In the garden, and RAIN!!! (2) by SIGNYM

Quote:
Originally posted by SIGNYM:
Quote:
Originally posted by 6ixStringJack:
Got one side of one of the louvered doors. Can't really tell how much longer it's taking because of the condition of the primer, but these take a while to work on. I should be able to get the other door, but at that point I think I should probably just throw the rest of this stuff away and just start the new bucket.

Glad I decided to do this right now. I think working on these, on the shelf I'm going to be painting black to sit atop my TV stand for when I get a 75" TV, and all the stuff I'm going to be spray painting is a good way to spend the time right now in between dehoarding the rest of the crap in the small bedroom. That way I'll still be getting house stuff done to, but more of the finishing touches than the 2 major projects I still want to have done by winter. I can get my house in order and still be doing house projects at the same time, and making much better use of drying time in between the coats.

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Those who dance always seem crazy to those who can't hear the music.

I can imagine louvers would be horrible to do with thickened paint, and difficult to do in any case. Let me know how it works out.

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"It may be dangerous to be America's enemy, but to be America's friend is fatal."- Henry Kissinger

It's not so much that it's difficult, but extremely time consuming if you want to do it right and don't want drip marks everywhere. Not unlike that towel rack / shelf was. Easier, probably, but it's just so damn big that one coat takes forever (especially with the chunky primer).

I actually quit last night and didn't even feel like doing the last door, but I had the bucket and brush wrapped up in a black trash bag so nothing dried out, especially with how humid it is both outside and inside right now.

I did the other side with that crap, and that was it. By that point, what was left in there was probably a 30 / 70 mix of chunks to paint, and there was no way I wanted to even try it on the smooth door. Probably take a 10 minute job and make it a 45 minute job with tons of frustration.

Rather than open my new gallon of primer, since I can't think of anything very large I'll be painting in the short term after these doors are done, I looked at what else I had and I still had just a few brushes worth of Zinsslear ceiling paint and primer, and used that up, then I found my Pittsburgh ceiling paint (which they claim is also primer, but I don't really believe them).

Even though I think the claim by Pittsburgh that their cheapest line ceiling paint also has primer in it is rather dubious, I decided to use it anyhow since this was for the interior of the doors that nobody is ever going to see. I'm sure it will be fine anyway, especially with how much work I put into prep on all this stuff.

I don't think I'll use all that up, but I should find something to do with it because there's nowhere near enough to paint any ceiling with it except for the basement bathroom one day, but there isn't even a ceiling in there to paint right now. It would be nice if I could say I actually threw out three old paint buckets today.

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Those who dance always seem crazy to those who can't hear the music.

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Wednesday, July 15, 2026 7:03 PM

Priming louvered doors without chunks in your paint is obviously, decidedly much easier.

I didn't time how long any of them took, but measuring the job by frustration alone it's a no-brainer.

I might actually use up all that paint just hitting the first coat of primer after-all. One louvered door left on priming, and that bucket is looking pretty empty. I know I'll have enough to finish it.

And I just remembered I've got that shelf for the TV stand too. I wasn't going to do it now, but maybe I'll just get the primer on it since I want to use this up. I'm sure I can clear a spot off somewhere for it. I'll probably just put the two flat doors on top of each other while I'm doing that since primer dries fast and doesn't stick to itself like the high-gloss white paint would.

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Those who dance always seem crazy to those who can't hear the music.

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Wednesday, July 15, 2026 9:07 PM

All the doors are primed and I spent a little time hitting spots a 2nd time to really get the primer coat on solid so I'm not playing catchup anywhere trying to jam paint into things. I got one face and the 4 sides of the TV stand shelf is primed. Just waiting on that to dry enough so I can flip it over and use the rest of the can on the other side. I think I'll have JUST enough to do it, and that means I get to remove 3 pails of paint from my shelves downstairs for good.

I may or may not choose to do the first paint coat tonight. I'm going to need quite a bit more dry time between those coats and I don't want to rush anything, so it wouldn't be a bad idea to get started on it today. Primer will be more than ready for it by the time I get the TV stand shelf done and it's dry enough to move out of the way so I can focus just on the 4 doors.

I used to lean doors against walls to paint them in such a way were this all really wasn't much of a concern and a lot quicker than what I'll be doing here, but back then I had rooms all over the house and out in the porch where I could do that. But all of those rooms have painted walls and finished floors now.

I'd go out and paint, but it's 8PM and it's still 89 degrees outside (actual temp).

No thank you.

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Those who dance always seem crazy to those who can't hear the music.

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Wednesday, July 15, 2026 10:45 PM

Paint hasn't been started yet, but I thought it looked so good with just the primer on there I'd take a shot of it all while I'm letting that shelf dry.

I had just enough primer left in the last bucket to spread a thin 2nd layer on the fronts of the doors and that really filled in the white. I'm just going to do 2 coats on each side for all the doors, but the front of the louvered doors have a good head start now.

It's late, but I'll probably get at least one coat on the back sides tonight.

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Those who dance always seem crazy to those who can't hear the music.

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Wednesday, July 15, 2026 11:31 PM

Hair trimmed earlier. It is just now above butt level. Have to see how long it takes to get back to the length it was.

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Wednesday, July 15, 2026 11:49 PM

At that length, you could probably do like I do and just pull it all to the front and cut it yourself.

Nah... I'm just kidding. I would never come between a woman and her hairstylist.

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Those who dance always seem crazy to those who can't hear the music.

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Wednesday, July 15, 2026 11:51 PM

Alright... Got 2 of the 3 cans out and decided to save one for now to dump the white paint into as I'm working, since the gallon I'm using is fairly full and this saves me the cleanup of using a paint holder. That will be all my trash and lawn debris gone from the property except for a stash of scrap metal that's slowly building in the corner.

1 coat of paint on the backs of the flat doors and just taking a break. Going to start the first louvered door soon.

I'm glad I started the cleanup in the garage already, because as soon as it gets back down to reasonable temps out there, I've got to see if I've even got a full set of hardware for the small bedroom closet. I have no idea all these years later. I saw the track for one door, but not sure if there ever was another one, or how many other pieces it had, or what would be missing if anything is.

I'm down there painting in my boxers with my shoes on. It's even hot in the basement today, man.

One more day of this shit and it starts cooling off.

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Those who dance always seem crazy to those who can't hear the music.

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Thursday, July 16, 2026 12:16 AM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.

SIX, those louvered doors look awesome!
What are they for? A closet?

ETA: looks like we cross posted.

BRENDA, enjoy your long hair! I used to have a headful before chemo. When they say your hair may change texture or color they're being evasive, at best!

*****

I managed to clock in 3 hours on decluttering, so we ate leftovers for dinner.

Mostly, I wound up picking thru little stuff (keep/ give away/ recycle/ trash). A lot of stuff went to trash and recycling and the office looks significantly better. Tomorrow dear daughter and I will go thru some of her clutter together, drop off a bunch of recycling for $, and pick up some Rx.

Plus I need to spend some quality time in the kitchen, it's a mess!

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"It may be dangerous to be America's enemy, but to be America's friend is fatal."- Henry Kissinger

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Thursday, July 16, 2026 12:37 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by SIGNYM:
SIX, those louvered doors look awesome!
What are they for? A closet?

Thanks. Looks even better now with a coat of the shiny white paint on one side too.

The louvered doors are for the linen closet right across from the bathroom I was working on.

It's the funniest thing because I have no recollection if that was part of the house originally or not. If not, I'm sure my friend or his dad gave it to me many, many years ago and I put it up in the garage rafters and forgot completely about it.

But I really don't think it was here originally because until I realized I had it last year, I was under the impression that if I wanted to finally put the doors up for the small bedroom closet, I was going to have to spring $80 for another bi-fold (pre-Covid price around me).

But now I get to take the solid one I had on the linen closet for about 10 years now and put that with the other solid door in the small bedroom and this louvered one can be out in the hallway.

Quote:
I managed to clock in 3 hours on decluttering, so we ate leftovers for dinner.

Mostly, I wound up picking thru little stuff (keep/ give away/ recycle/ trash). A lot of stuff went to trash and recycling and the office looks significantly better. Tomorrow dear daughter and I will go thru some of her clutter together, drop off a bunch of recycling for $, and pick up some Rx.

Plus I need to spend some quality time in the kitchen, it's a mess!

They don't know how good they've got it. I'd be in heaven just eating your leftovers all the time. I remember living at my Grams for around 5 years and I never ate better in my life. And she always made so much at one time that if you weren't taking it to work with you the next day for lunch some of it was going to go bad. And we had 4 adults living there and eating all of it.

Good luck with the decluttering.

I figured I'd be doing that during downtime on these doors, but they take so damn long to paint that I can pretty much start the next thing right after I was done with the last thing if I wanted to. I probably will finish 2 coats of the final paint on the backs before I quit tonight after all.

-----------

"It may be dangerous to be America's enemy, but to be America's friend is fatal."- Henry Kissinger

--------------------------------------------------

Those who dance always seem crazy to those who can't hear the music.

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Thursday, July 16, 2026 1:27 AM

It just occurs to me that I should probably check out exactly where the doorknobs are on both of the flat doors, especially if they were never a pair. There's almost zero chance they match up if they weren't together. Not the end of the world if that's the case, but it will have to be fixed and that's going to slow things down a bit.

I didn't even notice until painting that the louvered doors don't even have a knob, so I'm going to have to figure out where I need to drill a hole for one.

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Those who dance always seem crazy to those who can't hear the music.

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Thursday, July 16, 2026 2:18 AM

Sonofabitch...

Why didn't I think of that earlier?

Should have gone with my gut. Those are not matching doors. And now I have a vivid memory of the solid door being on that linen closet before I started work on it years ago.

And now I do remember that there was only one bi-fold on the small bedroom closet and the other was missing.

Well I've absolutely got to use the louvered doors on the linen closet at this point after all this work. That's not going to go to waste.

But I'm not really sure yet if the two doors are even going to look right at all next to each other. It's clear from how the paint is laying with the grain on this one vs the old door that not only are they two different materials (types of wood), but my painting skills have leveled up quite a bit from all the way back then and my methods and the amount of paint used in a coat is quite a bit different now too.

I dunno... Maybe that won't really matter.

But I do have to cut the old door down about a quarter inch though. It's not enough of a difference in height to freak out about, but perfectionist me isn't going to let that slide, so I've got to take that outside to cut and round down before painting it back up before I can finish that closet now. Not to mention that while the doorknob is dead on center on both doors vertically, they're over an inch different horizontally, so no matter how I cut the door down I still have to fill that old hole and drill a new one.

Oh well... can't win 'em all.

I could have found out that the door I'm working on right now is the one that needed cutting and been mad at myself for not just doing all of this first, but since the door that needs cutting down was the one painted 5 or 10 years ago that doesn't matter. The only thing I could have done any different to save time was filling that hole before any primer or paint went on.

Hmmmmmm...

Come to think of it... I should probably just fill the hole on the one door and paint it, and drill the hole at the correct height on the other door entirely just to ensure the integrity. That old hole might only end up being half an inch to 3/4" away from the old one. No reason to do that.

ETA: Alright... Got the wood filler in the bad hole now. did most of the filling from the front side that only has primer on it, then did a cap off on the painted back side. Not a big deal, and it will be completely invisible from the front when it's done.

I may have to keep the knob on that door though and just deal with the hole being close to the old one. I forgot how much other work I'd have to do moving all the existing track hardware and I don't really want to deal with that either. Wood filler is strong, and it's a really light door. It should be fine.

ETA 2: Oh shit...

I've never thought to see whether or not the doors are same-sided or not.

That will change everything if they are.

Hope I win this coin flip.

Maybe I'll luck out and I can somewhat easily just flip all the hardware from the top to the bottom and it will work if I lose it.

ETA 3:

I just figured out a way that I don't have to cut a door down. I'm going to either trim out the tops or the bottoms of the door with something similar to that cabinet trim I used on the vanity. I used all of that up for my various thresholds and the vanity at this point, but I can buy something similar for around 5 bucks for 8 feet.

I'd rather do it at the tops of the doors where it's just hiding that the hardware is going down further on the door that is shorter behind the trim, but if that isn't going to work I'm just going to have to do it on the bottom were somebody could accidentally kick that trim right off.
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Those who dance always seem crazy to those who can't hear the music.

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Thursday, July 16, 2026 1:55 PM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.

No matter how you do it, I'm sure you'll make it right, SIX.

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"It may be dangerous to be America's enemy, but to be America's friend is fatal."- Henry Kissinger

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Thursday, July 16, 2026 2:10 PM

Yeah... I'm sure it will work out.

I already wasn't looking forward to doing this because hanging the other doors was a real bitch. I might save myself some frustration and see if I can buy all new tracks for this one rather than try to dick around with whatever old stuff I might have out in the garage.

--------------------------------------------------

Those who dance always seem crazy to those who can't hear the music.

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Thursday, July 16, 2026 5:32 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by 6ixStringJack:
At that length, you could probably do like I do and just pull it all to the front and cut it yourself.

Nah... I'm just kidding. I would never come between a woman and her hairstylist.

--------------------------------------------------

Those who dance always seem crazy to those who can't hear the music.

I do trim my hair myself. I refuse to pay about $20 just have someone take an inch or so off my hair.

If I do play for an actual hairstyle. It is usually a French braid.

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Thursday, July 16, 2026 5:34 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by SIGNYM:
SIX, those louvered doors look awesome!
What are they for? A closet?

ETA: looks like we cross posted.

BRENDA, enjoy your long hair! I used to have a headful before chemo. When they say your hair may change texture or color they're being evasive, at best!

*****

I managed to clock in 3 hours on decluttering, so we ate leftovers for dinner.

Mostly, I wound up picking thru little stuff (keep/ give away/ recycle/ trash). A lot of stuff went to trash and recycling and the office looks significantly better. Tomorrow dear daughter and I will go thru some of her clutter together, drop off a bunch of recycling for $, and pick up some Rx.

Plus I need to spend some quality time in the kitchen, it's a mess!

-----------

"It may be dangerous to be America's enemy, but to be America's friend is fatal."- Henry Kissinger

I do enjoy having long hair. I've gotten one question over the years. "Does it give you a headache?" Short answer no.

My mum was lucky she never lost her hair with chemo.

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Thursday, July 16, 2026 5:40 PM

Well, mah jong was a so-so morning. Wasn't sure if we would be playing with the renovations going on in spots. Almost had two really great hands but they never materialized. Think there was only around 12 of us playing today so no really huge scores. Top was in the 4,000s then 3,000s after that 2,000s. Booby prize went to one of the ladies I was playing with at 1,000.

Went to my pharmacy and have to go back tomorrow. They don't have any Keppra in at all. They usually short me. But nope.

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Thursday, July 16, 2026 8:56 PM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.

Quote:
Originally posted by Brenda:
Well, mah jong was a so-so morning. Wasn't sure if we would be playing with the renovations going on in spots. Almost had two really great hands but they never materialized. Think there was only around 12 of us playing today so no really huge scores. Top was in the 4,000s then 3,000s after that 2,000s. Booby prize went to one of the ladies I was playing with at 1,000.

Went to my pharmacy and have to go back tomorrow. They don't have any Keppra in at all. They usually short me. But nope.

I really, really have to hound our new pharmacy location to get the current status bc they routinely forget to refill one (or more), and since I'm on 10 (!) medications and hubby is almost right there with me, the chances of them being out of stock or forgetting a few refills or something is quite high. I refuse to go there more than twice a month!

-----------

"It may be dangerous to be America's enemy, but to be America's friend is fatal."- Henry Kissinger

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Friday, July 17, 2026 12:01 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by SIGNYM:
Quote:
Originally posted by Brenda:
Well, mah jong was a so-so morning. Wasn't sure if we would be playing with the renovations going on in spots. Almost had two really great hands but they never materialized. Think there was only around 12 of us playing today so no really huge scores. Top was in the 4,000s then 3,000s after that 2,000s. Booby prize went to one of the ladies I was playing with at 1,000.

Went to my pharmacy and have to go back tomorrow. They don't have any Keppra in at all. They usually short me. But nope.

I really, really have to hound our new pharmacy location to get the current status bc they routinely forget to refill one (or more), and since I'm on 10 (!) medications and hubby is almost right there with me, the chances of them being out of stock or forgetting a few refills or something is quite high. I refuse to go there more than twice a month!

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"It may be dangerous to be America's enemy, but to be America's friend is fatal."- Henry Kissinger

I can live with it as I think I have said that I've been dealing with them for over 20years. Though I do think every so often that I should move my file to a pharmacy closer to where I live now. Just haven't done it yet.

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Friday, July 17, 2026 12:02 AM

I am out early tomorrow. Phone call to make then something to do before I meet my friend for lunch. Then stuff after we are done hanging out.

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Friday, July 17, 2026 12:10 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Brenda:
Quote:
Originally posted by 6ixStringJack:
At that length, you could probably do like I do and just pull it all to the front and cut it yourself.

Nah... I'm just kidding. I would never come between a woman and her hairstylist.

--------------------------------------------------

Those who dance always seem crazy to those who can't hear the music.

I do trim my hair myself. I refuse to pay about $20 just have someone take an inch or so off my hair.

If I do play for an actual hairstyle. It is usually a French braid.

The more I find out about you, Brenda, the cooler you get.

--------------------------------------------------

Those who dance always seem crazy to those who can't hear the music.

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Friday, July 17, 2026 12:13 AM

I just completely ran out of gas today.

Seriously slept most of the day away. It's obscene how gross it is right now, even in the house. That little air conditioner can't really keep up with any of this. It had actually gotten to over 100 yesterday, I was told. Real temp.

Hope I can get some sleep tonight.

--------------------------------------------------

Those who dance always seem crazy to those who can't hear the music.

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Friday, July 17, 2026 12:22 AM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.

Well, somebody effed up the Rx, AGAIN. I REALLY don't want three -month Rxs, bc with one months Rxs its the same family list every month. With so many things to keep track of, my one-track brain needs all the help it can get!

Gotta get it fixed

Grrr.

*****

Anyway, I didn't declutter the office so much as quick -vacuumed about half the house and dragged some things away from room edges and off tall shelves. Decluttering the house and dragging MORE things into the office! Also, I gathered up stuff that dog has gotten dirty ... her bed, a couple of heating pads, blankets etc, and washed them. OMG the water came out muddy! So I washed it all 2 more times. Some of it is getting put away for the summer, some given away.

Dear daughter begged off taking in the recycling so we'll do that tomorrow when it's not so hot. But it's going out tomorrow.

Anyway, things are getting recycled, boxed up, thrown out, or cleaned up. I'm trying to get as much done as possible before the end of the month.

*****

SIX, how are the linen closet doors looking so far? Have a solution?

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"It may be dangerous to be America's enemy, but to be America's friend is fatal."- Henry Kissinger

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Friday, July 17, 2026 1:06 AM

Good for you, Sigs.

Me? Nothing. I literally did nothing of consequence at all today.

When I went out last night to take the garbage out, I almost felt like I was having a little trouble breathing by the time I was coming back inside.

The air is so thick it's coagulating in my lungs.

I've got a fan on me in the living room... a good fan... and I'm sweating just laying down... at midnight.

Looks like we're going to get a little rain soon. Hopefully no thunderstorms along with it. It's finally going to start cooling down. If the extended forecast could be believed, which it can't, the rest of the summer shouldn't be too bad around here at all by comparison to what we've had so far.

I think the worst of it is finally behind us.

--------------------------------------------------

Those who dance always seem crazy to those who can't hear the music.

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Friday, July 17, 2026 8:56 AM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.

Hey SIX, BRENDA ...

My WNY sis sent me a picture of weird dim, yellow lighting under a smoke obscured sky.

Apparently the air quality is so bad everyone is urged to stay indoors.

So I went looking for where the fires are, and it's not just Ontario. It looks like there's a band of active fires stretching from the NW Territories on a slight diagonal all the way ESE to the Great Lakes and St Lawrence Seaway.
https://firms.modaps.eosdis.nasa.gov/usfs/map/#d:24hrs;@-77.9,47.3,4.5z

BRENDA, it looks really bad. But I'm unfamiliar with Canada's normal fire season. Is this unusual??

SIX, it looks like smoke advisories extend into Indiana. IDK where you live, but you may be feeling the effects of smoke as well as heat and humidity. Given your recent horrible pneumonia, you'd be considered vulnerable. If you don't have at least a window unit, you might want to spring for one so you can close some windows and stay indoors.

There's the usual western fires, altho it looks like mostly in Idaho and New Mexico. Nl big ones going on around here, yet.

-----------

"It may be dangerous to be America's enemy, but to be America's friend is fatal."- Henry Kissinger

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Friday, July 17, 2026 1:28 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by 6ixStringJack:
Quote:
Originally posted by Brenda:
Quote:
Originally posted by 6ixStringJack:
At that length, you could probably do like I do and just pull it all to the front and cut it yourself.

Nah... I'm just kidding. I would never come between a woman and her hairstylist.

--------------------------------------------------

Those who dance always seem crazy to those who can't hear the music.

I do trim my hair myself. I refuse to pay about $20 just have someone take an inch or so off my hair.

If I do play for an actual hairstyle. It is usually a French braid.

The more I find out about you, Brenda, the cooler you get.

--------------------------------------------------

Those who dance always seem crazy to those who can't hear the music.

Thank you SIX.

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Friday, July 17, 2026 1:36 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by SIGNYM:
Hey SIX, BRENDA ...

My WNY sis sent me a picture of weird dim, yellow lighting under a smoke obscured sky.

Apparently the air quality is so bad everyone is urged to stay indoors.

So I went looking for where the fires are, and it's not just Ontario. It looks like there's a band of active fires stretching from the NW Territories on a slight diagonal all the way ESE to the Great Lakes and St Lawrence Seaway.
https://firms.modaps.eosdis.nasa.gov/usfs/map/#d:24hrs;@-77.9,47.3,4.5z

BRENDA, it looks really bad. But I'm unfamiliar with Canada's normal fire season. Is this unusual??

SIX, it looks like smoke advisories extend into Indiana. IDK where you live, but you may be feeling the effects of smoke as well as heat and humidity. Given your recent horrible pneumonia, you'd be considered vulnerable. If you don't have at least a window unit, you might want to spring for one so you can close some windows and stay indoors.

There's the usual western fires, altho it looks like mostly in Idaho and New Mexico. Nl big ones going on around here, yet.

-----------

"It may be dangerous to be America's enemy, but to be America's friend is fatal."- Henry Kissinger

Yes, the smoke is coming down from Northern Ontario. Communities there have evacuated down to Thunder Bay.

This is unusual SIG. Our fire seasons have been getting worse and worse. Here in BC there are three bad fires burning in and around a canyon. People are afraid that a little community called Boston Bar may be burned to the ground like Lytton a couple of years ago. Another town in the Kootneys is being threatened and people are being told to prepare to go at a moments notice. Place is called Pemberton. Lots of dry lightening in the Interior and in the Fraser Valley. With everything so dry. Fires start so fast.

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Friday, July 17, 2026 1:38 PM

Out in a minute. Couple of things to do before I meet a friend for lunch. Not going back to the pharmacy today as I can stretch the Keppra till Monday.

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Friday, July 17, 2026 1:39 PM

Also had a couple of thunderstorms around me last night. Have to see what happened farther out from me. At one point some heavy, heavy rain too.

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Friday, July 17, 2026 2:36 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by SIGNYM:
Hey SIX, BRENDA ...

My WNY sis sent me a picture of weird dim, yellow lighting under a smoke obscured sky.

Apparently the air quality is so bad everyone is urged to stay indoors.

So I went looking for where the fires are, and it's not just Ontario. It looks like there's a band of active fires stretching from the NW Territories on a slight diagonal all the way ESE to the Great Lakes and St Lawrence Seaway.
https://firms.modaps.eosdis.nasa.gov/usfs/map/#d:24hrs;@-77.9,47.3,4.5z

BRENDA, it looks really bad. But I'm unfamiliar with Canada's normal fire season. Is this unusual??

SIX, it looks like smoke advisories extend into Indiana. IDK where you live, but you may be feeling the effects of smoke as well as heat and humidity. Given your recent horrible pneumonia, you'd be considered vulnerable. If you don't have at least a window unit, you might want to spring for one so you can close some windows and stay indoors.

There's the usual western fires, altho it looks like mostly in Idaho and New Mexico. Nl big ones going on around here, yet.

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"It may be dangerous to be America's enemy, but to be America's friend is fatal."- Henry Kissinger

I appreciate the warning. I actually hadn't heard anything in the news about this and didn't have a confirmation of fires or where they were located until talking to my dad earlier today. I think I did see something about fires on the RCP front page the other day, but I hardly even look at those anymore since they just happen all the time these days.

It was Wednesday night when I was out and didn't feel gold being out there. (And I was going to ask you if the smoke was around then, but I just asked Google AI and YES... it certainly was).

We got a "unhealthy for all people" warning about the air quality on Wednesday. I don't think I've ever seen that warning before, so either it's new or it was much worse here on Wednesday than it was a few years ago when the Canadian fires were really out of control there for a few weeks.

Glad to know that I don't get to blame everything on the Diabetes yet.

Oh... speaking of diabetes, I don't believe I ever brought up my Foot problem that I'd been dealing with for the last few weeks.

A day after I had really finished cleaning up all my yard and getting weed poison down, after all that time being out with crappy old shoes which were soaking wet along with the socks half the time, I started having a sharp pain on the ball of my right foot when I walked.

I didn't know what I was looking at. I've had warts before and thought it might have been a plantar's wart or something, but boy did it grow QUICK if that's what it was at this size already.

My thought all along was that it could be a sliver that is now getting inflamed, if not infected.

I hadn't been doing all that much outside because of the heat, and the few times I ran errands or whatever it wasn't a big deal to walk in a way where I barely even thought about it while I was out.

But the other day my old instinct overcame my new diabetic fears about feet and toes and anything that might get infected easily if not taken care of properly.

I started cutting down into it with my nail clippers. Nothing gruesome or crazy. Just on an angle, a little bit at a time, trying to clear away what appeared to be the center. And eventually I saw... "something". My eyes aren't what they used to be, light in this house isn't great if the sun isn't blaring in, and I was sitting cross-legged on my couch, looking at it from a strange angle.

I got my tweezers and managed, at least I thought, to have pulled out a small black sliver of something... But if my eyes weren't betraying me, it was lost. I was on top of my black/green/white blanket, and there was zero chance I was ever going to find it if I dropped it. It couldn't have been much thicker than a hair on my head.

So... I didn't know.

I got out the alcohol and cleaned it up good and bandaged it and just let 'er ride.

Obviously, if anything, the pain from walking on it was worse right after doing all of that. So I wasn't going to know that day if I took care of the problem or not.

But that was like 3 days ago now. And I haven't felt a single hint of pain on the ball of that foot since at least when I woke up yesterday the first time.

And I know I didn't kill any nerves or anything. I can still feel everything down there when I touch it. But the pain is gone and nothing looks like it needs to be chopped off yet.

Oh... I do have a window unit A/C. That's the only thing that's been keeping the house livable at all. Isn't the bad air coming inside through that anyhow? I figure I've probably been huffing that crap for days now.

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Those who dance always seem crazy to those who can't hear the music.

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Friday, July 17, 2026 5:47 PM