Subj : Posts To : Nancy Backus From : Barry Martin Date : Wed Nov 27 2019 09:41:00 Hi Nancy! NB>>> All depends on what got answered when, I guess... Now you NB>>> should be getting a relatively steady stream... with gaps just NB>>> for days I get too busy to write messages... ;) BM>> That'll work! NB>> And so it has turned out.... :) BM> Breaks and pauses are good. :) NB> And it seems that sometimes you take advantage of such as well... :) BM> More only when I'm out of town. There have been a few times when no BM> messages to download, so generally nothing for me to respond to and BM> upload! NB> Yes, we do miss Daryl... ;0 And I've been having exceptionally NB> busy days lately, myself.... He does seems inundatyed by the whole thing at times. I try to remind him and give examples of how to just do a small project at a time: just clean out a drawer at a time, rest and do a small 'celebration'and soon the whole dresser is done. BM>>> And yes, I have started Christmas shopping; there are a couple BM>>> of boxes here so actually shopped, not just considered. :) NB>>> I used to watch for things to go on sale throughout the year... but NB>>> not avidly... now we don't need to get nearly so many things for NB>>> Christmas (practically none at all, actually), so I don't worry about NB>>> it at all anymore... :) BM>> Same here. The various adults don't really need anything, just nice BM>> to give (and get) a little something. Daughters semi-hinted at winter/ BM>> Christmas-themed solar lights for outside so they're getting those. BM>> (A little hard to disguise when wrapping!) NB>> If they are boxed, they'd still be not too hard to wrap, though... BM> These were sold without cartons. Have seen (and received) boxed solar BM> lights. NB> So find boxes for them, and make your wrapping easier... or stuff NB> them in a large Christmas-themed shopping bag with lots of tissue NB> paper to cover them... ;) Yes, I'll figure out something. Or since it's a requested gift and they know what they're getting other than the specific style just put something fun/festive/holiday-weird-but-appropriate over the solar light head. (Hmm: lost the DSL while writing that. No power glitch I'm aware of; Central Office is a few blocks down the hill from the house. Two nights ago was constantly dropping and speeds were all over the place: at one time the upload speed was about a quarter of what the usual was. ....Checked the Gateway: back to my normal-and-customary connect speed.) NB>> My family is large, and getting larger... we used to get individual NB>> presents for all the siblings and their kids, etc... but as the family NB>> got bigger, others in the family were finding that to be too much to NB>> handle, so then it was more often families buying family gifts to NB>> exchange.... now it's just bring something for the exchange gift game, NB>> pretty much.... and if you want to just watch the fun, you don't even NB>> have to bring that... BM> Makes sense: after a few additions gift-giving can become unwieldy and BM> a chore. Might make more sense to give a family gift or two to share: BM> promote family togetherness and something better at $20 than four BM> gifts at $5. As you said, all depends on a bunch of circumstances and BM> details. NB> Yup.... The younger generation has pretty much taken over the NB> running of the gifting part of the celebration... I used to be NB> pretty good at finding individual gifts for a dollar or less that NB> would be greatly appreciated by the recipient... and nice family NB> gifts for under $10... Now they don't use pencils so those and pencil sharpeners are out, as probably pens, paper -- except printer paper..... BM>> As for not buying an item on sale - . Some items are never BM>> on sale, or the sale price is 'insignificant' at a dollar or two. Not BM>> advocating throwing away money, but sometimes not worth waiting for a BM>> sale. NB>> True... some things one just buys when one sees it, as long as the NB>> price isn't ridiculously out of line... ;) BM> Right. I've had to update our cell phones: our current ones are quite BM> fine except they won't connect at the end of the year (VoLTE required BM> is the reason -- Voice over LTE -- I vague know; main thing was the BM> current phones don't have). NB> That must be related to the kind of service you have... Pretty NB> sure my phone doesn't have that capability, but I've received no NB> such notice, and mine is TracFone as well... But then mine is NB> still a simple phone, just voice and text with rudimentary NB> data.... Maybe have The Wizard double-check before the end of the year. My notification was in the text messages, which I rarely check because no one calls my cell phone much less texts me unless pre-arranged. I would guess could also go to your TracFone accout on-line and see if any notifications there. BM> I could have probably saved some money by BM> going external and buying my own phones and 'bringing them in' to the BM> network. I'd have to do the research on compatability, I'd probably get BM> minimal support if something goes wrong. For a few dollars get the BM> phones from them (TracFone), if/when something goes wrong they have to BM> figure it out as they provided the phone. NB> Nice theory... ;) Seriously, though, that could make sense... ;) To me there are times when it potentially makes more sense to spent a little more money and give future problems to someone else. Don't want to get caught in the middle where the cell phone manufacturer says it's TracFone's problem and TracFone says it's the manufacturer's problem. While TracFone isn't the manufacturer there were the supplier "so you figure it out". BM>>> store was designed _not_ to have shopping carts [!]. When we got them BM>>> in we had to create a space by the entries for the cart corrals.) NB>>> Even grocery stores, that ARE designed for having shopping carts, NB>>> don't always have enough for an overflow of customers.... ;) BM>> Right. Carts are an expense so don't want to have them collecting BM>> dust for that once a year rush. OTOH we went to Lowe's the other day BM>> and they have what seems like more carts thn they could possibly need BM>> if every customer took two on Black Friday. NB>> Maybe they've experienced other overflow times, like when people are NB>> getting supplies for their gardens in the spring...? Or figuring that NB>> some people need more than one cart when getting all the supplies NB>> needed for some household project...? (You are talking Lowe's NB>> hardware-type stores, not the grocery type?) BM> Actually in this instance specifically Lowe's. NB> Reason I asked was that apparently there are Lowe's grocery NB> stores down in NC where friends of mine live.... That could be confusing! Lowe's the hardware store or Lowe's the grocery store?! ...The old Menard's (hardware chain store) here had a tiny food/snack section and sold large containers of pretzels which were quite good -- almost was worthwhile to make a special trip. NB>> ... It's a tough job! ..... So I'd Rather YOU do it. BM> But one _never_ phrases it that way!! NB> True.... that might be counterproductive.... ;) Phrasing it that way does tend to put up those barriers! ¯ ® ¯ Barry_Martin_3@ ® ¯ @Q.COM ® ¯ ® .... Stupid; politically correct. One taco short of a combination plate --- 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) .