Minor things that bother you

[vdeane]

Ultimately I think a lot of my issues stem from the fact that my ideal place can probably be summed up as "exactly where I live now, except with good management/maintenance ..."

Yes, this is the problem.  Your list of non-negotiables is mind-bogglingly long, and your inflexibility on any number of normal life issues keeps you perpetually irritated.  I realize, of course, as you've mentioned, that these traits stem from underlying mental issues—such as OCD and OVS (Overactive Viatological Syndrome)—so there's only so much ability to overcome them.  But, still, I think that actively working on being more flexible and easy-going about everyday inconveniences would be healthy for you.

I think my ADHD is another big part.  My ability to force myself to be on time through sheer willpower has been declining over the years.  One of the reason why Stewart's is my place of choice for breakfast/lunch on those trips is because I'm inevitably running late on leaving (usually saying "I want to leave by noon" and actually leaving shortly after 12:30), so a place where I can just grab something from the warmer and have the whole thing take 15 minutes (including eating my food) is helpful.  Same for why I want to be able to just stop at DiBella's for a sub/cookie and Stewart's to top off my gas on the return - I'm probably running later than I'd prefer and taking the extra trip between when I get home (and unload/unpack, for overnight trips) and when the local news starts is the furthest thing from relaxing when there's a time crunch.  I used to vary it a bit more, back when I was better about these things.  And I got lunch at Panera Bread the one time I didn't have to leave until 2:00.

[Scott5114]

This Street View image caught a mailman delivering mail in that type of structure.

Incidentally, around here the newer single-family house neighborhoods still have individual mailboxes at the foot of the driveway.

Huh, for some reason I always thought they opened from the back. I don't know why I thought that, though. (Maybe because the one I used in Oklahoma faced the sidewalk so I figured it'd be easier for the mail carrier to fill it from the street side.)

I think another factor that leads USPS to choose this style of mail delivery is package theft. It's pretty common in Las Vegas, so most neighborhoods here have them.

I think my ADHD is another big part.  My ability to force myself to be on time through sheer willpower has been declining over the years.

The best thing I ever did for myself was get a job that's flexible enough that I can work at whatever time I happen to be able to work. Unfortunately, that has meant my patience for other people setting schedules I'm expected to adhere to (like doctor appointments) has dropped, too.

[kphoger]

I think another factor that leads USPS to choose this style of mail delivery is package theft.

Yes.  In our own neighborhood of 1950s houses, where each house has a mailbox mounted next to the front door, there's this seemingly random set of Cluster Box Units a block from our house.  I wondered why they installed it several years ago, but area theft is a good possibility.

[1995hoo]

This Street View image caught a mailman delivering mail in that type of structure.

Incidentally, around here the newer single-family house neighborhoods still have individual mailboxes at the foot of the driveway.

Huh, for some reason I always thought they opened from the back. I don't know why I thought that, though. (Maybe because the one I used in Oklahoma faced the sidewalk so I figured it'd be easier for the mail carrier to fill it from the street side.)

....

They do both. Our street used to have the same style you see in that Street View image, but they opened from the back and not from the front. We now have the style seen in this image, positioned similarly to the ones shown here, but they open from the front, so the mailman gets out of his truck, goes around to the sidewalk, and opens them to deliver the mail. This set further down that same street is what they look like from the front. Ours are in a somewhat larger housing than the ones seen in that last image.

[kphoger]

A program or site prompts you, "Don't ask me again?"
You select that option.
Literally the next time you open it, you get asked the same thing again.

"Remember me?"
Yes.
"Remember me?"
Yes.
......

[hbelkins]

It's not always just the parent who wants to avoid the nursing home.  Plenty of children don't want their parents sent there either and would rather take care of them as long as possible.

This is me. My dad voluntarily made the decision to leave his home and move to the state-run veterans nursing home two hours away. He had convinced himself he was unable to take care of himself after falling in his home a couple of times. I took him to have his medication changed (it was a medication conflict that was causing him to lose his balance) and took him to get a new artificial leg. Still, he quit driving and quit using his crutches and got around the house in his wheelchair and had me take him anywhere he needed to go.

I couldn't bring myself to take him to the nursing home. I was willing to go check on him every day, bring him his newspaper and his mail, bring him groceries, and do whatever else he needed. I ended up calling my brother, who lives 2 1/2 hours away, to come get him and take him. I just couldn't.

That was the week of Billy Riddle's wedding, which I attended.

He died in May 2010. The day of his burial, I left for the Akron-Canton road meet.

In the end, it was probably for the best. Within a year of his moving to the nursing home, he had some medical problems and ended up bedridden with a feeding tube, and something happened to his voice which left him very hard to understand.

[The_Ginger]

Here's a a strange thing happened to me yesterday

On Wednesday, I sent an E-Mail to the West Virginia Department of Transportation, as one does. I sent the E-Mail, and all was well. When I returned home yesterday, I checked my E-Mail, and got no response. I then noticed that I had a voicemail, and it was the response to my E-Mail.

My mail signature doesn't have my phone number on it, and although I never remember giving my phone number to these people, I could have entered it on the unrelated WVDOH Request for Road Work form. This means that WVDOT keeps profiles—from all their sources—on people who ask questions and submit their forms.

Kind of insane. I'm not too concerned about it though, because it's just a state transportation agency.

For those wondering, the question was the expected opening date of the Kerens to Parsons segment of Corridor H. It's tentatively scheduled for Memorial Day this year.

[CoreySamson]

(re: locking mailboxes)

My neighborhood also has one of these (in fact, they are everywhere in the Houston area). I don't really mind them too much, except for the fact that most people drive to pick up their mail and park in the street right in front of the mailbox, like this: https://maps.app.goo.gl/g7L3jkrHquoZGy2X9

[1995hoo]

Last night when I e-mailed my mother about the events at the White House Correspondents' Dinner, I referred to the hotel as the Hinckley Hilton, which is a somewhat common nickname for that particular hotel because it's the one where Hinckley shot Reagan in 1981.

My mother is by no means dumb. But her response was: "Strange that they would name a hotel after Hinckley."

[J N Winkler]

A program or site prompts you, "Don't ask me again?"

You select that option.

Literally the next time you open it, you get asked the same thing again.

"Remember me?"

Yes.

"Remember me?"

Yes.

......

In cases like these, I often find net logging shows that when I re-visit after a hiatus, the site often doesn't honor the cookie my browser (usually Firefox) has saved and instead forces issue of a new one through a transaction that looks a lot like login, except I avoid being prompted to supply a username and password.  I suspect this process breaks down with whatever browsers the site owners choose not to support fully.

[vdeane]

My washing machine's suds on the door problem got worse, so I tried running a clean cycle with an Affresh tablet, only for the cycle to abort 3/4 of the way through with an overflow error.  I've always had trouble with those clean cycles, but the last couple had run fine, so I had hoped that would be the new normal.  I guess not.  I wish I knew why it's prone to overflowing in clean cycles like that.

[kphoger]

People using the word 'poisonous' when they should say 'venomous' instead.

[Max Rockatansky]

People using the word 'poisonous' when they should say 'venomous' instead.

But this early PC voice line wouldn't have punched as hard if Cedric said "venomous."

[wxfree]

People using the word 'poisonous' when they should say 'venomous' instead.

But this early PC voice line wouldn't have punched as hard if Cedric said "venomous."

Is that snake poisonous?  If you eat the venom, and venom glands, is it harmful?

[Max Rockatansky]

People using the word 'poisonous' when they should say 'venomous' instead.

But this early PC voice line wouldn't have punched as hard if Cedric said "venomous."

Is that snake poisonous?  If you eat the venom, and venom glands, is it harmful?

To clarify, it is a POISONous snake. 

[kphoger]

If you eat the venom, and venom glands, is it harmful?

It depends on the specific animal, but typically no.  Well, on the other hand, that might be an unpleasant way to discover you have an ulcer...

[Scott5114]

People using the word 'poisonous' when they should say 'venomous' instead.

[hbelkins]

Isn't there a lizard that's both poisonous and venomous?

[vdeane]

The fact that when I microwave frozen vegetables, I get several burnt ones while several others are so cold that they're borderline frozen.  And then they cool down very fast - fast enough that the length of time between when they're cool enough to not burn my mouth and when they're cold enough to be a chore to finish is less than the time it takes to eat them.

[kphoger]

The fact that when I microwave frozen vegetables, I get several burnt ones while several others are so cold that they're borderline frozen.  And then they cool down very fast - fast enough that the length of time between when they're cool enough to not burn my mouth and when they're cold enough to be a chore to finish is less than the time it takes to eat them.

I've never experienced that with frozen vegetables.

We buy the steam-in-bag ones, then we let the bag sit in the microwave (after cooking!) for several minutes before opening.  Always just fine that way.  Stir in some butter and seasonings, and it's good to go.

[Scott5114]

The fact that when I microwave frozen vegetables, I get several burnt ones while several others are so cold that they're borderline frozen.  And then they cool down very fast - fast enough that the length of time between when they're cool enough to not burn my mouth and when they're cold enough to be a chore to finish is less than the time it takes to eat them.

Try experimenting with your microwave's power level. Look at the instructions to see if they call out a certain wattage and then compare that to the wattage of your microwave (which is normally printed inside the door somewhere). That information can help you discover if you're over- or under-nuking it. You can also try something like half power for twice as long; cooking at lower heat for longer normally makes everything come out better regardless of the cook method.

[kphoger]

And if you're not nuking it in the bag, but rather dumping it into a bowl first, then I sure hope you're stirring it halfway through.

[J N Winkler]

The fact that when I microwave frozen vegetables, I get several burnt ones while several others are so cold that they're borderline frozen.  And then they cool down very fast - fast enough that the length of time between when they're cool enough to not burn my mouth and when they're cold enough to be a chore to finish is less than the time it takes to eat them.

Try experimenting with your microwave's power level. Look at the instructions to see if they call out a certain wattage and then compare that to the wattage of your microwave (which is normally printed inside the door somewhere). That information can help you discover if you're over- or under-nuking it. You can also try something like half power for twice as long; cooking at lower heat for longer normally makes everything come out better regardless of the cook method.

I endorse all of these suggestions.  I routinely reheat soup for lunch at half power for double the time, and it nearly always comes out heated all the way through at a consistent temperature.

When an assumed power rating is not stated in the microwaving directions on prepackaged food, it is usually 1000 W.  I adjust time and power level as needed for my microwave, whose nameplate gives 1.58 kW.

I also suggest buying a microwave lid and using it with anything not already covered by foil or film--the lid is much easier to clean than the inside of the microwave.

[kphoger]

"per say"

"ect."

"for all intensive purposes"

[Max Rockatansky]

When people pronounce "applicable" incorrectly, especially in presentations (like the one I'm currently watching).