My "whine moment today." What's yours?

cw - I got three more calls this morning but had a workman in the house so was distracted. On the 4th call I said, "I didn't ask for your help, I don't want your help, Stop bothering me." Haven't had a call since. Well not quite true, I just had some garbled something or other I shouldn't have answered. Not sure it even was a language

ana - well done. I like it! One of my techniques is to play the doddery old woman and keep asking them to repeat themselves. I repeat back to them what I "think" they said and ask them to explain, interspersed with, "You said what?" Then I go for the kill and get very assertive and tell them very clearly that I'm not interested and hang up. It gives me some satisfaction.

nacy - ice with snow on top is the worst. Cleats do help.

psue -no unsolicited packages here but lots of packages. Finally getting he little things I want for here. You were very polite to the APFM caller. It will be interesting to get the results of the eval.

Worked something out about the humidity. I didn't close my front door properly so it swung open and I didn't notice for a while. The humidity dropped like a bullet.to 15. There is always cool air coming in under the door. So I rolled up a rug and placed it as a barrier and the humidity started rising. Another Amazon purchase is on it's way - a draft stopper. There are always many small things (and some big ones) to buy when you move.

minus 20 C = minus 4 F

Peasuep, keep reporting the packages and change your Amazon password. It’s a brushing scam to boost traffic by the vendor. Amazon will boot them.

Re: spam calls. My favourite is tech support calls. As the person tries to tell me I need tech support, I talk over them and confirm that yes, we do provide tech support. “Windows, Linux or MacOS? Have you been advised of our rates? $99 for the first hour. $50 per hour for subsequent hours. In order to speak to a technical support expert, you must provide a valid credit card number.” (repeat the last line ad nauseum)
Those calls stopped too.

Dang Golden, it’s +9c here. Heavy rain. Our driveway is almost as much water as dirt. Hoping it drains before it freezes.

My dad is SO technologically disinclined that he makes my mom look like BILL GATES by comparison. Seriously. The man can't even make his own online accounts. My mom is out here downloading apps, using a Fire TV, etc. My dad has a FLIP PHONE.

He didn't even HAVE an online account with Social Security until I made one for him LAST WEEK. He's been on Social Security for EIGHT YEARS!!!!!!! sjfkhkdjhfjhsjkfdhjsdhfjdh My sibling WILL NOT HELP because they 'literally can't deal with him' (their words).

I'm already tired of being tech support and he's only lived near me for a couple of months. UGH. END ME NOW, PLEASE. 😂

Teckwiz, I was PoA for 2 elderly Aunts who live in FL (and one is still alive at 105). I live in MN. Back in the late 90s, early 2000s they had an "e machine" computer which mostly only did emails, and it was great. But then that was supplanted by laptops, etc. They called to ask me what type of computer to then get. I have been an Apple person in my business and personal life. I saw the writing on the wall. I told them to get a PC because I knew they'd be calling me every other minute. Best decision I ever made. My long-suffering cousin in FL has had to help them all these years. Our business purchased our first tower computer, a Mac, in 1989. I don't think that age is the dominant factor in adapting to new technology (but cognitive decline def is). I think if one has not been keeping up continually all along, it is just so much harder to then "jump in" because of the learning curve. Our parent's generation (and some in mine, I'm 65 boomer) still chose to remain tech illiterate. Sometimes it's the cost. I greatly benefited from being in the graphics/marketing business and therefore always needing to use a Mac (and for many years employed a tech person from whom I learned a lot). I still am the "tech help" in our house. It takes a lot of time but I have more of that now. My 95-yr old Mom finally broke her flip phone last year and I opted for a RAZ mobility phone. Looks like a smart phone but I control everything from the app on my own phone. The biggest challenge has been getting her to not grab the phone by the screen and inadvertently "thumb dialing" her contacts. But I can control when those contact buttons are active, so problem solved. Many years ago I gave her my old iPad on which to play games, and she loves it, but still sometimes manages to "break" it. She's called me at 11pm once to come fix it. Nope. A thing that gives me joy is to go to our Apple store and see all the silver-haired tech employees working there.

"I think if one has not been keeping up continually all along, it is just so much harder to then "jump in" because of the learning curve"

I think this is very true. Being a single person with no kids I could have very easily kept on living without tech in the 90's and beyond, but thankfully I had nephews that needed help with their homework so I was introduced to Windows and Word et al. and have tried to keep somewhat current since then. Even so I dread every update and new technological innovation because I find learning new systems is increasingly nerve wracking.

My mother wanted only rotary dial and fussed about using a push button phone. When I bought her a simple cordless phone (21 years ago) she refused to use it.
We probably dodged a tech support nightmare.

All this tech stuff is an attempt to rid the world of old folks IMHO. I’ve managed to keep up (and DD still takes my occasional calls for help, although with muffled sighs) but DH is completely lost at sea. One by one, all electronics, even appliances, have become odd, squarish things that only the females in his universe can control.

Golden, what are you having workmen do at your house?

My whine: all the work (that I can afford) is done at my house. Whatever $ is left is going to go to MC so nothing better break around here!

I have long said that, if I ever come into bazillions of dollars, the first thing I will do is hire a crowd to complete my “To Do” list. Yeah, I’m looking at those dusty boxes of flooring and baseboards again.

One last "hack" to remember when you are waving your fist at your "smart" device or longing to fling your phone: YouTube has a tutorial for almost any problem. The more accurate your search prompts (the words describing your issue), the better your search results will be.

Geaton, I find video tutorials so helpful and there is one (or many) out there for anything DIY, tech help, academic help, etc.

I usually put my search into a search engine (Google) first, then click on "videos" tab. That will pull up any videos on the topic, even those not found on YouTube.

techwhiz - some people just don't do well with technology. Sig other has a high IQ but doesn't get it quickly. he is learning, but slowly. On the other hand my mother taught herself to use simple aspects of a computer at age 94 with a little online tutoring from my dd and me.

psue - got the door lock replaced. Long story but the one we had was a temp replacement and it was time to do it properly. I am at that phase of moving in where, about a year later, I have things pretty well where I want them, and have lived with them for a while, and now see adjustments I want to make. Lots of little things to do.

I agree about google being your best friend when it comes to computers. I never met a virus I couldn't get rid of due to help via google. That was the old days. Don't get viruses these days (hope I haven't jinxed myself). I'm not fond of videos. Just give me a list of what to do.

Golden, you’re in my favorite stage of living in a new abode - you’ve been there long enough to know how it LIVES but not so long that you’ve become blind to the little things you could do to make it live better.

I bought a good tool that I pull my compression sock down over and then point my foot down the center and it has slid on great. However, I have needed to change to open toe. How do I set my open toe compression sock on this tool without ending up with almost the whole sock on my ankle or too much over my toes. I am now wishing that I had not changed to open toes. Any and all suggestions are welcome.

psue - probably. I'm needing things better organized and a little more colour. Also finding new ways to do the same things. We don't have enough hanging closet space, so my summer stuff got rolled up and put in drawers. It works fine. I had closets and closets and closets in the old house.I have to go through my baking cupboard, sort and get a few organizers.Still figuring out how to make the best of my walk in (through) closet and the bathroom shelves. What more can I get rid of? My vision for the extra (storage?) room. Stuff like that.

Yoda - what if you put a safety pin through the opening, once the socks are mostly on you could remove the pin and readjust?

I'm so sorry, nacy. He's been ill a bit recently. I know you have to be careful around your mom. Take care of you too.

Nacy, you have your hands full with Christmas, mom and an ill husband; I hope you’re getting enough rest yourself. Didn’t hubs just get the newest vax? My BIL has had Covid twice and sis didn’t get it either time so it is possible that you will escape. I’ve got my fingers crossed for you and am sending healing vibes for DH.

Golden, sometimes I’m embarrassed to admit how much I love home economics! It’s been very out-of-fashion for most of my lifetime but it really does make me happy to figure out how to make a home function well.
We have a lack of closet space here, too. It doesn’t help that I commandeered the coat closet right off the kitchen and turned it into a pantry, since we also had a lack of kitchen space.
I’ve been feeding a jacket fetish for years. I think it’s time to cut back.

Psue - Tell me about your Home Ec experiences!
I am from the days when we had Home Ec class in high school. The boys had shop and ne'er the twain did meet. Cooking, sewing, setting a table type of thing. I did them all already, but it was a relaxed class. I remember making coffee with egg shells (may try that again) and sewing a pair of flowered green flannel pyjamas which lasted me for years. French seams!

I never minded housework. I used to do the ironing in the basement on hot days. It was so nice and cool down there. I've put sides to the middle (more French seams) to get more mileage out of sheets. Hand sewed seams sometimes. A well organized linen closet gives me satisfaction. I have to have another go at the one here.

One of my fantasies is having all my clothes hangers identical lol. Doubt it will ever happen. All that being said, I have a "lived in" house. Mother was a bit of a fanatic and I'm certainly not that!

Jackets - I'm into non tailored "jackets". Have been for a long time. They take up less room and, for me, are more comfortable. I used to love a tailored suit for work, but no more.

nacy - hope your hub feels better soon. It's worrying I know, but you may not get it.. DD didn't when her hub had it.

Antiwhine - R started treatment with the concussion PTs and very quickly a bad headache got better. They know what they are doing. What a blessing!

Golden, I’ve never made coffee with egg shells but I have read about it. If you try it again, let me know what you think.
We had home ec in middle school but one week a year the shop class, the sewing class and the cooking class would rotate so the boys could learn how to sew a straight line on binder paper and how to keep blueberry muffins from ‘peaking’. The girls made wooden boxes with a bandsaw and learned how internal combustion engines work. I loved every minute of it.

I’ve been sewing since I was a tot but that backfired on me in middle school home ec. While the other girls were making draw-string bags and a-line shifts I made a bikini and cover-up. No one told me there was going to be a fashion show at the end of the semester for all the students and their parents. Oh my lord, the mortification! I am scarred for life.

Nacy, oh no! That poor little girl! Those experiences stick with us forever.

I’m so glad your husband is feeling a little better and I hope you dodge the virus bullet.

Home Economics is now called Family Studies here. My youngest took it a few years ago in high school.

And she’d have forfeited the credit before she’d model a bikini. If I looked like her, I’d be strutting about in one!

Ana, I like the re-branding. Family Studies sounds cozier somehow.

Why is it that pre-teen and teenaged girls can’t see how beautiful they are, if only by virtue of the fact that they are young? It seems like a design flaw.

When my kids took Home Ec class it was called Family and Consumer Science .
My daughter still complains that is was a waste of time having her use a sewing machine and not teaching her how to hand sew ( repair ) or sew a button on that falls off .

She says she will never use a sewing machine again . And I have tried to teach her to hand sew . She’s awful at it . I’m pretty good at it . I can do different stitches for different fabric types , for hems etc . Mom taught two of us to hand sew . Mom and one sister were better at it than me . That sister was good at the sewing machine too . The other sibs were not interested .

It's interesting about hand sewing. I always called small, hand-sewn work "darning," though Google tells me that's not quite the definition of darning.

My mom taught me to hand sew when I was very young. She showed me the basics when I was around 5yo; I've been decent at it since then. Minor hand repairs seem like nothing compared to putting things through a machine to construct a hem or put together a pattern, to me. I'll hand sew anything to make it functional or look better. Machines are a different world, to me, and more difficult. I took home ec in high school... but can't say I learned anything useful from that class.

I want to share a story that meant something to me during caregiving: My grandmother had a 1960s "flip over" type sewing machine desk in the corner of her bedroom. The machine was solid but hadn't been used in a few decades. I oiled it and got it running, and she had all the supplies, such as new needles and bobbins. I took fabrics from around her home (there were decades' worth of compilations of different sheets, blankets, towels, etc.) or bought curtains from cheap outlets (thrift stores, discount stores) to alter for her home. I made all kinds of new furnishings for her home. I made curtains and covers for chairs and altered anything and everything to put a "pretty" finish on the old house. It's the ONLY time I've ever done any sewing like that, when I got some cleaner and prettier fabrics together for grandma's house in 2011. Two of her hired caregivers wanted to learn machine sewing, and I showed them what I knew about how to put seams together -- simple stuff. Good memories. This was all in a short time, a few months when I was "renovating" her home for her.

During the summer and fall of 2011, I rehabbed my previously always hard-working, dignified, generous, 103yo, 10+ years into dementia, grandmother's house entirely by myself in only a few months. It was far more than a few new fabric covers. I removed cabinet doors, stained them, and removed decades of old carpet from all the rooms that covered the lovely old wood floors. The changes amazed anyone who visited, and I was proud of my accomplishments. 😊 GREAT memories... before the bad stuff set in and forces beyond my control caused a downward spiral in grandma's quality of care and her health. She loved the changes, and even though she didn't know who I was, she said she wouldn't ever want to live without me. 😂💛 It was a sweet bonding time between us at that stage in her life. Her sweet love paid me for any work I did during that time, and I'm so thankful I got that wonderful experience before she declined.

*Since it's the "whine" thread, I'll just say that my only whine when remembering this time when I was machine sewing daily is that I didn't get more time believing that if I just gave my grandma a "new" house, that her life would continue with greater dignity--which is what I wanted to give her. That's not how it played out, and it's unfortunate because it was a beautiful time when I still had so much naive confidence in myself and believed that good deeds were always rewarded... or at least not severely punished.

I have lovely memories of my only time doing machine sewing, and I'm happy to have a place to recount them with a smile on my face. 💜

Ali, what a sweet, bittersweet, story! Thanks for sharing! There’s something really special and enduring about making something for someone you love with your own hands. Rare these days.

By the way, my grandma used to darn socks over a goose egg. My mom used a lightbulb. I threw them away and bought new ones. Sigh.