Norms Bait and Tackle

[CallieOK]

Good Morning,

Hi, Jackie and MaryPage 

Marilyne, I miss your long rambling posts and I'm so sorry about your "owie" that's gotten infected.  Glad your weather is warm and sunny enough to be outside.

Central Oklahoma is sunny but we're bouncing back and forth between the "deep freeze" to almost balmy.

Shirley, I had a hardwood laminate floor put in my office.  Doesn't quite look like real hardwood but is easy to take care of with a mop and/or regular vacuum.
Have you considered getting a Roomba (or whatever those self-activating vaccums are called?)
Son/dil who have two Labs that shed continually have one.  It's automatic and sits in its container until it gets the signal to start. When it's done, it takes itself back to the container and empties out before parking itself until the next time.
It isn't very big but does four rooms and a hallway before it finishes.
I've been there when it was "doing its thing" and it was amazing to watch it go under furniture to clean and then back out and start in another direction.

FlaJean, my friend who lives in Santa Rosa Beach has been mentioning the "cold" weather in that area.  She moved there from here and I think she's "rubbing it in" just a bit. 

My plan was/still is to sort out and organize/throw out "stuff" I've been tossing on office shelves for whoknowshowlong.  However, I keep getting sidetracked and... well you know how that goes. 
 
One thing was to order the free Covid Home Tests right after I saw the story on the news.  It was easy and I had a confirmation e-mail a few minutes later.  Now we'll see if they actually get delivered. I don't really need to test myself but thought it would be nice to have them "just in case".   

Off to see if I can concentrate on Project for at least a little while.

Wishing Everyfriend Everywhere an Enjoyable Day.
 

[Shirley]

Callie, my daughter gave me one a couple years ago & after a trial run in the kitchen/family room and watching it get stuck under my gr-grandmother's hutch & couple other things I gave it back. She has one on each floor that she runs all the time, talks to it like human, & loves watching them work. This house has thick plush (white) carpet except for black slate entry hall, in all rooms except that one double room. I've toyed with the idea of hardwoods everywhere but taking up the layers of carpet/pad & extra layer of 3/4" plywood we found where we put the oak floor in, it is more than I want to cope with. We talked about hardwoods when we chickened out & just had the same (nearest) white carpet put in as taken out... bedrooms, bathrooms & hall 10 years ago. I think this time I need to replace the living room & dining room carpets but want all matching so that will be a challenge. I hoped to wait until I'm ready to move & let new owners pick what they want.... will pay either way, right? Decisions, decisions.

[FlaJean]

Another COLD day 38° and feels like 32° according to my weather app.  Have a 3:00 app't with the doctor and dreading going outside.  Want her to check my right ear for infection.  Every time I lie down on my right side that I prefer for sleeping I get vertigo.  Vertigo is a awful feeling.

Marilyne, I'm sorry to hear your hand is infected.  Sure hope the antibiotic works quickly so you can continue to heal.  Wish we were having your weather report instead of this horrible cold weather we are having.

Think we'll have some soup for lunch today.  That should warm us up.

Callie, it is probably colder here today than OK.

Have a good day all.

[RAMMEL]

Marilyne, - Have you tried Pete's coffee?  Crazy world but we have all sorts of coffee here but I settled on one from California.  It is my belief that Pete's is like Starbucks. Would that be so?

Sorry to hear the hand has a problem.  Favor it when at all possible.

[Sandy]

I just spoke with MaryPage and she wanted everyone to know that her email was hacked and if you get and email from her asking for monetary assistance,  ignore it ...

Getting hacked is no fun, but it can happen to any one and then, of course , it invades our contact list...

So we all need to be  weary of strange  emails that looks like
our friends or family asking for help or money etc.   

MaryPage it was wonderful talking with you   !!!

Take care and don't worry.   We are all forewarned...

Thankyou
love  Sandy

[Tomereader1]

Rammel, is that "Peets" coffee? or Pete's?  I have tried various Peets and most are wonderful, better than any Starbucks I've tried.  Peets has a Guatamala San Marcos that is out of this world. (stores don't usually keep it, but you can order on-line from Amazon (got mine from Bed,Bath & Beyond). 

I'm such a coffee nerd.  Tried all kinds. (Used to waste good money on a Starbucks every morning before work)  Also, Folger's has a "Coffee House Blend" which is a medium dark roast (also have had to order that one on-line).

My daughter gave me a 7 oz bag of Honolulu Coffee (which someone had given her for Christmas) it was Lokahi Blend, no telling how much the gifter paid for it.  It smells wonderful, but I didn't fall in love with the taste.

Everyday drinking, I still prefer Folger's Classic Roast in the 30 oz. container, not the pods. But I'll be honest, I don't care much for any of the pods.

[RAMMEL]

Rammel, is that "Peets" coffee? or Pete's?  I have tried various Peets and most are wonderful, better than any Starbucks I've tried.

Stump the Stars --- Hahaha. The more I looked at that the worse it got.  So checked where I order it. The correct answer is "PEETS".  I've baught it from Staples at times when they have a special on it, but lately from Amazon. While I live in NY and can get Starbucks locally, I prefer the PEETS from Calif. I get about a months worth at a time.  My pref is "Major Dickason". But they do have a good selection of blends.  I do use the pods and find them very consistent.  I find that if I make a pot of coffee that by the end of the day it is like drinking acid.  I guess the trick is to not re-warm the pot but just the cup you are preparing.
We do have a very local coffee shop a couple of miles away. When I'm out with my son we often stop there, where I like their "House Blend".

[MarsGal]

I love Kona coffee but haven't had it in years because I am primarily a tea drinker. So, although I have a coffee/espresso/latte maker, I have never used it much. It never seemed worth it to make a pot for just one cup. I know I am going to regret this, but I just received a box of Kona in K-cup form. Kona is a favorite. Another was whatever Denny's used to use, Mill House or something like that. It was so smooth and not bitter at all. On general principles I think K-cup coffee sucks, but I have found one or two that are tolerable for my just an occasional cup.

I am beginning to appreciate this new grammar checker. It helps to keep me from overusing commas.   

[Marilyne]

Jean - I saw a story on the News tonight, about the extreme cold in S. Carolina and Florida. I hate it when we have a cold snap like that.  Let us know what the doctor said about your Vertigo?  Quite a few members here in S&F have had bouts with Vertigo, and have been given exercises to do that helped

Shirley - whatever happened to plain old fashioned vinyl flooring . . . that we used to call linoleum?  Hopelessly old fashioned I guess?  It sure was (is!) sturdy and easy to take care of.  I still have it in my kitchen and bathrooms.

Rick -  we do have a Peet's Coffee shop here in town,  right near my favorite grocery store.  Seems I'm always in a hurry when I'm at the store, so haven't stopped to buy any coffee in a long time.  Next time I'm there, I'll try a bag of Major Dickason. 

Truth be told, all of the "designer" coffee's taste good to me.  I almost always go to Starbucks, because it's close . . . only about four long blocks from my house and just a short wait for service.  I looked up the correct spelling of  Frappuccino.  (I was way off!  Ha ha)

Joanne - I don't have a Keurig style coffee maker, so don't know anything about the pods.  I just have a plain old  Mr Coffee, and usually buy that huge 5 lb  container of Folger's, from Costco.  I drink two cups first thing in the morning, and AJ drinks about three.  I never reheat - just throw out what's left and don't make another pot until the next day.  If I need a pick-me-up, in the afternoon, I go to Starbucks, or one of the other local shops.  One here that's very popular, is Philz Coffee.  I've never tried it, and don't know if it's nationwide or local?

Callie and MarsGal - You two can get together for a cuppa tea!  Jackie, is also a tea drinker, I would guess? 

Mars - I had forgotten about Denny's coffee!  It was always delicious. I loved their breakfast menu.

[RAMMEL]

All "Pods" are NOT created equal.  My son has tried several. He likes some of the flavored ones. He said several were just Blahhhhhh.  Turns out those, even though from different companies, they all appeared to come from one place (manufacturer) in Canada. All the boxes were of similar format and some markings were the same.
Some of the worse coffee I've ever had was when I was in the Navy, or at the Hospital 

[CallieOK]

Good Morning,

Would love to have "a cuppa" with Marsgal, Jackie and every other friend in Seniors & Friends. I think I still remember how to make a pot of coffee for those who prefer that. 

A friend introduced me to pods that can be reused in a Keurig. I ordered a set of three from the Miles Kimball catalog.
 The set has a little spoon for measuring the coffee or tea or ?? and works pretty well. I've been cutting a tea bag open and putting contents in the pod so can't say if you could put the tea bag in. 
 Only problem is that the tea tastes like coffee if you switch back and forth.

One morning several years ago I woke up to find the room spinning.  A p.a. friend of my son's suggested the pills you take for car sickness - and they did help - but I made an appointment with an ENT.
He said there were tiny crystals inside my ear that had broken loose and caused that type of vertigo. (I'm sure my friends wouldn't have been surprised to learn I have "rocks in my head"  )
 He did a maneuver with my head that stopped the vertigo and told me how to do that at home (Can't describe it without demonstrating).
It was in my left ear so I stopped sleeping on that side and haven't had another episode, thank goodness.

I used to belong to a Bridge group that played at Denny's. Often had breakfast for lunch - but their hamburgers were good, too.  There's now a tire store where Denny's used to be. 

[RAMMEL]

Callie -    Ear rocks.  Several of our S&F or SrNet friends have had them over the years.  Somewhere in my computer (I Hope) I have those exercises (procedure).  I'll ho hunting and post back later if I find them.  They're easy enough to do and a quick, cheap fix if the work for a person.  My doctor said no one (doctor) does them any more because it uses up too much of their valuable time. (Shameful)

[CallieOK]

Rammel, yes - that is shameful that a doctor wouldn't do the exercises if the patient was experiencing the spinning while in the office.
 
I just remembered that the "room spinning" vertigo is called Benign Positional Paroxysmal Vertigo (BPPV). 
Doctor said the crystals are normal and the exercises put them back in place.

 One dil takes meds for the vertigo that feels as if her head is spinning. I don't know what it's called.

[RAMMEL]

Ear Rocks --- "BPPV" .  The 'exercise" for relief is "The Epley Maneuver for BPPV"  Put either into a search for info.  I have a file with lots of info on it but too big to post here.  If anyone wants the file (which I believe will open on most computers) let me know and I'll send it to you.  --- I would need your email addy.

Just found
https://dizziness-and-balance.com/disorders/bppv/home/home-pc.html

[phyllis]

I've been reading the vertigo conversation and would like to jump in, if I'm not intruding too much.  Years ago I was diagnosed with Menier's Desease, or some people call it Menier's Syndrome.  It is an incurable inner ear condition that among many other symptom's causes loss of balance, tinnitus, and worst of all....debilitating vertigo that can last hours or days.  I was treated for many years with all kinds of meds. and exercises, including the Epley Maneuver, and nothing worked.  Finally, I went into remission and thankfully, have not had an episode for a long time.  However, it destroyed my hearing and I am mostly deaf now and my balance is such that I cannot walk without a walker or cane.  I'm hoping that FlaJean will see an ENT doctor if her vertigo continues.  And, praying for her that it can be treated quickly and successfully.

As for the coffee maker and brand of coffee....I have a Keurig but prefer perked coffee.  When it gives out I'll go back to Mr. Coffee, Marilyne, and I agree that Folger's is a very good brand of coffee, it was always my first choice.  I'd like to try Peet's but haven't ever seen it around here in No. Carolina.

I've had too much to say, I think, but we are snowed in here and I'm looking for things to occupy me and keep me from "fussing" about the weather.   

[FlaJean]

Phillis, I didn't see your post until after I had posted.  Thanks for,posting.  Your suggestion of seeing an ENT doctor is a good one and if this continues I will certainly do that.  Some years ago I went to a music concert and one of the vocalist sang a terribly high and loud section of music that really disturbed me.  That night I had a bad attack of vertigo.  The doctor prescribed an anti-vert medication which solved the problem and I've never gone to a music concert since.

Marilyne, I do have an ear infection.  The doctor prescribed amoxicillin for a week. She thought the vertigo was caused by the infection.  After a few days of the medication I'm going to check and see if the vertigo is gone.  It only bothers me when I lie down on my right side.

Rammel, Thanks for posting that information.  I bookmarked it just in case I need it.☺️

We are still having this extreme cold weather.  I'm thankful for a nice warm house, but I'll be thankful for some warmer weather.  Can't believe the weather in some of these southern states.

Thanks Sandy for posting about MaryPage's email.  The gremlins are working overtime.  We just got a weird email from my husband's nephew.  Evidently, his email must have been breached.  Also got a strange message from Apple when I was looking for a recipe on my iPad.  I knew it was not something Apple would send so got right out and cleared my cache.  Technology is great but it can also be a pain.

Thinking about you Marilyne and hoping things will soon improve.  I know you are thankful for AJ's help.

I only drink a cup of coffee in the morning and Larry no longer drinks coffee, so use the keurig one cup coffee maker.  Right now I'm drinking Starbuck's Veranda blend but I have heard that Peet's coffee is good.  I'll have to look around for it.  Our local Walmart and Publix market are very limited when it comes to the coffee pods.  Shopping in Niceville is very limited and we have to cross the MidBay Bridge to Destin for shopping.  We lived in Ocala for 28 years and I have to admit that I am a little homesick for Ocala's better climate and convenience, but oh well.

I don't usually write such a long post.  Sorry.  Have a good day everyone.

[RAMMEL]

FlaJean,
Peets is a California company, with stores like Starbucks (I've been told). They do have a few stores outside of Cal but none near here.  Google Peets and you can see about them.   I find the coffee at STAPLES or AMAZON. I think TARGET might have it.

https://peets.com   You can order from them but more expensive. (Don't undercut your retailers.)
Looks like six of them in Fla but on the East Coast.

[Tomereader1]

I get vertigo sometime. I think that's what made me take that big fall back in 2019. I took a step backward, in the living room, and dizziness made me fall backwards. I know I posted the whole sad story on here somewhere when it happened.  Doc wanted to know how it happened, and I told her I was trying to "fly backwards", but it didn't work.  She gives me Meclizine for the vertigo, and it works well, but leaves me feeling kinda drugged the next day.  I have done the exercises for the "rocks in my head" and they help for awhile.  Guess I will have to see what my Medicare Advantage plan has on the books for an ENT doc. 

From reading the posts, I note that a lot of us are having sleep problems.  Part of it is our older age, part due to the stress of the Covid pandemic.  I used to get so tickled with an aunt of mine.  She would come over, and almost immediately fall asleep in the chair, snoring up a storm, but would later say she "didnt sleep worth a darn at night".  Need a doc to explain that to us, right?  LOL

[MaryPage]

Darling Bubble has posted a photo of my window on the Bay in Soda Shoppe.  Thank you, Bubble.  This photo was taken 6 years ago at almost exactly this time of year.  Daughter Becky took it early one morning while she stayed with me after my back surgery.

I have been having a terrible time with my computer being hacked.  All of you who I have on my email list will have received emails begging for help.  I am mortified.  They are not from me.  Comcast has been wonderful in helping me with cleanup and restoration and so forth.  You might know it hit just as Chip flew out to Seattle and handed my care over to daughter Debi, who is as illiterate about computers as am I.  Oh well;  this, too, will pass.  I am so embarrassed.

It was great to chat with my daughter Sandy.  She is so smart about computers.  And she is just a fun, consoling person to talk to.  I adopted her years ago, and am so glad I did.  It is just a fun thing we do that I am her Mom; but I think we both enjoy it.  So many, many of the "us" that were in here are gone now.

[phyllis]

I had a chuckle at your story about your aunt, Tomereader.  My grandmother would sit down and be asleep almost immediately....mid-conversation sometimes.  But, if anyone remarked about her sleeping she insisted she was only "resting her eyes".   

[MaryPage]

I should have said that the photo itself is not in Soda Shoppe, but a LINK to the photo is there.

[MaryPage]

I have no idea whether Bubble's link in Soda Shoppe will work in here, or not; but nothing ventured ______


for MaryPage

https://www.seniorsandfriends.org/index.php?topic=11.msg211753#msg211753

[Marilyne]

Mary Page - your link worked!  A lovely view for you to enjoy every day.  The sky, the bay, and the bridge.  Thank you for posting!

[PatH2]

It worked!  So gorgeous.

MaryPage, you shouldn't be embarrassed about the hack.  It happens to almost everyone sooner or later. 

[MaryPage]

Phyllis, it was not the story all of my life, or at least since babyhood, that I could fall asleep like that; but now I can.  And do!

I used to think anyone (other than those sweet babies) who took daytime naps was a lazybones.  A slack off. 

Now I nod off all the time!  Embarrassing as all get out, but what's a 92 year-old to do?!

[MaryPage]

Thank you, Marilyne and Pat!

[MarsGal]

MaryPage, I know what you mean. It is a real pain. I think someone got a hold of my Google account info. Recently I began getting phishing emails to my main email account (not Google), all using a gmail account address. The only reason I signed up with Google was so that I could add my favorite YouTube sites to the subscriptions folder. They will only take a GMail address to sign in. I was taking a chance with that because I don't consider Google to be a very secure site. I had a Google account before and a similar thing happened. There is a recent uptick in spam phone calls too, but I don't know if that is related.

[Marilyne]

Good morning all -  Not so good here, but manageable I hope?   My hand is infected, and nothing seems to be working.   I  saw the doc on Friday, and started using topical antibiotic.  Had an allergic reaction to it.  Will probably have to go back on the pills - Keflex - as it is the only antibiotic left that I can take.  AJ is at the doctor office right now, for a recurring problem of his.  If it's not one thing, it's another!     Older daughter is coming over the weekend to help out with household stuff, which will be great.    I'm trying to keep a positive attitude!    

[FlaJean]

Marilyne, it is hard keeping a good attitude under those circumstances.  It seems like when one thing goes wrong it is not long before a second problem pops up.  I sure hope you are able to get that infection under control.  My daughter-in-law has the problem of being allergic to most antibiotics.  It has caused her a lot of problems over the years.  I hope AJ is doing OK.

It is still cold here but seems warmer today with the sun brightly shining.  I cooked a small pork roast yesterday and Larry pulled the pork.  So we will have a few nice barbecue sandwiches for a couple of days.

The Navy Ordnance were bombing earlier but everything is nice and quiet now.  Think I will find a book to read and take life easy for a little while.

Have a good day.

[CallieOK]

Merry Monday,

MaryPage, I was a recipient of the hacked e-mail from your name. Neither the Sender ID nor the Subject was anything like you would have used - so I immediately sent it to Trash without opening and then deleted the Trash.

The view from your windows is gorgeous and watching the bay traffic would be so interesting.

 We were able to see the Continental Divide mountain range with the two highest peaks in the state from our windows in Leadville, Colorado.  A telephone pole did stick up within view and I always said they'd know who to come after if it ever "fell over".   However, it was a beautiful sight.

Oh, Marilyne, I am so sorry about your hand and the antibiotic issue. Hope AJ can get help with his problem and glad your family is coming to help.

Things are fine here - other than temperatures bouncing between warm-enough-for-just-a-sweater and cold-enough-to-need-a parka.

Jean, I did one of those pound-and-a-half pork roasts in my small slow cooker recently. Made a gravy from the liquid for sliced meat and mashed potatoes (thanks to Bob Evans refrigerated) and have also enjoyed BBQ sandwiches.
Do you make your own BBQ sauce?  I prefer the sweet kind from a bottle.

Am making good headway with the office shelf clearing project.  Have also cleaned out the accordion folder I keep monthly receipts, etc in.  Have sorted all but two categories and they are on my ToDo list for this afternoon.

Better fine that Round Tuit and get busy.