10/24/2021 – J-Dub's Grin and Bear It

#SLS ~ 10/24/21

Published on 10/24/202110/23/2021 by J-Dub20 Comments

Aahhhhh, now music makes it all better. Jim at the suggestion of Tales from the mind of Kristian prompts us with Atoll, Island, Key, Lagoon, Peninsula, Reef, Tropical. At first I had an earworm with Islands in the Stream sung by Dolly and Kenny no last names needed. Songwriters: Maurice Ernest Gibb / Robin Hugh Gibb / Barry Alan Gibb aka the Brothers Gibb at least that’s what I call them. Yay Bee Gees!!

Ultimately I changed direction and instead went with Island in The Sun or as Lulu called it, the hip hip song. Performed by Weezer. Songwriter: Rivers Cuomo. More at the wiki.

Hip, hip
Hip, hip
Hip, hip
Hip, hip

When you’re on a holiday
You can’t find the words to say
All the things that come to you
And I wanna feel it too

On an island in the sun
We’ll be playin’ and havin’ fun
And it makes me feel so fine
I can’t control my brain

Hip, hip
Hip, hip

When you’re on a golden sea
You don’t need no memory
Just a place to call your own
As we drift into the zone

On an island in the sun
We’ll be playin’ and havin’ fun
And it makes me feel so fine
I can’t control my brain

We’ll run away together
We’ll spend some time forever
We’ll never feel bad anymoreHip, hip
Hip, hip
Hip, hip

On an island in the sun
We’ll be playin’ and havin’ fun
And it makes me feel so fine
I can’t control my brain

We’ll run away together
We’ll spend some time forever
We’ll never feel bad anymore

Hip, hip
(We’ll never feel bad anymore)
Hip, hip
(No) hip, (no), hip
(We’ll never feel bad anymore)
Hip, hip
(No) hip, (no), hip
(No) hip, (no), hip

Tidbits ~ A Ramble Rant ~ 10/24/21

Published on 10/24/202110/24/2021 by J-Dub13 Comments

I wish my anxiety didn’t make me such a suspicious person but yesterday as I spent two hours online shopping for curbside pickup at three different grocery stores, I went a little cuckoo. Out of stock! Items we purchase weekly such as milk, bread, and eggs. Pantry staples, depleted. I ultimately ordered everything on the list for both us and the in laws but I’m not sure yet if we’ll actually get everything. Soon we’ll get the text of substitutions and unavailables. We had taken for granted that for the last six months or so everything we wanted was available. I, for one, got used to very limited, forgettable substitutes. I mean this is America folks, land of the plenty and she has been very, very good to me (movie line, if you can guess is virtual high five).

I had made a very quick grocery run Friday in and out only for baking supplies. Yesterday as I ordered, I noticed something else that was upsetting besides our lack of choice which really isn’t a big deal, champagne problems for sure. But did everyone else but me know that the prices are less in store? At least at our nameless local grocer. Not a lot but up to 50 cents per item cheaper. So when I easily have 40 items in my weekly curbside cart, that adds up. They used to charge a personal shopper fee but now instead they tell us the personal shopper fee is ‘free’ but then sneakily add on to the per item cost. I think I like the fee better. I know they have to make money. I know grocery stores run on the narrowest of margins. But everywhere I look these days, I feel taken advantage of from a monetary standpoint.

Take for example gas prices. We’re up to $2.83 a gallon, (don’t laugh, for us that is a lot and our wages are less so it is all relative) and while that’s nowhere near the $4 a gallon hike we saw once upon a time, the increase is still about 30 cents a gallon more than September. And as I filled up yesterday, there were about 1/2 the pumps with ‘out of service’ signs. This could mean poor timing on my part, a delay in delivery versus actual scarcity but I’m not in the know. And when I see people on social media sounding alarm bells, I jump on the anxiety bandwagon buying into conspiracy. Thank goodness I don’t have to drive much anymore but B does. Overall as a household though we’re still saving on fuel costs.

But taxes, don’t get me started on taxes. Of the property variety. Can I just say sticker shock when the invoice came this week. And we appealed our evaluation and WON! I’d hate to think what we’d be paying if we hadn’t appealed the value which will keep on increasing until we hit 65. Actually I think the value will continue to reflect the market but the tax part will freeze. If they still do that when we finally get there. I’m just grateful we no longer have a mortgage.

And finally there is the DISH versus Tegna feud over CBS. A channel that by all rights should be free. And yes, I know this problem isn’t one I should care about. We should say eff you to satellite TV. DISH charges us $12 a month for local stations. Yep, that’s wrong somehow but they have to pay Tegna. The cost was passed to the consumer. Now these corporations can’t agree on a price so CBS is blocked until such time that the standoff ends. In the meantime, DISH is sending us a digital antenna where we will get local for free. If we are pleased with the reception, we’ll call them to cancel the local reducing our bill by that $12 a month. Right now we keep paying $12 for NBC, ABC, FOX, and PBS. I really don’t understand who is screwing who here to even pick a side other than it is easier to stay with DISH. We’re talking about billions of dollars folks. Can you flipping believe that shit? All this noise while people are homeless and starving. Jesus weeps.

Sunday Reflections: A Week in Review ~ 10/24/21

Published on 10/24/202110/23/2021 by J-DubLeave a comment

Well I froze my freshly baked pumpkin yesterday instead of making muffins or cookies. Later today we’ll make devil’s food cupcakes with pumpkin candy topper as homage to the past. Missing my mommy. She made these delights every year for the cake walk/bake sale at the St. MM fall carnival. As we didn’t want to be overloaded with sweets, we bumped the other dessert since pumpkin freezes well anyway. Alrighty, now the time has come for another weekly roll call. Without further ado, here you go …