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RTDNTOTO 🐻 Random Thoughts Deserving No Thread Of Their Own 20 (2025)

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Here ya go Dandy. I found your green sunglasses & they're named correctly for you:

Heehee. Nice! My former green sunglasses were from goodr but had mirrored lenses. But I could probably rock these.
 

Nothing like the finale of the Firebird Suite to remind you why the arts are so important in our lives. Go ahead and skip to 1:36 if you want to get right to the main theme. Or jump ahead to the final crescendo at 2:30 to understand why we are here on earth.
 
Who likes breaded & fried cheese curds ?
I do. Not sure how common they are outside Wisconsin, the midwest, growing up we only got curds at a cheese factory in Western New York Amish country, and never deep fried. Just made some the other day at my brothers house, and they actually worked this time.
 
How's budget time going for folks on the July-to-June schedule?

The manager's budget just got released, and she proposed everything I wanted and more, but it will likely be cut during the hearings in May
 
How's budget time going for folks on the July-to-June schedule?

The manager's budget just got released, and she proposed everything I wanted and more, but it will likely be cut during the hearings in May
My 6 budgets and pro formas (parking fund, airport fund, revolving loan fund, 3 TIF districts) are in and submitted...and just finalized the capital budget proposals for the City Manager. Budget is submitted to the City Council on May 9 and then the month and a half of budget meetings and hearings begin...

My busiest time of year (Feb-June) is nearing completion...capital takes a loooong time to coordinate amongst all the departments and divisions, then coordinating capital close outs and impact fee usage to offset general fund / special revenue fund/ enterprise fund spending...

Have I mentioned that the "new" (1.5ish years in) job is a lot different than the 1st 27 years of my career? ;)
 
I asked for 2 things (extra) in our budget this year. One was a code rewrite & one was a new position. I'll probably get the rewrite & not the person.
 
Went to a thrift store yesterday with Wifey (she likes to randomly poke around).

Bought some stuff, found out when we got home they gave us the senior discount for 50+. We aren't there yet!

We decided we are not ethically obligated to correct them, since we didn't ask for it.

In related news, I finally got myself a decent desktop calculator for 80 cents from said store. There is math in planning, after all. :)

Jim
 
I'm becoming a big fan of sesame sticks. I dimly remember trying these as a child in the free sample bowls at Hickory Farms stores in the mall, but haven't really had them again until recently when I saw a local grocery started carrying them in their bulk foods section. They're tasty, have a bit of protein in them, have fiber, and are convenient to store in the office as a quick snack. The spicy ones are even better.

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Cyburbia is back up an running! Kept going to my bookmark and getting and error. Email came in with highlights of the forum but it would show posts from 2-3 years ago. Clicked on link which brought me to the page. Oh, how I've missed you. Thank you to all that brought Cyburbia back to life.
 
I'm becoming a big fan of sesame sticks. I dimly remember trying these as a child in the free sample bowls at Hickory Farms stores in the mall, but haven't really had them again until recently when I saw a local grocery started carrying them in their bulk foods section. They're tasty, have a bit of protein in them, have fiber, and are convenient to store in the office as a quick snack. The spicy ones are even better.

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My wife picked some up the last time we made a trip to Trader Joes. She loves them.
 
Cyburbia is back up an running! Kept going to my bookmark and getting and error. Email came in with highlights of the forum but it would show posts from 2-3 years ago. Clicked on link which brought me to the page. Oh, how I've missed you. Thank you to all that brought Cyburbia back to life.
Take the www off your bookmark.
 
We presented our proposed budget to city council last Friday. First workshop is May 5th for Operating and May 12th for CIP. Financially we're fine, in fact just got an upgrade from Moody's. We have no General Obligation debt but the Council has a lot of capital projects that they'd like to do. Reality is without raising the millage we can do very few of them. We've cut millage 11 out of the last 12 years (held steady during FY 2021 due to COVID uncertainty). Will be interesting to see how the discussions go.
 
I don't know what's worst. Someone calling me about my medicare plan, or a sales call for permitting software.
 
Is it appropriate to put an * here because we can't compare our posting pace due to the time Cyburbia not being available?

1K2K3K4K5K6K7K8K9K10K11K12K
#20 -2025*02-12
#19 - 202402-1403-2805-2307-1909-3012-0212-317,064
#18 - 202302-1204-2506-2609-2611-0812-286,585
#17 - 202201-1902-1603-3105-1106-1607-2609-1411-0812-1612-3110,297
#16 - 202102-1103-3105-1907-1609-0710-1811-1912-1012-2212-2812-2912-3112,744
#15 - 202001-2703-1005-1207-2309-1611-1112-2812-3112-319,375
#14 - 201902-1204-0505-2407-1508-3010-1712-0512-2412-319,484
#13 - 201803-1605-3108-1011-0512-315,115
#12 - 201702-2805-2308-2411-2812-295,096
#11 - 201602-0903-2305-1207-0108-1810-1212-0712-318,072
#10 - 201502-0604-0606-1508-1410-0111-2912-3012-3112-319,570
# 9 -- 201401-3103-1205-2108-0910-2112-1112-3012-3112-319,291
# 8 -- 201301-1802-1203-2204-2205-1706-2007-3009-1611-1312-1912-3112-3112,050
# 7 -- 201202-2305-1207-1009-1211-0612-0612-2812-3112-319,327
# 6 -- 201102-2504-1205-2606-3008-1010-0512-0512-318,041
# 5 -- 201003-0405-0907-2609-2211-245,563
# 4 -- 200902-1904-2407-1310-0712-315,004
# 3 -- 200804-0407-0709-2312-224,085
# 2 -- 200703-1005-1907-2410-114,862
# 1 --2004-2007
Original
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You know how you get ear worms? I know I get them all the time and depending on the music, I suspect they tell me where my subconscious mind is dwelling. For the past two days it's been Barber's Adagio For Strings (you know, the song from Platoon).

What does that mean?
 
Or we just double down for the rest of the year to make up for lost time?
Perhaps you could have a multiplier for 2025? That is, it was down for about 40 days, which is 11% of the year, so just multiply the total for 2025 by 1.11 to weight it?

Jim

You know how you get ear worms? I know I get them all the time and depending on the music, I suspect they tell me where my subconscious mind is dwelling. For the past two days it's been Barber's Adagio For Strings (you know, the song from Platoon).

What does that mean?
Funny thing is, I had Elton John's "Tiny Dancer" in my head all day yesterday, despite my not having heard the song or thought about it in years.

Jim
 
Enjoying me some Skittles while I can still get that petroleum-based food dye high. (say that ten times fast...)

Dog Reaction GIF
 
Having a humdinger of a thunderstorm right now. The dogs and cats came running into the room with me. They don't usually do that but one of the lightning bolts was too close for comfort. Saw the flash and an instant later heard the bang.

Just had another one and the whole house rumbled.
 
Where to next ? -
New River Gorge ?
west -

Portsmouth, OH Floodwall Murals
Let me know if you go to New River. Maybe I'll drive down to meet you for lunch.

I'm becoming a big fan of sesame sticks. I dimly remember trying these as a child in the free sample bowls at Hickory Farms stores in the mall, but haven't really had them again until recently when I saw a local grocery started carrying them in their bulk foods section. They're tasty, have a bit of protein in them, have fiber, and are convenient to store in the office as a quick snack. The spicy ones are even better.

View attachment 64565
I love sesame sticks! I prefer plain, salted, but they're good in seasoned trail mix.
 
I heard a song when I was at the gym this morning that I have not heard in quite some time... and now I can't get it out of my head.

 
Breaded? No.
Battered? Yes, please.

Then again I am from IL just a few miles south of the cheddar curtain, so peak cheese curd territory.
I am not a fan of breaded cheese curds or cheese sticks, I do love me some battered cheese curds and battered cheese sticks. Cheese curds are not too common around here, but there are two places within an hour of here that offers battered curds from a local creamery. They are delicious. Outside of that we have a Culver's, but I am not a fan of their breaded curds and we also have Sheetz which offers battered curds. One thing that I often wondered, how are traditional cheese curds served? Personally, I eat mine with no dipping sauce but around here you are offered marinara or ranch. Is that the case in the mid-west?
 
I am not a fan of breaded cheese curds or cheese sticks, I do love me some battered cheese curds and battered cheese sticks. Cheese curds are not too common around here, but there are two places within an hour of here that offers battered curds from a local creamery. They are delicious. Outside of that we have a Culver's, but I am not a fan of their breaded curds and we also have Sheetz which offers battered curds. One thing that I often wondered, how are traditional cheese curds served? Personally, I eat mine with no dipping sauce but around here you are offered marinara or ranch. Is that the case in the mid-west?
Plain cheese curds I eat....plain. Breaded cheese sticks (like what you get at Culver's) are usually served with marinara, but if I'm having cheese sticks at home I will mix it up with either ranch, bbq, or malt vinegar
 
Would you wear this shirt ?


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The other day I had to get a new ID card and I was walking around trying out different smiles until I realized I probably look a bit crazy walking around making faces. 😀😃😁😆🙂😊😏🥴🤪
 
As of the beginning of March, I no longer schedule myself to the minute on Sundays. It's one day of the week when, while I have a general idea of what I want to do that day, I am not beholden to following my routine to the minute. Also, I cram all my errands and must-dos into Sunday, so I can have all (or most) of a day all to myself, to take care of my own needs (gym, long bath, reading, river hike, etc.)

Oddly, I feel LESS anxious on Sundays now . . . But the idea of having a to-the-minute schedule is to prevent anxiety.

Once football season begins in September, I'll probably go back to the minute-by-minute routine, but, until then, I'm enjoying the freedom.

Jim
 
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