What’s on your mind?

[Scepticalscribe]

Time to get up and start chores, before helping mom get ready for her doctor's appointment.

Good luck with the doctor's appointment.

That brings back memories, accompanying your mother to medical appointments, to be there as support, to ask questions that may not have occurred to her to ask, to ensure that everything runs as it should, to help with planning and transport, and logistics, a weird sort of inversion of the old mother daughter role, when she used to bring me to medial appointments as a child.

Good luck the appointment.
Been packing all morning and some of this afternoon. But Mrs AFB has had enough for the day.
So just chilling before it’s time to cook.

Enjoy the chilling.

Each box that is packed is one more step taken with this process.

 

[Apple fanboy]

Good luck with the doctor's appointment.

That brings back memories, accompanying your mother to medical appointments, to be there as support, to ask questions that may not have occurred to her to ask, to ensure that everything runs as it should, to help with planning and transport, and logistics, a weird sort of inversion of the old mother daughter role, when she used to bring me to medial appointments as a child.



Enjoy the chilling.

Each box that is packed is one more step taken with this process.

Agreed. Just many more to go!

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Agreed. Just many more to go!

Yes, but each one is one down, and a positive step taken in this process.

Even though it is stressful (and would be without any other emotional distractions), it is something positive to focus on, and I get the sense that Mrs AFB is more engaged and perhaps feeling more enthused than she has been for quite some time.

 

[Apple fanboy]

Yes, but each one is one down, and a positive step taken in this process.

Even though it is stressful (and would be without any other emotional distractions), it is something positive to focus on, and I get the sense that Mrs AFB is more engaged and perhaps feeling more enthused than she has been for quite some time.

Not today. Anything but. Pretty sad to be honest.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Not today. Anything but. Pretty sad to be honest.

I can well imagine this.

That sort of packing can be very upsetting, agreed.

 

[Matz]

The relentless, insidious, and pervasive spread of clutter in my life.

While doing a bit of straightening, I was appalled at the now-useless or unwanted things I hang on to, or have simply set down with the vague notion of dealing with it properly at some point in the future.

A point which all too rarely arrives.

Individually such instances are minor, but collectively they grow into a seemingly immovable mass.

It is so discouraging, that sometimes the thought of simply burning the house down actually sounds worth considering.


I kid, of course. Mostly.


But I definitely need a reboot.

 

[Apple fanboy]

The relentless, insidious, and pervasive spread of clutter in my life.

While doing a bit of straightening, I was appalled at the now-useless or unwanted things I hang on to, or have simply set down with the vague notion of dealing with it properly at some point in the future.

A point which all too rarely arrives.

Individually such instances are minor, but collectively they grow into a seemingly immovable mass.

It is so discouraging, that sometimes the thought of simply burning the house down actually sounds worth considering.


I kid, of course. Mostly.


But I definitely need a reboot.

Funny. As we were packing things up today I’m thinking why do I need these things? From a lifetime ago.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

The relentless, insidious, and pervasive spread of clutter in my life.

While doing a bit of straightening, I was appalled at the now-useless or unwanted things I hang on to, or have simply set down with the vague notion of dealing with it properly at some point in the future.

A point which all too rarely arrives.

Individually such instances are minor, but collectively they grow into a seemingly immovable mass.

It is so discouraging, that sometimes the thought of simply burning the house down actually sounds worth considering.


I kid, of course. Mostly.


But I definitely need a reboot.

Funny. As we were packing things up today I’m thinking why do I need these things? From a lifetime ago.

Those things mattered at the time, and now, they either no longer matter, or have come to matter differently.

Either way, they play little role in your life at the moment.

 

[Expos of 1969]

Funny. As we were packing things up today I’m thinking why do I need these things? From a lifetime ago.

I sympathise with the stresses of moving. The more you move you should weed out possessions very time. But it depends upon ones circumstances. Between 1993 and 2012 I was relocated to seven countries. I was permitted to put some personal effects in storage in my home country at my employer's expense but I took advantage of the moving process to really cull my effects. Towards the end of my living abroad years I married and when my wife and I went to open our storage area in my home country, it was an experience. Seeing things I had put in there almost 20 years before was like opening old presents on Christmas morning and many of them did not bring joy. I am now glad that with some "encouragement" from my wife, we rid ourselves of many items.

 

[LizKat]

Ummm..... the last book I finished the other day was Helen Keller's book. Then I started or continued (again) Bram Stoker's Dracula, the original one. That's a very hard book to read. The language doesn't flow well and there are many unnecessary words in some sentences and even some sentences make no sense at all. It feels like stop and go city traffic and you forget where you were going at times because the traffic is so bad. I'm determined to finish it though.

As for what was on my mind the other day, I was driving over to my parent's house to pick my 70-year-old dad up and take him to his doctor for a follow-up appointment after being bitten on the face by the family dog 2 days earlier. While heading over there I was thinking about the recent switch to daylight saving time, of which this time I chose not to abide by it. I'm still operating at the normal time so I am an hour ahead of everyone else, or rather, y'all are an hour behind me.

I've hated the time changes since forever and the older I get the longer it takes my body to adjust to it and I am most tired and miserable for almost 2 weeks afterward. I'm in a position in my career now where I can write my own hours and that's exactly what I'm doing. That means I've not been miserable and extra tired this time around and that makes me happy.

So as I was pondering this DST nonsense that led me to the thought of time and how we measure it. As it is or should be obvious to everyone (there might be an orange person who doesn't understand it) our hours and days are measured by the rotation of the Earth on its axis. Our months are measured by the phases of the moon, more or less and our years by our orbit of the sun. That's essentially how we evolved to measure time, using sundials and whatnot in our early days of measuring time.

That thought led me to wonder if the laws of physics as they are known were totally different whereby objects didn't orbit each other and gravity behaved in a different manner than it does. Providing that with all of these theoretical changes humans and life in general still came about and existed, evolved and we were still the same as we are today. How and by what devices would we have figured out to measure time?

I do have an avid love for science (which helped me escape the clutches of religion) and watch a lot of documentaries about various sciences and I subscribe to and read Discover magazine which is filled with all sorts of sciences.

Being a lifelong bachelor with no kids and a career which affords me the ability to write my own hours and not have me overworked either, affords me plenty of opportunities to read, watch, study and think about all manner of things that I might otherwise not have the time for if I led what some might call a more traditional life in America.

What an amazing post. Sorry to hear about the dog bite incident w/ your dad.. sounds alarming.

On semiannual time change, aka #73985 among unforced errors of human ingenunity: it surely messes me up far more than I ever expected now that in retirement I have the option to pay attention. How long the accommodation period lasts! How completely illogical my body's thrashing around seems. Those are just two observations that surprised me. My reactions are certainly NOT constrained to "well an hour this way or that, how can it matter." That was always my conscious self-admonition. The rest of me screams silently for weeks.

So in fact I too have considered ignoring the change. It would take some adjustments to sync up connections to the rest of the neighborhood so to speak - store hours, appointments.... just making a phone call at 8:30pm to someone whose clock says it's already 9:30 and their bedtime is 10pm, well...

On alternate forms of life and associated biochem/physics e.g. orbits and related adaptations: I do often wonder about slightly off-beaten-track stuff related to why we humans are carbon-based life forms and what else could there be? I mean in the way of energy/matter transformations that we're unable to perceive, comprehend (or acknowledge even if we did?) and vice versa. We're apparently not accompanied in even fairly far reaches of space by any recognized "cousins". But then even our own galaxy, never mind the universe we're aware of, is so vast that it's not really logical by our own sense of the sciences to assert that "we're alone". We're maybe just living in a rural area of the universe lol.

That can lead one to wondering what made this solar system and particular planet the particular (chosen? and "therefore" special?) place for humans to have evolved as we have done (regardless of what or What or Who filtered out some stuff from the Big Bang and said "Hey yeah over there, see? That looks good."

 

[0388631]

Tried a new CC recipe I came up with. Rather whatever.

 

[LizKat]

Funny. As we were packing things up today I’m thinking why do I need these things? From a lifetime ago.

When I let go of what had become more just a pied-a-terre rather than an ongoing permanent residence in NYC, I had had that apartment for more than three decades. Meanwhile having bought a rural fixer-upper about 20 years after taking that apartment lease, I had gradually begun doing more telecommuting and so of course had started to duplicate some possessions I'd grown tired of toting back and forth.

Decluttering was complicated by need to bring those formerly useful duplicates up here pending giveaways and yard sales in future. There were also many decisions to "put it in the trash hall with a TAKE ME sign on it" -- or I'd summon the porter and part with another $20 to make more stuff vanish, and even gave him the key to my piece of the basement storage cages, to let him store stuff if he wanted to take it and sell it later. Sigh... whatever it took just to cement in his full cooperation on the two separate days when I'd need him to lock down two adjacent (and illegal) parking spaces in front of the building, so I could make life easier for the piano mover and then for the guys who would move the heavy furniture.

Sure don't miss those several months of my whole moving-house experience. A lot of trips over the GWBridge thinking is this the 10th time I'm hauling upstate another four bins of stuff I don't even know what's in there already? Yet I thought I'd done a great job of culling things out. Delusional!

 

[Apple fanboy]

When I let go of what had become more just a pied-a-terre rather than an ongoing permanent residence in NYC, I had had that apartment for more than three decades. Meanwhile having bought a rural fixer-upper about 20 years after taking that apartment lease, I had gradually begun doing more telecommuting and so of course had started to duplicate some possessions I'd grown tired of toting back and forth.

Decluttering was complicated by need to bring those formerly useful duplicates up here pending giveaways and yard sales in future. There were also many decisions to "put it in the trash hall with a TAKE ME sign on it" -- or I'd summon the porter and part with another $20 to make more stuff vanish, and even gave him the key to my piece of the basement storage cages, to let him store stuff if he wanted to take it and sell it later. Sigh... whatever it took just to cement in his full cooperation on the two separate days when I'd need him to lock down two adjacent (and illegal) parking spaces in front of the building, so I could make life easier for the piano mover and then for the guys who would move the heavy furniture.

Sure don't miss those several months of my whole moving-house experience. A lot of trips over the GWBridge thinking is this the 10th time I'm hauling upstate another four bins of stuff I don't even know what's in there already? Yet I thought I'd done a great job of culling things out. Delusional!

I’m just in the process of buying a rural fixer upper (hopefully). Hence the packing. Anything we don’t need for the next few months is going into storage. Fortunately it’s free storage.

 

[splifingate]

Do not settle for anything less than Kidde 10-year Lithium-ion smokes . . . seriously, People

Regards, splifingate
[automerge]1573943695[/automerge]

free storage

TINSSAFS

Regards, splifingate

 

[Apple fanboy]

Do not settle for anything less than Kidde 10-year Lithium-ion smokes . . . seriously, People

Regards, splifingate
[automerge]1573943695[/automerge]


TINSSAFS

Regards, splifingate

I have no idea what TINSSAFS means.

 

[kazmac]

I’m just in the process of buying a rural fixer upper (hopefully). Hence the packing. Anything we don’t need for the next few months is going into storage. Fortunately it’s free storage.

That's good.

Hope you've had a relaxing evening.

 

[LizKat]

I have no idea what TINSSAFS means.

Nor do I, and that goes for my take on that whole post. ?! Sometimes maybe ignorance really is bliss.

 

[0388631]

Think he meant TINSTAFL which is there is no such thing as free lunch. Has to be that given Apple Fanboy mentioned free storage earlier in the page.

We had some friends over today who've got slightly older than ours kids. We broached the topic of social media. Not necessarily discussing kids using it but adults. I seem to be only one who finds people's liberal use of social media weird. I'm not anti-social media, but I find it incredibly weird that people document their every day lives. Including but not limited to their food, which the Lizzy @LizKat teases me about.

Some people use Facebook to keep in touch with family, and I get that. I do but I'd prefer to keep non-immediate family at arm's length rather than be on the up and up with everything they do. I couldn't give a toss what a cousin or distant aunt is up to. Or whether a fourth cousin's children competed in a Winter play. The only time I'll sit and care is when we all gather for the major holidays. Because I like to listen and I like to talk. And when inebriated enough, we usher the children to the other rooms and we all take turns playing the piano. Maybe a naughty limerick or two is sung. Who knows. At least the kids don't hear anything bad or shake their head in disapproval.


Back to my scotch now.

 

[LizKat]

^^ Thanks @Zenithal for decoding the probably intended acronym. I'm sure you're right (and so is the acronym).

Yah, so called social media is ill named w/ respect to at least political discourse, don't you think? The rest of it, the recipes and chatty grandkids pics parts and so forth are one thing but so much of "social" media touching on news and politics lies in the unkind to off-wall range.

But then there are lots of wonderful blogs and educational sites and recipe... and... and... and...

Just the fact that one doesn't have to put on boots and slog over to the library for casual research on something of interest is a blessing. I do read more tweeted comments during particularly "interesting times" regarding news of the Beltway.. but right after reading some rude exchange I do then try to remember that there are those other things I actually like about the internet and even "social" media.

 

[0388631]

Yah, so called social media is ill named w/ respect to at least political discourse, don't you think? The rest of it, the recipes and chatty grandkids pics parts and so forth are one thing but so much of "social" media touching on news and politics lies in the unkind to off-wall range.

I don't see a problem with those. It's the constant posting of what they're up to and what they aren't doing, or where they're taking their kids, or their vacation photos. I've never been one for fluff, which likely explains my dislike for such stuff.

But then there are lots of wonderful blogs and educational sites and recipe... and... and... and...

Just the fact that one doesn't have to put on boots and slog over to the library for casual research on something of interest is a blessing. I do read more tweeted comments during particularly "interesting times" regarding news of the Beltway.. but right after reading some rude exchange I do then try to remember that there are those other things I actually like about the internet and even "social" media.

Mmm, don't miss the days of renting a microfilm machine and going over old stuff or sitting at a desk with books that hadn't been opened in decades, and when you did there was a dated note by someone who was probably long dead by then.

I won't lie. My camera roll is mostly photos of the kids doing whatever and the same can be said for my DSLRs. Think we've spent a few thousand in photo printing costs over the last few years!

I used to roll my eyes at parents doing that to their kids but I get the appeal now. Plus it's fun to reflect back on everything. Also, great silly photos to show their future friends and embarrass them.

That's a pretty good benefit of parenthood. 😆

 

[LizKat]

... fun to reflect back on everything. Also, great silly photos to show their future friends and embarrass them.

That's a pretty good benefit of parenthood. 😆

My family's favorite picture of me after all these years is still one where I'm barely a toddler, wearing exactly a diaper and hugging a palm tree --in the backyard of the place in Florida we lived while my dad was stationed in Venezuela during WWII.

 

[Clix Pix]

My feeling about social media is -- if I am not particularly interested in what I've had or about to have for lunch or dinner, why the heck should anyone else be? Ditto for other mundane activities of daily living. Who cares, and why should they? No way do I engage in posting selfies anywhere -- my friends and family know what I look like, and that's fine. I have FB and Instagram accounts but actually do not really contribute to them with any personal stuff at all; I primarily use them to keep in touch with family and friends (along with email and texting) and also to participate in a couple of FB groups focused on subjects in which I am interested. That's it.

That said, I LOVE the internet for being able to quickly look up information on just about any topic imaginable, and to get answers to questions which suddenly, weirdly, pop up in my head.... I also love it for being able to make reservations on books at my local library, to quickly jump into my account there and renew my books that I haven't quite gotten around to reading yet, even as the due date is looming, etc.

Oh, and yes, it's awfully nice to be able to communicate with others around the world about subjects of particular interest to me, including computers and cameras and smartphones and hearing aids and anything else which I want to know more about and to discuss....

 

[Apple fanboy]

Think he meant TINSTAFL which is there is no such thing as free lunch. Has to be that given Apple Fanboy mentioned free storage earlier in the page.

We had some friends over today who've got slightly older than ours kids. We broached the topic of social media. Not necessarily discussing kids using it but adults. I seem to be only one who finds people's liberal use of social media weird. I'm not anti-social media, but I find it incredibly weird that people document their every day lives. Including but not limited to their food, which the Lizzy @LizKat teases me about.

Some people use Facebook to keep in touch with family, and I get that. I do but I'd prefer to keep non-immediate family at arm's length rather than be on the up and up with everything they do. I couldn't give a toss what a cousin or distant aunt is up to. Or whether a fourth cousin's children competed in a Winter play. The only time I'll sit and care is when we all gather for the major holidays. Because I like to listen and I like to talk. And when inebriated enough, we usher the children to the other rooms and we all take turns playing the piano. Maybe a naughty limerick or two is sung. Who knows. At least the kids don't hear anything bad or shake their head in disapproval.


Back to my scotch now.

Thanks for the translation. As the pallet space is at work I’m pretty sure it’s free.

As for social media, I’ve never seen the appeal. This is pretty much the only online site I’ve joined.

 

[0388631]

Thanks for the translation. As the pallet space is at work I’m pretty sure it’s free.

As for social media, I’ve never seen the appeal. This is pretty much the only online site I’ve joined.

Nice. I presume your lot finally got rid of the frozen corpses?

 

[Apple fanboy]

Nice. I presume your lot finally got rid of the frozen corpses?

???