The General Chat Thread (2025)

One time I answered the front door
Anyone soliciting at my front door…they get the rough side of the tongue from me. Anyone - family, friend, neighbor, let alone a stranger - is a major peeve of mine.

I just ran a guy off Friday who was here trying to seal my blacktop driveway…and he was the same person I ran off last year - and don’t think I didn’t remind him of that.
 
Anyone soliciting at my front door…they get the rough side of the tongue from me. Anyone - family, friend, neighbor, let alone a stranger - is a major peeve of mine.
I just don't answer the door for solicitors. I also dislike friends that just drop by without a phone call or text some time in advance. Our kids would never do that. Well except my oldest daughter who showed up on Mother's Day unannounced...apparently she had forgotten how much I dislike surprises. Granted she has been living a few hours away for the past decade and apparently forgot how I feel about that.

My FIL will text my husband from the driveway. He used to just show up and knock but DH told him to text before he comes over. The driveway? Really? I'd never.
 
Anyone soliciting at my front door…they get the rough side of the tongue from me. Anyone - family, friend, neighbor, let alone a stranger - is a major peeve of mine.

I just ran a guy off Friday who was here trying to seal my blacktop driveway…and he was the same person I ran off last year - and don’t think I didn’t remind him of that.
Ozzie keeps them in the car...
 
So I walked back, stood opposite her and gave her my best silent Paddington bear stare until she stopped smirking and started getting very uncomfortable, then I smirked at her and walked off. Heyho.
I guess that's one advantage of the wrong milk being a serious health and safety breach from my point of view... I'm allergic as in anaphylactic, usually works wonders!
 
I guess that's one advantage of the wrong milk being a serious health and safety breach from my point of view... I'm allergic as in anaphylactic, usually works wonders!
Yer I would never eat or drink at a somewhere like that if it was anaphylactic level. My son doesn’t due to his nut allergies. They just aren’t careful enough and often don’t really care what they’re giving you.
 
Yer I would never eat or drink at a somewhere like that if it was anaphylactic level. My son doesn’t due to his nut allergies. They just aren’t careful enough and often don’t really care what they’re giving you.
To be honest, I have found eating or drinking out safer than eating or drinking food in hospital, in both countries I've had inpatient stays in hospital in. Eating out overseas was never an issue either despite language barriers oddly.

Even MacDonald Cafe (closest thing to a motorway services) over here will clean the milk frothing nozzle and give everything a good clean, fresh jug, etc if you tell them you're allergic to dairy. Same in the UK.

The only time I've been caught out was when the xxxx Cafe in xxxx changed their bread because their normal was out of stock, and the temporary replacement had dairy in. None of us thought to check because we cycled there regularly and often (weekly) stopped for toast and jam plus a soy milk latte. They were exceptionally upset and worried about me. It was 6 of one and half a dozen of the other on that occasion. We accepted their assistance in getting me home with the bike, I couldn't cycle. But we didn't pursue it further because I'd not checked the ingredients when I saw it was different toast to normal.
 
To be honest, I have found eating or drinking out safer than eating or drinking food in hospital, in both countries I've had inpatient stays in hospital in. Eating out overseas was never an issue either despite language barriers oddly.

Even MacDonald Cafe (closest thing to a motorway services) over here will clean the milk frothing nozzle and give everything a good clean, fresh jug, etc if you tell them you're allergic to dairy. Same in the UK.

The only time I've been caught out was when the xxxx Cafe in xxxx changed their bread because their normal was out of stock, and the temporary replacement had dairy in. None of us thought to check because we cycled there regularly and often (weekly) stopped for toast and jam plus a soy milk latte. They were exceptionally upset and worried about me. It was 6 of one and half a dozen of the other on that occasion. We accepted their assistance in getting me home with the bike, I couldn't cycle. But we didn't pursue it further because I'd not checked the ingredients when I saw it was different toast to normal.
Hospitals used to be absolutely terrible at allergies.
Now they’re good if it’s a main known allergen and frightening if it’s not.
Places like Burger King, McDonalds, KFC and other chains are all very good now.
Designated areas for specific types of foods and good allergen folders for you to check (so legally it’s on you if you eat something with an allergen in and not a member of staffs fault) but Starbucks, Costa Coffee, Cafe Nero, terrible.
Very high risk on cross contamination with nuts and the staff don’t care.
 
Sometime ago I was asked to cater for a group of teenagers, but I declined..
1 soy allergy
1 peanut allergy (meaning I could not prep at my house)
1 lacto allergy
1 gluten allergy
And I can't remember the others. There were 2 more. I must have erased them from memory
It’s a minefield and not something any right minded person wants to be taking on! 😂
Although lactose, nuts, soy and gluten are on the ‘Big 14’ allergy list so in the UK they are highlighted on the ingredients list which does help.
 
It’s a minefield and not something any right minded person wants to be taking on! 😂
Although lactose, nuts, soy and gluten are on the ‘Big 14’ allergy list so in the UK they are highlighted on the ingredients list which does help.
Sometime ago I was asked to cater for a group of teenagers, but I declined..
1 soy allergy
1 peanut allergy (meaning I could not prep at my house)
1 lacto allergy
1 gluten allergy
And I can't remember the others. There were 2 more. I must have erased them from memory

Yeah what a huge responsibility to take on. It's one thing if it's your own kids but teens with so many allergies all in one group? No thanks!
 
Just read that the Trump Administration is going to limit Covid vaccine access to many Americans. Geeze.
Trump administration issues major COVID vaccine update

"The Trump administration has introduced a major policy change that will restrict routine access to annual COVID-19 vaccinations for healthy children and younger adults.

Announced Tuesday, the new framework, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, outlines the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) intent to limit streamlined vaccine access to adults 65 and older, as well as younger individuals with underlying medical conditions that elevate their risk for severe COVID-19. This marks a shift from earlier policies that broadly encouraged yearly COVID shots for nearly all age groups."
 
Just read that the Trump Administration is going to limit Covid vaccine access to many Americans. Geeze.
Trump administration issues major COVID vaccine update

"The Trump administration has introduced a major policy change that will restrict routine access to annual COVID-19 vaccinations for healthy children and younger adults.

Announced Tuesday, the new framework, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, outlines the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) intent to limit streamlined vaccine access to adults 65 and older, as well as younger individuals with underlying medical conditions that elevate their risk for severe COVID-19. This marks a shift from earlier policies that broadly encouraged yearly COVID shots for nearly all age groups."
That is a common policy in a lot of countries now. Including the UK where they just slid it in last year by only sending invites to the at risk groups. If you aren’t in one of those groups you had to know you wouldn't be called, make an appointment and the pharmacist has to fill in a a form with the reason why you need it.
I had mine and told him I’m not a fan of death and disability so I’d rather have the jab, then I said just tick the carer box 😂
 
As I understand it the free nhs covid jabs will be even more restricted in uk this year than they were last year.
So far I've been eligible for a free jab, but I'll need to remember to check eligibility early this year. If I can't get an nhs one this autumn I'll look for a private one before they use up all their stocks
 
One week ago, after 37 years, I stopped working at Ford Motor Company. Not my choice. But, they might be doing me a favor. I have a significant pension after all those years, enough to pay off my house and my new Ford Bronco. Old Man Rob is also 62, and eligible to collect Social Security. And unemployment for the next 26 weeks.

I always told people when they asked about retirement plans that I couldn’t retire. I have adult children at home, and I still do. But, the mortgage and the car payment are a big chunk of my expenses every month. I don’t necessarily need to start a full-time job right now.

A friend of mine owns a company that does aftermarket work on performance automobiles. He offered me a part-time job, with a possibility of much more if he can close a deal with another company.

It could be a lot worse. 350 people lost their jobs last week. I doubt that most of them are in a favorable position, as I seem to be. I did want to retire, and even though it’s not by choice, I am definitely enjoying the downtime now. My wife (also retired) didn’t come right and say it, but it’s obvious she wants me to enjoy a little bit of that downtime. Besides working out paying for things, I’m a bit concerned about what to do with all that free time. I have not been in this position in 40 years.
 
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