Minor things that bother you

[Max Rockatansky]

If she is as attached to the flavor of the pizza and wings as she seems to be, ...

If I've learned anything about |vdeane| on this forum, it's that deviating from the usual food routine is almost unthinkable.  And other routines, too.  This is something that the rest of us, non-spectrum, type folks have a hard time understanding.

Breaking up a routine I've often found  to be a healthy exercise.  But I'm speaking from the perspective as someone who is one of the non-spectrum members. 

Speaking of flavor preservation, pretty much any form of reheating seems to water it down.  My wife gets upset sometimes when she sees me eating cold leftovers.  I've found that it is the best way to preserve the original flavor from when the food was cooked.   

[Scott5114]

If she is as attached to the flavor of the pizza and wings as she seems to be, ...

If I've learned anything about |vdeane| on this forum, it's that deviating from the usual food routine is almost unthinkable.  And other routines, too.  This is something that the rest of us, non-spectrum, type folks have a hard time understanding.

Breaking up a routine I've often found  to be a healthy exercise.  But I'm speaking from the perspective as someone who is one of the non-spectrum members. 

I make Tuna Helper every Sunday. It's the same kind of Tuna Helper my mom made when I was a kid, and nowhere in Oklahoma still sells it, but it's readily available in Las Vegas. Renee hates that I do this. She hates the smell. She calls it "nasty tuna" and has pleaded with me to never have nasty tuna when she is at home. So I oblige; I wait for her to go to work on Sunday and make it while she's gone.

It's turned into this whole deal. Nasty Tuna Sunday™. Or NTS. I have a whole logo in mind and everything, but I haven't actually drawn it up (it's gonna be the San Diego MTS logo, but with fish instead of sun rays).

But I have a very good reason for the existence of NTS. See, my ADHD makes me put off doing anything that sucks; my brain locks up to try and prevent the irrational perceived trauma of having to do a boring task like...the dishes. So they pile up and never get done. However...cooking nasty tuna requires me to be in the kitchen to stir the thing pretty frequently. So I can't just fuck off upstairs while it cooks. And since I'm required to be in the kitchen right next to the sink for thirty minutes or so anyway... Hey, perfect time to do the dishes!

And so that's the real reason for NTS. And as soon as the dishes are done, as a reward I get to eat delicious nasty tuna, so I have all the motivation I need to get the dishes done.

Ain't neurodivergence fun?

[1995hoo]

(Pizza and wing discussion)

Why don't you just buy them today and save them and reheat them tomorrow night?

If she is as attached to the flavor of the pizza and wings as she seems to be, I would imagine reheating would make the flavor profile different enough that it wouldn't satisfy the craving.

I guess it's a question of whether partial satisfaction (having the desired food but perhaps with a somewhat different flavor) is better or worse than having a complete routine disruption (not having the desired food at all). That, of course, is vdeane's problem to resolve. I'm not that much of a creature of routine and I've had some reheated foods over the years that I thought were quite delicious, but then I had one roommate in college who flat-out refused to eat leftover pizza at all.

[vdeane]

Honestly, I considered it for a second, but I'm not used to leftovers and figuring out how to reheat a whole pizza or wings seemed like more effort than it would have been to just buy one of their frozen ones and get wings from the prepared foods of the grocery store.  That ran into the fact that I'm not sure if my possibly non-stick baking sheet is safe for a pizza cutter... but that's a thought for the next time a holiday falls on a Saturday.  But largely I'm shocked that there's still so much internet uncertainty about all this.  When this happened on New Year's 2022, the businesses with holiday hours specified was at least half.  This time, it's less than 10% (most of them north of the Mohawk River and closed, interestingly enough).

[interstatefan990]

If you haven't already done so, I would try reheating things in the air fryer. I know it's a bit of a craze these days, but I've reheated both whole pizza slices and wings in there, and I find that it restores enough of the original flavor and texture to where it's perfectly enjoyable as a leftover.

[Max Rockatansky]

My wife wants me to fix her seventeen year old dresser that is now shedding hardware parts.  I could probably fix it with extra parts from the new shed.  Although, two decades seems to be a lot of mileage for a dresser and it likely would be easier to assemble something brand new.  We hang onto old and failing things around the house way too much IMO. 

[1995hoo]

If you haven't already done so, I would try reheating things in the air fryer. I know it's a bit of a craze these days, but I've reheated both whole pizza slices and wings in there, and I find that it restores enough of the original flavor and texture to where it's perfectly enjoyable as a leftover.

We don't have an air fryer, so we use the toaster oven (set to "reheat") for warming up leftover pizza and it works quite well. The "reheat" setting uses fewer coils than the "bake" setting to avoid drying things out.

Honestly, I considered it for a second, but I'm not used to leftovers and figuring out how to reheat a whole pizza or wings seemed like more effort than it would have been to just buy one of their frozen ones and get wings from the prepared foods of the grocery store.  That ran into the fact that I'm not sure if my possibly non-stick baking sheet is safe for a pizza cutter... but that's a thought for the next time a holiday falls on a Saturday.  But largely I'm shocked that there's still so much internet uncertainty about all this.  When this happened on New Year's 2022, the businesses with holiday hours specified was at least half.  This time, it's less than 10% (most of them north of the Mohawk River and closed, interestingly enough).

Regarding cutting, transfer it to a cutting board or a pizza stone.

Regarding holidays, I think July 4 is widely considered to be on a higher level as a day off than New Year's, and I think part of that is that almost every retailer, restaurant, etc., is closed one week before New Year's for Christmas such that they probably don't want to close again, whereas there isn't a comparable situation for July 4 (the new June 19 holiday doesn't seem to have impacted retail at all).

[wxfree]

The fourth of July

No other holiday is like that.  Not the first of January, the twenty-fifth of December, or the fourth Thursday of November.  It's like we established one of the highest of holidays and never gave it a name, so we just call it the date.  We should call it the Declaration of Independence Day, or something like that, maybe something a little shorter.

[Scott5114]

We should call it the Declaration of Independence Day, or something like that, maybe something a little shorter.

Oh, I know of something that's a little shorter than "Declaration of Independence Day"! How about "Fourth of July"?

[Max Rockatansky]

We should call it the Declaration of Independence Day, or something like that, maybe something a little shorter.

Oh, I know of something that's a little shorter than "Declaration of Independence Day"! How about "Fourth of July"?

A certain movie in 1996 solved this awhile back:



They even had a shorter version for you physical media enthusiasts:

[Scott5114]

When I was a kid we had a copy of Mad Magazine parodying that movie. Their parody was titled "It's Depends Day".

[vdeane]

Regarding cutting, transfer it to a cutting board or a pizza stone.

Regarding holidays, I think July 4 is widely considered to be on a higher level as a day off than New Year's, and I think part of that is that almost every retailer, restaurant, etc., is closed one week before New Year's for Christmas such that they probably don't want to close again, whereas there isn't a comparable situation for July 4 (the new June 19 holiday doesn't seem to have impacted retail at all).

That's a good thought.  I might have to revisit that, as it appears that any contingency plans I might have made are gonna get rained out.  This afternoon's storms are coming a few hours late.

The fourth of July

No other holiday is like that.  Not the first of January, the twenty-fifth of December, or the fourth Thursday of November.  It's like we established one of the highest of holidays and never gave it a name, so we just call it the date.  We should call it the Declaration of Independence Day, or something like that, maybe something a little shorter.

I thought the official name was Independence Day?  Fourth of July is just what people use informally.  Which is interesting, because it's the only date where I can think of it being more common to refer to it like that, even though such is the norm in other countries (hence why day/month/year is common and the US is the only country I can think of using month/day/year).  Usually we'll say something like July 3rd or July 5th, but for the 4th, it's the fourth of July.

[I-57/Route 66 Fan]

Is there a highway form of this thread?

[The_Ginger]

Is there a highway form of this thread?

No, as far as I'm concerned. This is just a catch-all for everything minor that bothers you.

[I-57/Route 66 Fan]

Is there a highway form of this thread?

No, as far as I'm concerned. This is just a catch-all for everything minor that bothers you.

OK, in that case drive-thrus at service plaza fast food places.

[wxfree]

The fourth of July

No other holiday is like that.  Not the first of January, the twenty-fifth of December, or the fourth Thursday of November.  It's like we established one of the highest of holidays and never gave it a name, so we just call it the date.  We should call it the Declaration of Independence Day, or something like that, maybe something a little shorter.

I thought the official name was Independence Day?  Fourth of July is just what people use informally.  Which is interesting, because it's the only date where I can think of it being more common to refer to it like that, even though such is the norm in other countries (hence why day/month/year is common and the US is the only country I can think of using month/day/year).  Usually we'll say something like July 3rd or July 5th, but for the 4th, it's the fourth of July.

That's a bit of a joke.  My humor can be a little subtle.  I suggested "Declaration of Independence Day" or something like that, maybe a little shorter, referring to the actual name of it.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

Regarding holidays, I think July 4 is widely considered to be on a higher level as a day off than New Year's, and I think part of that is that almost every retailer, restaurant, etc., is closed one week before New Year's for Christmas such that they probably don't want to close again.

I think the way people generally celebrate these two holidays is also very different. July 4 tends to lean toward being much more family-oriented where people often celebrate with loved ones at home and/or at some kind of community gatherings where they're not spending as much money on the holiday itself. NYE is much more focused on people going out in the evening and spending money on dinners and drinks.

[Scott5114]

When I worked at Burger King, I remember July 4 was so dead I kind of wondered why we were open at all. One of the kitchen guys brought a thing of Black Cats and he and the other guy back there spent most of the shift out in the parking lot blowing up tomatoes.

[JayhawkCO]

[words...]

Ma'am. Just call them on the phone. Yes, it sucks and is less convenient than Google Maps, but it's not anywhere near as inconvenient as the other stuff you mentioned.

I promise you "What are your hours on X day?" is a perfectly normal query for a customer service person to get over the phone. Boomers do this all the time. As you are a polite and normal person, I can't imagine anyone there will be perturbed by you asking. And if they are, that's a them problem.

My family and I drove from Aurora to Thermopolis, Wyoming today and stopped for lunch in Laramie. We searched for restaurants on Google and lots said 'Open' but weren't in reality. I searched one last place and my wife said she'd just call to see if they were open. They didn't answer. Then we ended up driving by the place on the way to just grab fast food and they were in fact open. But since they were one the of the few that was open, the host was too busy to answer. So calling doesn't always work either.

[vdeane]

Regarding cutting, transfer it to a cutting board or a pizza stone.

Regarding holidays, I think July 4 is widely considered to be on a higher level as a day off than New Year's, and I think part of that is that almost every retailer, restaurant, etc., is closed one week before New Year's for Christmas such that they probably don't want to close again, whereas there isn't a comparable situation for July 4 (the new June 19 holiday doesn't seem to have impacted retail at all).

That's a good thought.  I might have to revisit that, as it appears that any contingency plans I might have made are gonna get rained out.  This afternoon's storms are coming a few hours late.

Scratch that, it turns out the grocery store was selling wings with BBQ sauce, not Buffalo sauce.  So much for that.  Given that my burger/ice cream plans got rained out (as both places were outdoors), and for want of any other options, I had no choice but to order from Domino's, so this evening featured some of the saddest, weirdest tasting wings I've ever had in my life, and the pizza wasn't great either (this whole meal was hardly worth the calories).  I don't think I've ever had a more disappointing fourth.  I feel like most people can make something of a day they don't have the information to plan in advance, or be able to salvage things when stuff doesn't go according to plan (such as the rain that was supposed to arrive at 2 and be gone by evening instead arriving at 6), but sadly, I'm not able to.  Instead everything falls apart.

[words...]

Ma'am. Just call them on the phone. Yes, it sucks and is less convenient than Google Maps, but it's not anywhere near as inconvenient as the other stuff you mentioned.

I promise you "What are your hours on X day?" is a perfectly normal query for a customer service person to get over the phone. Boomers do this all the time. As you are a polite and normal person, I can't imagine anyone there will be perturbed by you asking. And if they are, that's a them problem.

My family and I drove from Aurora to Thermopolis, Wyoming today and stopped for lunch in Laramie. We searched for restaurants on Google and lots said 'Open' but weren't in reality. I searched one last place and my wife said she'd just call to see if they were open. They didn't answer. Then we ended up driving by the place on the way to just grab fast food and they were in fact open. But since they were one the of the few that was open, the host was too busy to answer. So calling doesn't always work either.

Plus it would be a lot of calling, between trying every place to see if they're open, and then trying to find one that can do my order, since I get a smaller diameter pizza and lower quantity of wings than is typically offered (pizza takeout is meant for families and social events, not individuals, sadly).  At one point after it became clear that places weren't going to tell Google what they were doing for the holiday, I just started checking out the menus for all of them, and I went through at least 20, only found one that could do my order, and they had a Facebook post saying they were closed.

EDIT: This might be an Albany problem.  It occurred to me if the combination of "pizza and wings" might be more regional than I had assumed, so just for shits and giggles, I decided to poke around Rochester pizza places to see if there was a difference, and it's like night and day!  It's much easier to find places that can do my order in Rochester.  Proximity to Buffalo means that Rochester has the same wing culture, while proximity to NYC means that Albany has the same "pizza by the slice" culture (even if people from downstate would insist that we don't have good pizza).

[hbelkins]

Unless you know somebody who knows somebody who knows somebody at Google, individual facility operators have no way of contacting them with updated hours, phone numbers, or other specific information.

Source: Me, who tried in vain for months to get Google/Waze to change an incorrect phone number for the Junior Williamson Rest Area on the Mountain Parkway because they had my work cell phone listed instead of the actual phone number for the rest area.

[vdeane]

Unless you know somebody who knows somebody who knows somebody at Google, individual facility operators have no way of contacting them with updated hours, phone numbers, or other specific information.

Source: Me, who tried in vain for months to get Google/Waze to change an incorrect phone number for the Junior Williamson Rest Area on the Mountain Parkway because they had my work cell phone listed instead of the actual phone number for the rest area.

In that case, I'm not sure where they'd get things like "confirmed by business 12 weeks ago" under the hours, or the photos in the "by owner" category.  Granted, I'm not sure who they would consider the "owner" of a rest area - probably someone in your central office, given that I doubt Google knows or cares about DOT org charts.

[Scott5114]

Unless you know somebody who knows somebody who knows somebody at Google, individual facility operators have no way of contacting them with updated hours, phone numbers, or other specific information.

Source: Me, who tried in vain for months to get Google/Waze to change an incorrect phone number for the Junior Williamson Rest Area on the Mountain Parkway because they had my work cell phone listed instead of the actual phone number for the rest area.

In that case, I'm not sure where they'd get things like "confirmed by business 12 weeks ago" under the hours, or the photos in the "by owner" category.  Granted, I'm not sure who they would consider the "owner" of a rest area - probably someone in your central office, given that I doubt Google knows or cares about DOT org charts.

I think there's some sort of completely separate Google Business doohickey you're supposed to register for that handles that sort of thing. I sometimes get emails from them before holidays urging me to enter holiday hours for Signs By Jake that I just delete—we're a website, why would our hours change for the holiday?

[vdeane]

I think there's some sort of completely separate Google Business doohickey you're supposed to register for that handles that sort of thing. I sometimes get emails from them before holidays urging me to enter holiday hours for Signs By Jake that I just delete—we're a website, why would our hours change for the holiday?

Where would a website even have hours listed?  Granted, I've been using Startpage as of late, so I don't know what Google pulls up when you search for something.

[Scott5114]

I think there's some sort of completely separate Google Business doohickey you're supposed to register for that handles that sort of thing. I sometimes get emails from them before holidays urging me to enter holiday hours for Signs By Jake that I just delete—we're a website, why would our hours change for the holiday?

Where would a website even have hours listed?  Granted, I've been using Startpage as of late, so I don't know what Google pulls up when you search for something.

That made me wonder if we ended up on Google Maps somehow, so I checked. Nothing came up; it returned a result for YESCO (the company that maintains the Welcome to Las Vegas sign) instead.

I guess whatever sort of Google Business doohickey is sending these has a non-map directory too. I can't imagine that gets used too often.