Let's Talk About Anything Other Than COVID19

KittyFriday

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I decided to paint again yesterday. This is the outcome. It's called "Community" because I'm feeling lonely.
That's beautiful!

I would like to buy a house but haven't had much luck. I offered on a couple but got shot down and it was probably for the best. House prices here are insane. There are also a lot of historic houses that are in just awful shape because they haven't been cared for and/or were college rentals so got a lot of abuse. Many are selling with the thought that a developer will buy and tear them down for apartments but that's so crazy - we have several new apartment complexes going up but already so many unrented homes sitting empty and college enrollment is going down. We have a new biosecurity place opening up which many think will bring in new jobs and people, but most of those jobs are being filled by people who work at the university and the university can't afford to replace those individuals in most cases.

I do like one house that is on the market but my dad says that the sewer in that area is really bad and it wouldn't be a good buy. I'd like to find somewhere close to town but with either a good sized yard or a little out in the country. I grew up on a farm and I miss the open space + my dog is reactive so he would love if we didn't have people wandering by all the time.
 

Elphaba09

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That's beautiful!

I would like to buy a house but haven't had much luck. I offered on a couple but got shot down and it was probably for the best. House prices here are insane. There are also a lot of historic houses that are in just awful shape because they haven't been cared for and/or were college rentals so got a lot of abuse. Many are selling with the thought that a developer will buy and tear them down for apartments but that's so crazy - we have several new apartment complexes going up but already so many unrented homes sitting empty and college enrollment is going down. We have a new biosecurity place opening up which many think will bring in new jobs and people, but most of those jobs are being filled by people who work at the university and the university can't afford to replace those individuals in most cases.

I do like one house that is on the market but my dad says that the sewer in that area is really bad and it wouldn't be a good buy. I'd like to find somewhere close to town but with either a good sized yard or a little out in the country. I grew up on a farm and I miss the open space + my dog is reactive so he would love if we didn't have people wandering by all the time.
That is such a shame about the old houses. I have a soft spot for houses that need love!

I mentioned it earlier, but my son is looking at houses. Thankfully, we live in a rather affordable area. It also helps that the locations he is considering and his income qualify him for a USDA loan, so he can use the money he has saved for his down payment on any repairs or whatnots that come up. I was a bit surprised that he qualifies for a USDA loan because he makes a pretty decent wage. (He makes more than my husband and I do together, that is certain!)

I had mentioned the one house that he was considering that seemed perfect. He took a drive past and did not like the feel of the neighborhood. The area we live in is pretty conservative and religious. We are neither of those things. The area where the house is happens to be a bit more conservative than that and the direct neighbor seemed a bit wack-a-doodle, if his multiple, handmade, large yard signs have anything to do with it.

In general, we love our area, but we have had minor vandalism--specifically my car bumper stickers--and a bit of minor harassment from a few local church members a couple of years back that ended in a cease and desist letter. Considering he and his fiancee practice Bushido and is often training with Japanese weapons in the back yard while in full armor, he felt they would draw unwanted attention from said neighbor. He might be wrong, but that would be an expensive error if he is right. (He mows the lawn in full armor often, too!) It is pretty disappointing because the house had everything he and his fiancee want.

The search continues.
 

Willowy

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Aw, giving the neighbors something to whine about is half the fun ;). As long as they aren't violent sorts, which is admittedly a bit hard to figure out beforehand.

I hope he can find a cool house. The First'Time Homebuyers program is really picky about roofs so tell him to keep an eye on that when he's viewing homes.
 

rgwanner

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I am working from home but in between I m getting projects done - putting together a file cabinet, putting away my winter clothes and getting out my summer clothes (It is going to be 80 this weekend). On my list is painting the small bath, making a new shower curtain, putting poly on my bedroom floor (it is cement and I recently took out the carpet and painted it). And even though the spring craft show is cancelled, I want to start sewing in preparation for the fall show. And I have time to give lots of love to all the cats.

I saw my first flowers this week I don't know the name but they are small "edging" flowers.
 

pearl99

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On my list is painting the small bath, making a new shower curtain, putting poly on my bedroom floor (it is cement and I recently took out the carpet and painted it).

And I have time to give lots of love to all the cats.

I saw my first flowers this week I don't know the name but they are small "edging" flowers.
I am going to paint my basement floor. Any tips and/or hints? I haven't done this before.
Love the cats is the best part.
My daffodils are blooming! And it's sunny today, we're to have snow Friday. ❄☃
 

MoochNNoodles

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When I came out of my bedroom a little while ago my DD was cleaning DS’s bedroom. I thought she was just avoiding school work until DS had his wallet out paying her for it! :oops::lol: He better lose a few more teeth here soon if he plans to keep this up!:flail:
 
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Mia6

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No long drive for me, and the weather doesn't matter. Something pleasant while we're all sequestered at home.

The New York Botanical Garden is doing a Facebook Watch Party: Video Tour of NYBG’s The Orchid Show: Jeff Leatham’s Kaleidoscope on Wednesday, March 25, 2020, at 12 p.m. EDT
Tour highlights include: purple vandas suspended above a 10-foot-tall mirrored orchid sculpture and fountain; a kaleidoscopic tunnel of lights; yellow orchid arches evoking sunrise and sunset, and more.
That is sooo beautiful!!

Elphaba09 Elphaba09 What did the signs say in the neighborhood where your son was considering buying a house?
 

Elphaba09

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That is sooo beautiful!!

Elphaba09 Elphaba09 What did the signs say in the neighborhood where your son was considering buying a house?
We will just say that they were very extremist right-wing "messages" that mentioned the upcoming election and violence if it does not go their way and what should happen to all "libitards." They reminded my son's fiancee of her far, far, right-wing, doomsday prepper, militant family.
 
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Mia6

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We will just say that they were very extremist right-wing "messages" that mentioned the upcoming election and violence if it does not go their way and what should happen to all "libitards." They reminded my son's fiancee of her far, far, right-wing, doomsday prepper, militant family.
Yikes! No not a nice place to live. That guy sounds very strange.
 

Elphaba09

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Yikes! No not a nice place to live. That guy sounds very strange.
Nope. As I said, we live in a pretty conservative village. ( We have had minor issues, but I love our area 99.9% of the time. I adore my neighbors, and people help each other out more often than not. Hex, I once had some teens riding their bikes past my house who saw me struggling with groceries and stopped to help. All-in-all, it is quiet and safe. The house is in a smaller village between us and the next larger town over that is set back in low hills and farmland with a few clusters of homes. I do not want to sound like we do not want to live by conservatives. We just do not want to live by scary extremist wack-a-doodles no matter what way they lean!
 

pearl99

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That is such a shame about the old houses. I have a soft spot for houses that need love!

I mentioned it earlier, but my son is looking at houses. Thankfully, we live in a rather affordable area. It also helps that the locations he is considering and his income qualify him for a USDA loan, so he can use the money he has saved for his down payment on any repairs or whatnots that come up. I was a bit surprised that he qualifies for a USDA loan because he makes a pretty decent wage. (He makes more than my husband and I do together, that is certain!)

I had mentioned the one house that he was considering that seemed perfect. He took a drive past and did not like the feel of the neighborhood. The area we live in is pretty conservative and religious. We are neither of those things. The area where the house is happens to be a bit more conservative than that and the direct neighbor seemed a bit wack-a-doodle, if his multiple, handmade, large yard signs have anything to do with it.

In general, we love our area, but we have had minor vandalism--specifically my car bumper stickers--and a bit of minor harassment from a few local church members a couple of years back that ended in a cease and desist letter. Considering he and his fiancee practice Bushido and is often training with Japanese weapons in the back yard while in full armor, he felt they would draw unwanted attention from said neighbor. He might be wrong, but that would be an expensive error if he is right. (He mows the lawn in full armor often, too!) It is pretty disappointing because the house had everything he and his fiancee want.
I
The search continues.
That's too bad about the neighbors. I see you are in NE Ohio, I grew up mostly there and it is beautiful. I don't have any family left there now. I loved the parks around us.
 

Katie M

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I just watched a very interesting Sherlock Holmes movie, "Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror". It was both made and set in 1942, and had Holmes going up against Nazis. British morale-boosting propaganda of course, but you won't see me complaining about that :salute:
 
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Mia6

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This is what I mean when I say my Hobbit has big feet. He is 3 1/2 months old and those are size 6-9 month socks. Hos toes go to the end but do not stretch the socks. Yet.
He so beautiful!! I love those big feet!!💖
 

susanm9006

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A good Netflix series to watch, Unorthodox. It is a story of life for a woman inside the very conservative Hasidic Jewish community and her escape to a different life. It’s both educational and engrossing.
 
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Mia6

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A good Netflix series to watch, Unorthodox. It is a story of life for a woman inside the very conservative Hasidic Jewish community and her escape to a different life. It’s both educational and engrossing.
That sounds good!
 

Elphaba09

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A good Netflix series to watch, Unorthodox. It is a story of life for a woman inside the very conservative Hasidic Jewish community and her escape to a different life. It’s both educational and engrossing.

I just finished watching the Unorthodox series. (I guess there is a documentary, too.) My only complaint would be that the ending left too many important things unresolved.

My birthday is tomorrow and my husband got me an early present a few days ago: A Litter-Robot. I am pleased to admit that my cats are using it as their primary litter box. I think it is because they like having fresh litter each time they go. The only cats having issues are Tara and Silas. Tara does not like to be in places without two ways out or in. She just started using it yesterday. (We have other litter boxes up still.) Silas is so big and fluffy that he does not like the hood. In fact, I am surprised that my other cats took to it so quickly because they have not liked hooded boxes in the past.

I was upset because it is a very expensive item; however, because of my disability, scooping the cat boxes has always been scary because I have poor balance, especially when bent over. I was leery about the claim that it saves on litter; however, over the course of the past few days, I really have used less. It even lets me know when to change the bag! He is thinking about eventually getting one or two more just so we can get rid of all but one of the regular boxes. I think one more would be plenty if we even need that. I have a feeling that if we were to eliminate all the other boxes except the one upstairs we might be okay because the cats have barely used the ones downstairs since they started using the new one. The black light check has shown no issues around the house.

It is so nice to not have the terror of feeling like I was going to topple headfirst into cat poo!
 
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