The Patio

[blueroadster]

I initially understood and agreed with the concept of an HOA over 15 years ago. I abided but when I sold my previous home about 5 years ago, they slammed me with design violations simply because they lost approved paperwork that I submitted to have a storm door added and 10x10 patio added in the rear of the home. The violation letter was sent to me 2 days before closing which required me to unpack a trailer of our crap to locate the approval documents to send back to the HOA to correct their records so I could close on the house. After that experience, I made sure that my future home purchases would never be in an area that requires an HOA.

 

[nasa1974]

I couldn't live in an HOA development. I proudly fly the American flag on a 25 foot flagpole every day. NO ONE BUT NO ONE will tell me I can't fly that flag everyday.

 

[PessOptimist]

Well gee, last post was about HOAs. Another great idea gone bad in some places due to???

This evening while playing poker a couple things came up in chat that I feel I should bore you with. Delete now if you wish.

Why do I know some Latin words?

Travels in Wyoming.

I know some Latin words due to the fact I took Latin classes in high school. And I pay attention to media and married a legal secretary. And everyone should know some words as they are part of our everyday lives.

Why did I take Latin classes in high school? I went to a private high school. Before you make your opinion, you have to know the high school existed as a private school when the state and local governments decreed compulsory education. Being frugal (aka cheap) local towns decided it was more fiscally responsible to pay tuition to this academy than to build high schools. In the time since I graduated it has been absorbed by school districts. Thus, I am ever stuck with the stigma of having attended a private school.

The curriculum paths offered in 1967 were General, Home Economics, Industrial Arts and College Preparatory. No extra courses allowed! Social pressures too but the only math course worth anything beyond elementary school was Algebra I which was only offered to college prep. So there I was taking Algebra I, English, Latin I, French I and Civics. During my Senior year things were freed up a little, I was allowed to take Mechanical Drawing as an elective. Socially that was great as I got to know a bunch of the Industrial Arts students and they me. We knew each other socially maybe but…

Wyoming. Years ago, my wife gave me permission to take my dog and go east. Went to PA where my son and DIL lived and met my brother there. On the trip out some ******* stole my AZ license plate at a motel in IN. The dog tried to tell me but I ignored her. I drove from IN to PA with a side trip to a former place in OH with no plate. No one seemed to care. In PA I was advised by local police to print the license plate number on a sheet of paper and tape it inside the back window. I also got a notice from the PA State police that my plate had been found in Utah so I must have lost it. Never went through Utah on the trip so far. Brother and I drove back west. After visiting IA to see wife’s grandparents former house and graves, brother really wanted to drive. So, OK he drove back roads from IA to WY where we got on some US highway. Brother liked the old pickup and it’s love of cruising about 80. WY trooper pulled him over for undetermined reason, presumably excessive speed. As he was pulling over, I got registration documents and insurance proof out of the glove compartment. WY trooper after asking usual questions seemed somewhat amused by they whole story and didn’t seem to care about the missing license plate. He did warn my brother about excessive speed and advise about routes to UT. No ticket. On to SLC.

FWIW reported plate stolen and got a new one.

PO

 

[nasa1974]

Just something to talk about. I took Latin as a freshman in high school. Thought it would be easy since I was an alterboy and had the Mass memorized in Latin. PPfffff!! It didn't help much and I barely passed that dead language. I can still pronounce most of the words in song, but couldn't tell you what most of the words mean. Anyway I digress back 50+ years.

Stay safe and healthy

 

[DreamboatAnnie]

Hi... wow PO, no wonder you didn't answer my question last night about why you took Latin! Lol... just was curious why you took that as opposed to any other language. But you have greatly redeemed yourself by stating you took French! So did I!... I love certain things French.... like French wine, French fries, French kissing... etc...oh yeah... I guess the fries really don't count, but I still love them. ..lol…:laugh: ...now I am wondering bout the Kissing...

PS. I actually respect your taking Latin...congrats to you and NASA.:smile:

 

[Scout333]

Just something to talk about. I took Latin as a freshman in high school. Thought it would be easy since I was an alterboy and had the Mass memorized in Latin. PPfffff!! It didn't help much and I barely passed that dead language. I can still pronounce most of the words in song, but couldn't tell you what most of the words mean. Anyway I digress back 50+ years.

Stay safe and healthy

My dad had the best Latin quote. Latin is a dead language as dead as it can be. It once killed a Roman and now it's killing me! LOL

 

[PessOptimist]

My dad had the best Latin quote. Latin is a dead language as dead as it can be. It once killed a Roman and now it's killing me! LOL

LOL! A fellow student recited that or something very close in class. He got sent to the office which was a really big deal in those days usually involving parental interactions. "Magister" as we were required to call him, was not amused. We were called "discipuli" Every day "Salve Magister, salve discipuli". Then on to declining nouns like farmer and friend. We always enjoyed the accusative plural of friend which we pronounced "I'm a kitty ass". Amicitia=friend in Latin. Now my head truly hurts with these ancient memories that I should have purged years ago.

PO

 

[PessOptimist]

Thought about posting this in 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) thread. Then thought why bother to add to the rumors and unsubstantiated theories. Like Gin and Tonic being a cure maybe if taken with the right other drug in the right quantity.

On other social media a statement was made that young children are immune to this but are carriers. No one ever stated how young. The unsaid implication was these critters should be rounded up and isolated.

Turns out on 3/3/20 an on line doctor said it was a mystery why young children (again no ages mentioned) were not showing symptoms and he hypothesized that they could still infect people. A different on line doctor stated it was a mystery but young children could infect people, therefore were carriers.

Thought I would share this in an appropriate setting, like a patio where alcohol is being consumed. So, stay away from those grand children and consider putting them somewhere so you will be safe.

As of 5pm today AZ is under a mandatory stay at home order which seems exactly like the suggested stay at home order except now it can be enforced if necessary.

Just use some common sense and don’t take unnecessary risks. Like going out to look for a fresh herb because the dried one in that little bottle just won’t do.

PO

 

[Stoplight]

...so I'm sitting on the Patio, drinking Yuengling beer and pondering life in general...an interesting juxtaposition in our life today :

We're retired ; in our mid to late 60's...concerned about a friend of the Wife, who is in her mid-to-late 70's, no local Family, and lives by herself. We reached out to her the other day, and asked how she was doing, and if there was anything she needed, or if we could do anything for her. Her response ?

"No thanks...doing just fine, have all I need. Thanks for asking, and thinking of me ! Love you both..."

So that made us feel good....

Fast forward to today : I go out to get the mail, and our neighbor Wife, mother of a young family, across the street, (who we barely know !) was out with her Kids, in the driveway, blowing off steam !!! We exchanged chit-chat, and then she asked me : "Are you guys doing okay ? Do you need anything ? Can we do anything for you ?"

OMG ! We reach out to a Friend, and another neighbor reaches out to US !!!

I was conflicted...my first thought was "Hell no, we don't need your help ! We're not "old"...we're reaching out to help "old people" !!!"...but then it struck me : Here is a person who is doing EXACTLY what WE did !!! She was reaching out, and offering help, to US !!!

Made me really pause, and restored my faith, in the basic "goodness" of people...I appreciate her reaching out to us, just like we did !!!

Who says "you can't teach an old dog new tricks" ???


Stoplight...

 

[rangerray]

I can kinda, sorta remember when anybody over 40 looked old. :smile: Old age is just a number.

 

[PessOptimist]

Sitting on the patio. About 106° now. A balmy AZ day. Big doings here today. Bug sprayer came by for semi annual eradication. Neighborhood Association contractor came by to mask the wall in prep for painting their fence. They painted my neighbor’s and disappeared. It is about quitting time.

Went to pick up wife’s scrips a while ago and while out thought it was a good reason to pick up other necessary things. Thinking my strategy through for going to a store. Wear mask, wear gloves. Put credit card you will use in pocket. Of course, credit card is contaminated unless you take off a glove. Pocket is contaminated when you put credit card back. Go to car, set merchandise down, remove one glove in approved method and use key to enter vehicle. Open doors with gloved hand. More on that later. Place merchandise in car with gloved hand. Enter car, remove remaining glove using approved method, drop gloves on floor. First glove was in palm or fingers of second. Use key to start car. Think about credit card. Take wipe you put out as part of plan only to find it dry as a bone. Take wipe out of package to clean credit card. Wonder if wipe package was contaminated. Wipe package and hands. Think about shirt pocket now being a hot spot. Think about “Troubles” song by Ray LaMontagne. Pick up mail. Only touch with one hand and go home. Leave mail on floor of car to “decontaminate” for a while. Try to figure out what may be cross contaminated before you open the door to the house. Go inside, wash hands thoroughly, spray down door knobs thoroughly, spray down mail on floor, spray down beer container and have faith cans are likely not contaminated.

I tried eliminating the step about having to touch the car key by leaving it unlocked a few days ago. I found a very confused lady sitting in my car with a key in her hand looking around probably thinking “WTF”. I was nice I thought and asked if I could help her and if she would like to buy the car. I think she was getting ready to mace or taze me. Her car was the next one over. Many small white sedans look the same these days. She got in to her car and sped off, likely thinking I was to blame somehow.

The door handle thing is because of something I have known for a while and observed today from the convenience store. The denizens of the parking lot will always check to see if you locked your doors. Some times before you get far away but usually after you are inside the establishment. So, assume all door handles have been touched by someone else.

I was lucky that on the day I left it unlocked it was a confused citizen and not a person of ill intent. I am probably lucky she didn’t attack me for asking why she was in my car.

Neighbors and vendors are asking if we are OK. We are asking if they are OK. Seems like we may all care about each other even if we are not close.

PO

 

[DreamboatAnnie]

But wait PO.... your in big trouble! You forgot to wipe the bottom of your shoes with Clorox wipes before you stepped into car, and wiping down inside of car after that Lady got out..... plus did you remember to strip down as soon as you walked in, preferably in laundry room, to discard your clothes so they could be washed in hot water before you got too far into the house??? Gosh I hope your washing machine is near the back door or garage... I am very worried about you! Are you OK???? :worried: Please remember to wash you hands and wipe down the keyboard before you log in to play poker with me on Sunday... don't forget!!!!!

 

[PessOptimist]

But wait PO.... your in big trouble! You forgot to wipe the bottom of your shoes with Clorox wipes before you stepped into car, and wiping down inside of car after that Lady got out..... plus did you remember to strip down as soon as you walked in, preferably in laundry room, to discard your clothes so they could be washed in hot water before you got too far into the house??? Gosh I hope your washing machine is near the back door or garage... I am very worried about you! Are you OK????

Please remember to wash you hands and wipe down the keyboard before you log in to play poker with me on Sunday...

don't forget!!!!!

Thanks for your concerns DBA. (should that be dBA, I am a techy person) How is everything on the Little Ship of Dreams?

Before I go any further, lest some concerned person become concerned, I do take this whole Covid-19 thing very seriously. I believe dBA does as well. We do however need some banter and snappy repartee.

We may be poking some fun at attempts to avoid infection but you can only do so much. Like all of you, we are trying. The last advice I found from supposed experts is that wearing gloves will not help. I have always felt “yuck” when entering that phone number/zip code on the keypad or touching the gas pump nozzle. I may continue to use food handlers gloves when getting gas or playing the VIP or club game with grocery stores. At the gas pump you can put your card in with your bare hand and do the key pad with a gloved hand. The card reader is likely a hot bed of disease and may have a skimmer in it. You could go cash only but have to deal with a cashier and cash is filthy. You can demand irradiated sanitized cash from the bank but the teller will touch it when counting it out to you. Then you have to buy gas in even amounts only so how do you figure out how dismal your mpg is?

I digress. Annie, I have become lazy. I was so bemused about this lady and the fact she seemed so alarmed, I neglected to sanitize the entire car. Did not wipe off the soles of my shoes and yup, that parking lot is filthy.

Some things I have read suggest this virus does not like heat. I hope that is true. After 10 minutes in the sun at an ambient temp of 106°F maybe it all died? Us Arizonidians are hoping this is true. Time will tell. New case numbers are up but testing is also up. 10 minutes when it is 106°F supposedly is about 125°F in the car. Feels good. It’s a dry heat, humidity around 6%.

Back to dBA. The washer and dryer are right at the door to the garage. I would wash my “cheapers” with my clothes on the “sanitize" cycle. The painters were in the back yard and the blinds were open. They might have found seeing me naked amusing at first but I had to think of their mental health. I did not want them thinking “¿Es así como me vería cuando sea viejo?” for the rest of the day.

OK I will spray down the lap top with disinfectant before I log on. My deceased lap top didn’t like it much when I did that so I may not be at the game Sunday.

EVERYONE reading this please stay well and be as careful as you can.

PO

 

[PessOptimist]

Sitting on the patio contemplating things. Things are a little screwed up. We all must cope.

Cooled off to about 105 here though the dew point is still in the 60s so “it’s a dry heat” doesn’t apply so much today. Watched some beautifully promisingly looking thunder heads as we used to call them dissipate into nothing as per usual lately. Monsoon is supposed to be from 6/15 to 9/30 and so far we have .13” of rain. Cumulonimbus clouds I think, there are a couple weather guys on here who will correct me if they feel the need.

I noticed the amount of increase in my G fund holdings decreased. Actually, its fluctuating every other day. Not sure how TSP figures this. Found that the current interest rate for G fund is .625%. Surprised me as on 8/3/20 the TSP.gov site stated .75%. With the .043% admin fees that makes the rate .58%. There are 6 month IRA CDs paying twice that. But for the hassle involved the few bucks gained wouldn’t be worth it.

Happy Thursday everyone and good luck with investments and dealing with our current lives.

PO

 

[PessOptimist]

Happy Saturday evening everyone.

How about that market? Enough said.

It’s about 102°F on my patio. Another week in the books. Slowly working on some projects.

News from my neck of the woods: many people have visited here campaigning. The most disruptive was VP Pence yesterday. Locked down all roads for a while. No skin off any part of me but SO (SWMBO) was late for her pedicure appointment. I asked if it would change her vote in November. She has little appreciation of my sense of humor. Security is what it is going to be and I am so glad I have no part in it.

Looking around at news coverage, I noticed that when the VP exited his aircraft, the two AF personnel were SSgts (E-5s). I believe most photos I have seen of POTUS show E-9s or maybe E-8s. Just noticed.

Traffic got back to normal a few hours later when the VP flew off to Yuma MCAS to have dinner with his son who is a Marine Corp officer. I do wonder where they had dinner and what disruptions it caused.

In case any of you are thinking this is political, yes it is. It would apply to whoever was POTUS or VP. So maybe non partisan political?

How’s you Saturday going?

PO

 

[nnuut]

We will not ARGUE about politics. I know it's hard but we just can't start that again.

 

[PessOptimist]

Took me a while to find the patio. I swear their used to be a home repairs thread under the lounge or miscellaneous. Whatever.

Happy Friday. Couldn’t sleep so thought a beverage and computer time might help. Making me more awaker.

Grand kids coming to visit! SO seems to believe new patio furniture and disposing of many years of unused stuff is needed. OK. Why the term SWMBO exists.

“fully assembled” furniture comes in a flat box with “some assembly required”. OK. Biggest problem was one piece came with no threads in the insert. Got a replacement. Other minor annoyance is questions about why it takes me so long. The holes and threaded inserts on the highly crafted products rarely line up even if you leave the bolts loose. Takes some physical persuasion. I like to get the bolts started right before tightening.
Not all agree. I was asked today by SO why I didn’t use a power tool. I asked why and was told everyone says just jam them in and tighten as much as possible. Guess next time I work on an engine I will invite these people over to install the cylinder heads and manifolds.

OK I am complaining. TSP ain’t doin so great either. Taking money out to meet SOs expenses. Trying to keep a little in C and S to offset that. Not working so well so far this year. Should start receiving 70 yo SS in June. More than offsets TSP withdrawal. Bet is that SO will not want TSP withdrawal reduced or stopped. Probably have to get signed notarized for to do that, haven’t checked yet.

Happy weekend to you all and please post on the patio even if you don’t have one.

PO

 

[nnuut]

I know what you mean. Spring has sprung and it's almost time to open the Swimming pool. Had to wait until all of the leaves and pollen have stopped falling and the pool water is still COLD! Needs to be over 55 degrees for my Chlorine generator to work, so I wait. It was 38 degrees last night, one step at a time!