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Post by onlyMark on May 7, 2021 17:17:37 GMT
Or the UK. Or at least London, where the Freedom Pass is available at 60 It's a thought but I can't really envisage me living back in the UK again. There'd have to be some exceptional unthought of circumstances occurring.
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Post by mossie on May 7, 2021 18:36:06 GMT
Out here in the sticks we get a free Bus Pass at 65. no good for the railway though.
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Post by questa on May 8, 2021 0:25:25 GMT
Each State in Oz has its own system but they all come down to... At 60 you get a pass that gives you free passage between 9am and 4pm and weekends and Public Holidays. This covers trains, buses, and ferries (Sydney uses them a lot).Out of these hours you have to pay full price in Sth Oz
If you catch a train from the Blue Mountains or North Coast a couple of hours sees you in Sydney. Take a local bus or train to Circular Quay then a sight seeing ferry around the Harbour.
Reverse process home and you have had a day out for free.
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Post by kerouac2 on May 10, 2021 17:29:08 GMT
Michel Fourniret, one of the most disgusting serial killers in France, died in a prison hospital today of a combination of heart problems and Alzheimer's. Good riddance. Unfortunately, he will take a lot of information to the grave since his answers in all of the investigations were always evasive. One of his daughters committed suicide because she couldn't bear to have the same last name. One of his sons died in a car accident, perhaps not completely accidental.
But the good thing is that he is gone at last and that most people not in his family or the family of his victims can forget him once and for all.
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Post by bixaorellana on Sept 8, 2021 14:05:51 GMT
On August 30 I ordered a food processor from Amazon US. They informed me that it would be delivered on September 7. Yesterday at 2:20 pm it arrived, right on time. At 5:35 pm I got an email from Amazon telling me that they were refunding my shipping charges of $18.32 because the "item shipped late". I don't get it, but am sure not complaining!
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Post by whatagain on Sept 8, 2021 17:25:54 GMT
Panda, my in law's cat is back home. She even walks now. Can't jump, but can walk. Too bad the inlaw can't walk these days. Goes to the doc next week...
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Post by onlyMark on Sept 30, 2021 12:08:19 GMT
My 77 year old mother in law, staying with us for a couple of weeks, decided to have a walk round the old town of Sarajevo yesterday by herself. She has many good virtues but is inclined to just do what she wants - plus has a habit of losing or forgetting things. Same all her life. I warned her about pick pockets. I met her later and brought her back to the apartment. On arrival she checks her bag to find her purse is missing. She's convinced she has just lost it as 'nobody can get into my bag without me noticing'. Nevertheless it is gone and in it were all her cards, credit, ID, health etc but fortunately not a lot of money. I walk back down to trace where she has gone from her last knowing she had it (in a cafe).
No sign of it anywhere and I called in most shops to ask anyway. Stopped off at the police station just on our road to ask what she should do about reporting it as she'd need a police report for the bureaucratic struggle ahead. They asked me a load of details and produced the purse from the back office with all the cards still in it - sans money of course. It had been found in an alley used as a cut through just off the main street. I rang her to tell her and to say she has to talk to the policeman about letting me bring it back for her. Hysterically happy is an understatement. He had to calm her down for five minutes to confirm the details. Job done then and I'm apparently the best son in law anyone could ever have.
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Post by kerouac2 on Sept 30, 2021 12:29:56 GMT
Great... but did she admit that she was not as alert with her belongings as she had claimed she was?
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Post by onlyMark on Sept 30, 2021 14:51:42 GMT
She didn't volunteer that information nor am I brave enough to ask.
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Post by bixaorellana on Sept 30, 2021 17:04:53 GMT
nor am I brave enough to ask. Mark, one way to gently prod her to be more careful and to help her create a reality in which "'nobody can get into my bag without me noticing", would be to buy her a nice travel purse. That type purse can be used as a shoulder or as a cross-body bag, often has RFID-blocking, will zip across the top, and -- crucially, in my opinion -- has an interior zippered pocket for the wallet. I have one very similar to this: www.lilyanddrew.com/product/sl190002/ Note that you might have to pay as much as four times as much for the name brands such as Bagallini.
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Post by onlyMark on Sept 30, 2021 17:50:21 GMT
I'll look into that for sure. What I'm fighting against though is that she has a bag, the bag the purse was stolen from, and it has two internal zip pockets. But, she won't put her purse in them because 'it's too much fuss to get it out' when she wants to pay for something. So you see what I am up against. There's no helping some. You would expect, as it's not the first time, she'd be less complacent, but whilst she's visiting us here, I've now banned her from taking anything of value out with her apart from some cash for a coffee/cake and her phone - which she does keep inside a secure pocket as she rarely needs to get it out for anything. All her cards/ID/passport etc etc remain behind. I'll see how we go.
The amount of times she's lost her car keys or apartment keys is beyond belief. As we drove towards the border of Croatia and Bosnia I told her we'd stop in a minute or two for us to get together passports/ID's, covid app things to expedite the process and they were to be given to Mrs M to hand over if/when needed. She immediately got her ID card out and told me she had it in her hand. I stopped no more than a minute later and she then couldn't find it. We had to strip out the area she was sitting. "I had it in my hand!" She'd made herself a bit of a 'nest' in the back and had just put it down and I eventually found it when I tilted the seats and it was stuck in a seat runner.
The point was, she also had lost her passport, or couldn't find it, the day before we arrived to pick her up and we had to hope she'd be able to get in with just her ID card. Which luckily we could.
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Post by kerouac2 on Sept 30, 2021 18:00:38 GMT
One of the simplest protections for any bag, closed or not, is to place a shitty flimsy plastic bag on top of everything. This disconcerts anybody dipping their hand into a bag and also makes noise.
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Post by mich64 on Sept 30, 2021 18:20:51 GMT
One of the simplest protections for any bag, closed or not, is to place a shitty flimsy plastic bag on top of everything. This disconcerts anybody dipping their hand into a bag and also makes noise. I will have to remember this advice! I do not often worry as I have a bag like Bixa has shown but I always feel vulnerable when standing up on the subway, this might get my attention quickly. I try to keep my bag in front of me but it is not always possible if I have to hold on to something with two hands to keep my balance. Bixa, I have one similar to the link you showed and have used it on many trips, but I like this one as it is a little larger. I always end up carrying both our stuff and my purse is a little bit too small.
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Post by bixaorellana on Oct 2, 2021 4:07:38 GMT
Something surprising happened to me this evening. This concerns the food processor I posted about back in reply #214. I hate it. I've given it several chances to make me like it, but if fails on too many levels. One fail is that it has five special blades besides the main processor S blade -- coarse and fine grating blades, coarse and fine slicing blades, and a french fry cutter. The "coarse" blades are anything but, and the fine blades are so stupidly fine that they're unusable. Seriously, I tried to grate cabbage with the fine blade & it literally turned the cabbage into mush. I could go on, but the bottom line is that I wanted to return the processor.
Amazon's website has a drop-down window from which you select the reason you wish to return an item. None of the reasons applied, as the product is not broken, is not the wrong one, wrong color, etc.
So I phoned and explained to the young man in customer service about wanting to return the thing based on the fact that I hate it. He said to send it back & I'd get a refund. I explained that I was in Mexico & the postage would be super expensive. He said he'd email me a label I could use to drop the processor off at DHL. It turned out that I would have to pay for that. I explained that it would be a minimum of $100 usd and probably a good bit more.
He put me on hold, then came back and said that he'd give me a discount to make me feel better. After asking how much, I pointed out that 10% wasn't going to make me feel better. He went off again and came back offering 20%. I let him listen to my long pause, then asked if he was sure that was the absolute best that could be done. He briefly put me on hold once again, then came back to announce that I'd be getting a 100% refund, including the import cost. Gosh!!!
As you all can imagine, I was quite happy about this. However I wondered if I was going to wind up feeling guilty every time I used the damned thing from now on. As I was wondering this, I got out a rubber band to put around the two useless blades in order to segregate them from the others.
Yes, reader -- I did filet the crap out of my right ring finger, which bled like Niagara. That should take care of any residual guilt, right?
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Post by kerouac2 on Oct 2, 2021 5:14:43 GMT
Ouch!
I have always found that, for me at least, the simplest devices are the best. My food processor (now at least 20 years old) works just fine and has just two disks in addition to the central chopping blade. One disk is for grating, which is perfect for carrots and potatoes, and the other is for slicing. This chops cabbage brilliantly. After 20 years, it is not really aesthetic to look at, but I never bought it to be a piece of art.
I am the same with microwaves. I just want two dials on them -- one for time and one for intensity. Those microwaves with 20 buttons and grilling features give me the creeps.
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Post by onlyMark on Oct 2, 2021 6:53:26 GMT
I took all the skin off a knuckle with a mandolin, right down to the bone. I've learnt not to do that again after it took a couple of months to totally heal.
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Post by mickthecactus on Oct 2, 2021 9:17:01 GMT
More ouch!
I’m with K2 on microwaves. That is all you need. My old one was like that but the current one built in has 6 buttons and a dial. I just use one button.
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Post by mickthecactus on Oct 2, 2021 9:18:55 GMT
I took all the skin off a knuckle with a mandolin, right down to the bone. I've learnt not to do that again after it took a couple of months to totally heal. Play the trumpet next time. Much safer than those nasty string instruments.
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Post by kerouac2 on Oct 2, 2021 9:49:11 GMT
I am extremely wary of my mandolin. I know the damage they can do. Luckily I do all of my kitchen work in slow motion whereas a lot of people use tools like that to go faster.
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Post by onlyMark on Oct 2, 2021 9:50:32 GMT
I still play my organ from time to time.
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Post by mossie on Oct 2, 2021 14:44:12 GMT
Are boasting or complaining?
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Post by casimira on Oct 3, 2021 21:05:26 GMT
Something surprising happened to me this evening. This concerns the food processor I posted about back in reply #214. I hate it. I've given it several chances to make me like it, but if fails on too many levels. One fail is that it has five special blades besides the main processor S blade -- coarse and fine grating blades, coarse and fine slicing blades, and a french fry cutter. The "coarse" blades are anything but, and the fine blades are so stupidly fine that they're unusable. Seriously, I tried to grate cabbage with the fine blade & it literally turned the cabbage into mush. I could go on, but the bottom line is that I wanted to return the processor. Amazon's website has a drop-down window from which you select the reason you wish to return an item. None of the reasons applied, as the product is not broken, is not the wrong one, wrong color, etc. So I phoned and explained to the young man in customer service about wanting to return the thing based on the fact that I hate it. He said to send it back & I'd get a refund. I explained that I was in Mexico & the postage would be super expensive. He said he'd email me a label I could use to drop the processor off at DHL. It turned out that I would have to pay for that. I explained that it would be a minimum of $100 usd and probably a good bit more. He put me on hold, then came back and said that he'd give me a discount to make me feel better. After asking how much, I pointed out that 10% wasn't going to make me feel better. He went off again and came back offering 20%. I let him listen to my long pause, then asked if he was sure that was the absolute best that could be done. He briefly put me on hold once again, then came back to announce that I'd be getting a 100% refund, including the import cost. Gosh!!!As you all can imagine, I was quite happy about this. However I wondered if I was going to wind up feeling guilty every time I used the damned thing from now on. As I was wondering this, I got out a rubber band to put around the two useless blades in order to segregate them from the others. Yes, reader -- I did filet the crap out of my right ring finger, which bled like Niagara. That should take care of any residual guilt, right? After having sworn off using Amazon for anything because of two bad experiences with them, I may give them another chance after reading this. Yesterday T and I went to 4 different stores to try and purchase a cannister vacuum cleaner. None to be found. But, aside from the frustration of not being to find one was the look and blank expressions given us by the workers in the stores. Not one of them knew what we were talking about. It was as though we were speaking a foreign language. Half a day wasted when I could have ordered one from Amazon and my floors would be all clean by now. GRRRRR!!!!
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Post by bixaorellana on Oct 3, 2021 22:44:17 GMT
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Post by tod2 on Oct 4, 2021 11:15:12 GMT
Something super good happened today in my house. I don't know what's the matter with me since our two year Covid lockdown, but I have little , (actually none) , enthusiasm to tackle projects I said would have to wait until I had more time! So, eventually I have got so ashamed of my "projects" like sorting our cupboards filled with clothes, hand bags, linen etc., that I contacted my faithful old housemaid and called for help. Well, she turned up this morning half an hour before time and got stuck right in. I then went through the stuff while she wiped down shelves and doors. 90% of the items have not surfaced for 10 years at least. Very little is going back in the cupboard as I don't intend ever doing this again. Needless to say all my glad rags are going to her home where her grand daughter will soon send me photos of her wearing some really nice stuff - She was delighted with some blouses I parted with two months ago. Yes, I could take a lot to the charity shops but I'm sure you'll agree that charity begins at home. It has been a wonderful day!
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Post by Kimby on Oct 6, 2021 19:51:58 GMT
After a summer of delays and the ending of the boating season, I got a call yesterday that our boat has sold! Actually just the motor, for $3500 - the boat is so old it’s falling apart, so will go to the recycle yard on its rusty trailer. Yippee! Now I can stop worrying about winter storage fees!
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Post by kerouac2 on Jun 20, 2022 21:43:51 GMT
I am quite happy that Colombia elected its first left wing president in history today. It certainly won't fix every problem but it will at least give a different spin on life in the country.
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Post by casimira on Jun 22, 2022 18:44:24 GMT
We got the best news imaginable this morning.
The engineer who is part of the crew in the building of our new house called us with the results of the soil analysis test he did last week. It reflects that we do not have to pile drive in order to build. And so, we are a go to commence 13 months later the construction.
After I got the news, I was walking around the apartment doing my best imitation of Joan Craawford's famous line in the movie "Mommie Dearest" substituting the words "NO Wire Hangers!!!" to "NO Pile Driving!!!!"
Anyone within earshot must have thought I was stark raving mad which at this point they would be correct.
This will save us a boat load of money and will not have to inconvenience our neighbors for fear of potential damage to their foundations etc.
It also gives me having a "light at the end of the tunnel"at a point in time where I have been despairing, stressed, angry, frustrated, and sinking into a deeper depression by the day.
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Post by kerouac2 on Jun 22, 2022 18:56:43 GMT
That is great news, casimira. The waiting must seem endless sometimes, so having a light at the end of the tunnuel is super important.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jun 22, 2022 19:26:26 GMT
We got the best news imaginable this morning. The engineer who is part of the crew in the building of our new house called us with the results of the soil analysis test he did last week. It reflects that we do not have to pile drive in order to build. F I N A L L Y !!!So extremely happy for you all! Saving money, having the construction go faster, and getting the green light to build ~~~ just GREAT!
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Post by breeze on Jun 22, 2022 23:11:09 GMT
Very happy for you, casimira. That's a big hurdle to get out of the way. Now on to the more fun parts.
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