July chitchat

[agate]

Here we are in July, and we in the US are about to observe Independence Day. There ought to be some festive food for the occasion. People think of hot dogs and potato chips that would turn up at a picnic, maybe, but here are some alternatives:

And just why do I keep hearing about "the 4th of July weekend" this year when July 4 falls on a Tuesday? What happened to Monday? Or is everyone turning a 3-day weekend into a 4-day weekend?

If people here can put up with more grousing from me, the fireworks have already started sounding around here. Pets should take cover. There are very beautiful fireworks that aren't loud. I don't understand why people have to have ear-shattering noise as part of the celebration.

Oh yes, there's something in the national anthem about "bombs bursting in air." But why are we imitating bombs when people and pets are often seriously alarmed by loud noise?

Speaking of the national anthem, my nephew recently distinguished himself by performing it as a solo before a local ball game. One of his daughters posted a video of it on her Facebook page because she was so proud of her dad. I was really proud of him and didn't know he was still involved in music at all. When much younger, he had his own band, and they did gigs in the San Francisco Bay area.

I've rambled on enough here. Time for others to chime in here and let people know what you've been doing.

For instance, Linda may be too busy with the farmer's market to say much but it would be interesting to know how that is going. I've heard that farmer's markets are very very crowded nowadays. They started becoming more popular during the pandemic and they're still popular. The last time I went to one, last year, it was so crowded that just navigating through the mobs of adults, kids, and dogs was a challenge.

[flatcap]

What I've been doing, or will be doing starting tomorrow, is try to sharpen my pocket knives with my new sharpener. Not a very good idea you ask given my tremor? Possibly. Maybe probably, but I still want to try. The sharpener is manual, not motorized, but it looks like there isn't much to it. I will let you know how it works out.

Spyderco Triangle Sharpmaker => Only registered and activated users can see links., Click Here To Register...

ETA: With my tax return still largely unspent, I also bought a dedicated steak knife that you can fold and take with you to the restaurant where they only offer you what amounts to a hacksaw to cut up your steak. I had one of these knives until I gave it away about seven years ago. You probably wouldn't believe how the blade slices through meat. You can cut a slice so thin, it will practically melt in your mouth. I learned they are discontinuing this knife, so I decided to grab one before they're gone. I also got it at about 50% off since they are discontinuing this model. I can't afford a good steak dinner out very often, but this thing is definitely going to see some use.

Shun Higo No–Kami => Only registered and activated users can see links., Click Here To Register...

[flatcap]

In other news, I mentioned earlier that I was looking at an estimated bill of about $5k for the MRIs I had done last August. This came about because Medicare only covered the brain scan. One thing led to another, and my secondary BCBS insurance covered only about 0.1% of the cost of the cervical and thoracic spine exams.

So, I was sitting here waiting for the bill for the other 99.9% to arrive in my mailbox. I had only paid about $350 toward my balance, so I was expecting to have to pay a lot more to settle accounts.

Well, the bill never came. Instead I received a refund a week or so ago in the amount of $100 and change. Whew! Color me grateful that things worked out this way. I don't know how or why they did, but I am so relieved I don't have that bill hanging over my head. I can't stand owing people money, and I am glad things are back to normal.

[agate]

Congratulations on getting some unexpected money! That is so nice on the rare occasions when it happens.

For years after moving to this state I was ordering groceries online through the Safeway chain, and they would be delivered. It didn't work especially well at times but it was just about the only option at the time (before Instacart came along). I had a feeling I was paying more for grpceries than people in the actual stores were paying, and sure enough. I found out about a class action suit about that and was part of that class. It took several years but eventually I received a check for about $1,400!

Safeway had been charging more for its online items for a period of about 5-7 years, and those were the years when I was doing those online orders every week.

[flatcap]

Glad that Safeway got caught with their hand in the till. Every now and then, there is some justice in this world.

[Ikoiko]

I guess I will be waiting by the mailbox for unexpected large checks.

[Virginia]

Maybe I should stand by my mailbox also.

Flatcap I am very happy for you that you not only didn't owe more money, but got some back. You can enjoy buying a steak to go with your new steak knife.

Agate, that $1,400 reminds me of many years ago. I got a call from one of my brothers and he said if you get something in the mail about The Bailey Act sign it. I don't recall if I got anything in the mail to sign, but a class action law suit had been brought that concerned NC State taxes. They won and what it amounted to is that federal and state retirement pay is not taxable in this state, so for me it has meant quite a lot because the portion of my husband's pay that he left to me is not taxable nor is my SS. So through the years if has been nice. Now if I would just get a call saying the same about federal taxes, but that is not going to happen.

[agate]

^{I wish I could point the way to one of those unexpected checks, Ikoiko. I can't even recall how I found out about that class action suit--whether I was notified by e-mail, or whether I happened to see a news item about it.}

[flatcap]

You can enjoy buying a steak to go with your new steak knife.

Don't worry: I'll be at the steakhouse, knife in hand, ASAP.

[flatcap]

Every week, our local health department goes around inspecting restaurants to be sure they are running up to snuff where food safety is concerned. All of them are supposed to be looked at eventually, but they can't handle them all at the same time, so they are broken down into groups. The results of these inspections, including follow-ups, are published in the local newspaper.

I was wondering what time of day these inspections are done: when it's busy or when it's slow. If they show up for one when it's slow, that would give the restaurant employees time to cover up any transgressions. If they go in for an inspection when it's busy, that would put the staff and management more to the test. All inspections are performed unannounced, but that could still give enough time when it's slow for them to find a way to hide things while an inspection is in progress. If it were me, I would do inspections when restaurants are busy, perhaps at the busiest time of day.

Some places fail miserably whenever it is the health department shows up. Most get what I would call a pass. One was recently shut down upon inspection. Very few get a perfect score or something close to it.

So, I was reading the paper today about last week's inspections, and one of my favorite restaurants failed the test, specifically the place I go for breakfast. This was a bit of a shock because I have always thought the place is very clean and have never been sickened from eating their food — not even close.

I wonder how much stock I should put into the results of these inspections. Until now, I went by them in choosing restaurants to either avoid or patronize. Last night, I was thinking of going to breakfast today, but my plan was interrupted by my random sleep pattern, so now I'm writing this instead.

Maybe that was karma. Perhaps I should look at my horoscope or buy a lottery ticket, possibly both. What do you think?




ETA: I know it ruins the joke, but that last part is supposed to be one.

[Virginia]

Flatcap, here in this state I have been told that sometime a restaurant gets a bad rating because of just one small thing that an inspector sees that they don't like and other times a restaurant can violate some of the health rules and continue to get away with it for several inspections. Still, I don't eat in any restaurant that has less than an A rating and I try to go to one with an A+ or better. If it is down in the Bs forget it for me. Sometime if an inspector goes right after a busy period the restaurant management has not had time to clear away everything and clean.

I seldom eat out, so this doesn't have much affect on me. When my brothers get together over my way I go and I rarely but occasionally go thru the drive thru at Chick-fil-A and get a salad. Still I try to take a look at the rating that is posted, by law, where it can be seen.

[agate]

It sounds as if it's quite common for restaurant health department ratings to be made public???

I had no idea. Back in my restaurant-eating days, which pretty much ended 40 years ago, with maybe a once-yearly appearance at once thereafter, whatever the health department thought of the restaurant wasn't known to anyone but the restaurant. Or if there was a way of finding out, I certainly wasn't aware of it. I'd have been interested to know.

[Virginia]

Agate, here it has to be posted where it can be readily seen when entering the restaurant, though come to think of it I am not sure that always happens. I heard that in itself is a violation and can cost a restaurant points.

It's true when I was young I don't remember restaurants being rated. Isn't it amazing that we have lived as long as we have.

[agate]

Times have changed. Guess that shouldn't be surprising since change is the only thing anyone can count on.

I've been somewhat concerned about restaurants and any eating establishments ever since realizing many years ago that food handlers are apparently not usually obliged to wear head coverings. I'm glad to know that there's a rating system customers can have access to.

There was the notion (back then) that people didn't want someone's hair in their food, I guess, and every food worker was required to wear a hairnet, chef's hat, or a scarf. Then one day I went with a neighbor to a senior center that served lunch and noticed that the servers were all wearing their hair loose and flying around, sometimes quite long hair. Same thing in restaurants, I think.

[flatcap]

If I find a hair in my food at a restaurant, I normally don't say or do anything about it. It doesn't bother me very much.

If I find a foreign object, then no matter its size, I report it. I always do so calmly so as to not alert the other patrons in the restaurant. These events are usually a one-off, and we all make mistakes, so I keep my cool about it.

This happened just the other day. I was having my salad when I got the feeling there was something getting mashed between my molars that shouldn't be there, It turned out to be a small piece of plastic, so I put it on the spare napkin I always have with me and waited for someone to come to my table as they usually do to ask if everything is OK. When the server came over and did so, I pointed out the piece of plastic to her. She asked me if it had been in my mouth, and I said yes. She grimaced, then told me to hold on, that she was going to let the manager know about it.

The server came back to tell me that they were going to comp me for the dinner. I replied that wasn't necessary, and she said that, when I reported the issue, I was polite and courteous, so the manager told her to tell me that dinner was on the house.

Sometimes it pays to be nice to people.