Friday Ferrari or Ford Fiesta?

[Nancy]

Lucy L. I agree with LM on the paperwork placement.
I am so glad I put the new flowers in the planters in the plant cage bc of the frost we got
a more protected place for now!

I was up several hrs in the nite no surprise bc of the caffeinated diet cola I had too late yesterday, but I had a plan got to the floors & vacuumed
before I turned in. When I was up I got the 5 gal paint bucket cleaned peeled dry paint out of it and set it on the steps in the carport it was a quick and way easier task than wet paint! Yea got the trash out as well.

Then went back to bed and slept in till my alarm at 8 for Rx went off.
So far I've done qt & journaled.
Mixed up a loaf of bread & it is raising.
Had bfast.
Frost in the nite 55*f. is our hi today it is not breezy so that is a bonus.
boiled eggs
put boiling water in drains
got dressed.
made bed
do morning stretching while it is still morning would be a bonus! LOL! Yea success it's done.

----->

Peeled eggs.
Lunch in a bit I have a plan.
Bread is done oatmeal bread is very tasty.
I have half of my steps done just past noon.
Went to a yd sale got a covered dish for potlucks or family gatherings that do not have to be returned.
Walked some early b/c weather is coming in it looks like.
Drat noticed my watch crystal has broken and I've only had this one since Feb.
oh well I can think about the blue one I was looking at.

Floors have been mopped yea!
I got another area of leaves picked up I put under the big tree out front in the fall it killed the grass like I had hoped it would for
easier mowing and I got my steps in!

Tuna salad san on home made bread was delightful for my dinner!
Waving good to hear a ci from Dee before she leaves for up North destination.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Just settling down before my nap.

WAAAAYYYY behind now (90 minutes.) I took dh with me to the store and that slowed me down appreciably more. It was painfully obvious to me how slowly he's moving these day. I heard him mention to a co-worker on a project that he feels the heart rate more and more now. Still no word (since Tuesday) on if and when the cardioversion will be.

Costco was out of my yogurt so I'm down to just 4 days at home. No problem, I can buy from the regular grocery store, I just prefer the Kirkland (I should look up who they use for that product.)

The car wash was really slow. Huge lineup for the regular lane but we were second in the express lane (so cut in front of everyone in the other lane.) That's due to the monthly pass, one more 'special' time and then I'll be moved over to the other lane. The car wash shut down for a really long time before we were in it and again while we were in it. So that slowed us down badly. When we drove away, the lineup for the regular lane extended down the road 3 cars. Those people will be an hour since we took over 20 minutes with only one car in front of us.

Before leaving I put 30 minutes in on Quicken so that was progress on that front - all receipts are entered, on to reconciliation. I'll continue when I get up from the nap.

Mystery: One of the hardest things to get one's head around with a Tesla is the price makes it seem like a luxury car but it isn't, it is really the fit and finish of a Ford Focus. It is the tech you are paying for. And there are two ways of viewing the tech:

"Wow! My car is being updated with new features!" (this is dh's point of view),

or my point of view:

"Dang! My car is updating again and some things will remain the same (but I'll have to find them in whatever new screen they are in or learn the new key words to search for), some things will just be gone (my car has radar sensors, they have been disabled by Tesla), and some things will be new and I will have to discover them, and learn them on my own because there is no documentation on all the things that have been changed in my car."

Today when we got in the car it automatically put up the navigation route to dd's. (It does that because dd's is labeled "work" in the system so I can have it turn off the sentry camera while there.) Dh went to 'cancel' the trip. But it is a new user-interface and he and I sat in our parking spot, staring at the screen, trying to figure out where the 'cancel' button went to. Finally I pressed 'end trip' and learned that is the new 'cancel' button. I spend about 40 minutes a day reading Tesla forums to keep up with what is new, where things have disappeared to, and still, I didn't realize 'cancel' had been renamed.

Yesterday I swiped away the radio station info off the screen and then realized I wanted dh to learn about another new feature. There are three 'information cards' that at the bottom of one half of the screen, one shows the audio system controls (moved from the top right of the screen before), one is the amount of energy being used on the drive, and one is the tire pressure. The last two were there when we first got the car, disappeared for over a year buried screens away and unable to stay visible unless you are willing to give up the navigation system. Now they have returned. But if you swipe one of the cards down off the screen you lose access to all of them. I know I read how to get them back about 3 months ago but I couldn't remember how. Then I got a phone call, which popped the phone controls onto the screen in the same place and after I hung up the phone controls went away and the radio station card came back so we could get the other things too. Honestly, I don't see why a car has to be so hard. Isn't enough to deal with one's computer and phone?

I really, really, don't want the update I can now download but this one will be 'pushed' if I don't download it myself because it is part of moving all Teslas to new software so either you download it yourself or Tesla will do it for you via the car's cell connection. When that happens, it not only downloads but also installs through the night and if I am dh, I'd think, "Yay! a new feature!" but, being me, instead will panic because the car will be enough different that I won't be able to just drive off without trying to figure out what has changed before driving.

It is amazing how much we use muscle memory to do things and every update on my car so far has broken one part of that muscle memory. So I'm better to do the update on my own terms so that I can take time to learn the new way of doing things while I'm sitting in the parking lot or driving around the neighbourhood, rather than be rushing off to pick up dgs at 6:20 in the morning and having to learn the car as I drive.

[Lady Maverick]

Kathryn - I am fascinated by how technologically advanced Tesla is and recognize they must continue to push updates to stay that way. I love techie things, but I would be the same as you. I would not be comfortable with continual technical changes made to my vehicle.

DH and I teamed up to make improvements to the walkways between the raised beds. This morning I showed DH what I wanted to do and he took it from there and made it happen. I have 9 heavy duty mats that were repurposed to use for walkways, but the mats were wider than I wanted. DH cut the heavy mats in half so now I can have flowers and moss growing between the walkways and raised beds.

DH and I are going in separate directions this afternoon. I will be taking DD11 to her hair appt and shopping in the city. DH is taking DS14 and friends to town 15 miles away to attend a Rattlesnake Festival.

[Harriet]

Harmony, your post last evening was funny and had me smiling. I hope you and the computer can get along.

Car ? Today I am quite like my Ford Taurus, 2010, deceptively sensible looking, and just like the body styles for many years on either side of the age, so that no one quite knows how old, now do they ... I, however, have an inside bit of knowledge - because of the year and the date of an automotive merger - that it's built on a Jaguar chassis. When I press the accelerator, racy is possible.

Full disclosure, I've always liked the body styles of Chevys rather than Fords, though. Also, their names.

Trip to hear the specialty eye dr say I am "stable", "normal" and "fine". Come back in 6 more months, just the same. This after 2 expensive machines photographed me and HRH and I waited ages. Oh, well.

Then off to the grocery (thank goodness for having HRH - I was watery-eyed as could be with so many drops) where we did serious damage to whatever grocery budget we think we have. Rain all the way home cleared as we drove in.

I took watermelon rind to ds' ecstatic chickens after HRH enjoyed the fruit. 2/3 is still in the fridge so they'll have happiness tomorrow, too.

[Elizabeth]

Hot happy hallelujah, I remembered my password! Hi everyone!
I will be the Ford Taurus wagon - older, unglamorous, and unloved by most, but practical, reliable, not too expensive, and appreciated by those of us who matter. Unfortunately, I am not in the category of "runs good". The physical therapist says I am recovering remarkably well from my 2/2 foot surgery, but naturally I am impatient. While I was recovering, I had a house cleaner come in. You cannot have clean floors if you cannot get to them. I will be hosting a yard sale for the animal org Saturday 4/29 and the house needs to be clean enough for org members to come inside. What we really want to do is clean out the storage units full of yard sale donations that built up during the covid no yard sale rules. I bought 500 paper bags and there will be things laid out on tables - a $1 table, $2 table, etc ... OR whatever fits in the bag for $5. The goal is GONE, the profit will come from relinquishing the storage units (8 of em!).

Last night I picked up my new foster cat (4 now). I was told she was feral, but the vet reported she is very nice and also healthy. I have petted her and she voluntarily bumps her head against my hand. Not so feral. When I went to pick up cat litter at the place we hold Saturday adoption clinics, I found the feral! Someone had dropped off a babycat (no they are not supposed to, it's a Petco!). He was feral enough to make up for the other one. The store employees were amazed that I had come so fast when they had only just sent a text about him (her?). Just a fortunate coincidence and I delivered the baby to another foster house. Two things adopt quickly: babycats and Siamese and this one is both. It made me WAY later getting home than I wanted to be.

This evening I am going to the xBFF's house to help my traveling companion friend with the bobbin of the sewing machine I leant her. xBFF invited me to stay for dinner. Another evening I won't get much done, but I should have a good time.

Kathryn has convinced me not to buy a Tesla, not that I would ever spend that much. (And do they tow?) I would be the person whose OS hangs in the middle of the interstate or whose cruise control shifts from 4th to reverse at 80 mph.

Taking a break from requirements management at payroll, gotta get back.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Yes, Elizabeth, my Tesla can tow. Up to 3500 pounds. That was a big improvement over the PriusV which can't really pull anything.

I still love the PriusV best of my recent vehicles. It fit us perfectly. But my Taurus Wagon (8 seater if you were willing to overlook safety - there were 8 sets of belts!) was another favourite vehicle until the kids were teenaged. We had a Mercury Sable first and liked it enough to get the Taurus version with more seatbelts for my daycare so had 2 wagons for a while. After the kids grew to big for more than 2 in the car, we moved to a van so we could take friends with us (Dodge Caravan first, the Honda Odyssey, both 7 seats).

The rest of the day slipped away. When I left you I was going for a nap which I did. Then a walk with dh. Then a rest on the balcony, enjoying the sun. Dinner was heated up pizza and then I had a call with dd's kids. Their Nonna and Nonno are there now and the kids are really excited to have them visit for a while. We'll see them on Sunday.

The hospital called to change dh's meds upping the beta blocker to 3x per day. We'll see if that helps. He is actually slowing down on our walks, he was managing a 24 minute mile for a while and is up to 27 minutes now (he's supposed to be speeding up to 20 minutes.)

I've dealt with many, many, emails.

And I booked a hotel for the eclipse in April 2024. This one dd will get to take her kids to because it is close to Ottawa. I booked a hotel room so we'll have a place to keep warm and go to the bathroom while the little ones wait for the eclipse to happen. We will be in totality right in the parking lot of the hotel. It isn't a particularly good hotel.... but we really only have to stay one night and can then drive home after but the eclipse is at 2 in the afternoon so we couldn't manage just one night of hotel.

[Harmony]

We had a Mercury Sable, their version of the Taurus, and I liked it except it had a glitch. I don't remember what year it was but that year they put in their first electronic transmission. The guy we bought it from was just done fixing that transmission and selling it for his daughter. He knew what he was doing, we didn't. We had that transmission worked on 4 times. We'd be ok for some months then it would fail. Over and over. Our transmission shop was a fine place and the guy knew everything about transmissions. He did all the fixes recommended and changed one after the other gear inside. Finally he said he thought we should start over with a new transmission and we did that. It failed once. Fixed. Immediately we sold it. Our friend at the shop said his Mother came in one time and said she was buying a similar Mercury Sable (not ours) and he told her in no uncertain terms NO!

I would not have a Tesla if someone gave it to us. I think it is beyond our ability to manage. I'm afraid if they keep pushing electric cars on people like they're doing, a lot of people will be in trouble. I'm thinking someone will have to come up with something easier to use and maintain.

Lucylee, I get Medicare and drug insurance notices of things they paid a month or two after they happen. I put them in the year the event happened. Bank Statements at the end / beginning of the year are different. Some have checks noted for both years and I copy the top pages so I can put in both years. It's usually only a page or two, but sometimes I might go back to look for something... I do the same with my check register which I have set up on 8 1/2 x 11 paper and the Dec/Jan statement gets copied for both.

The last we heard from Dee yesterday is she had found a flight but was waiting to pull the trigger until her DD got home...apparently that's when they decided to drive up together. I hope she is having an easy trip and is getting a good rest now. I also hope her DH is ok when she gets there and it works out with however she's dealing with the car. Oh that's right, if her DD is driving their car and flying back they will have their car. Duh...think before typing, Harmony!

I was up early to go to my study. Oh my goodness it was so good to be out of the house and away from DH for a while. After our study I called to see if all was ok here and ask if he needed me right away. He said no so I stopped for groceries. Got a big load of a lot of staples, meats, veggies, salad, etc. I found the one supplement I just ran out of today and was unable to get. The store had just stocked up their shelf so I bought an extra so I can keep one ahead and not run out in the future. It was a big shopping and I had a lot to bring in and put away. Had a nice nap afterward. It was just the break I needed.

Harriet, glad your appointment went well at eye Dr. Yes...funny...can you imagine me or especially DH with a Tesla?