2025, Automotive, Mysteries, Science, Technology, Theatre, Uncategorized, work

RANDOM THOUGHTS for an OCTOBER DAY

47 Comments

I’m sure I’ve mentioned before how I alternate between hating people and enjoying people. I’m in my hating people phase. Seriously, is everyone an idiot driver? I feel like my driving karma has been off for about a month. One morning, a car at an intersection sat there missing options to go. I honked. They looked in their mirror and said something to me. Without finger gestures. And then at another intersection, I got the green arrow and someone from my right made a LEFT HAND TURN ACROSS ME on his RED light! I honked. He honked back. Jeepers.

Idiots.

If it’s related, making me one of those idiots, I’m having a heck of a time parking correctly lately. I pull in, then have to back up and straighten out and pull in again to get in there straight. I’m not sure if the lanes and spaces have gotten smaller or the car is bigger, or my depth perception is off. But parking seems like it used to be easier. Just another first world problem.

I threw away a cardboard box the other day. Packing material and everything that was in it. There was a shipping label on the side from August of 2007. I threw away that box, one of two identical boxes, so I could save a different box complete with it’s packing materials. And I chuckled to myself and told myself I’d only have to save this new box for a few years. Full disclosure, they’re boxes that moving lights came in for the college. Of the four lights I got in 2007, they’re old enough now, if one does need repair, I’ll just put it in the back of the car and take it to a place in the cities for repair. And once the new one gets through it’s warranty period, I really could throw that box out too. But will I?

HAVE YOU STOPPED SAVING CARDBOARD BOXES?

IT’S VENTING DAY. WHAT’S MAKING YOU GRUMPY? (and not the feds; The orange menace is a gimme. We can do better.)

47 thoughts on “RANDOM THOUGHTS for an OCTOBER DAY”

  1. The gripe that comes up the most for me when I’m in my car is how other drivers drive in parking lots. Too fast! Especially around corners. What are they thinking? I’m surprised that there are way more pedestrian/car accidents in parking lots.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  2. I’m not particularly grumpy this week, although there is the underlying pissed-off feeling about my knees. YA has been out of town this week – comes home tomorrow so I’ve been enjoying my “use up/finish up/eat up” routine. Only issue is that with her traveling, letting the dog out first thing in the morning and last thing at night falls to me. I’m not crazy about that even when my knees and the stairs ARE getting along!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  3. Cardboard boxes? My house is currently stuffed to the rafters with cardboard boxes!

    Today the movers come for a “dump run” to take away the furniture we are not moving to Luverne. I will be pretty grumpy after that as they are taking the sofas and love seat, and there will only be two rocking chairs to sit on. The new sofas get delivered to the new house next week Thursday.
    .

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

  4. OT maybe not: Sandra has not had anything to eat or drink for 8 days. She has been sitting in high pain on the very edge of death since Monday.
    Here’s a vent. Contrary to clearly written instructions some CNAs do not want to give her all the morphine she is allowed. I have had the same battle with 2 of them 3-4 times and they have been ordered what to do, but they keep withholding the drug
    .

    Like

    Reply

    1. Clyde, I’m so sorry to hear this. It’s hard enough to go through, and her discomfort is stressful for both of you. Do you have the phone number for the hospice nurse? They should be there supporting you both during this time. They can intervene with the staff and instruct them on how much to give Sandra to make her more comfortable. That’s their responsibility and they will want their instructions to be followed.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      1. Hospice nurse and their CNA come every day and they explain to the staff here but when they leave, we are back to the battle.

        Like

        Reply

        2. Their supervisor was just in here with morphine because one CNA called to say she would be late. There is no supervisor often works as a CNA. They are careful with CNAs. They are below the number they should have and they have no new applicants. The last three quit part way through the first day.

          Liked by 1 person

        3. We had the same issues at my mom’s place. There are some really good aides, and some that are not. It takes family to keep on top of things. So you need to hang in there, don’t you Clyde. Any other family around? Does Sandra have any family close?

          Liked by 1 person

        5. My daughter and her husband are here. She had stayed here the last 3 nights. My spirits are very good. We laugh often. She wrote the obituary, which she made funny.

          Liked by 4 people

      2. Clyde, we experienced the very same thing with my mother two years ago. Some staff seemed to believe that we wanted to euthanize her instead of relieve pain. Finally we had a family member with her around the clock to advocate and basically force the staff to follow the hospice plan. It was stressful. I am so sorry you have to endure this.

        Liked by 1 person

        Reply

      1. so sorry Clyde my first instinct is to lash out that isn’t gonna make anything better but it sure is frustrating to have something as simple and obvious as pain relief go over the heads of the people in charge. I’m sorry.

        Liked by 3 people

        Reply

  6. I have been irritated a few times lately by something that seems to be a new phenomenon. I’ll be driving down a busy street with left turn lanes and medians. I’m going straight through the intersection A driver slightly ahead is in the turn lane and slows down a bit for his turn. Then, just as he gets to the intersection, he swerves to his right, crossing over the line into my lane. It looks for a panicked moment as if he has changed his mind and is trying to merge into my lane right as I am passing him. Then he just turns left.

    Why someone in a normal size vehicle does that is puzzling to me. Maybe the person works as a delivery truck driver and has forgotten which vehicle he’s driving? He thinks that if he doesn’t make that maneuver the rear wheels might go over the median?

    I have lots of boxes. Mostly in the musty cob-webby basement. In my younger days, when I moved every few years, it seemed like a good idea to save them if I had the space. Then I always had boxes that were a good size, and already labeled ” BOOKS” or “KITCHEN” or “LIVING ROOM”. The boxes that held my turntable, receiver, and speakers has the molded styrofoam in them for re[acking.

    I should get rid of boxes..

    Liked by 5 people

    Reply

    1. We moved here from Taiwan 7 years ago. Most of the boxes (that are not full of adult offsprings’ sorted stuff and in our basement) are long gone.
      When I get frustrated at some idiot move that another driver has made on the road, I pause, remind myself that “I’ve been that guy.” and move on. Grumpiness, indeed, is among my besetting sins, but I strive to make it one of those which does not have to be confessed every week.

      Liked by 4 people

      Reply

  7. drivers… i get to live with them. the world is full of me me me people who dont give a rip about anyone else. moving over two lanes and cutting you off so they can make a right turn or an exit ramp. they cut you off and squeeze into the space you left between you and the car in front of you even though there is lots of space behind you. i had an older lady running the cash register at walgreens sho had a jerk who was harassing her because she couldnt give him what he needed right now. he called her names told her she was wrong for not changing company policy and procedure and stomped out in an ugly pout. i told her the the guy was a guy who brightened every room he entered… as soon as he left it. i told her the good news was that she had him in her life for two minutes. some poor person has him in their life every day. i encounter lots of people i use that thought on .

    at costco the first move i make as a shopper for instacart is to grab a flatbed cart and head for the produce area to get boxes to put the groceries ill be picking up in. i look through the dhopping list for the two or three shoppers i will be doing thus trip to ballpark how many boxes ill need. then i look at the stash they have set aside for people to grab. if im lucky banana boxes are there in abundance. they are the best. strong snd sturdy and they stack well and they are shorter than other boxes so i can get an extra row in the trunk. many people ask that i take the boxes with me when i deliver the groceries so they dont have deal with it. when i get home at the end of the day i may have a couple boxes left in the back. debbie goes through my car in search of coffee cups forks tupperware and bowls for the dishwasher. she will grab my boxes and put them in ouf giant recycling cans for monday pickup. i get to the store in the morning and realize i dont have a coffee cups for my thermos or boxes for my next customer. if i remember when i get home again ill go through the recycling bin and grab boxes for the next day.
    boxes and idiots you got two of my main features in life today.
    hope it gets better ben

    Liked by 6 people

    Reply

  8. I stored all the boxes from my last move in the basement and re-used them for this move. They were really good boxes and I was glad I kept them. I did break them down after this move, and took them to a local recycling bin. I only have one or two left to break down and recycle.

    I get annoyed in the grocery store. It seems like people don’t know how to drive their carts. They go barreling around corners, and they drive on the left side, or they stop dead in front of you so that you’re stuck there. I find myself silently asking them if they drive that way too.

    I will be very happy when I close on my house tomorrow. The realtor has been helpful but she’s really getting on my nerves. She never listens! I’ve told her some things that were important, and she just kept yammering on and not listening. When the time came to remember what I had told her, she couldn’t. That was really annoying for me, but I didn’t say what I was thinking – that she never listens!

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

  10. Rise and Shine, Baboons,

    After our 2015 remodel (due to a leak in a pipe that sprayed into the floor) we had to box up the entire upstairs and hired movers to take the furniture into the garage. We moved out for 3 weeks while the work was done. I bought boxes that were uniform and kept them for the next kitchen remodel, then gave them away to someone else who was moving. Maybe my son? Uniform boxes made storage easier. Other than those, I only keep a few small boxes around and recycle the rest.

    My Daily Gripe: Today at Water Aerobics a woman who never stops talking was again talking, talking, talking. She wanted to visit with someone in place near me, and just walked in front of me, basically pushing me out of the way, and she acted like she did not see me. FURTHER MORE she appears to be a White Christian Nationalist who quotes scripture and talks politics in the pool, never understanding that maybe others do not want to listen to this. I try to avoid her after watching others try to confront her. But she never understands that she might want to pipe down. Yesterday caregiving and Lou got on my last nerve, too. Hmph.

    OK, done. That was nice Ben that I could vent about things today.

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply

    1. Everyone should have a person to vent too. 🙂
      Maybe once / month? Week? we can have Vent day!

      The loud talkers…. Tuesday nights at bowling, one of the members of daughters team, their boyfriend sits near me and the two of them talk and talk and get doughy eye’d at each other. The eyes I could handle, all the loud laughing and comments I could do without.

      Padawan – he and girlfriend broke up. He was a wreck. For 18 hours until they got back together. But there was a lot of texts between he and I. And he came to see us, but didn’t’ know what he wanted. And was just “lost”. Perhaps you remember the 18 yr old love lost drama… I kept my patience with him, but seriously, I don’t have time for this drama. I’m glad they’re back together! Whew!

      Liked by 3 people

      Reply

  12. I’ve been more depressed than grumpy this week, as I watch the news and the continued government shutdown.

    I got rid of a lot of smaller boxes that were needed for the book sale, but still have some that held, say, the toaster oven, or the latest electronic purchase. Should get rid of them, I know…

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

  13. I don’t keep boxes most of the year. Right about now though I start looking out for the four or five that I will need for mailing gifts for the holidays. In fact, I’ve had to resort to going down to the liquor store on occasion to get empty boxes for taking things to Value Village and Goodwill

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    1. A unique voice in the history of news reporting. Although she’s been gone from the airwaves for awhile, her death makes me miss the days when news coverage seemed more reliable and sane.

      Liked by 4 people

      Reply

  15. Bob Franke has died. His wife just posted this on FB:

    “This is Joan Sherman, Bob Franke’s wife. I wanted to let all of you know that on Thursday, Oct 16, at 6:25pm, Bob Franke left this earth, leaving it just a little bit darker. On Monday, while crossing the street in his new home of Antigua, Guatemala, Bob was hit by a speeding motorcyclist. He was taken by ambulance to a major hospital in Guatemala City. There he was operated on successfully for a broken pelvis. However, as he was recuperating in the ICU, he suffered a heart attack. The doctors worked tirelessly to revive him, but on Thursday, he suffered a second heart attack that took his life. Before his surgery, he said if anything were to happen, he wanted me to write you on Facebook this email. He wanted you all to know that he loved his life, and he loved that you shared it with him. Hearing how his words touched your lives gave him meaning and purpose. He wrote his songs to heal himself, but he was gladdened to hear that they healed so many of you as well. He loved everyone in his Facebook audience and was glad to share his life with you. God bless you, Bob. I will love you for the rest of my life.”

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. “What can you do but work all your days
      Let your dreams bind your work to your play
      What can you do with the moments of your life
      But love till you’ve loved them away”

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

Leave a comment