Hi Michael,

 ML> > It wasn't a lot of money as we didn't have to pay for lodging and
 ML> most > meals while there. We did drop some money at Wegman's, as that
 ML> was
 ML> > before the store opened in Raleigh. Seriously tho, not even enough
 ML> money > to make the postage on the letter worthwhile.

 ML> Making it extra interesting why they bothered.
 ML> I swear that sometimes it seems to be just for
 ML> the sport of it.

Sure seems that way!

 ML> >  ML> I probably was announcing was that I
 ML> >  ML> could no longer be reached using a
 ML> >  ML> Massachusetts address at all.
 ML> > OK, that was probably it. I knew it was about your residency in some
 ML> way > but had forgotten the details. Interestingly, we've been in this
 ML> house > for 6 years now, got a Christmas card from my nephew with the
 ML> old
 ML> > address on the envelope. Not even a forwarding sticker; guess the
 ML> post > office knows us well enough to toss it to the right route
 ML> sorter.

 ML> Heh, that's a charitable way of looking at
 ML> things.

We've had it happen every now and again with other mail while living
here. Don't know if it's because we've known both of our mail men beyond
just a passing hello, living here now over 10 years or what but it is
nice.

 ML> >  ML> My way of thinking is somewhat different:
 ML> >  ML> the new purchase just duplicates these,
 ML> >  ML> and it would make sense to take back the
 ML> >  ML> new one. Tossing the old ones wouldn't
 ML> > OK, I was implying you should keep the old coolers, if still
 ML> working.

 ML> So was I.

 ML> > You might as well take the new ones back if you don't need the extra
 ML> > cooling space.

 ML> I hate taking things back. Lilli gets right

This time of year is bad for taking things back in person. Saw on the
news that some brick and mortar stores are issuing on line address
labels for stuff to be returned via fed ex or ups so they don't have to
deal with the hassles.


 ML> into the swing of things. The other day she
 ML> picked up a quilted jacket, which I thought
 ML> completely useless. The next day she put it
 ML> on the hook ready to return next trip. Costco
 ML> has a 30-day return policy. I think the whole
 ML> system is insane.

We were at Kohl's getting some things for me, found out their dressing
rooms are closed. They said to buy two of the same item, take them home
to try on, return unwanted one--up to 6 months (!!!!!!!) later. We
returned the unwanted within a week.

 ML> >  ML> have been an option for me.
 ML> > Not unless they didn't work.

 ML> But then they were still insulated boxes,
 ML> which is basically all we really would
 ML> need almost every time anyway.

Basically so, the electric ones are just a fancier box. (G)


 ML> > Usually I'm good about keeping the fridge door shut but sometimes do
 ML> the > quick open and grab if we're fixing a meal using other cooking
 ML> methods > than stove top or microwave. It was cold enough
 ML> yesterday--didn't get > out of the 30s, so far, hasn't yet done so
 ML> today either--that we could > have kept things outside, had we needed
 ML> the extra fridge space. Supposed > to warm up to the low 50s by
 ML> tomorrow tho.

 ML> The way I see it, if there's stuff we want
 ML> to keep cold, and the power's out, we just
 ML> won't disturb it until the time comes.
 ML> Lilli no capisce.

Ours stays shut until the time of need, longer if the power is out. So
far power outages haven't interrupted meal prep so I can get stuff
in/out of the fridge without worry.

 ML> >  ML> > Can't win, can you?
 ML> >  ML> We actually won - they did all the
 ML> >  ML> repairs and precautionary measures
 ML> >  ML> without turning off the power. Now,
 ML> > That was a help.

 ML> Often enough it seems as though they are
 ML> trying to make everything as inconvenient
 ML> as possible, but once in a while something
 ML> happens, and I'm tempted to say, hey,
 ML> maybe they're not always that bad.

Until the next time they turn it off or it goes off unexpectedly.

 ML> >  ML> the connections are more robust and
 ML> >  ML> presumably fire-resistant, so we had a
 ML> >  ML> night of 30-40 winds (8% humidity), and
 ML> >  ML> they didn't bother to cut the juice. It
 ML> > Good, hopefully the improvements will be so.

 ML> It's hard to tell - sometimes they send out
 ML> a letter announcing a power out or system
 ML> upgrades, but they don't go into specifics.
 ML> Public safety outages are by their nature
 ML> unpredictable.

But better they occur than having them spark fires.

 ML> >  ML> suspect it sort of got walked down there
 ML> >  ML> in stages during the night.
 ML> > Sounds like quite some winds. We have just enough of a breeze that I
 ML> > hear the wind chimes on the front porch doing just a gentle melody.

 ML> We were sustained in the 30s for several
 ML> hours solid, gusts probably 50s to 60s
 ML> during the worst of it. Sizable branches
 ML> down, a couple small limbs (thicker than
 ML> a couple inches, things I have to use a
 ML> saw on) as well.

Quite the wind there. I remember Fort Huachuca being rather windy.

 ML> >  ML> She's stubborn and kept the new way and
 ML> >  ML> curses at it.
 ML> > At some point she will get tired of that and try something new.

 ML> It'll be about 5 seconds after I get the
 ML> logic of what she was trying to accomplish
 ML> in the first place; then she'll change it.
 ML> Not to spite me, mind you, but because
 ML> it's in the nature of the universe.


The law of "go figure"! (G)


---
Catch you later,
Ruth
rchaffly{at}earthlink{dot}net  FIDO 1:396/45.28


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