Clueless, Lazy or Doesn't Care?!

The new neighbors just don't get it!

It's NOT that difficult and honestly, it really comes down to common sense, which seems to be lacking by SO many these days. My intent is not to pick on them, just pointing out what so many others also do.

The Franklin's DPW recycling website clearly states the following, "Please remember to keep carts three feet apart for collection to ensure that the truck has proper access. Also keep carts near the curb so the truck can access the cart.".

The town also publishes and sends a 'Curbside Chronicle" flyer to residents.  It contains the following -

As stated, the barrels should be placed three feet apart, close to the curb and with the lid opening facing the street.  As you can see in the first pic below, none of the requirements listed above have been adhered to and their mailbox in on the other side of the bin with the yellow top and just as close too..

Incorrect -

Pictured below is the proper placement, and yes I'm a good doobie, which is really an OCD curse of mine, alas.

Correct -

Also, for the lazy folks, barrels shouldn't be left emptied on the curb, see above.  Think of the folks trying to use the sidewalk that need to dance around your empty barrels.

Kudos To Chevy

With what seems to be an increase with the holiday car commercials, I've been thinking about posting how these companies (Genesis, Lexus, Audi, etc.) are SO disconnected from reality with their over the top, fake and foolish television ads.

Their so focused on pushing their products and making a buck, that they don't seem to acknowledge that people are struggling to get by and to make ends meet.  Affordable housing, whether renting or buying has skyrocketed.  Regular every day staples like bread, milk and eggs are stupidly expensive and the worry about how to keep their families fed are enormous.  Gas for vehicles or to heat homes; critical and needed prescriptions are ridiculously overpriced and on and on! Then on comes these phony ads with some BS story lines and outrageous monthly car payments all the while being presented in such a way that everyone is doing it, so easy, no worries.

These commercials are right up there with all the annoying drug commercials. Enough, GO AWAY!

Then in a shockingly different approach, I found this holiday commercial by Chevrolet that changes everything.  Rather than touting some foolish scenario, e.g. how a spouse surprises their significant other with an over the top and unnecessary SUV with a ginormous red bow atop of it, this Chevy commercial opts to instead highlight an all too real issue so many family are faced and struggling with!  This ad tugs at your heart and is sure to make you cry, especially if you've ever had to see a loved one suffer with dementia or Alzheimer.

Click the link to watch but have a tissue or two handy, you're gonna need it 😢, I did - 

A Holiday To Remember

I applaud Chevrolet for making such a commercial but more importantly I give a standing ovation and a big "THANK YOU" to ALL those that help and care for people struggling with Alzheimer and other memory issues!

Open W I D E!

BIG day yesterday; root canal day 😱!

The procedure took about 1.5 hours, and it's quite the procedure for sure.

I was a bit nervous going in, as I am with most dental visits, even cleaning - my problems.

Turns out it was no big deal at all; there was literally no pain during and only a bit achy afterwards when the novocaine wore off.

Before procedure x-ray -

After procedure x-ray -

The white lines in the one tooth below, those are the now packed canals of where the roots of that tooth used to be.  The endodontist packed the canals with a product called gutta-percha, which is a rubber-like material that was compressed, so it fit snuggly against the walls, and then an adhesive cement was used to further seal the canals.

Easy-peasy!

The next and last step is to go back to my regular dentist to have the new crown installed atop of the now rootless tooth.

I have SO much money invested in my mouth with all the dental work I've had these past ten years!

This Too Shall Pass

"It's just a season"

On Fire!

Was presented with another outstanding sunset the other evening off my back deck!

It doesn't get much better than this!

#Blessed

Who Remembers Lechmere

I have a 545 yard roll of nylon fishing line that was purchased at Lechmere back in the 1990's and for only $1.38!  It's used sparingly here and there for small projects like hanging Christmas decorations.  Being so thin and fine, it's perfect for stuff like that. Being so old, I don't know if I would trust using it for fishing.

A quick search on Amazon today and a 300 yard spool of fishing line costs anywhere from $15.00 on up.  Times have sure changed

Lechmere was a Massachusetts-based chain of retail stores, owned my Montgomery Ward & Co., that sold consumer electronics and appliances.  Sadly, all Lechmere stores closed November 7, 1997.

Tis The Season!

It's time and so it's begun!

Very chilly out there this morning but the show must go on!

It's Christmas decorating time, so off I go...

#Blessed

The Cupboards Are Bare...

Caught this 5AM Thanksgiving day visitor on my surveillance camera.

There are three I see all the time and at all times of the night and day.

They're hanging out at the wrong house if they hope to find plants to eat.  All my fall clean up and flower bed clean up has been completed, and everything has been put to bed for the winter.  I have plenty of neighbors who do little to no fall clean up and can only image there is plenty to eat in their beds.  Just wish these tick carrying pests would move on.

Cherish The Day!

#Blessed

It's A Curse Really

Mystery Solved

Doing some deep cleaning in the kitchen, I removed each and every drawer, and look what I came across. An Amoxicillin prescription bottle from March of 1996 with two pills still inside!

Someone didn't complete their full dosage, tsk tsk.  I'm guessing they were baffled at what happened to, and where, this pill bottle disappeared to all those years ago.

Not A Bomb...

 Tick tick tick tick...

I pulled this dude off of my back shoulder a couple nights ago.  It wasn't crawling either, rather it was ensconced, and ensconced deep too!

It was in such a spot that I had a difficult time reaching but also I couldn't really see the area.  I suspected it was a tick, the spot was tender and that dude would NOT come out.  Eventually, I was able to pull it free but not all of it, UGH!

I just couldn't see or get at the area and due to the swelling, redness and tenderness I made an appointment to see my primary care doctor this morning.  Sure enough, the tick's head was still lodged in me, which she was able to remove.  I'm now taking doxycycline to prevent Lyme disease.

The doctor sent the tick off to the lab, so it can be identified and to confirm if it's a known variety that carries Lyme disease.

I'm guessing I picked up this dude while out in the yard raking.  Honestly, with all the yard work and weeding and crawling around I do, I've been luck to have only this one tick encounter.

Fun times!

Shameful Really!

Welcome to Franklin!

Is this NOT appalling?!

This is the off ramp from rt 495 into Franking; the old exit 17, now exit 43.  This is what travelers coming off the highway are presented with as they come into our town.  I'm sure there's some technicality about who's responsibility it is to main this section of roadway, the town of Franklin or the state and therefore no one cleans it.  Whatever the reason, I say SHAME ON THE TOWN OF FRANKLIN!  It reflects poorly on them.

Another example of the mismanagement of our town officials and shoddy work our town DPW and highway departments do!

Disgusting and shameful in my book! 

No Parking...

Darn bikers, there's just no reasoning with them!

All motorcycles pictured are parked in clearly posted No Parking AND Tow Zones!

Better Safe Than Sorry!

I learned a hard lesson last winter, the result being a frozen and burst basement pipe!  The burst pipe feed one of my outside spigots.

I have (3) outside spigots and last fall I protected only two of them. The one I failed to cover, is the one that froze.  Suppose that's what 20 years of false security does to you, as I never covered my spigots before and never had an issue.

So, I bought a third styrofoam spigot cover and have installed all three ahead of the coming cold weather. These do make a BIG different and keep the frigid cold air from direct contact with the copper pipes.  A worthwhile investment for sure, especially with what it cost me to have the burst pipe repaired, not to mention the inconvenience of needing to turn the main water to the house off until the repairs were done AND the God awful mess that was made in the basement!

Ah, live and learn!

Gnome? Pixie? Elf? Fairy? Dwarf? Goblin?

Say hello to my little friend!

Picked up and rehomed this gentlemen this morning; literally picked up and carried!

A house about a half mile from me recently sold and this gnome was curbside this morning with a bunch of other free stuff.  On my 6AM walk, he kept me company on the way home.

King Of The Jungle

Mighty Oliver checking out the Philodendron I placed next to his domed litter box.

An elderly friend, who had to move into assisted living, asked me to take this plant. Mind you, when I first brought it home, it did NOT look like it does in the picture, nope!  I transplanted it into a larger pot, using miracle grow soil, then left it outside under my deck all summer long.  It loved it and took off, more than twice as big.

And YES, I am aware that Philodendrons contain calcium oxalate crystals, which are toxic to humans, dogs, cats, and other animals.

I've since moved it from the bathroom, as shown in the picture, to a tall table in the living room. It looks really nice there and will keep an eye on Trixie and Oliver to make sure they don't bother with it.  Chances are it will need to go back down to the basement, so not to temp the mighty one from eating it.

Mighty my ass! 

Hit The Nail On The Head

Too Many Rx Commercials!

What's the deal with all the endless drug company TV commercials that run constantly these days?  There are far too many and honestly, so darn annoying!

Show of hands, how many people actually see a drug commercial ad, ponder it, then actually reach out to their doctor to inquire about it?!

Speaking for myself, my primary care doctor and I are in sync and on the same page regarding my care!  We've been working together for a long time now.  I agree with the plan we have in place and working against and I trust her.  SO, there is NO need for me to reach out to her to inquire about a drug I saw on TV, stop it!

Seems doing so is like self diagnosing yourself on WebMD, then calling your doctor with your findings. I suppose there are people out there that do this, certainly not the approach I would take. Absolutely be involved and informed with your care, ask questions but also remember (chances are) you're not a doctor.

There is this one drug ad that seems to run all the time lately, it's a Jardiance commercial, and it really irks me for some reason and I find it most annoying. Don't get me wrong, they're all annoying, much like spam telephone calls, but this one just rubs me the wrong way! I also find it one of the most hypocritical ads I've seen!  

So, the main woman in this commercial professes to taking a jardiance pill once a day for her type 2 diabetes. Now, let's be honest here the woman in this video is obese and morbidly overweight, which is a HUGE (no pun intended 😁) contributor to diabetes AND so many other health issues.  Rather than being so upbeat, bubbly and happy that she's relying on medication to fix or control her diabetes issues, how about she control her eating (diet) and introduce more physical activities (exercise) into her daily routine instead of relying on a pill?!  Not to mention that all these drugs introduce a litany of potential side effects and complications.  Seems the 'potential' side effects are often times worse than the actual medical issue being treated.  After all, diet and exercise are some of the best things that can be done for your overall health and wellbeing.

I find it odd that such a commercial would use overweight actors to push a product that might not be needed if in better health.

Feeding Frenzy!

OMG!

This changes EVERYTHING!

I can't honestly say this tastes like Thanksgiving stuffing, however, it does have a unique and yummy flavor!  If not careful, I can eat a whole bag in one sitting.  Of course, I refuse to read the ingredients, as I'm sure they're bad but since I've cut out SO much other bad things from my diet, I am going to allow myself this one vice while it lasts.

Another Trader Joe's road trip is happening soon, REAL SOON!

I Am Not A Fan of the Dentist

This is a x-ray of my teeth, top left. As you can see they're crowned, actually I have a fortune in crowns and crown work in my mouth!  The item circled in red is a cavity that is starting, which has been causing me pain and discomfort for a while now when chewing on that side of my mouth.

As everything in my life these days, this isn't going to be an easy fix and on top of that it's going to be a costly one too!

Visit #1 today, my dentist remove the crown on the tooth in question.  She did this by cutting it off, FUN!  Once the crown was removed, she was able to get a better look and assess the situation.

Frick'n Murphy am I right?!

The age of the tooth and the location of the cavity being too close to the nerve, of course I need a root canal on this tooth.  She also thinks it best to have this procedure done now before installing the new crown and having to drill through it.

Couldn't get an appointment with the specialist until a week after Thanksgiving.  So with the temporary crown I'm now sporting it doesn't look like I'll be doing too much chewing and enjoying of a Thanksgiving meal.

Looking like I might have to consider more of a "liquid" 🍻 <wink, wink> Thanksgiving day meal...

Oh, That's YOUR Responsibility!

Who Knew?!

So, the object pictured below is referred to as the "weatherhead".  The weatherhead is a weatherproof service drop entry point where overhead power wires enter a building.

The homeowner is responsible for the maintenance and repairs of the weatherhead, as well as the service entrance cable, meter box and the Main service panel - of course we are!  The electric company is responsible for only the overhead outside lines to your residence and the electric meter - of course that's all they're responsible for.

We pay through the nose for services, e.g. electric, gas, cable, etc., yet when you run into issues and you reach out to the given provider, they're all to quick to avoid responsibility at all cost and throw them back on you, the homeowner.

Pictured below is my weatherhead and I've circled in red the concern I have with it, which is that the bolt securing it to the side of the house has just about worked itself free. I'm worried about heavy, wet and icy snow accumulating on the wire, weighing it down and potentially ripping it from the side of the house.

It's too high for me to get at, otherwise I would tighten or replace the existing bolt but also since we're talking about live electrical wires here, I'm a tab leery.  Therefore, I have no other choice than to reach out to an electrician who's willing to come take care of this.

If it's not one thing, it's another with home ownership but well worth it in the end!

Changing Of The Guards

My next door neighbors have moved out.  Packed up, truck loaded and I watched them drive off at 5:30AM Friday morning, they're gone.  Not gonna lie, I am already missing the "Hi Steve" from the little, alas.  Onward and upwards, I wish them well!

I bought my house in 2000 and in the 23-years that I've been here, this house next door will now have it's 5th family living in it.  Quitters all of em!

Now I have to break-in and train new owners again, oh the humanity!

I'm starting to think perhaps it's me.

Gobble Gobble Gobble!

I got my Thanksgiving flags out, replacing my Halloween ones.

Hard to believe the holiday season is upon again.

We had our first hard frost last week.  You can see the result it had on my hydrangea in the picture above, zapped every leaf.  A bit unsightly at the moment but once they drop and I rake them up, this area will look a lot better but for now, it is what it is (God I hate that saying,...).

Oh SO Good!

Not gonna lie to you all, I nailed last nights dinner!

Homemade seasoned swordfish steaks with oodles of my garden fresh veggies AND a BIG Yukon gold baked potato!  Mmmm, so tender and juicy; melted in my mouth!

You!

**This is NOT related to a cheating ex-wife!

Timberrrrrrr!

It's done!

I cut down and cut up the two trees pictured below -

I cut the trunks up into ~3' length and have them stacked along the sidewalk with a free sign, hoping someone takes them all!  The limbs and all other pieces and parts, were loaded into the trailer and taken to the Franklin recycling center.

It's too bad really that these two died.  I planted them both years ago when they were no bigger around than my wrist.  The Hemlock stump won't be a problem since it's in the back corner where I dump my grass clippings and leaves.  However, the Weeping Cherry stump will bother me, as it's in my front yard and unsightly, to me anyway, but I'll worry about that project in the spring.

I'm happy that I got these two down, and other numerous limbs around my yard pruned back, and put to bed now versus the spring.

Leaf Thief?!

While on a conference call the other afternoon, I noticed a car straddling the sidewalk in front of my mailbox, so I watched to see what he was up to.

Much to my surprise an elderly man was taking the big brown leaf bags I had raked on Saturday, nine of them, and loading them into his 4-door sedan; in the rear, in the backseat, even in the front passenger seat too!  God love him, he got all nine crammed in there and all doors shut.

Of course my OCD was bouncing off the charts, as I was thinking about the mess being created inside the car.  The bottoms of the bags being wet from sitting on the ground, how I overpacked the bags and when placed in any position other than straight up "stuff" would fall out, dirt and dust, ICK!

My initial thought was this dude has a screw loose, what in the world is he doing and what does he want with those?  But them it dawned on me, that back in the day when I was a youte, my dad did the same thing only grander.  He would hook up the trailer, see below actual trailer, to the old station wagon and we'd drive around the neighborhood picking up leaf bags too! Back then, we'd knock on the door and ask the homeowners if we could have them first, then load them into the trailer.

My dad would use the leaves in the garden and the compost pile. One of his gardens was in a low spot that would often flood when the spring thaw would start.  I guess my dad thought the leaves would help prevent the soil from washing away when flooded.  I can't say it wasn't weird back then, so I will give the elderly man a pass, as I'm sure he has a valid reason, if only in his mind or perhaps he's kin somewhere in the ole Frye family tree...

Thanks for the walk down memory lane, as odd as the subject is!

#Blessed

Gemista Stuffed Peppers

My California Bell Peppers did fantastic this year!  Oodles and oodles of them; more than I could even use, although I've been trying!  I've prepped and frozen bags full. I've been cooking with them regularly, putting them on my pizzas, in my fish dishes, in my steak and cheese sandwiches and more.

Yesterday, for dinner, I made my mother's Greek stuffed peppers!  I took my time to enjoy the process and reminisce about my mom. 

I don't want to brag but UNBELIEVEABLE!  They came out SO good; delicious, and so easy to make too.

It's 7AM as I write this and I'm already thinking about tonight's dinner and these leftover stuffed peppers, mmmmm!  I can't wait!

Gemista or yemista (which in Greek means 'filled with')

The Real Deal

I got in touch with my artsy-fartsy side and made the below holiday wreath yesterday!

I had been planning it and slowly gathering all the components, all identified and found on my regular walks - grape vines, winterberry limbs and a couple different types of pine cones.

All in all, I'm pleased with the end result!

Front Stairs Sniff Test

I sold a couple of BIG bags of crochet yarn and assorted crocheting tools via Facebook Marketplace yesterday.  Oodles of older but unopened and in excellent condition items and at a tremendous discount too.  It was time for it all to go and so happy it's all finally gone!

The woman who purchased the items asked via FB chat if the items were coming from a smoke free home. I confirmed this and we arraigned pick up time.

In reviewing my surveillance camera video of the woman arriving, two women actually. I watched as the first woman up the stairs, opened one of the bags, grabbed a roll of yarn and passed it to the second woman behind her.  The second woman proceeds to immediately press the roll against her face and give it a good, deep smell; the sniff test I recon, see attached!

Sorry, but that's just too risky and gross to me! Yes, I understand she wants to make sure there is no cigarette odor but I would NOT do it in the way she did, no way!  Perhaps, open the plastic bag, hold your nose over top of it and take a couple of deep breaths. Until I gave all the items a good look see and confirm all looks fine, I'm gonna be cautious and tentative - people can be gross, so buyer beware...

It's A Struggle

**This is NOT related to a cheating ex-wife!

I Will Call Her "Karen"

Per usual, Saturday mornings I'm up and out early to do my errands.  For those of you following along, I do this in an effort to get my errands out of the way before the day kicks in but more importantly, before all of the selfish, inconsiderate, mean and rude people wake and venture out.

Now, don't be fooled that just because I'm up and out that I avoid "them", nope, there are still plenty of these cretin out there early too, plenty!

Here's an example that I witnessed yesterday at Trader Joe's -  A woman, guessing late 30s, using a shopping carriage for her ONE bag of groceries, walked to her car, which was just outside of the store, unloaded the ONE bag into her vehicle then proceed to get in and drive away! 

Several things - 

#1 - The carriage is positioned where the woman stopped to transfer her bag to her car, see pic below.  Notice where it is in relation to the actual lined parking space, hence how she parked.  That in and of itself is a HUGE red flag about the character of person.

#2 - NO care or consideration for others, as she left her carriage in the middle of an open space, preventing someone from being able to pull directly in.  PLUS it's in the way of the driver side door of the car still there.

#3 - The carriage corral is literally right there, like 10' away!  Talk about utter laziness.

Although, perhaps nitpicky little things, it's these small things that are HUGE indicators of who and how people are, in my book anyway.  Selfish, lazy and inconsiderate.

Hoping that karma knocks on her door real soon.  There is just NO excuse for this sort of behavior, NONE!

Mr. Cooper

This beautiful raptor stopped for a visit the other day, a Coopers Hawk!

Perched atop my pool shed and surveying the area, guessing she was looking for a meal.

Something caught her attention as she flew to a nearby tree and was intently focused -

Find The Critter

Can you find the critter in the below photo?!

Here's a closer view -