anyone past 50 on here?

[Techie]

Friday is here!  Still in the heat wave here in the northeast U.S.  Did not go out biking 🚵 last night as it was just too hot. Prior three days were cooler though humid.  Not last night - yeow!  Unfortunately the tides this weekend are not favorable for swimming in Oyster Bay. I may take a stab at Long Island Sound which is a bit less affected by the tidal changes. But with temperatures expected to be in the low 90's F biking 🚵 could be tough. 

 

Continuing to study for Amazon Web Services certification. My employer just passed his certification so now the pressure is on me to finish so that we have enough people to be partnered with Amazon. He had several weeks head start before he asked me to do it. Only problem is I get a rip roaring headache after about two hours of videos and online exercises. My ADD is driving me nuts 🥜! 

 

Not much else going on otherwise. See new people on here and welcome to all. While I do like cake 🎂 I much prefer dark gooey fudge brownies with nuts 🥜 myself 😂

[daveb]

6 hours ago, Autumn Sunrise said:

I had to winkle another one out from under the chook house!

This sounds so Australian! (In the best way, of course)

 

2 hours ago, Techie said:

dark gooey fudge brownies with nuts

Why do people insist on ruining brownies by putting nuts in them? It's like putting fruit in a good chocolate cake.  (or pineapple on pizza  )

(I'm kidding - I don't like those things, but I have no problem with other people eating what they like)

[BobRossRules]

17 hours ago, Mocha Jo said:

iceland! Wow, what a great adventure, @faraday☘- are you going to try pony trekking? Icelandic ponies are the bomb- they have a cool running walk called a tolt that is supposed to be very comfortable.

I signed up for horseback riding.  However, I don't know if they are Icelandic ponies (or horses).  They are super cute and fuzzy!!

 

[Guest Jetsun Milarepa]

They look really sturdy, hardy ponies @faraday☘. If I went to Iceland I'd head for the geysers and the aurora borealis...ah, some day....

 

Well, I have to work tomorrow, only from 8-4 though, so I should have some weekend left after that. I had such a rubbish work day today...I didn't sleep too well, then after /i did drop off, I woke with 15 minutes to spare before my shift at 8am. Running out the door with no breakfast, I got there neatly, sat at my desk, signed on the phone, and up came the manager saying 'you're on a 9-5 today'. I'm just not going to say any more about that, but it set the tone for the rest of the day.Turns out my shifts have been altered.

 

 

[Finding myself]

@Semisweet The best part of my break in Stockholm was sitting on a rock (on Grinda) looking out to sea and other archipelago islands whilst listening to the water splash against rocks near my feet. 

 

Many thanks for all the birthday wishes. Greatly appreciated. 

 

I too am wanting to visit Iceland. Hoping you have an amazing time @faraday☘

[Guest Jetsun Milarepa]

What a lovely image @Finding myself, the best birthday!

[daveb]

I'm looking forward to Iceland, too! The info packet does say they are "Icelandic Ponies", but also says they are (or can be) considered horses. There's also a whale-watching tour. And, yes, I hope we will get to see geysers (at the hot springs, I presume), too.  

[Kazbe]

4 hours ago, faraday☘ said:

I signed up for horseback riding.  However, I don't know if they are Icelandic ponies (or horses).  They are super cute and fuzzy!!

 

@faraday☘ - Even more jealous now! Icelandic pony trekking was one of the main reason I wanted to go to Iceland. They're only fluffy in winter though. Here's one of my favourite photos on my Pinterest Iceland board:

https://au.pinterest.com/pin/475622410618837502/

 

Viggo Mortensen also has some great images of Icelandic ponies in his photo book "The Horse Is Good".

 

 

[daveb]

Wow, those are quite some manes! They don't even look real they are so full and long. I swear some of them are wearing wigs!

 

[teatree]

So @chandrakirti, do they just alter your hours willy-nilly? 

 

We would like a full report on Iceland @faraday☘ and @daveb, as many of us seem interested in going. I am pondering it as the destination for NEXT year, when I turn the big six-oh. (Or maybe northern Scotland. Or maybe Norway... or.... So many destinations!!!!) 

 

 

[daveb]

9 minutes ago, teatree said:

Or maybe northern Scotland. Or maybe Norway

Either of those would be good, too. (I like cooler places for vacationing/travel  )

[Semisweet]

41 minutes ago, teatree said:

So @chandrakirti, do they just alter your hours willy-nilly? 

 

We would like a full report on Iceland @faraday☘ and @daveb, as many of us seem interested in going. I am pondering it as the destination for NEXT year, when I turn the big six-oh. (Or maybe northern Scotland. Or maybe Norway... or.... So many destinations!!!!) 

Wondering the same thing about those work hours -- @chandrakirti, I hope your employer isn't mistreating or trying to take advantage of you (and woe to them if they are ).

 

Seconding the advance request for an Iceland report, @faraday☘ and @daveb!

 

@Finding myself, that does sound like a lovely and peaceful experience to have had in Stockholm.

 

I have no specific travel spot in mind yet for my own six-oh (also next year), though possibly South America somewhere. And I'm definitely eager to see some more distant/exotic destinations before I get a whole lot older and presumably creakier.  

[daveb]

9 minutes ago, Semisweet said:

I have no specific travel spot in mind yet for my own six-oh (also next year), though possibly South America somewhere. And I'm definitely eager to see some more distant/exotic destinations before I get a whole lot older and presumably creakier.  

That sounds like a good plan.

 

For my 60th (last year) I went to Portland, OR.

10 minutes ago, Semisweet said:

Seconding the advance request for an Iceland report, @faraday☘ and @daveb!

I'll see what I can do.  

[Autumn Sunrise]

@Kazbe Such beautiful pictures of Iceland ponies! They seem to vary considerably in size as well as having a huge variety of colours and markings. I also noticed that some of them seem to have large, wide feet - like draught horses. Very interesting . . . 

 

I agree with you, @daveb - I much prefer holidays in cooler places. I'm not into the "tropical paradise" 

 

@teatree I like the sound of all your possible holiday destinations . . . I don't suppose you need someone to carry your bags?? 

 

This morning was even colder than yesterday, with a very heavy frost and water frozen in every outside receptacle. It even froze inside the chickens' house, although they didn't seem to be any the worse for it. The forecast for tomorrow morning is milder - I'm sure that will make them happy  It was pretty cold inside last night, in spite of having a good hot fire in the living room, which is in the centre of the house; I woke up around 4 am and couldn't get back to sleep because I was so cold, especially my feet (and yes, I was wearing thick socks). I had to get up and put on a thick hooded dressing gown and wrap a small blanket around my feet - I must have looked bizarre, but it did the trick 

 

It's a pleasant sunny day now - warmish outside and not much wind. I've still got the fire going inside, though - having a nice lazy day 

[Myssterry]

Nice lazy day sounds good, @Autumn Sunrise

 

Dog has been poorly but is improving now.  At 15 he is a veteran, and I appreciate that I am fortunate to still have his company.  He is still keen on walks and games although we are having a rest from both while he recovers.

 

What constitutes an ideal lazy day for people?  I am a fidget and can't sit around.  A day of gardening or sorting out a room that needs it is more my thing.  I guess a lazy day for me would be one where I messed about on AVEN, took Dog for a nice stroll, played laser mouse with Cat, played fun stuff on the piano and had a good read from a gripping book.

 

Sorry your hours were messed about @chandrakirti  I normally work on Saturday mornings but have a few free over the holidays. 

[Skycaptain]

Hiya peeps, catching up with you all here 

 

@Mz Terry, glad Dog is recovering 

 

@chandrakirti, your employers deserve a smelly sock for changing your hours at 

 

@Autumn Sunrise, that does sound rather cold over there, maybe the chickens will lay frozen eggs 

 

Iceland sounds great fun, it's somewhere I'd like to go to. 

[Techie]

21 hours ago, daveb said:

This sounds so Australian! (In the best way, of course)

 

Why do people insist on ruining brownies by putting nuts in them? It's like putting fruit in a good chocolate cake.  (or pineapple on pizza  )

(I'm kidding - I don't like those things, but I have no problem with other people eating what they like)

I rarely have them that way because most people make them without and with many people having nut allergies, manufacturers leave them out. But as I like chocolate covered walnuts (and cashews too but not on brownies) using walnuts on brownies gives me the same flavor experience. When I used to visit my youngest sister in Canada 🇨🇦, I used buy a bag 💼 of chocolate 🍫 covered walnuts and espresso beans at Bulk Barn. As I don't get up there any longer I don't get them. I know they are available here in the U.S. but I really have to look hard to find them. Not as convenient as the Bulk Barn. 

[Finding myself]

@Mz Terry hope your dog will make a full recovery. 

 

Re travelling. My attention has been caught by a Norwegian cruise later this year in the hope of seeing the aurora borealis. I have always thought I would not cruise again because I am not good if the sea is rough and I do not like the dressing up for dinner! But I am wondering if this particular cruise might be relaxed about dressing up for evening meal. My idea of a holiday is total relaxation and that equals wearing casual clothes. 

[daveb]

10 hours ago, Autumn Sunrise said:

I'm not into the "tropical paradise"

I totally agree!

 

10 hours ago, Autumn Sunrise said:

I've still got the fire going inside, though - having a nice lazy day

Sounds good. Nice and cozy.

 

7 hours ago, Mz Terry said:

What constitutes an ideal lazy day for people?

Not doing anything that could be described as "work" (which includes a job with wages/salary, housework, yard work, homework, etc.). And not leaving the house or running errands. Mostly just hanging out, sitting, watching tv/videos, messing around on the computer, engaging in fun hobbies (but not "working" on them.  )

 

7 hours ago, Mz Terry said:

Dog has been poorly but is improving now.  At 15 he is a veteran

Glad to hear Dog is improving. 15 is a pretty good age for a dog.

 

2 hours ago, Techie said:

chocolate covered walnuts

I love (dark, but not bitter) chocolate and I like nuts, but I think the only nuts I like covered in chocolate are peanuts (which aren't actually nuts anyway  ). There are lots of things I like on their own, but not combined (I like cheese and I like burgers, but can't stand cheeseburgers, for example). Some people think that's weird.

 

6 hours ago, Skycaptain said:

Iceland sounds great fun, it's somewhere I'd like to go to. 

Well, now that you are a seasoned traveller maybe some day you will get there?

 

25 minutes ago, Finding myself said:

Re travelling. My attention has been caught by a Norwegian cruise later this year in the hope of seeing the aurora borealis. I have always thought I would not cruise again because I am not good if the sea is rough and I do not like the dressing up for dinner! But I am wondering if this particular cruise might be relaxed about dressing up for evening meal. My idea of a holiday is total relaxation and that equals wearing casual clothes. 

That does sound pretty cool. (I wouldn't mind dressing up for dinner - if it were the right kind of dressing (steampunk or other costume or my other mode of dressing sometimes)

 

Speaking of lazy days, that's my plan for the weekend (although I am doing a load of laundry).

[Semisweet]

4 hours ago, daveb said:

I love (dark, but not bitter) chocolate and I like nuts, but I think the only nuts I like covered in chocolate are peanuts (which aren't actually nuts anyway  ). There are lots of things I like on their own, but not combined (I like cheese and I like burgers, but can't stand cheeseburgers, for example). Some people think that's weird.

If that's weird, then I'm weird too. For instance, I like cookies and I like raisins, but not cookies with raisins in them. And I like pizza, but I'm not separately crazy about tomato sauces or cheese. Go figure. 

 

As for chocolate, I've always preferred, um, semisweet  ... but have lately been going more bittersweet to reduce my sugar intake. I've taken a liking to the 85% cocoa bars from Trader Joe's. But they also now have a 100% (!) bar, which has all the right chocolate-bar texture yet zero of the flavor; I couldn't even finish it. 

 

@Finding myself, hopefully the cruise you're considering does have a more relaxed dress code. On the other hand, people's idea of what's dressy varies so widely that whatever you were to wear (outside of, say, shorts) would probably be fine in most circumstances.

 

@Mz Terry, a lazy day for me would be hanging out reading, catching up by phone or email with friends/relatives, taking a walk, and researching potential travel destinations online. The inner conflict is that while I often yearn for a full day like that, when I have one, I feel afterward as if I've wasted precious time being unproductive.

 

 

[Tyke]

2 hours ago, Finding myself said:

@Mz Terry hope your dog will make a full recovery. 

 

Re travelling. My attention has been caught by a Norwegian cruise later this year in the hope of seeing the aurora borealis. I have always thought I would not cruise again because I am not good if the sea is rough and I do not like the dressing up for dinner! But I am wondering if this particular cruise might be relaxed about dressing up for evening meal. My idea of a holiday is total relaxation and that equals wearing casual clothes. 

If it's a Hurtigruten trip, it's very informal. No formal dress required at all. These ships plough up and down the coast between Bergen and Kirkenes all year round and are the main form of transport along the coast. So they are working vessels rather than holiday ships.

[Deja Vu]

Hi all,

 

I've been gone from this thread for quite awhile, as well as FaceBook and other places. I've been swamped busy at work, and not in a good way. Trouble with my knee that was not resolved with the stem cells, so I'm tired and sore a lot, and sleep deprived when it wakes me during the night.

 

I'm way out of touch with everyone, and no chance of catching up. I'll try to read the last couple of pages later this weekend.

 

I've started a process of downsizing. I hired a company of a few women who help sort, organize, dispose of, donate, etc. This is really great for me, as I can't haul stuff up and down the stairs (in this split entry house) and don't have the physical stamina to do this work by myself. The hope is to get rid of most of my stuff over the next year. Still training my dogs, but have shifted away from teaching now and that is amazingly a relief.

 

Off now to my mom's 89th birthday party! 

[Guest Jetsun Milarepa]

Yes, @Midland Tyke, a cruise is something I'd like to do , but like yourself, the tuxedo and ball gown doesn't do it for me. You'll never get me in a dress!

Thanks for the concern about my work hours. Evidently they changed my shift pattern when I moved to the new team , so that I was keeping hours with them, but nobody actually told me this. They just assumed I knew. Coupled with the electronic work rota crashing now and again, I found myself dipping into it only when I could see it, so I missed the slight change fro 8am till 9am on the Fridays before I work Saturdays. 

Employer is saying that we have to fill out a great big essay to plead our case for a pay rise by the end of July. It can be a great job when it's going well and a real crap one when it isn't, but hey, a 10 minute walk away, better hours than before, half the wages though. Only problems I keep having are that a small group of the 500 people working there have sussed out that I'm an educated sort and have gone out of their way to let me know they don't like education. I know this because I was cornered and told in no uncertain terms some time ago that 'your type aren't welcome' However, it's a very small proportion of them and they 're just angry because they need to get off their butts and do something to elevate themselves instead of trying to pull down people who have taken the opportunities on offer.But, that's British culture for you.

 

@daveb, @Kazbe and @Finding myself, those ponies look a lot like Shetland ponies, so I guess the Vikings left these little guys everywhere! I don't think Shetlanders are big enough to ride on though. Probably some life forms in colder places miniaturise themselves to offset the cold by decreasing their body surface area, so these wee horses might have been bigger when they went to Iceland, but scaled down in the climate. there are 6 inch daffodils in these climates too.

 

My daughter has been asking me if I've any ideas about where her and her other half might go for her birthday later in the year. To be honest, I haven't a scooby about that , but they're both explorers and sporty, so the best thing would be to have an activity holiday. I wonder what they'll pick?

 

Anyway, off to see 'Dunkirk' tomorrow...I wonder what my old mum would have made of that film.....

 

 

[Tja]

Welcome back, @Deja Vu!

[Gentle Giant]

Welcome back, @Deja Vu!

 

Happy belated birthday, @Finding myself! 

 

Had a busy day today. Washed and cleaned my car inside and out, vacuumed the house and did some other odds and ends. Mom and I will be visiting my brother's family tomorrow.

 

The other night we had a wicked lightning storm! Mom was so terrified! We got about 5 inches of rain and up to 50 cent piece sized hail. We have some damage to the shingles and having it looked at to see if we need repairs done.

 

 

[daveb]

2 hours ago, chandrakirti said:

Probably some life forms in colder places miniaturise themselves to offset the cold by decreasing their body surface area, so these wee horses might have been bigger when they went to Iceland, but scaled down in the climate.

see Bergmann's rule - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bergmann's_rule (it's questionable)

It might have more to do with islands - there are 2 things that can happen with island animals; 1. Island/insular dwarfism, 2. island gigantism - http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/evolution/gigantism-and-dwarfism-islands.html

 

3 hours ago, Deja Vu said:

I've started a process of downsizing.

I hope that works out, and that the other stuff improves.

 

3 hours ago, chandrakirti said:

have gone out of their way to let me know they don't like education.

 

6 hours ago, Semisweet said:

As for chocolate, I've always preferred, um, semisweet

That's usually my general preference, too, although it's not always described that way in packaging. Sometimes you have to take your chances with a dark chocolate that isn't too dark/bitter. And it isn't always about the percentages.

 

51 minutes ago, Gentle Giant said:

busy day today. Washed and cleaned my car inside and out, vacuumed the house and did some other odds and ends. Mom and I will be visiting my brother's family tomorrow.

The opposite of a lazy day, eh? Hope it's a nice visit. The lightning storm does sound wicked.

 

I saw a wasp flying around inside my house today (yep, happens here, too). It ended up inside my living wooden blinds, so I made a pot of soapy water and tossed it on the blinds to knock the wasp down so I could smash it. I don't bother them when they are outside (unless they makes nests where they shouldn't), but I won't tolerate them inside the house.

[Gentle Giant]

We have wasps in the front yard. Mom is determined to kill them, but I think we should just leave them be if they are not bothering us. They were flying around while I was washing the car but didn't come near me. I just ignore them. They have nests dug in the ground and some are under a wooden peice on the edge of the driveway. Kind of near the door going in the garage. We put up some air filled paper bags to trick them into thinking they're hornets nests and scare them away. We'll see if that helps. She's been messing with the mounds and I think she should leave them alone. She's thinking of getting a spray to kill them with. I did mention the use of soap water but she doesn't want to pour that on the lawn. Do you guys use hot soap water? Or just soap water whatever temp.? Maybe we could fill a bottle with soap water to have on hand in case they get in the house?

[daveb]

The soapy water didn't kill the wasp (it only washed it off of the blinds and slowed it down). Bashing the wasp with the pot afterwards did.  

[SilverFlower]

Doing battle with wasps is kind of an occupational hazard of living in Hawaii it seems.  I'm of the opinion that the only good wasp is a dead wasp.  Same goes for centipedes.  I killed a big ol' hairy one the other night that slithered right past my toes as I was sitting on the toilet of all places.  I grabbed the soap dispenser and smashed it into centipede burger.  One centipede down and only 1 gazillion left to go.

[Gentle Giant]

Oh gosh, centipedes are so gross! One time when I lived in a apartment and I was trying to kill one with a broom, I was trying to get him on the ceiling and I knew I got him, but couldn't see his body anywhere and here it somehow landed on the table in another room! Another time I worked in a dark room and would see these huge centipedes with wild flailing hairly legs in there and I think they were mutated from all the chemicals!