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Post by september on Dec 18, 2022 11:16:26 GMT -5
I love Toyotas. We went through a series of Camry's through the years with no odd repairs that I can think of, they are so smooth and quiet. Son and girlfriend each bought used Rav4's that just keep running with regular maintenance. We all live on snowy gravel roads that don't always get plowed early, so 4 wheel or front wheel drive is a must. The last car we bought was a Subaru Outback, it's fine, but there is no dealer in town and so we have to drive 90 miles to the closest one. Not going to do that again, so will be back to Toyota next time! We got some ice in the driver's window slit last year, and it must have scratched or damaged something because since then we hear a scraping sound whenever the window goes up or down. They said it was not fixable without something major $$$$ like replacing the whole door, so we said forget it! We also have a Ford F-150 truck for pulling the boat and other work loads.
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Post by brownrexx on Dec 20, 2022 9:52:07 GMT -5
We have a 2017 Toyota Tacoma and have had no problems other than replacing tires when they wore out.
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Post by Laura_in_FL on Dec 20, 2022 17:00:40 GMT -5
I've spent good chunks of the last two days wrapping presents. But it is all done now, except for one big item that DH has promised to help me with tomorrow. He is also looking to shoo me out of the house for a while tomorrow so he can do a little wrapping. I'll probably brave the grocery store and do the last of the food shopping for Christmas.
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Post by pepperhead212 on Dec 21, 2022 9:52:13 GMT -5
Today I got up early (for me!), and got to lidl when they opened at 8 am (takes about 22 min to get there). Butter was $2/lb, with no limit noted. Everywhere else it's at least double that. Eggs were $3.27, which is lower than they've been in a while, and I needed more for cookies!
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Post by Laura_in_FL on Dec 21, 2022 14:28:05 GMT -5
Did you fill your cart, Dave?
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Post by september on Dec 21, 2022 17:21:34 GMT -5
Well, this morning I vacuumed the carpet so I could spread out on the floor for present wrapping. Set out all the wrapping paraphernalia and got about half way done, when Maizie the cat came by and wafted a strong scent of poop. Turns out she had some cat poo stuck to her long haired back end. I chased her around the house with papers towels to start, could not get it all, finally trapped her in the bathroom with scissors to cut it off. After a squirming and yelling inspection (cat, not me) I decided the only way to fix it was with a bath. Cats do not like baths. I avoid giving cats baths. I brought her to the basement bathtub and ran a dishpan full of nice warm water, inserted only her back legs into it, used my left hand to hold tight to the loose skin at the scruff of her neck and proceeded to wash and shampoo the offensive area with my right hand. It took three changes of water to a clear rinse, every time I let go to change the dishpan water she would run around the bathroom getting water all over, catch her again, position her again and continue ... took me over an hour to get it done. Not how I planned to spend the morning. At least I have a clean cat.
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Post by pepperhead212 on Dec 21, 2022 18:08:52 GMT -5
Did you fill your cart, Dave? Not at all - just those sale items (only 6 lbs of butter), and only one dozen eggs, as that still isn't cheap, but I need some for cookies. And they were over $4/dozen the places I was at Sunday. They also had onions and Brussels sprouts cheap, though most of the produce was over the prices of Aldi Sunday. As usual, I buy only what they offer deals on, unless it's something like cilantro, that I always get at Aldi, and has only gone up 10¢ with all these fluctuations.
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Post by paulf on Dec 22, 2022 9:36:19 GMT -5
I am preparing to brave the -5F weather to snow blow the measly one inch of new snow off the driveway so the UPS driver maybe can deliver the last two Christmas gift packages we are hoping get here before gift exchange. One needs to be delivered before Saturday the other can get here next week. Right now I am not prepared for the extreme cold and not sure the snow blower will even start.
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Post by Laura_in_FL on Dec 22, 2022 9:57:46 GMT -5
Oh, september, that stinks - literally! Long-haired cats + soft poo is a bad combo. And it's ten times worse if the cat is indoors. I've been there. Generally speaking, the more vegetable matter in a cat food, the more likely it is to cause soft sticky poos or even diarrhea. Cats are obligate carnivores who literally cannot digest vegetables or grain. In nature, cats get only traces of plant matter from the guts of small prey that they eat whole. And sometimes they chew grass to barf and clear hairballs. Feeding them a cat food with lots of grains and vegetables leads to emergency baths! So, cat food brand really makes a difference. When you find a good brand and keep them on a consistent diet, the poos will be consistently solid. The poos don't smell nearly as bad, either! So they pass without mess and you don't have to give those emergency baths. On the rare occasions that a piece of poo sticks to long fur near the tail, it's solid chunk that is easily pulled off. By the way, domestic cats evolved from desert/arid climate wild cats, and they evolved to conserve water,*** including in their waste elimination. Their urine is concentrated - thus its potent smell - and they normally have solid poo. So, firm poo is not a sign of dehydration. It is only a concern if the cats seem to be having issues with constipation - irregular bowel movements or straining to empty. Unfortunately the good cat food brands that are made from chicken or meat with minimal plant matter are more expensive! So sometimes economics dictate the brand of cat food. But if you can afford it, a high-meat premium cat foot should eliminate those emergency baths. However, cats are subject to digestive upset from a change of diet, so you have to change them over gradually (mixing new food with old in gradually increasing proportions) before you can determine how they will do with a new kind of food. ***Even though cats are evolved to conserve water, they absolutely should have access to fresh clean water at all times. That's doubly important if they eat kibble. P.S. - I don't know if you ever give your cats dairy as treats, but many cats get diarrhea from it. Lactose intolerance, I guess. Milk or cream are the worst for causing diarrhea. Small bits of cheese every now and then are usually well-tolerated, but cheese has a lot of sodium so the quantities given should be small.
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Post by Laura_in_FL on Dec 22, 2022 9:58:50 GMT -5
Good luck with the cold and the snow blower, paulf!
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Post by paulf on Dec 22, 2022 13:14:18 GMT -5
chickened out. Drove to the next big town and bought two space heaters since one we have conked out and we need another for a cold bedroom. Out in -6 and 40mph wind helped me decide to wait.
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Post by mgulfcoastguy on Dec 22, 2022 14:01:06 GMT -5
The sleigh is mostly packed and plugged in to get maximum charge. By the time it is finished the remaining packing should be done. Even got the wrapping done last night. First stop the dog hotel.
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Post by september on Dec 22, 2022 22:51:12 GMT -5
Laura_in_FL , Thanks for the detailed cat diet advice. So far this has only happened the once. Unlike Luke, the other cat, Maizie is a snob about canned wet cat food and will rarely eat it, I am not up to producing my own, but do give her some raw ground venison or cooked chicken when I have it, though she sometimes rejects those as well. She is not a big eater, does drink sufficient water. We only drink skim milk at our house, so I was occasionally giving her a couple of tablespoons as a treat to offset the dry food. I think Jim was letting her lick up his cereal dish leavings, so most likely that could have contributed to the overly soft stool. Nothing like the full blown diarrhea that my old cat Sam (also long hair) had when he got into some discarded drained burger fat with onions and spices! Maizie also samples various houseplants, don't think any are poisonous, but I have to get the cat grass pot started soon. Amazingly, I have no bites or scratches! There was lots of yelling and thrashing trying to escape, but by the third change of water she had somewhat given up struggling so I was able to really see what I was doing and get a good rinse. No more milk!
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Post by bestofour on Dec 23, 2022 19:46:55 GMT -5
Well, this morning I vacuumed the carpet so I could spread out on the floor for present wrapping. Set out all the wrapping paraphernalia and got about half way done, when Maizie the cat came by and wafted a strong scent of poop. Turns out she had some cat poo stuck to her long haired back end. I chased her around the house with papers towels to start, could not get it all, finally trapped her in the bathroom with scissors to cut it off. After a squirming and yelling inspection (cat, not me) I decided the only way to fix it was with a bath. Cats do not like baths. I avoid giving cats baths. I brought her to the basement bathtub and ran a dishpan full of nice warm water, inserted only her back legs into it, used my left hand to hold tight to the loose skin at the scruff of her neck and proceeded to wash and shampoo the offensive area with my right hand. It took three changes of water to a clear rinse, every time I let go to change the dishpan water she would run around the bathroom getting water all over, catch her again, position her again and continue ... took me over an hour to get it done. Not how I planned to spend the morning. At least I have a clean cat. Can we see the video please
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Post by meandtk on Dec 23, 2022 22:22:22 GMT -5
Howdy, y’all! I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas. I hope to be back more soon. In the mean time, seed catalogs are coming in I'm occupied thereby
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Post by pepperhead212 on Dec 23, 2022 23:15:54 GMT -5
Merry Christmas meandtk, and I hope you are feeling well! And I hope you aren't in any of those regions getting ham.ered with that bad weather.
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Post by spike on Dec 24, 2022 9:21:11 GMT -5
Merry Christmas Eve! Our pipes are now frozen solid.
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Post by september on Dec 24, 2022 12:16:10 GMT -5
Merry Christmas Eve! Our pipes are now frozen solid. What?? I hope you can get them thawed without damage! Bummer!
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Post by pepperhead212 on Dec 24, 2022 14:50:57 GMT -5
I hope you were joking, or at least speaking figuratively spike! I would think people in those areas have drained the pipes well into the house, long before now. Of course, the heat can go off, too, which would really be bad. I had a pipe to my garden freeze and break years ago, at a barely freezing temp, and I learned from that to always drain my pipes (two valves, one to side, one to back, and both are well slanted) if there was even a threat of 35°! I rarely need water outside after I drain them, but if so, I just do it again. My problem yesterday was one of my screen doors in the back almost blew off, with the 60 mph wind we had. I was baking those cookies at the time, and it sounded like someone was breaking in the back. It bent the frame, and I couldn't even close it - and I wasn't going to try to fix it in this weather! So I put some very heavy cans against it, and it held it in place, and later this coming week I'll fix it...fortunately, no precip in the 10 day forecast. It was nice coming back inside and working in front of that oven again!
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Post by spike on Dec 24, 2022 15:34:33 GMT -5
pepperhead212, I wish I was joking but no, the pipes to our house were frozen solid. I forgot to turn on the tap and let it dribble. But my bro came over with his hairdryer looking heater thing and thawed us out. Plus he put heat tape on the pipe coming in from the well where it was frozen. So we are back up and running. Trying to cook with jugs of water is a pain. Washing my hands was the biggest issue. Hubs poured the water I was heating on the stove, on my hands before he checked the temp and very hot. meh minor issues! Our youngest will be in tonight and we spend Christmas Eve with the bro! Life doesn't get much better!
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Post by pepperhead212 on Dec 24, 2022 16:31:16 GMT -5
spike I take it nothing broke from the freezing, and it was caught in time? Hopefully you've fixed it for good. It doesn't get quite that cold here to freeze inside pipes - only outside pipes, if not taken care of.
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Post by spike on Dec 24, 2022 19:49:31 GMT -5
pepperhead212, Got a little mini heat wave going on right now. Made it up to 6° woo hoo. Fortunately nothing busted! We have the heat tape plugged in and will run the faucets slow tonight.
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Post by Laura_in_FL on Dec 25, 2022 10:33:00 GMT -5
I am so glad nothing busted, spike! One year in the early 80s it got really cold here (around 10F) and Granny's froze. Dad and the uncles spent Christmas Day under the house fixing pipes while the girls and women were inside cooking Christmas dinner. That was a very memorable Christmas for all, but I am glad you didn't have to go through that this year!
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Post by mgulfcoastguy on Dec 26, 2022 15:01:52 GMT -5
Well we will see if the kale recovers. It was looking pretty pitiful when the temp got down to 17 but it is supposed to get back up in the 70's this week.
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Post by brownrexx on Dec 26, 2022 15:49:51 GMT -5
Today I went for a pre procedure Covid test and then to Best Buy to get a new microwave oven. Mine died on Christmas Eve! Luckily I didn't need the microwave for dinner or Christmas breakfast but I did not like being without one so we went to best Buy first thing and got a new one.
I have to do my 5 year colonoscopy on Thursday so I had to do a Covid test today. I am telling myself that I really need a clean out from all of the overeating but I'm sure I will still be miserable and grumpy when doing that horrible "prep" as well as the clear liquids only all day on Wednesday.
I was supposed to do this in late October but the week before the appointment I got a text saying that they dropped my insurance so I had to schedule elsewhere and December 29 was the only available appointment. Oh well, at least it will be over with for another 5 years hopefully.
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Post by september on Dec 26, 2022 20:52:09 GMT -5
brownrexx , my sympathies! The required purging before the procedure is worse than the colonoscopy itself! I think I'm due for one next year too. The place I go used to give everyone a single rose afterwards! Wonder if they still do that.
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Post by brownrexx on Dec 27, 2022 9:43:57 GMT -5
september, this morning I just the call with my time and I can't believe it. I have to be there at 6:30 am!!! This means I have to do the second part of the prep from midnight to 2 am and then leave the house to drive to the hospital at 5:45 am Can this get any more horrible?
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Post by september on Dec 27, 2022 10:51:00 GMT -5
september , this morning I just the call with my time and I can't believe it. I have to be there at 6:30 am!!! This means I have to do the second part of the prep from midnight to 2 am and then leave the house to drive to the hospital at 5:45 am Can this get any more horrible?
Not much!
The only good thing is you should be done by mid-morning, so not the whole day wasted at the hospital.
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Post by hairymooseknuckles on Dec 27, 2022 11:11:16 GMT -5
Been there, done that brownrexx, That stuff makes you poop like a pet monkey. They used to make you drink a big 64 ounce thing of stuff called “go lightly.” I told the Dr “Go lightly, my arse.” They quit using that stuff because it could damage your kidneys.
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Post by pepperhead212 on Dec 27, 2022 11:16:10 GMT -5
I'm glad my appointment today was just a standard one...but I also have one of those next year sometime. Good luck with the results, brownrexx. After my appt., I went back to lidl - last day on their weekly ads, and I got 6 more lbs of the butter, @$2/lb. They also had LOL butter @$5.98...probably more at local supermarkets! I'll put those in vacuum sealed bags, in the freezer, and might have some next season - cookies are usually the only thing I use that much for. They also had chocolate chips for just $1.49, both semi-sweet and dark. I only got 2 each of those, since I still had one of each left, but I wanted to re-stock.
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