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Got Up on the Brrrrrr side of the Thermometer...!!! Try to have a Good Day All, Good Morning, Happy Afternoon and May GOD Bless Y'all...!!! :thumbs:
 
It got cold night before last. I was up all night playing in Sketchup trying to design a new desk for Mom because her current particle board p.o.s. sucks. It just wastes space and is a magnet for clutter. Mom tried to get me up before noon but my body and brain weren't having it. I did actually go into the room with her but then needed to go lie down again. Was having muscle cramps in my feet. She woke me up a couple hours later wanting food but I fell back asleep. Got up a few more hours later and she was mad. I cooked for her and she felt better. She'd worked on clearing off her desk more. I took her miniPC over to best friend's house to get him to transfer data from old hard drives and install her old m.2 in the miniPC. Went to Walmart and got a sandwich & a desk organizer to hold the miniPC. Picked up friend chicken for friend and dropped it off.

After after more rest and when Mom went to lie down, I filled a 55 gallon bag with trash from on and around her desk. Vacuumed with my shopvac, wiped things down with disinfectant wipes, sprayed Zevo roach killer, misted peppermint oil all over. Put mesh dust screen on her mini pc and plugged every unused port with silicone plugs. Got it all set up and let her know so she could come see it. She turned it on and started going through the software setup but apparently didn't finish before she went to bed. Her UPC crapped out and shut it off. Turned it back on and it said it was updating or something. I haven't gone to check on it since.

Back hates me and I have to drive her to an appointment this afternoon. Will try to nap a bit more because I didn't get enough sleep last night. Was up until 5am. But I feel better about having stuff setup. Ordered a new UPS, dust screens, and plugs for any unused ports on it.
 
Trying to troubleshoot why internet doesn't work on Mom's computer. It wouldn't connect at first, I reset the adapter then tried again and it was able to load a bit and I started trying to download Chrome from Microsoft edge when it stopped and then said there was no connection to the internet. Modem is connected and then it said invalid IP and no DNS and I kept trying to run troubleshooters. reset IP, renewed IP, flushed dns... Not sure what the problem is. I may need to get a dongle for wifi but am not sure that would fix the problem. The "Killer wifi" that came with the pc was reported to have some problems.
 
Clem, that sucks. Hopefully they will reimburse you.
I remember the time my brother got a $3 order from the local Sonic. It showed they were charging him $3, his receipt said $3 but they actually charged his card $43. He called his CC to dispute and they said Sonic said he ordered there. He had his receipt still and he called Sonic and told them they overcharged him by $40. They argued and he said his receipt showed $3 but his card showed they charged more. Like they charged him for someone else's order or something. Took him over a month to get them to resolve it.

I disabled ipv6 on in network settings since Starlink modem doesn't work with that. Didn't work at first. I went through all the resetting, renewing, flushing, and all sorts of other stuff. Rebooted computer numerous times. Finally rebooted the modem and that did the trick. So now her new pc is set up, I synced her headphones to it via bluetooth, logged into google for her, and have it so her passwords were restored from the old hard drive. She should be able to pay her bills now. But she will most likely start watching Dimash videos instead.
 
I could write that book.

I finally get hold of a person who can't talk to me until she sends a verification text. I say nooooo! I don't have a smart enough phone. I just spent over an hour on hold and I am not hanging up to read a message so I can wait on hold again in an infinite loop of stupidity.

She agrees to verify the 'old way' in a rather nasty tone but first I need to agree to voice recognition. I do not agree, get a manager. Manager wants to know why I won't agree to voice recognition. I inform her that my voice can be copied and used for fraud and I will not go on record agreeing to it. By this time, I have a pretty good idea why the wait times are so long.

Finally we get around to the double charge. It's clear that it's a double charge but they argue it. I wrangle an agreement that it will be removed. I don't trust them at this point, but I'll keep checking.

I have never seen the pre authorized amount at the pump get added along side the actual charge on the bill before. It's a good thing I always check the card balance daily when I use it.

From now on, no more CC at the pumps.
 
ClemKadiddlehopper said:
I could write that book.

I finally get hold of a person who can't talk to me until she sends a verification text. I say nooooo! I don't have a smart enough phone. I just spent over an hour on hold and I am not hanging up to read a message so I can wait on hold again in an infinite loop of stupidity.

She agrees to verify the 'old way' in a rather nasty tone but first I need to agree to voice recognition. I do not agree, get a manager. Manager wants to know why I won't agree to voice recognition. I inform her that my voice can be copied and used for fraud and I will not go on record agreeing to it. By this time, I have a pretty good idea why the wait times are so long.

Finally we get around to the double charge. It's clear that it's a double charge but they argue it. I wrangle an agreement that it will be removed. I don't trust them at this point, but I'll keep checking.

I have never seen the pre authorized amount at the pump get added along side the actual charge on the bill before. It's a good thing I always check the card balance daily when I use it.

From now on, no more CC at the pumps.
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Isn't it just pathetic what it's all come to?
 
I either stop by the Bank and get cash for gas or I will go inside the gas station and pay there, get a receipt and then Pump the gas...!!! No CC for Me at the Pumps...!!
 

How to Spot a Credit Card Skimmer at Gas Pumps and Avoid Getting Scammed Updated: Feb. 21, 2024​

​


"Knowing how to identify a gas pump skimmer is the first step in protecting yourself from this common scam.



Drivers are keeping a close eye on gas prices, which are at an all-time high. But a lack of cheap gas isn’t the only issue you might face when filling your tank. A gas pump skimmer can do a real number on your bank account.
Gas-station fraud commonly occurs with the use of skimmers, small devices that thieves place on or above the card readers at gas pumps (and ATMs) to copy and steal your credit card information. They used to be found primarily in cities, but the scam has spread into rural areas, and everyone should be on alert for these devices."

More here : https://www.rd.com/article/gas-pump-skimmer/



1710193571695.png
 
Frodo said:
I just had my annual haircut
Shaved my head.
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Is there a Mrs. Frodo and if so, did you warn her. Hubby doesn't warn me when he does that and he comes to bed after me so I wake up alarmed. He's lucky I've become accustomed to the shock. 😂
 
LadyLocust said:
Is there a Mrs. Frodo and if so, did you warn her. Hubby doesn't warn me when he does that and he comes to bed after me so I wake up alarmed. He's lucky I've become accustomed to the shock. 😂
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No I did not say anything but she heard the buzz of the wahl.
Then she clipped around my ears and the back for me
 
Typical monday here. I work from home, so 8 hours sitting at a computer thinking of all the things I need to be doing ... One of our dogs is hurt, so medicating and pottying him seperattly from the others all day. I think he will be going to the vet tomorrow... sigh.
 
I slept in, got woke up by the phone, hauled canola all day. it is an evil plant, but less ichy than most grain.
 
We did cut and slides on 1,100 feet of rail and shot 17 welds today. It was a lot of work but it went smoothly so it didn't feel like we worked that hard. We split the work up so nobody had to do the same thing all day. I banged anchors, pulled spikes, sawed rails, distributed materials, set up and took down the derails we used to protect ourselves, and got to practice my windmilling technique for a little while too. @12icemaker will understand everything I just wrote, but it's probably gibberish to everyone else. 🤣
 
Spikedriver said:
We did ... 1,100 feet of rail and ... 17 welds today. It was a lot of work but it went smoothly so it didn't feel like we worked that hard. We split the work up so nobody had to do the same thing all day. I banged anchors, pulled spikes, sawed rails, distributed materials, set up and took down the derails we used to protect ourselves, and got to practice my ... @12icemaker will understand everything I just wrote, but it's probably gibberish to everyone else. 🤣
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Yup.

I removed the gibberish.

Ben
 
Neb said:
Yup.

I removed the gibberish.

Ben
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Railroaders have their own lexicon, and it's even different for the different crafts. When trainmen talk, I have no clue what they're saying sometimes. They understand nothing that I'm saying. It's like a literature professor trying to talk shop with a nuclear engineer...
 
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I installed a new grill cover at the rental. I should take a leaf blower to that thing. Cleaned a mouse nest on the grill. Guess my tenants did do any grilling.

I cleaned up a bunch of board left over from the old deck. Sawed it up into bite size chunks that will fit the back of the side by side. I'll take the side by side down tomorrow and haul it to the junk pile.

Ben
 
Took Mom for her diabetes specialist appointment and brought along her dexcom g7 and one of the sensors. The box the sensor was in was opened so I figured Mom had looked at it. Apparently she did not and it had arrived that way. Went speed limit (~45) until I saw the school zone coming up and realized it was in effect so I slowed down- no flashing lights and no pre-warning of the hours. You have to be almost on top of the sign to see the times because the writing is small. Done on purpose to create a speed trap. Got pulled over when I was almost to the turn off to the doctor's office. Cop took a few minutes to get out of his vehicle and was polite. He told me he clocked me going 48 in a school zone. I told him I was taking my mother to the doctor. He asked for my license-- said he could see registration was good on the plate. Came back and then told me where the school zone started (claiming it started before the sign for it) and what hours it was in effect and to please drive slower during the listed hours. I decided not to call him out on the BS of how fast he claimed I was going and the fact that I had slowed to 30 before passing the school zone sign. I will note that other people were driving faster than me and even passed me when I was slowing down to enter the school zone. I do wonder if he pinged one of the other people or what the deal was. My friend asked for a description of him and said he's been giving a lot of people grief. At least he was polite and didn't ticket. And he was fast about it. Don't know if taking Mom to the doctor had any impact on that or not. We were a bit late, but they didn't care at the office. I always takes 45min to an hour after appointment time to be seen anyway.

So, after waiting almost an hour the specialist came in and went to show Mom how to apply the sensor, but it wouldn't deploy. She tried a few times and said it was either defective or had been tampered with. She said to contact the vendor to request a free sensor replacement. I did that and they called back while I was loading groceries into the truck from Walmart. Dude was not getting the hint when I repeatedly told him "I'm loading groceries right now" and I finally said "I need both hands to load and need to get off the phone, can you email me or text me?" and he said he could do that so I can call their tech support. I'm hoping they will replace the sensor but expecting they will blow me off or something. It's almost stupidly easy to apply the sensors. The good news is, the sensor can send data to the G7 device AND my phone at the same time if I set up the app. That way, if Mom's sugar drops or spikes it can give me a heads up to go check on her.

The insulin pump is still pending. They asked me to e-mail them the picture of the insurance card after I texted it to them. So I did and they said they got it.

Wrists are hurting and hands are cold so I'm going to rest and use cats as hand warmers.
 
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TexasCharm said:
Typical monday here. I work from home, so 8 hours sitting at a computer thinking of all the things I need to be doing ... One of our dogs is hurt, so medicating and pottying him seperattly from the others all day. I think he will be going to the vet tomorrow... sigh.
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Please let us know how the dog is!!
 
@Spikedriver After years of "Windmilling" your wrist will begin to give you trouble I went to the flip up and drop when you get it to full height just drop it and whip it the last foot or so it will put them down in three licks on a hard switch tie.

I could out pull a spike puller when I worked T&S I would start them pulling every day pull the outside and both insides let the four spike pullers do the outside on 1 rail.


I caught up the anchors in the evening doing one hand behind the back to do triceps on the front side.

With all of the hydraulics it would seem things would goa lot faster, but when It was just a backhoe and hand tools we did a lot more than any section gang does now.

5 men and a backhoe then would put in 100 ties tamped, spiked anchored and dressed in a day, sometimes more in the right kind of track "good rock, No mud and straight track"

Different world then.

The best thing I ever got in the new tool category was the first Hydraulic Saw I got it was a 14 inch straight handle dual pivot by Stanley, it was the best saw I ever had it would cut a 132 in under a minute and straight as an arrow. when the motor wore out they got some other kind and it was not half the saw, same for the first hole saw drill we got hydraulic it cut at the right speed and you could saw at least 6 holes with one bit as long as you kept the lubricant on it. Railroads are notorious for buying equipment from companies that members of their boards own stock in or are board members of.

Have a good safe week.
 
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