odds and ends

[susandennis]

Today is another day with no Must Do's. I like it.

I have 20 minutes left on my current book and I think I'll spend it with my water colors while I listen. The book is Breakers by Doug Johnstone. It's not part of a series so I have no clue which of the characters will live or die or really any idea what will happen. I'm enjoying the story and very invested in finding out.

I did start by Gallery On The Terrace yesterday.



We have a building phone entry system. There's a call box at the front door hooked to our phone numbers. You can look up my name and connect from there, my phone will ring and I can hit a button to unlock that front door. Except, it's broken. The phone company fucked up and 'are working to restore the system'. It's been out now a couple of weeks and the ETA is RSN. (That's an old development timeline that translates to the estimated time of arrival (of the fix) is Real Soon Now and means Don't hold your breath.)

I sat here and watched - on Front Door TV - all the poor delivery people trying to work the call box with no success. Finally, I suggested to the building manager that he at least put up a sign that says it's broken. Which he did. Promptly.

Now I sit here and watch the poor delivery people stop, read the sign and try the call box anyway. Over and over again. About 70% of the Amazon drivers, get it. They have a special code in their app that lets them right in but apparently 30% don't know it. The other biggies, UPS/FedEX/USPS all have no problems. And the sign is very simple and clear and suggests what to do instead. So it cracks me up that they read and ignore.

And in more condo bad news, now there's a backup of the kitchen plumbing somewhere between the unit above me and the two below. I just got a note not to use the sink or dishwasher. Plumber is on the way. Not a huge deal. It does appear as if using our disposals is going to have to end. They've been recommending for years that we don't. I hate the thought but feel like I should at least try to do my part. We have 30 year old plumbing that is codependant on all of us doing our part. I have ignored the request for years but I think it's time to step up my plumbing part.

I just ordered a new sink strainer and little baggies to capture the debris. Should be here today.

And another thing. I hate cat food cans. The cats eat Fancy Feast which comes in cans and I'm over cans. They also like the Fancy Feast Petites which are a pain in the ass to open but at least aren't cans. I've ordered some Meow Mix which comes in little cups. I doubt they will love it but, hey, worth a shot. Next up, pouches.

Our main Pride Parade (we actually have several - very proud, we are) is on Sunday. On Saturday, one of the Goodwill stores - not mine but another one - is having a DJ and three drag queens to help you pick out your duds to wear to the parade. I love this so much. While the rest of the world is saying NFW, we're saying No Such Thing As Too Much Rainbow!!

The Mariners are playing like the Mariners they have been for years - the only team to never ever play in a World Series. The Yankees suck this year but does that matter to us? Heck no! We can lose to them even in a bad year. Go us. And next, we play Baltimore which currently has one of the best records in baseball. We are fucked.

BUT this just means that if they keep this up, it means more Press Club people will drop out and make more spots available. I've been promised 40 games but I won't believe it until I see the bill. If the Mariner are even as good as last year, my chances go down, I think. But, even I like to see them win once in a while.

Comments

[spiffikins]

What are the non-Amazon peeps who don't have a magic code, being instructed to do? Is there someone they can call who will come let them in?

I have a disposal but I never use it - I finally just bought something like this - a plastic strainer doohicky that hangs on the divider wall in my sink - and lets me dump stuff into it, drain away the liquids and then dump the solids into my garbage can. Works a treat!

In theory we are supposed to stop putting any food waste in the garbage here - but we do not have any alternative location to put food waste - so mine continues to go in the garbage, until they issue me some wee little food scraps container and start picking up food waste separately!

I was reminded how annoying I find "food in pouches" this week - my Costco chicken curry stuff comes in pouches - and HOLY MOLY was that annoying to try to scrape out all the sauce! The pouch was very thin and didn't have a lot of structure to it, it might have been easier if it was thicker and more "solid" to be able to scrape against?

Did your seat neighbour from last week contact you about selling you tickets for your friends from NZ? I was slightly agog at the concept of buying MULTIPLE seats in the Press Club and then having them sit empty for multiple games - although I guess as a business they can just write it off as a marketing expense or something!

EDIT: I found the exact strainer thingy that I have - here although I didn't get a pack for $7.99, LOL - this is a better deal!

[susandennis]

that is a very cool solution. i'm hoping i can get by with just the sink drainer and mesh bags (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BRFP7CWF?ref=ppx_pt2_dt_b_prod_image). i can just dump it into the garbage container I already have just under the sink. (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B089WGNML5/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1)

i have not heard from matt BUT found a better? solution - next episode of SDHQ

[mollywheezy]

I LOVE the drag queens helping people shop for what to wear to Pride. That is awesome and sounds so fun! :)

[susandennis]

Doesn't it??? I haven't been to the Pride parade in several years. It's usually way too hot. But this makes me want to go get a drag queen outfit and then go! I won't but hey, fun to think about.

[msconduct]

I don't mind cans as they're so recyclable and I feel less guilty about creating so much waste, but what I really hate with Fancy Feast is trying to get the jelly out. It sticks in a circle all around the bottom and I'm scraping away at it (cause it's the best part) with my fork like a mofo while the cats are going nuts.

It would suck not being able to use a disposer. I try to limit how much I use mine, but if it goes wrong I really miss it. I like the sound of the strainer spiffikins uses though.

I'm way too embedded in IT - when I read "there's a backup of the kitchen plumbing" I was thinking wow, they have a backup for the plumbing? I wonder where they put it? Lol!

[susandennis]

yeah it's not going to be easy to transition to no disposal but i'm going to try.

i absolutely would have read that backup sentence just like you did! do they back up to an external drain? hahahahaha

[siglinde999]

At least you can recycle the cans. My cats have not been introduced to anything in pouches because the plastic bugs me so much. I really am an old hippie at heart.

I love the drag queens idea!