January 2018 Chit Chat Peg come bak

[agate]

Congratulations, BBS! The house contract sounds exciting. When does the actual building start?

Today was a big day for me because I now have cable TV, which means I can watch TV again after 4 years of not being able to except for PBS. I had to keep adjusting things even to get PBS, but with luck I could get news once a day on it.

I decided I might like a bit more TV now that I'm getting older, and so now I need to learn about all of the channels I've been hearing about for years. I've found my way to CNN so far and that's as far as I've gone in my cable journey. I have a very minimal plan but there are about 10 extra channels besides the usual old networks that I'm used to (PBS, CBS, NBC, etc.).

Yes, I know I'm living in another century. I'm trying to stop being a fossil.

But I know I'm in a different world when I have a conversation with the cable installer that goes like this:

Me: How do I turn the TV off?

Cable guy: You can't turn it off, hon.

Me: ?????

Cable guy: I mean, you can turn it off, but when it's off it's still on, hon.

Me:

[Virginia]

Agate, I think you are really going to enjoy having cable TV. Even though I don't watch as much as a lot of people, I would really hate to be without it now. There are certain things that you just get so use to. Also, like me, you are at home a lot of the time and you need as much entertainment as possible, even if it is watching more news shows. I read, but then there are times that I get tired of that and need to watch a little TV.

[Cherie]

We watched a great movie this evening called "the Freedom Writers" staring Hillary Swank and Patrick Dempsey. It was based on the true story of a young white newly certified teacher taking over a high school English class in Long Beach, CA after the Rodney King shooting. Her classroom consisted of a bunch of interracial groups who would not speak or interact with each other. By getting to know their histories of violence and introducing teaching on the Holocaust, she was able to break through the tough veneer of the kid's protective shells and get students reading and interested and interacting and getting to know each other. The book Freedom Writers Diaries is available on Amazon in either paperback, Kindle or Audible editions. Powerful and so very well done.

[agate]

I've seen that movie too--and found it very interesting.

[Sunshine]

I awoke at 4 a.m with a terrific leg and foot twisting spasm . They’re painful and scary cuz you don’t know how long it takes to quit. Will lay low today. No particular trigger. Had IVIG yesterday all day. But that’s about my 30th uneventful infusion....maybe it was IVIG?


Re the house, the permits take about 7 weeks to process. Meanwhile we can clear a path for a driveway. The biologist checks for endangered species on the lot soon.

[Cherie]

All the shingles that are being replaced are now off and in the dumpster. Rotting roof boards replaced on the original house and all of the garage. Insulation in the peak of the roof. Insulating batting being stapled down now and shingling is starting. Looks like they will finish most of the shingling today and pour the latex fill for the flat roof tomorrow, clean up and be gone in 3 days. These guys are all business and work hard from 7:30 in the morning till late afternoon with a half hour off for lunch. And they came in at $300 less than the next lowest bidder who has done work on another of our houses last year. Two other roofers were more than a thousand more. So...with this job, we have taken care of all of the rental properties and now our home in the last three years. Also today they are working on our oldest rental (1828) and rebuilding stone steps into the house and repairing the foundation where the mortar is cracking. It is amazing to me that at the end of January there is this much outside repair work happening here in our corner of New England.

[Frog42]

I just love houses that old.

[agate]

I do too--though I'm not sure I'd enjoy living in one any more.

Old is good. I just had a card from a friend (who is my age) I've known since high school, and the card had this printed quotation from Oliver Goldsmith: "I love everything that's old: old friends, old times, old manners, old books, old wines."

[Jeanie Z]

:) Hi everyone. I have been sleeping a lot. Today I had my 6 months check up and it went well. Also I went to the optical place and got the form filled out for the driver's license. I do not have to take the driving test this year as they sent me a letter saying that. I also went in the Publix for a few items.

My microwave quit and all the foods I have left need microwaving. I went to Home Depot yesterday and got a new one but it is still in the van. Andy is coming tomorrow and we are going to the county fair. I will have him bring it in for me. I hope my scooter battery holds up for that.

I bought batteries for my friend's Hoveround I bought. She wants me to bring it there. I am going to tell her if they do not allow her to keep it I would like to have it back. I could sell it and recoup the $400.00 I spent on it. I am praying they will let her keep it. Jeanie :)

[Jeanie Z]

:) Andy and I went to the fair at noon. We heard the band I like and saw the ice show. Ate steak sandwiches and bought boiled peanuts to bring home at 3. I went to bed and slept until 6:30 PM. Jeanie :)

[stillstANNding]

Hi Jeanie, I hope you got your microwave installed.

It sounds like a pleasant day.

ANN

[Jeanie Z]

:) Andy brought in the microwave and hooked it up. It was a good day. Jeanie :)

[Cherie]

Jeanie, sounds like a perfect day!

The rest of the shingles and the products they need for the rubber flat roof arrived today and they are coming at 7:30 in the morning (Saturday) to finish shingling the back of the hours and garage. The coating (30 year overlay guarantee) for the flat roof over the one storey 1970 addition will be done after lunch when the temps are forecast to be between 50 and 60. I will be at the National MS Society's annual meeting and research update from 9-1 and hour from here. 9 is about the time I generally am making sense although I am out of bed and dressed by 8 most mornings. Dave was going to come with me till he found that I was not a speaker and not receiving any awards then decided to stay and hang out with the roofers doing "guy stuff". Cold here (upper teens) tonight but the skies are clear and no precipitation.

[agate]

Our roofers just ended their third week. They work weekends too and they'll probably be here this weekend. Most entrances are blocked but neighbors are ignoring the tape and using those doors anyway. Not such a good idea as debris might be falling at any time.

Whee! I'm joining this century! After two days spent ironing out the problems with the cable installation, I now have both picture and sound. A technician had to come out a second time (today) but he showed me that the DVD player still works, and he even managed to tweak the picture to enlarge it. The picture had been much smaller than the screen. Then there was no sound. Then there was no signal. But all seems to be going well now, and I'm looking forward to finding out more about all of the channels I now seem to have.

I do believe that the cable companies are running a very profitable racket and I dislike putting money in their pockets but if that's what I have to do to watch TV, that's what I'll do.

It was so nice to watch the local news again and see some scenes of the snow-covered mountains and salmon fishing and other sights. A person finds looking at the same board fence a bit monotonous, especially in winter. There are squirrels and neighborhood cats and birds and even raccoons, of course.

I'm hearing that some people don't watch TV much any more. They watch everything on their computers, laptops, tablets, phones. I like larger pictures myself, such as a TV screen gives.

[Howie]

This laptop has a 15 and a half diagonal screen, and is very comfortable for me to read. But those tablets, that are about as big as your hand, make me cross-eyed. I know I have MS damaged eye sight, but even if they weren't, those screens are just too small.