Chit Chat for August 2023

[Huronna]

Can you believe that 7 months have already passed in 2023, Gads! 

With a blink of an eye, here it is August and in a couple of months, it will ne Halloween.
So when you get a chance drop in, check in and let us know how things are going with you.

[Huronna]

Well shock of all shocks....We called customer service for the Nespresso Machine and I had to help Joe because she wanted a zoom call so she could watch that we were following her instructions.
I had never touch his machine since I use my faithful Keurig. So there I was with portable phone in one hand, my Ipad camera in the other and I found a third hand to do what she was instructing. Seems hubby had never read the manual and in the 2 or three years that he had it, he had never done the cleaning procedure which is supposed to be done once a week if the machine it used a lot. BUT...he had never done it. I guess we were one the phone for at least 30 minutes and it still was not working, so she said....well the next procedure is.....(Hold onto you seat) is for us to send you a new machine and a UPS label and you just sent the old one back to use No charge. I was absolutely stunned. I was expecting a "to bad, so sad, it's dead, you'll have to buy a new one" or "you have to send it back to use and pay the fixing charges"....but THEY ARE SENDING US A NEW ONE, NO CHARGE. Unreal.


a little interruption, we were expecting a plumber to check out a problem we were having with the flushing mechanism. Joe was lying on the bed so I answered the door and was escorting the man to the bathroom when a heard a "thud". Joe had gotten up too fast, got light headed and wound up on the floor. the guy followed me to the bedroom and thank heavens for him because Joe is like dead weight. With the two of us we got him in a sitting position leaving up against the bed and then slowly inched him up on the bed. I never would have been able to do it myself, I would have called 911. No broken bones, but a cut on his ear, Thank heavens for the guy who helped me. Now I'm exhausted also, but the toilet is fixed.

[Flagryl]

Oh dear, Joe. Hyrdation? This recurrance give my heart a jolt. Congrats on the expresso and the toilet. Ours clogged last week so I poured some Dawn in it, waited several hours and it flushed. Whew.

[Huronna]

That and getting up too fast from a recumbent position. He has low BP and he's supposed to sit at the side of the bed and move his arms and legs around so he gets the circulation going. BUt you know him and his no memory, I guess he wanted to attend to the workman, maybe he thought I wasn't capable or just wanted to be there to watch. Instead he wound up on the floow and the workman helped me get him back on the bed.

[Flagryl]

I get it, I have low BP too but his low creates your high, oh dear Huronna the stress for you. What a trial.

Another house fire in our neighborhood, lightening. House is total loss but the garage was saved. Occupants are safe. Same guy who tried to plow us out with his front loader, local businessman, helped the home owner move things into the garage. They didn't have much time to save things. I don't know why people out here don't have lightening rods. When we built, they said we didn't need because we are surrounded by forest, tall 80 ft Ponderosas and lightening would strike them first and then you have to hope a tree near you isn't struck. John has cleared most.

Monsoons have come and temps are low, 74 daytime and 45 at night. Down right chilly.

[Huronna]

thankfully the people are safe

[Grassy]

Hi Everyone! How are all of y'all doing?
I love our Chit Chat Room bartender!

[silk]

Never a dull moment here in chit chat and Huronna , is there no end to your talents. I always knew you had three hands. Great news regarding the coffee maker and also that Joe is Ok .How lucky the plumber was there.
Flagryl how awful for those people losing all to a fire.

[Grassy]

How is Joe tonight?
So sorry about those people losing their home.

[Huronna]

Joe is fine, my body aches from trying to move him as he is like dead weight.
how's the job?

I had a very interesting day on Facebook yesterday. No I was not put in their jail HA HA
I belong to a group called "I grew up in Little Ferry, NJ" it's where I lived from birth until I went to college. Yesterday a man posted something and a light went off in my brain. Why was that name so very familiar. wracked my brain for a while and then a light went off. Did his father work with mine? were the both volunteer fireman, what was it. So I sent him a message and for the rest of the day and into the evening we chatted . Turned out our fathers were best of friends and many Saturday in the summers we would be at their house or they at ours. He was 8 years younger than I was, so he was just a wee young one back then, but he remembered Harry and Flo coming to his house . He remembered I had an older brother and had heard that he had passed away. wondered about my little brother who was actually two years older than he was. he told me stories about when he family moved to another town, but the parents still visited. We had both spend may hours at the fire house though many years difference, but we both played on the same pool table. went to the Friday night dances in High school etc. Talked about the parades in the town and how everyone would gather at the firehouse afterwards. Funny how we did so many of the same things only almost a generation different. He said it was strange that his father had passed at 66 and that he was now older than his father was when he passed.
The last time I saw him, I was probably in the 8th grade, and he would have been in the 1st grade. I probably actually remember his father more that him since he was just a little kid. but he told me stories about my parents , time he spent with them as an adult.
To say the least it was a fun conversation, and yes, when I found out the he followed the Yankees and their minor league which plays in Tampa, we invited them down to visit next time they are in the area.

[Mary]

Oh wow! Chance encounter and maybe a renewed friendship? Very cool! That's fun that he could tell you stories about your parents too!

Well, I splurged a couple of weeks ago and NOT on tubes! After all the perfume talk, I decided I wanted to check out Jimmy Choo perfume. So I went to a site I order from and bought a big bottle of Jimmy Choo I want you. It is a large tester bottle. It doesn't have a fancy lid on it but I always lose them anyways.I love it! It lasts and it's not overpowering to me

[Flagryl]

Oh what fun, I love reconnecting with old friends. It's especially neat he has stories about your parents. Mary, I'm glad you splurged. I don't know that perfume. I wear Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue, it's light and refreshing for me. I used to wear Safari by Ralph Lauren, but it's way too strong and heavy for me now. It's interesting how my body has changed, or maybe it's my nose.

I have Book Club tomorrow, haven't read the book. I haven't read the papers either. I've been in a funky mood.

[Grassy]

I don't think it's you, Flagryl. I used to love Beautiful by Estée Lauder. Now it makes me smell like a wet dog. I've noticed it with makeup and lotion too - sometimes in my life my skin is too oily or dry for the formula. Maybe we just change.
You are so smart Mary to buy the tester versions of perfumes. You can save money by doing it that way.
Lately I have been wearing the Fantasia Carnival Pop and Fantasia Mermaid scents by Anna Sui, as well as Comptoir Sud Pacifique's Vanille Abricot and Vanille Banane scents which I have been wearing forever. Since I decided to treat myself to the Amazon finds, my other scents have been suffering. I might have too many now.
Both the D&G and the Jimmy Choo smell divine.

Huronna, that is so cool about finding a friend on Facebook! You just never know who you might find.

[silk]

I've not tried Jimmy Choo perfume. I can't go past Miss Dior Absolutely Blooming.
For my men I buy Issey Miyake . I once worked with French perfumes and became allergic to the smell of some. If I went to a theatre and someone was wearing one of these perfumes I'd have to leave..some are too cloying, such as Joy.
What a joyful meeting Huronna.
I saw my doctor yesterday... I have a tear in my shoulder muscle. Have to have some PT. He upped the pain meds.
Tomorrow a hair cut and blow dry...I look like a shaggy dog. Next, to the eye specialist about my remaining eye .

[Smilyn]

Oh Silk... Your marionette strings are def getting a little thin here and there, poor doll. I'm glad you are getting PT and more meds. I hope they help keep you moving more comfortably. Flagryl, I'm glad the monsoons have arrived and it is cooler. Terrible about the other house fire, but at least they are all ok. Hope you learn enough about the book at the meeting to be eager to read it, lol. I think everyone is feeling a bit draggy at the moment. Perhaps it has been the challenging Sturgeon supermoon. Huronna, glad Joe is OK and flabbergasted at the replacement machine. Never heard of such a thing. Nice that you had a chat from childhood too. Grassy - donut use too many sprinkles when you are having donut fun! Mary; I stopped wearing perfume years ago. It gives me a headache now. I'm glad you are enjoying it. Roni, I hope the move goes well. Best wishes!

I have been working on items to add to the online guestbook for my young friend who died not long ago. I'm sure I have written about Zak before; the young man I mentored who joined the USAF, did two tours at Abhu Dhabi working tech support on jets that were going into battle, used CLEP to get an associate degree and the GI Bill to get into Dartmouth then was hit in a T-bone auto accident while on the way to out process from the USAF. That changed everything; he got full disability but the head trauma made things much harder for him. He did go to Dartmouth in the fall of 2020. But in 2020 it was not the same Dartmouth he had visited, and he, post PT and on pain meds, was not the same either. During the isolation of being a NC boy in VT limited to his Freshman classes online in his room and in pain, he got a substance abuse problem. In his second semester he had a psychotic break. A round of VA institutions ensued and then family custody. I still do not know cause of death, but whatever it is, I will not be much surprised. I have been very sad, especially as the long texts I had shared with him for years were gone due to the crash of my phone (all photos and recordings etc also), but then remembered FB Messenger that he used when overseas. I could hear his voice again reading there, and some of the things he sent me are so very supportive and profound that they were effectively waiting to be reread when I needed them. He had given me a gift of some printed photos and I have been scanning them and getting a memory post put together for his book. Only three people have signed it. I doubt that his family will buy it, and I won't, but if anyone goes to look they will find a tribute from me about him. It is all I can do.

[Vikki]

Happy August everyone!  The dog days of summer, right?  
It is very hot and humid in Alabama (east central) but at least I'm in the country so no pavement heat.  

I pray all of you have a wonderful month, enjoy the super moon!  still visible and again on the 31st I think.

May God Bless you and keep you safe ♥

[Smilyn]

Back a bit, Huronna asked me to post a pic of my hair. She saw it when I posted a new profile pic on FB. In fairness; that is not the color today. It is temporary dye and I change it as it fades. Currently the front is a mermaid green and the back is a denim with mermaid green points scattered. When this fades I may be sky blue in front and dark mermaid behind, or streaked blue and mermaid in front with purple in back. I do it myself and sometimes I like it more than others.

I started doing this when I realized how sad the off-white hair framing my face made me (I don't have lovely bright white fringe, I have that odd white that former redheads can get which is almost transparent.) It's very thin on the top so reminded me of my mother who was nearly bald (though what she retained was a lovely bright white!) It bothered me. I also strongly favor my father - especially with no eyelashes. With the faded white hair and wrinkles on my sad face I looked a lot like my dad when he was angry and mom at nearly 100. So I changed it. And now I'm never sad when I look in the mirror - and I only see me. And it's always a surprise!



Oh! I am also wearing nail polish that matches my current fringe - and Nailtiques #2. Gotta put a new coat of clear on tonight.

[Huronna]

Thanks for posting that photo, now my next request is each time you change it, we need a new photo
I plan on doing my nails next week, it’s been almost four weeks with the same manicure and polish. Nails are growing , need to cut cut a bit, need then to be good for our trip to Nashville on the 20th

[Smilyn]

As you wish.  This is current... and polish color too!

Attachments:

[Grassy]

No more nail polish for me. No polish in the kitchen. At all. Can't risk any of it flaking off and getting in any food.

Smilyn, your hair and nails are so cute!

[Smilyn]

Thank you Grassy! I can't even think of you without polish. But I understand their point on that. I hope the job is so good it makes up for lack of vivid digits.

[Huronna]

I like that hair better than the first and it matches your dress perfectly. Is this a temp color and it washes out or a permanent one
It looks great on you

[silk]

Great photos Milyn. I imagine the colouring process would take some time? You look smashing ! I think I'm an old fuddy duddy. A modern hairstyle but just silver. No nail varnish. But I love clothes.

[Mary]

Love it!

[Smilyn]

Thank you all! I get the most compliments on the combination featuring the purple back - but that doesn't necessarily mean it is my best look, though I do like it. Purple always draws attention. So far the mermaid green fringe is my favorite - no matter what it is with.

Huronna; it is temporary dye and fades with washes or visits to the pool (no; it doesn't turn green in chlorine.) I don't wash my hair every day, so I go about ten days before the fringe color looks uncomfortably faint in the mirror. That's when I dye it as the bald spot really starts to show. And I bought the Camp Shirt at a local resale shop (with a couple others) because it matched my hair, lol. I needed some new things as I have lost enough weight that what I wore last summer was falling off my shoulders or noticeably flapping at the waist.

Silk: it takes 30 minutes or less. I put Vaseline on my forehead, ears, and a general smear along my short cut rear hairline (by feel.) I apply color on the front section fairly carefully and generously. Then I apply the back. If it is a single color (like the purple) this is a very quick process, just making sure all is wet evenly. If I will have different colored "tips" in the back (mermaid look with green points on blue) It takes a few extra minutes, but not all that many. The dye will only fill the hair shaft once. This means I can grab bits of green dye (for instance) and "pinch" it onto the top of sections around the top (think grabbing tips here and there and rubbing fingers to wet them) - and after that process go right back over those wet green tips and color the whole top with denim (for instance) - and the tips will remain green even though they had denim layered on top of the green. Wait 20 minutes after the last dye and wash it all off till the water runs clear. The product is it's own shampoo. I use thin gloves (from the pandemic box,) and my fingers throughout.

An interesting thing is that the dye comes in tubes, like paint, and people can easily dye just one stripe for a bit of color, put the capped tube away and use it again another day. There are many colors. It's not going to last, so it's fun to try for a change. Lots of people swipe pink in here and there or one lock or across the front in October - supporting BC awareness. I have used PulpRiot colors and Ion Brights.