What are you doing today?

[Citysnaps]

Today I'm celebrating. Sort of.

Last night I received an email from Apple with questions about the iPhone trade-in that I sent in five days ago, using the shipping box and pre-paid FedEx label they sent me.

In summary it said they received an empty box. And asked a few questions how I used the box and how I sealed it.

I replied with a photo of the phone in their shipping box, and a few words on how I packed it. I also attached FedEx tracking data, and the signature and name of the person who received it at the trade-in facility.

Less than a hour later I received two emails from Apple. The first was that my trade-in was approved for the full amount. The second, a minute later, saying my credit card was credited with the amount quoted.

No idea what that was all about. Perhaps someone at the facility Apple contracts with was siphoning off trade-ins.

Hat-tip to Apple for quickly resolving the issue.

 

[Nycturne]

Well, it probably never came up.

I was just surprised to someone bring it up. It’s faded in the local memory being over a decade now. It felt a bit like traveling halfway across the world to run into a neighbor.

As someone who went into one of the state owned stores maybe once every couple years, and I still have a couple bottles floating around from that era… I have no disagreements with your take on this.

 

[Yoused]

Now we have a death-copter in the garage. It got really cold last night, so the feeders were brought in after dark to keep the sugar water from turning into solid sugar ice, and one of the little bastards had fallen asleep on the perch and gone unnoticed. So now he is buzzing around in there (I say "he" because the girls usually do not hang around this far north in winter) making little chirping noises. I guess he will be ok in there for now, as he has plenty of food.

 

[Herdfan]

Now we have a death-copter in the garage. I

Ok, what is a death copter? I assume some sort of animal or bird.

 

[Nycturne]

Ok, what is a death copter? I assume some sort of animal or bird.

Angry hummingbird.

 

[Yoused]

Angry hummingbird.

Must you be redundant?

 

[Huntn]

Now we have a death-copter in the garage. It got really cold last night, so the feeders were brought in after dark to keep the sugar water from turning into solid sugar ice, and one of the little bastards had fallen asleep on the perch and gone unnoticed. So now he is buzzing around in there (I say "he" because the girls usually do not hang around this far north in winter) making little chirping noises. I guess he will be ok in there for now, as he has plenty of food.

Ok, what is a death copter? I assume some sort of animal or bird.

Angry hummingbird.

Ok, a hummingbird? If yes and not a joke, will it be warm enough in there for him? Don’t they all usually migrate to warmer climates?

 

[Yoused]

Don’t they all usually migrate to warmer climates?

We have Anna's Hummingbirds that stay around here all winter. They are 99.4% feathers, so the cold is not a problem. AIUI, the boys stay here but the girls go southward somewhat. Despite their intense metabolism, they have a torpor mode that is like a short-term coma, which gets them through the cold nights and meager food supply.

 

[Huntn]

We have Anna's Hummingbirds that stay around here all winter. They are 99.4% feathers, so the cold is not a problem. AIUI, the boys stay here but the girls go southward somewhat. Despite their intense metabolism, they have a torpor mode that is like a short-term coma, which gets them through the cold nights and meager food supply.

So is this one going to be set free or live in your garage for the winter?

 

[Yoused]

So is this one going to be set free or live in your garage for the winter?

I think I got him out. He was trying to get out the high south window, and I tried to shepbird him over to the open door right there. He did not care much for my hslp, but then he was no longer trying to get through the glass, so either he found the exit or I did him in. Probably the former, because I heard one in the tree (they make short little pip-chirps), but there is at least one other hereabouts.

 

[Cmaier]

Our house remodel that started Oct. 4 is officially done today. So enjoying some peace and quiet in our fancy new bathroom and learning how to operate the japanese robot toilet.

 

[AG_PhamD]

Our house remodel that started Oct. 4 is officially done today. So enjoying some peace and quiet in our fancy new bathroom and learning how to operate the japanese robot toilet.

Congrats!

My wife and I bought our condo in 2018. 3BR 2BA in a brownstone, built around 1900. It has last been renovated in the early 2000’s but still retains much of the cool craftsmanship you find in old buildings. We replaced the kitchen, tore down a couple walls, refinished the flood, replaced the main hallway’s walls, renovated our primary bathroom, replaced some windows, did some electrical work, replaced the doors to our garage. By we I mean the company we hired.

But man, picking out every detail is a challenge if you’re as indecisive about things like this as I am. I’m not sure I could ever build a house. This project took forever thanks to the crazy permit office here. The construction workers who did much of the works were all from Thailand if I recall which made communication problematic but they were extremely talented and did fantastic work.

Renovations are far from stress free but once it’s over and you’re happy with the results, it’s totally worth it.

I’m just happy we did this pre-pandemic. Everything is so much more expensive these days, even with the settling down of the intra-pandemic home improvement boom.

I would like to renovate our garage. It was added at the back of the building at some point- I would guess in the 60’s or 70’s. The walls are concrete, theres no finished ceiling, it’s dark, dingy, no outlets except for the door openers, etc. I would like to cover up the walls with drywall or some type of wall panel system, have a ceiling, better lighting, and do an epoxy floor. Putting in shelving, cabinets, and a work surface would be nice too. If I could get a gas line in there I’d love to have a heater just to keep things above freezing but that’s probably not realistic (electricity is way to expensive here for electric heat).

 

[Alli]

Our house remodel that started Oct. 4 is officially done today. So enjoying some peace and quiet in our fancy new bathroom and learning how to operate the japanese robot toilet.

The first change I make when moving in to a new home is installing a bidet. It’s almost impossible to live without one, once you’ve gotten used to that luxury.

 

[Herdfan]

The first change I make when moving in to a new home is installing a bidet. It’s almost impossible to live without one, once you’ve gotten used to that luxury.

For me that luxury is a whole home lighting system. I prefer most of my lights to be on autopilot for 90% of their tasks.

 

[AG_PhamD]

The first change I make when moving in to a new home is installing a bidet. It’s almost impossible to live without one, once you’ve gotten used to that luxury.

Funny story- my sister bought a house that had a toilet with a bidet function in the master bathroom. Days after the owners had accepted my sister’s offer on the house her real estate agent frantically called her to say the owners forgot to mention they are taking the toilet/bidet with them because it was required for “medical reasons” but they would install a regular new toilet.

Of course this was not a deal breaker and my sister wasn’t even aware there was a bidet.

These people also said they were going to remove a motorized projection screen built into the ceiling in the basement rec room but came to realize they could not remove it without tearing apart the ceiling.

 

[rdrr]

Funny story- my sister bought a house that had a toilet with a bidet function in the master bathroom. Days after the owners had accepted my sister’s offer on the house her real estate agent frantically called her to say the owners forgot to mention they are taking the toilet/bidet with them because it was required for “medical reasons” but they would install a regular new toilet.

Of course this was not a deal breaker and my sister wasn’t even aware there was a bidet.

These people also said they were going to remove a motorized projection screen built into the ceiling in the basement rec room but came to realize they could not remove it without tearing apart the ceiling.

Easy fix, get a TOTO C5 Elongated Soft Close Bidet Seat. $600, and a game changer.

 

[Alli]

For me that luxury is a whole home lighting system. I prefer most of my lights to be on autopilot for 90% of their tasks.

Ì thought that’s what Alexa was for.

 

[Herdfan]

Ì thought that’s what Alexa was for.

My system is way beyond the capabilities of Alexa.

Plus I'm not really comfortable with some device listening all the time. I can put my phone in another room.

 

[Eric]

My system is way beyond the capabilities of Alexa.

Plus I'm not really comfortable with some device listening all the time. I can put my phone in another room.

I have both the Echo and a Google Home, often when we talk about something it shows up in our feeds as ads. I mean things we never googled or looked up either, they listen and deliver ads based on our conversations and we're certain of it now. Problem is we've become pretty reliant on it but we're going to have to find a different way.

 

[MEJHarrison]

Plus I'm not really comfortable with some device listening all the time. I can put my phone in another room.

I already don't use Siri. I couldn't imaging buying more devices I wouldn't use.