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RTDNTOTO 🐻 Random Thoughts Deserving No Thread Of Their Own 19 (2024)

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arcplans said:
Officially paid the IRS taxes for the first time in my life.
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Well no, you've been paying them all along. It's just that you overpaid every year except this year so you always got some back.

I have it worked out where I get a little back most years. This year I owed $90 so I guess I'll up my deduction amount a bit.
 
luckless pedestrian said:
welp, I'mma headin' out and over to the state of many lakes or whatever their slogan is - see ya at laefest
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Tv Show Friends GIF
 
arcplans said:
Anything other than the obligatory deep dish?
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Yes, as a matter of fact, a less touristy option is to try the less well known, but equally signature, Chicago tavern style pizza. It's a sort of thin crust pizza but has a distinctive crust. It's what Chicago natives usually eat when they want pizza, and as a result is easy to find. Personally, I like La Villa's pizza but there are literally hundreds of other places to choose from that serve this type of pizza. If it's not a chain then chances are it's a Chicago tavern style pizza.
 
arcplans said:
Yo any good restaurant or cafe recommendations in chicagoland? Thinking about taking a trip out there this summer for a concert, and the foodie in me wants to plan.
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It’s almost impossible to provide rec. since there is so much...you’d be good to try anything.

Look me up if you wish when you’re here.
 
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Went to see the River Fest spectacle yesterday. There were a lot of people waiting on the sidewalk of a 4-lane road. Tyga was there.
 
Got a 3 hour meeting about our new database software. Good thing I can leave the camera off on this one.
 
arcplans said:
Yo any good restaurant or cafe recommendations in chicagoland? Thinking about taking a trip out there this summer for a concert, and the foodie in me wants to plan.
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Others have given some good recommendations but I'll add one more - last time I was in Chicago, we had lunch at the Ralph Lauren Restaurant. It sounds like a weird choice but it was fantastic. There are a few of them at/near their large stores in New York and Milan and Paris and I had always heard that they were really good and then they opened one in Chicago a few years back. Not inexpensive but it was great. They also now have coffee shops (there is one of those also in Chicago not far from the restaurant). I haven't been to one yet, but I hear they have pretty good coffee too.
 
Whose Yur Planner said:
Love those call, especially when it involves I'm pregnant.
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DUDE! @Maister, prepare yourself; there was a story in my newsfeed about how late women can actually have pregnancies! Hope you have some "Miracle Baby Names" already selected. Mine are "West" and "Iris", in case you need suggestions. :)

(But sers hope it's not too bad a talk. I'm a dork, but I'm here for you.)
 
Looks like we need to help Mskies do a pro and con of Houston.

Pro
It has a great food scene.
Beaches aren't that far off.
I once went to a decent strip club there.

Con
Maister might be moving there. That might be the we need to talk call.
My brother lives there.
The lack of zoning must make planning interesting.
Flooding issues to the point of just not dealing with it. Look up the story of the Houston flood plain tsar with a staff of 0.
Annexation issues - more of a problem for neighboring communities than Houston.
 
^^I used to live there. Hubby's cousin is still there.

True no zoning, but they have several other land use controls in place.
Foodies like the social/eatery scene - and it's better now than it was when I was there.
Rare to see snow/ice - but not heard of. In fact, it snowed my first Christmas there!

Humidity, humidity, humidity.
Flood prone
Traffic is the worst in the state!
 
Maister said:
Just got off the phone with Mrs. Maister who actually uttered the phrase "we need to talk". :oops:

Time to preemptively call 911 and a good criminal attorney.
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A relief. I guess. Seems we need to 'improve our communication'. You have no idea the restraint required on my part not to suggest we start by not opening with the cliche 'we need to talk'.
 
I was thinking today I could get away without having coffee this AM. I am a silly goose.
 
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Maister said:
A relief. I guess. Seems we need to 'improve our communication'. You have no idea the restraint required on my part not to suggest we start by not opening with the cliche 'we need to talk'.
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Who thought of the classic qoute from the movie Cool Hand Luke -

What we've got here is... failure to communicate. Some men you just can't reach. So you get what we had here last week, which is the way he wants it... well, he gets it. I don't like it any more than you men.
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JNA said:
On a Monday ?
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No cap. I was goosin' for sure.

Also, I am going to continue to try and add hip and cool vernacular to my life. Although it seems uncomfortable, I think it is important to remind people of my coolness.
 
Doohickie said:
Down to 256. I actually lost almost two pounds on Saturday and kind of ate like a pig, but only two meals. I also rode my bicycle 30 miles on a breakfast ride, mowed the lawn and walked the dogs. According to Strava was 1,750 calories burned.

This was breakfast. The restaurant called it The Big Bad Wolf and it had
  • Brisket
  • Bacon
  • Potatoes
  • Scrambled eggs
  • Chili
  • Queso
  • Tomato serrano salsa

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Follow me for more dieting tips.
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As of this morning I'm down 16 pounds in just over a month. Roughly speaking I'm about a quarter of the way to my goal.
 
After dropping my daughter off at school this morning I stopped at the post office to mail a couple packages. I got there at 8:05 but realized the counter didn't open until 8:30 so I decided to put on my headphones and go for a walk through the neighborhood. I come back at 8:35 and there were now literally 30 people in line (there were 0 people there when I left for my walk). All but me and maybe one other person were mailing just a couple letters or flat envelopes and it was then that I remembered what day it was, but thankfully, like Homer Simpson, I paid my taxes over a year ago!


FWIW, I did have to chuckle at the number of people who were probably waiting until the last minute to file because they'd be damned if they were gonna pay before the 15th and miss out on the interest they could earn only to come in at the very last minute and pay between $9 - $17 to mail their taxes registered or overnight instead of just letting the clerk stamp them (and then double that fee if they were also sending off their state returns that way).
 
WSU MUP Student said:
After dropping my daughter off at school this morning I stopped at the post office to mail a couple packages. I got there at 8:05 but realized the counter didn't open until 8:30 so I decided to put on my headphones and go for a walk through the neighborhood. I come back at 8:35 and there were now literally 30 people in line (there were 0 people there when I left for my walk). All but me and maybe one other person were mailing just a couple letters or flat envelopes and it was then that I remembered what day it was, but thankfully, like Homer Simpson, I paid my taxes over a year ago!


FWIW, I did have to chuckle at the number of people who were probably waiting until the last minute to file because they'd be damned if they were gonna pay before the 15th and miss out on the interest they could earn only to come in at the very last minute and pay between $9 - $17 to mail their taxes registered or overnight instead of just letting the clerk stamp them (and then double that fee if they were also sending off their state returns that way).
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I file in the last week because I expect to pay. This year, Turbo Tax said I was getting a nice refund. It didn't seem right, so my sister checked it and everything was correct. My savings account will like the extra $$$
 
You don't need to send a tax return registered or overnight; it just needs to be postmarked by the 15th.

I waited mostly because I'm lazy and procrastinate. We typically get a few hundred back in refund. This year we owed $90 so I feel vindicated in dragging my feet.
 
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WSU MUP Student said:
After dropping my daughter off at school this morning I stopped at the post office to mail a couple packages. I got there at 8:05 but realized the counter didn't open until 8:30 so I decided to put on my headphones and go for a walk through the neighborhood. I come back at 8:35 and there were now literally 30 people in line (there were 0 people there when I left for my walk). All but me and maybe one other person were mailing just a couple letters or flat envelopes and it was then that I remembered what day it was, but thankfully, like Homer Simpson, I paid my taxes over a year ago!


FWIW, I did have to chuckle at the number of people who were probably waiting until the last minute to file because they'd be damned if they were gonna pay before the 15th and miss out on the interest they could earn only to come in at the very last minute and pay between $9 - $17 to mail their taxes registered or overnight instead of just letting the clerk stamp them (and then double that fee if they were also sending off their state returns that way).
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No automatic postage machine at your post office? The lobby at my local PO opens earlier than the counter and you can purchase postage with the machine and use the drop box if they have that. Of course the easy way is to just print it at home and leave at the counter or drop box if it fits.
 
jsk1983 said:
No automatic postage machine at your post office? The lobby at my local PO opens earlier than the counter and you can purchase postage with the machine and use the drop box if they have that. Of course the easy way is to just print it at home and leave at the counter or drop box if it fits.
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We do have an automatic machine and that's what I was going to use when I got there today and realized that the counter wasn't open yet. Unfortunately, there was some sort of problem with the machine and it wasn't working to purchase postage for packages so I had to wait in line.

The lobby and the machine are usually open 24/7 soif I have a package to mail, I'll usually go late at night or early in the morning on my way to the gym. I almost went last night after the kids were in bed but ultimately decided to eat ice cream and watch TV instead. I'm glad I made that decision otherwise I would have driven there for no reason since the lady at the counter said the machine has been down for a few days.
 
Hink said:
No cap. I was goosin' for sure.

Also, I am going to continue to try and add hip and cool vernacular to my life. Although it seems uncomfortable, I think it is important to remind people of my coolness.
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Bro understood the assignment.
 
Leaving aside the fact that the only apparent way to sell insurance is through humor, the current ad with Larry Bird is fun. I enjoy that Bird supposedly lives in an older home (he might), and has a lacrosse stick in his attic (he might), but when he delivers his one line "Whuut the heck?" is just so perfectly rural southern Indiana.
 
Doohickie said:
Wait. I have jalousie windows! I like the look from a nostalgic perspective, but they're not very good at being windows. They are drafty and transmit too much noise from outside. I've been thinking about replacing them.
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I have some of these in my breakfast nook. They have permanently attached storm windows on the outside of them. That's good, because I can't imagine them being useful for more than a couple of months around here. I think we're going to replace them this summer sometime.
 
First world problem of the day: I was really looking forward to relaxing in the hot tub at the club after my workout this morning but it was drained for some re-tiling work. :disappointed"
 
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WSU MUP Student said:
First world problem of the day: I was really looking forward to relaxing in the hot tub at the club after my workout this morning but it was drained for some re-tiling work. :disappointed"
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What you did not get the notice of the scheduled work ?
 
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