Subj : Minced Garlic To : Nancy Backus From : Barry Martin Date : Tue Aug 13 2019 10:24:00 Hi Nancy! NB>>> Here in the Summer, we usually would have drops at night of 20 or 30 NB>>> degrees... good for opening up the windows to cool off the house.... BM>> Here once it heats up it tends to stay hot -- house will stay closed BM>> up and the air conditioning running for weeks at a time. The good news BM>> is so far this year in general a lot cooler than it was last year: we BM>> had already hit the upper 90's by now. This morning again have the BM>> windows open, fan in the window up here to push in the cool air. NB>> Last year, we had highs in the 90s in May...! Definitely abnormal... NB>> thankfully that's not the case this year.... :) At least it did NB>> finally cool off some last year, before getting into normal highs for NB>> the summer later.... BM> Yup: we're going to have a condensed summer this year! Today supposed BM> to get into the low 90's with heat index in the upper 90's and the BM> forecast for tomorrow in the upper 80's but that "feels like' in the BM> low 100's. (bleah!) NB> Bleah, indeed... muggy's no fun at all... The temperature here yesterday wasn't too bad when I was being shown around after my return but the humidity was really up there: almost could take a bath in the wet air! Every so often a cool breeze would come though - ahhh! Then the hot and humid air would return. NB>> No doubt... :) Currently we were about 86ø this evening NB>> (probably the high), but it's cooled off some, and I've got the NB>> window open in the bedroom.... It'll be in the 60s overnight... BM> Yes, I'd probably would have had the window open too. Or more the BM> slider with the box fan in front to pull air into the room. NB> Here at the camp, we just open windows, and don't close down when NB> it gets warm, just try to keep the cross breeze thru the camp NB> (unless it's raining and raining in).... This house tends not to have too much cross-ventilation. In the architect's defense some windows we don't open as too much bother for various reasons. I will open the windows up here (north, south) and eventually cools but a breeze is rarely felt. Just use various fans to create air movement. NB>>> And maybe being out in the yard doing yardwork exposed you to more NB>>> allergens, too... :) BM>> Quite probably: there was enough 'green stuff' on the cars for a BM>> while; not nearly as bad lately - sometimes need to do a swipe or two BM>> with the windshield wipers to brush the pollen off the windshield. NB>> Making up for lost time, probably.... BM> Possibly! Wonder of the trees, etc., "think" hey! it's almost summer! BM> Better get this stuff out there! NB> It seems to have been a delayed season all over, from what I hear NB> on the news... but catching up now... :) I read an article stating July 2019 was the hottest month on record, breaking if not shattering all kinds of temperature records. They blamed a small portion on the carbon footprint but mostly on natural cycling. NB>>>> Which could be why one still finds service stations with garage NB>>>> bays... maybe they make a little more on repairs and maintenance... ;) BM>>> Quite sure they do! Sometimes that 'labor' line is more than the BM>>> part! Admitted depends on what the job entails, of course. NB>>> There's a standardized book of how many hours certain jobs should NB>>> take... and that's generally what gets used to calculate how much to NB>>> charge for labor... and some places have a much higher per hour labor NB>>> rate than others do.... particularly dealerships... the private NB>>> garages tend to have a more reasonable rate, and besides, will NB>>> sometimes cut the labor cost down to give the customer a break... BM>> And have the customer return! Yes, I tend to avoid the dealer for BM>> ordinary repairs because of their price. NB>> Around here, the dealer might also be less likely to do a good (or NB>> honest) job as well... Our dealer certainly isn't all that good... BM> The dealer where we got our cars seems OK as far as the car-selling BM> aspect. NB> Sales has been fine at our dealer, too, although the salesman we NB> had for both our cars is no longer there... Hopefully not let go for giving you two 'sweet deals'! We had two different salespersons for our cars and I don't think either one is still with the dealership: used to get semi-personalized e-mails for trading in; now generic ones. OTOH several of the service department contacts are still there. (The liasons when one brings the car in - they handle the paperwork and hand off to a technician/mechanic.) [You used the word 'advisors' in the upcoming section -- a better description.] BM> Their service shop is always busy, or at least when we've had BM> to have them do a repair. What's a little odd is they have had a BM> 'technicans wanted' sign out for months -- seems like the positions BM> should have been filled by now, or they don't pay as well as other BM> sites, or (?) .... NB> Maybe they just have the sign out to keep new technicians in the NB> queue... they probably need to have training first, so it might NB> be a few months to a year before they'd actually be working...? NB> Ours, they are just sloppy, and the advisors not always all that NB> honest... dunno if more training would have helped... there's NB> such a dichotomy between the hype on how they are the best for NB> your car and the actual experience... I seem to have better advisors than you do, though sometimes have wondered they are telling the absolute truth or bending it to various degrees. I've not had any issues of "brake light fluid" (outright lies) but sometimes wonder if a shortcut had been taken or a little repair magnified (and billed) to a large one. OTOH their on-line customer service ratings are pretty good. NB>>> At times, they will be monitoring fluid intake/output, though... and NB>>> in certain instances, calories and/or carbs for various things... But NB>>> there are other times when extra food or drink isn't a problem.... NB>>> Booze is more likely to have drug interactions, though, so that still NB>>> is frowned upon... ;0 BM>> Right - I've not been hospitalized too often nor had to visit someone BM>> too often either but never had food brought -- never even considered. BM>> Now if it was a birthday and visiting would probably ask about BM>> bringing some sort of celebratory cookies or cupcakes (something small BM>> and not messy!). NB>> We did that once for somebody's birthday... :) For a longer term NB>> stay, bringing in a favorite food or snack, not available in the NB>> hospital, can lift the mood, and possibly tempt the appetite when NB>> needed... :) Sometimes it's downright medicinal.... ;) BM> Agree! The good news is I nor anyone I know I can think of have had BM> to spend a holiday or birthday in the hospital. Well, I did fracture BM> my femur on Easter Sunday. NB> Not that you would have been in much of a position then to notice NB> the holiday in the hospital, though... :) A couple of years NB> ago, Richard finally got out of the hospital on Independence NB> Day... ;) That was nice of the city to put together a parade, fireworks, etc., to celebrate his return home! :) As for my being hospitalized on Easter, never did get my ham dinner! ¯ ® ¯ Barry_Martin_3@ ® ¯ @Q.COM ® ¯ ® .... On a radiator repair garage: "Best place to take a leak." --- MultiMail/Win32 v0.47 þ wcECHO 4.2 ÷ ILink: The Safe BBS þ Bettendorf, IA --- QScan/PCB v1.20a / 01-0462 * Origin: ILink: CFBBS | cfbbs.no-ip.com | 856-933-7096 (454:1/1) .