote:
Originally posted by SIGNYM:
Damn, SIX! That's progress. Did you add anything special to that diet of yours????

Just the canola oil, actually. Not sure if it could have results that fast on top of the rest of my new diet, but I'm not going to stop it now.

I think I'm sleeping better too. :)

Do Right, Be Right. :)

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Saturday, July 7, 2018 8:12 AM

136 over 86 with a BPM of 84 today. :)

Fourth day straight and I only had a moderate amount of pain in my feet between last break and end of shift. Was able to walk fine from my car to the house, which after the half hour drive is when it would really hurt and I'd be walking inside like I've got a stick up my ass.

I've got two more days, so I do expect a bit of pain in the future, but usually by day four I'm in agony by the end of the night.

It's been a long time since the phrase "my new normal" has been anything but bad news. I could get used to this.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

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Saturday, July 7, 2018 10:53 AM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.

SIX: I'm so happy for you! This is nothing but good news! :D

******

Meanwhile, here is So Cal .... it was brutally fucking hot today in my fair suburb of LA. 109 F. Needless to say, I sure didn't plan any gardening, but we did run a number of errands and every time we stepped out of the house/vehicle/ Post Office/ store it was like walking into an oven. The only time I felt something like that was in Phoenix when I helped someone drive their car over there. I can't believe that people actually choose to live there. But then, I'm here in the armpit of the west, so .... hmmm....

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

As long as you insist that everything is the Republicans'/ Democrats' fault, then you fail to grasp the REAL problem with American politics.

America is an oligarchy http://www.fireflyfans.net/mthread.aspx?tid=57876

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Saturday, July 7, 2018 4:55 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by SIGNYM:
SIX: I'm so happy for you! This is nothing but good news! :D

******

Meanwhile, here is So Cal .... it was brutally fucking hot today in my fair suburb of LA. 109 F. Needless to say, I sure didn't plan any gardening, but we did run a number of errands and every time we stepped out of the house/vehicle/ Post Office/ store it was like walking into an oven. The only time I felt something like that was in Phoenix when I helped someone drive their car over there. I can't believe that people actually choose to live there. But then, I'm here in the armpit of the west, so .... hmmm....

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

As long as you insist that everything is the Republicans'/ Democrats' fault, then you fail to grasp the REAL problem with American politics.

America is an oligarchy http://www.fireflyfans.net/mthread.aspx?tid=57876

Oh sweet heat. Been a couple of reasonably warm almost hot days up here over the week. But today it is trying to rain as I was going out to get my laundry done. Luckily it has held off.

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Saturday, July 7, 2018 11:09 PM

Goodbye, kind world (George Monbiot) - In common with all those generations which have contemplated catastrophe, we appear to be incapable of understanding what confronts us.

Hey Jack!

I'm so happy to read the good news!!

SECOND is a troll because it constantly misrepresents what people post, fails to address their actual positions, and resorts to personal attacks when its brain isn't working (which is most of the time).

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Sunday, July 8, 2018 8:19 AM

Thanks everybody!!!

And thanks again for any dietary tips. Can't be sure, but I think putting that canola oil into my diet might have been what finally made the dam break? I had kind of plateaued on any health improvements for a while but only about a half week after starting with the canola oil on top of everything else did I start seeing these results on both my BP and the pain issue. :)

By the way, today was even better...

135 over 79, with a BPM of 84!

I always take these numbers after I've been working for at least 90 minutes too, right before a break. That way I didn't just ingest coffee or a cigarette and inflate the numbers that way. So chances are if I ever tested it while truly "at rest" I just might be copacetic now.

Day five out of six straight and like yesterday the foot pain was only mild and was gone by the time I got home from work.

This is such a huge change from even only a few weeks ago.

An older woman who comes in around 3AM every morning that we've developed quite a rapport comes up and says to me today "lift up your shirt". I laughed and said "what?". She told me to lift my sleeve. So I did and she said "that's what I thought". I asked her what she meant and she said that she was lifting a few of the gatorade and juice packages to fulfill customer orders and she's already out of energy by first break. She didn't know how I could do that all night and she wanted to see my muscles. :)

My job wasn't nearly this physical when I started, and frankly I wouldn't have been able to handle it if it were. It's now known that whenever I work at night I get all the heavy stuff, and I only get help if there was too much in that area and I let them know that I require some toward the end of the night.

For what they're paying me, it would almost completely be a waste of time for me to work there all night if I wasn't also getting a killer workout every night too. I'm glad my body is finally agreeing with me and that it's starting to become almost easy to do at this point. If I'm still working there by this time next year I'll be palming 50lb containers and tossing them with one hand. :)

Do Right, Be Right. :)

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Sunday, July 8, 2018 10:28 PM

Starting to look for a publisher again. But sticking to my own side of the border.

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Monday, July 9, 2018 8:09 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Brenda:
Starting to look for a publisher again. But sticking to my own side of the border.

Good luck with that Brenda. Wish I could give you some advice, but I don't know anything about writing and publishing. Don't let somebody beat you up into a one-sided contract though.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

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Monday, July 9, 2018 8:16 AM

Sixth day is done at last, and hardly any foot pain at all. :)

BP was quite a bit higher when I tested it today than any other day this week at 137 over 91, but the BPM was still really low at 84 compared to my "old" usual of around 110... so there's that. Still not really worried about the higher reading today. All of those numbers are still much lower than I was consistently testing up before the last week, and since all of these tests are being done during breaks in between some pretty hard labor, they're all higher than they'd actually be at rest.

I'm also wondering if my scale at home is not accurate. The same unit also tests your weight, and the two times I tested that this week it said 144 and 145lbs. That seems low to me by about 5-8 lbs, especially considering I'm fully clothed when I test it there. My scale at home always shows 150-155lbs for the last few months. The only other time I tested my weight on that was around 4 months ago and it read 160+, so that's about in line with what my scale at home has said I lost in that time.

Oh well... not really important. It's not like I'm coming up to a weigh in or anything. I think my days of bare knuckle boxing are far behind me.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

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Monday, July 9, 2018 9:14 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK:
Quote:
Originally posted by Brenda:
Starting to look for a publisher again. But sticking to my own side of the border.

Good luck with that Brenda. Wish I could give you some advice, but I don't know anything about writing and publishing. Don't let somebody beat you up into a one-sided contract though.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

Thanks Jack. I won't. And I just hope I can find one. So *fingers crossed*

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Tuesday, July 10, 2018 12:20 AM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.

Quote:
Starting to look for a publisher again. But sticking to my own side of the border.- BRENDA

Good luck with that Brenda. Wish I could give you some advice, but I don't know anything about writing and publishing. Don't let somebody beat you up into a one-sided contract though - SIX

Thanks Jack. I won't. And I just hope I can find one. So *fingers crossed* - BRENDA

Like SIX, I know nothing about publishing. But if you have difficulty finding a publisher, there are - supposedly - online publishers who can get your story in e-format. Also, I have heard about self-publishing. My sis used to be a scientific editor, maybe she can fill me in.

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

As long as you insist that everything is the Republicans'/ Democrats' fault, then you fail to grasp the REAL problem with American politics.

America is an oligarchy http://www.fireflyfans.net/mthread.aspx?tid=57876

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Tuesday, July 10, 2018 1:11 AM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.

So, even tho I literally can't smell shit, I am still the family cook! So I came up with a recipes that tastes great (family says), that does great things for hubby's blood sugar, and is cheap!

Ham and bean soup

3 T canola oil
1 c chopped onion, approx 1/2 lb ($1)
2 c peeled sliced carrots, approx 1 lb ($2)
2 c sliced celery, approx 1 lb ($2)
1 diced green or red bell pepper ($1-$2) or minced jalapenos if you like hot!
2 box (4 c each) low-sodium chicken broth ($2 each = $4)
1 1-lb lean ham, cubed ($5)
3 bay leaves
1 splootch ketchup (2-3 T)
4 c cooked beans ($6)
whatever green vegetable available (sliced zucchini; or large handful of chopped spinach, kale, beet, turnip or mustard greens; or parsley; etc) ($2)

Heat oil in large pot, add onion and sautee until golden
Add carrot, celery, and pepper; sautee until just softened
Add ham, broth, ketchup, bay leaves, and beans
Heat to simmer, and simmer until vegetables are soft
Add greens, and cook until wilted/ soft

This makes 8 3-cup servings. Each serving has 20 grams of protein and 2 servings of vegetables (more, if you add more vegetables!), so each serving is an entire meal, for less than $3!

******

I'm working on reproducing a commercially-available pineapple-teriyaki chicken meatball that the family likes; I just HATE buying expensive stuff if I can make it myself!

So I'm closing in on a recipe, and so far its:

1 lb ground turkey
1/2 c dried sugared pineapple
2 T flour (I use quinoa flour)
2 T soy sauce (or, in my case, gluten-free tamari sauce)
1/4 t garlic powder
1/4 t ginger powder
1/4 t freshly ground pepper

Place the pineapple and flour in a food processor, and process until smooth (it will turn into a sticky ball)

Mix ingredients into the ground turkey (break the pineapple ball up into small pieces before mixing into the turkey; it's a royal pain)

Shape into approx 1.5" meatballs, and brown in grapeseed or canola oil.

It tastes great just the way it is (family says). Just a few more tweaks, and it'll be just like the commercial product (I'm using dear daughter as my taste-tester)

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

As long as you insist that everything is the Republicans'/ Democrats' fault, then you fail to grasp the REAL problem with American politics.

America is an oligarchy http://www.fireflyfans.net/mthread.aspx?tid=57876

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Tuesday, July 10, 2018 2:05 AM

Goodbye, kind world (George Monbiot) - In common with all those generations which have contemplated catastrophe, we appear to be incapable of understanding what confronts us.

Sigh. I wish I could help you out, Brenda.

Quote:
Originally posted by Brenda:
Quote:
Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK:
Quote:
Originally posted by Brenda:
Starting to look for a publisher again. But sticking to my own side of the border.

Good luck with that Brenda. Wish I could give you some advice, but I don't know anything about writing and publishing. Don't let somebody beat you up into a one-sided contract though.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

Thanks Jack. I won't. And I just hope I can find one. So *fingers crossed*

SECOND is a troll because it constantly misrepresents what people post, fails to address their actual positions, and resorts to personal attacks when its brain isn't working (which is most of the time).

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Tuesday, July 10, 2018 2:31 PM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.

Saw my ENT post-op. He said my sinuses were "very difficult". They roto-rootered my maxillary and ethmoid sinuses, but because the sinuses drain under the middle turbinates which insisted on blocking up the sinus passages, AND my septum was deviated enough to make the right side inaccessible, they had to put (dissolvable) stents in my sinuses, starting at the left-hand side, then move my septum over and finish the right-hand side. Also, they put (dissolvable) staples thru my septum to tack the two sides together, which kind of explains the hard, shiny, wire-like thing that came out of my nose yesterday! Because the surgery was difficult and the healing slower than normal, I'm to go back in two weeks. Meanwhile, hubby has more consequential surgery coming up this Thursday.

*****

As part of the home renovation we are picking thru our belongings, including a "cleaning up the garage" project. I unearthed some incredibly filthy red/white/blue mo-cycle tiedowns, back from the days of my 'wild youth" when we had a pair of light blue Yamaha TY250 trials bikes. I didn't want to spend a lot of time cleaning them up so I dunked them in water with dish detergent ... it's amazing what dish detergent can do! Now, they're at least clean enough to give away. Sigh. One more indication of "the things I used to do".

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

As long as you insist that everything is the Republicans'/ Democrats' fault, then you fail to grasp the REAL problem with American politics.

America is an oligarchy http://www.fireflyfans.net/mthread.aspx?tid=57876

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Tuesday, July 10, 2018 3:40 PM

Goodbye, kind world (George Monbiot) - In common with all those generations which have contemplated catastrophe, we appear to be incapable of understanding what confronts us.

You have to have energy to look back at 'things I used to do' with regret. I look at them and think - thank gawd I'm past that!

SECOND is a troll because it constantly misrepresents what people post, fails to address their actual positions, and resorts to personal attacks when its brain isn't working (which is most of the time).

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Tuesday, July 10, 2018 5:47 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by SIGNYM:
Quote:
Starting to look for a publisher again. But sticking to my own side of the border.- BRENDA

Good luck with that Brenda. Wish I could give you some advice, but I don't know anything about writing and publishing. Don't let somebody beat you up into a one-sided contract though - SIX

Thanks Jack. I won't. And I just hope I can find one. So *fingers crossed* - BRENDA
Like SIX, I know nothing about publishing. But if you have difficulty finding a publisher, there are - supposedly - online publishers who can get your story in e-format. Also, I have heard about self-publishing. My sis used to be a scientific editor, maybe she can fill me in.

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

As long as you insist that everything is the Republicans'/ Democrats' fault, then you fail to grasp the REAL problem with American politics.

America is an oligarchy http://www.fireflyfans.net/mthread.aspx?tid=57876

I have to go back and take another look at e-publishers. Self-publishing is out of my financial range. Not that I haven't thought about self-publishing but the prices.

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Tuesday, July 10, 2018 5:48 PM

Thanks Kiki. I will just keep plugging away. Something has to break sooner or later.

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Tuesday, July 10, 2018 5:52 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by SIGNYM:
Saw my ENT post-op. He said my sinuses were "very difficult". They roto-rootered my maxillary and ethmoid sinuses, but because the sinuses drain under the middle turbinates which insisted on blocking up the sinus passages, AND my septum was deviated enough to make the right side inaccessible, they had to put (dissolvable) stents in my sinuses, starting at the left-hand side, then move my septum over and finish the right-hand side. Also, they put (dissolvable) staples thru my septum to tack the two sides together, which kind of explains the hard, shiny, wire-like thing that came out of my nose yesterday! Because the surgery was difficult and the healing slower than normal, I'm to go back in two weeks. Meanwhile, hubby has more consequential surgery coming up this Thursday.[b/quote]

I wish your husband luck. I don't think doing anyone sinuses is easy.

*****

Quote:
As part of the home renovation we are picking thru our belongings, including a "cleaning up the garage" project. I unearthed some incredibly filthy red/white/blue mo-cycle tiedowns, back from the days of my 'wild youth" when we had a pair of light blue Yamaha TY250 trials bikes. I didn't want to spend a lot of time cleaning them up so I dunked them in water with dish detergent ... it's amazing what dish detergent can do! Now, they're at least clean enough to give away. Sigh. One more indication of "the things I used to do".

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

As long as you insist that everything is the Republicans'/ Democrats' fault, then you fail to grasp the REAL problem with American politics.

America is an oligarchy http://www.fireflyfans.net/mthread.aspx?tid=57876

I would love to be able to go through my stuff and see what may or may not be broken because of all the moving I have done over the last few years. This place is just not a good place to do anything like that.

To repeat myself. I wish your husband luck on Thursday with his surgery. Also I don't think surgery on anyone's sinuses is actually easy.

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Tuesday, July 10, 2018 5:54 PM

I have actually seen sprinklers on today. I can't help but think what a bunch of blockheads, especially with all the rain we have had.

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