The General Chat Thread (2016-2022)

[caseydog]

The husband and I are going part-time vegetarian, we're doing it mainly for the climate but also because we're noticing that prices are getting higher and it's hitting us in the wallet. It's not near problematic yet, but we really need to tighten the belt a litte.
We're exempting take aways, restaurant food and food while visiting other from this rule. Though of course we're also reducing the amount of times we do those things.
This does not mean I will suddenly switch to only vegetarian food, right now our freezer is full of meat and fish. But we won't buy any new meat or fish.

IMO, the best compromise for health and climate, is to switch from using vegetables to accompany meat, to using meat to flavor vegetables.

A small amount of bacon can flavor a huge amount of vegetables. A salad with some grilled (BBQ) chicken is great.

I'm just not a either/or kind of guy.

It sounds like you are on the same page -- sort of. I wouldn't stop buying meat, but just switch the emphasis.

As far as climate goes, where your food comes from is more important that what it is. The more local it is, the smaller your carbon footprint is. I try to buy food from as close to me as possible.

CD

 

[Lullabelle]

Last Wednesday I had a ct scan on my sinus, doc called today-I have a deviated septum...a bone spur which is pressing which is why I am in pain and my right sinus always feels blocked. I have been referred to the ENT dept at our local hospital-so just waiting for an appointment to discuss surgical options. It may take a while.

 

[Windigo]

IMO, the best compromise for health and climate, is to switch from using vegetables to accompany meat, to using meat to flavor vegetables.

A small amount of bacon can flavor a huge amount of vegetables. A salad with some grilled (BBQ) chicken is great.

I'm just not a either/or kind of guy.

It sounds like you are on the same page -- sort of. I wouldn't stop buying meat, but just switch the emphasis.

As far as climate goes, where your food comes from is more important that what it is. The more local it is, the smaller your carbon footprint is. I try to buy food from as close to me as possible.

CD

Yeah I agree, small amounts of meat can mean big flavor. But we're already buying local, and the prices are just going up. As I've always been partial to organic produce (and have been vegan for 5 years before my colon was removed) , being part-time vegetarian just makes a lot of sense to us. We're stopping the meat consumption mainly because of economical reasons, (local) organic meat is very expensive here and we don't want to compromise on animal welfare so this is the best option.

 

[caseydog]

Last Wednesday I had a ct scan on my sinus, doc called today-I have a deviated septum...a bone spur which is pressing which is why I am in pain and my right sinus always feels blocked. I have been referred to the ENT dept at our local hospital-so just waiting for an appointment to discuss surgical options. It may take a while.

That is pretty common. It can be painful to repair, but the pain is temporary. Mine is deviated, too, but because my nose has been broken three times. I can breathe okay, except during the worst part of my allergy season, so I've let it go.

CD

 

[FowlersFreeTime]

Really? Is it rude? Forgive my ignorance

Aye, in England that's the equivalent of a middle finger

 

[Lullabelle]

That is pretty common. It can be painful to repair, but the pain is temporary. Mine is deviated, too, but because my nose has been broken three times. I can breathe okay, except during the worst part of my allergy season, so I've let it go.

CD

I am just glad I know what is going on and that it isn't anything really nasty. I have been having problems since March, have had antibiotics and nasal spray but nothing is working-now I know why..

 

[caseydog]

I am just glad I know what is going on and that it isn't anything really nasty. I have been having problems since March, have had antibiotics and nasal spray but nothing is working-now I know why..

the big issue with a deviated septum is that with allergies, it can cause a sinus infection to develop. My sister has that problem a few times each year.

CD

 

[caseydog]

Off to a good start in Houston.

First, I got to Houston, and got into my rental car -- Hertz Five Star Gold member. The guy at the gate says there is problem with the credit card I have on file. I go back to the office, and they say it is expired. Well, It's been a while since I rented, so it just needs an update. They run the charges from another card, and it goes through. But, so did the other charge on the other card. Great, I got double charged. Getting that fixed is going to suck.

I was planning to stay at my sister's house, but she is not feeling well, and being a nurse in a hospital full of unvaccinated Covid patients, thought it would be better for me to stay at my parent's house. No problem, they have three extra bedrooms, each with its own bathroom. All on the second floor.

Well, I get there, and it is 86F on the second floor, and the thermostat is set to 76F. My 89 year old dad says it will cool down. No dad, it won't. I now have one more thing to do... get the air conditioning fixed. Lucky for me, they have a very comfortable, goose down stuffed sofa in the living room. My bed for now.

Sitting down with my parents last evening was a trip, too. My reoccurring thought was, "Nobody told ME about this."

My parents have a house full of hanging artwork. Most of it was purchased on cruise ships, so most of it is not collectable artwork -- they are prints. My sister has a bunch of the same kind of artwork. I have tried for years, as a guy with an art degree, to tell them that just because it is numbered and signed, that doesn't mean it is collectible. So, now I am trying to tell them what to keep, and what to basically give away. "But that is a signed and numbered John Doe!" Well, it could be a signed and number Picasso print, and it will still be a #$@%^&@ print. They have a few pieces I'd like to snag, but at the least, I want them to keep the good stuff, and get a grip on the fact that the prints are not worth anything.

This is going to be a long week.

CD

Update: I'm still trying to deal with the world most expensive cheap-a$$ rental car. $930 for one week.

Even better news, my parent's upstairs evaporator coil is fried, and it is an R22 system, which means it is not legal to just replace the coil. You have to replace the whole system with R410 equipment. $6,000 and change. Two more months and the house would be sold.

CD

 

[Timenspace]

Aye, in England that's the equivalent of a middle finger

Wheeeew, good to know

 

[Timenspace]

Update: I'm still trying to deal with the world most expensive cheap-a$$ rental car. $930 for one week.

Oh wow, you have your roller coaster right there...sometimes things just pile up...fingers crossed.

 

[Timenspace]

My daughter's cat got hit by a car and died. She had the cat over at her Dad's house( my ex husband).
She is very sad. She made me cry too.

My boyfriend had a panick attack.

The calmest person of the day was my Dad, the cancer patient.

Here it is 3,40 am, I am trying to think about beautiful gardens wherever...
Researching picadillo...

 

[Timenspace]

This looks super interesting! Could you share the link?

Gladly!

View: https://youtu.be/NNnIGh9g6fA

I get so into these, I almost skipped my walk. But did not eventually.
The lectures are numbered, each is 90 min.
I am on the Limbic system currently. So so amazing.
We exist as such complex beings, yet science is now u derstanding how we do it...fascinating.

 

[TastyReuben]

My daughter's cat got hit by a car and died. She had the cat over at her Dad's house( my ex husband).
She is very sad. She made me cry too.

My boyfriend had a panick attack.

The calmest person of the day was my Dad, the cancer patient.

Here it is 3,40 am, I am trying to think about beautiful gardens wherever...
Researching picadillo...

I'm very sorry to hear about that. I hope you all are feeling better soon.

 

[Timenspace]

Maybe it was the fresh air and exercise but we very quickly adjusted to 24 hour daylight but being from Scotland originally I was fine with 19hrs as it was (

Fascinating!
What a story about the tent.
I guess it takes to be out of urban settings to really understand pitch black, total darkness.
I kind of remember being impressed by that complete darkness in Istria, luckily I was in a car with a friend, getting back to the hotel after a summer film festival, because I don't see me moving around unorepared and unknowing like that.

Probably the polar day with curtains and habit would be easier, but the polar night seems to be quite heavy, to me, at least.
Plus, the cold, I am not a very wintery person.
But I appreciated the unreal,treeless landscape, in all its glory, it is beautiful in its own magical way.

What mostly impressed me, was the vlogger's positivness, she would always balance off whatever was going on.

 

[Timenspace]

I'm very sorry to hear about that. I hope you all are feeling better soon.

Thank you. We will pull through.
She is back to sleep, and I am successfully distracting...