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So what's up with y'all lately? Posted by jacque on January 23, 2026, 3:02 am Valued Poster Besides the daily dose of political/social/economic chaos globally what's a day in life this week? I went to wash out a crumb from my top denture tuesday morning and as I lightly scrubbed in the sink it cracked into three pieces at one of the implant cups. The company I originally contracted with has changed a 3rd time. So now I had to pay $200 to repair 5 yr old dentures that still need a final fitting to set the cup for the implant 2 days later. (this would have been covered originally) On my way to pick up my semi repaired denture the front passenger side suspension of my vehicle had a failure. The coil spring was rubbing the tire. I made it home but it's subzero so it will sit for a few days until I can repair it. If repairable. At least some denture cream can help for a couple weeks until the final denture repair, so I can eat. live long and prosper as best you can. Jacque "Jack of all trades is master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one." ... And thanks for masters in skill for a standard of work to instill.

The third thing in the String of Threes? Posted by Pikes Peak 14115 on January 24, 2026, 5:40 pm, in reply to "So what's up with y'all lately?" ADMIN You're not alone. We can toast to your good health restoration tonight. Several here could use a cheerful toast! 7pm EST Rejoice! Somebody has concepts of a health care plan. He also has framework of a plan about Greenland acquisition that all Europe embraced and praised. He lowered drug prices by 90%, 200%, 300%, 600%, and even 1000% and 3000% Wharton must be so proud of their Business graduate! Imagine! Pfizer will now pay you $90 to $900 for one of their Viagra pills! Maybe you could trade some pills for the denture work? A sign on I-70 west of Denver bore a stark warning. Reptilian administration and political party. Some of you may get two feet of snow. We had maybe 2/10". Your spring and denture should be fixable. Hoping for the best. It's 20f warmer in the mountains than down here. A new scale was proposed. Called the Taco Scale, it is measured by the number of dementia sundowning rants felon posts to truth social after a bad day. Taco 1 - 1-50 Taco 2 - 51-100 Taco 3 - 101 - 150 Taco 4 - 151 - 200 Taco 5 - 201+ Thursday night it was a Taco 4. Where will Ted Cruz be during this Texas deeo freeze? A. Felon's (formerly Epstein's) Island B. Cancun C. The felon's colon D. None of the Above You can look away from a painting, but you can't listen away from a symphony

Normally thirds sound nice, but the 1-4-5 in 12 bars still has 3 as a factor. Posted by jacque on January 25, 2026, 2:53 am, in reply to "The third thing in the String of Threes?" Valued Poster I will most definitely have a third for the fourth time. I'm still composing my cacophonous symphony its a classical jazz blues fusion with operatic flair and simple folk melodies contained within a trilogy in four parts. My publisher and I are in negotiations for the final release. However I'm certain I have leaked some of the content already. live long and prosper as best you can. Jacque "Jack of all trades is master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one." ... And thanks for masters in skill for a standard of work to instill.

Sounds like an amorphluous contrafiction Posted by Pikes Peak 14115 on January 25, 2026, 5:10 pm, in reply to "Normally thirds sound nice, but the 1-4-5 in 12 bars still has 3 as a factor." ADMIN Leaked ports withnotstanding, either a fourlogy in three ports, or a triphony in quadramitic retrosession challenges any orchestraction to inlimited extremism. Such musick has ever been herded before and confirms most lozenges reside and perform with wrappers. One cannot help but be inspired by our redisent jabberwockian felon. The spring in your drive should submit to repair as satisfying as a fully restored denture working its way through the best prime rib. You can look away from a painting, but you can't listen away from a symphony

Hmmm.... Totally no clue what you just said Posted by Sia on January 25, 2026, 7:03 pm, in reply to "Sounds like an amorphluous contrafiction " ADMIN LOL

It's how trump heard Carney! LOL Posted by Pikes Peak 14115 on January 25, 2026, 8:36 pm, in reply to "Hmmm.... Totally no clue what you just said" ADMIN Trump disclosed the new secret weapon used to find and secure Maduro. The Discombobulator! No kidding! Maybe he authorized ICE to use the thing-a-ma-jig, the what-cha-call-it, and the doohickey in Mini-apples? What if crowds surrounded ICE raids and belly laughed at them? Told ICE jokes? If all felon press conferences were met with uncontrollable laughter? He'd have a Taco-5. You can look away from a painting, but you can't listen away from a symphony

What is the picture of? I know it's your yard and plants but Posted by Sia on January 25, 2026, 9:58 pm, in reply to "It's how trump heard Carney! LOL" ADMIN not sure what the symbolism or messaging is from the pix. You used it earlier too.

General Mood Posted by Pikes Peak 14115 on January 26, 2026, 2:50 pm, in reply to "What is the picture of? I know it's your yard and plants but" ADMIN Gnome was called a Twatzi. Trump's ballroom halted. Either no investors, investors pulled out, or trump lied. Judge is livid furious. His NY property was seized by the state. Wall St, Trump Tower and more. Appears possibly insolvent. Watch for a Taco -5 rantspree. You can look away from a painting, but you can't listen away from a symphony

Really? I hadn't heard about any of that! Posted by Sia on January 26, 2026, 9:21 pm, in reply to "General Mood" ADMIN I wasn't keeping up that well, but I'm shocked that I missed all that! Whahooo!!

Hope things get better fast! Posted by Poppet on January 24, 2026, 1:21 pm, in reply to "So what's up with y'all lately?" ADMIN Me? I've been going back and forth between Japan and the Pacific Northwest a lot of late: family issue of no small gravity...while also trying to finalize selling one of the Japanese business assets I'd acquired (lots of prolonged, in-person legal/financial crap to deal with...typical Japanese red-tape-on-steroids stuff). It's all a bit much, especially in combination with witnessing the US descend ever more rapidly into a totalitarian state.

I can only imagine Posted by jacque on January 25, 2026, 1:27 am, in reply to "Hope things get better fast!" Valued Poster what is is like for you to watch. My relatives in farmville South Dakota seem to think it is just city folk acting out. But their seats are in the nosebleed sections or in the network blackout for the game. You on the other hand probably see all the highlight reels and more half a world away watching your house burn because of arsonists. But then again I'm sure it has its spin there too. I hope you get international business sorted and the family stuff has a good ending too. We will try to save things here for you when you return. live long and prosper as best you can. Jacque "Jack of all trades is master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one." ... And thanks for masters in skill for a standard of work to instill.

I wish you good fortune in selling that company and hope your family member Posted by Sia on January 24, 2026, 6:15 pm, in reply to "Hope things get better fast!" ADMIN is doing well again soon! Don't your parental units live in Arizona?

Thanks! Posted by Poppet on January 25, 2026, 2:09 am, in reply to "I wish you good fortune in selling that company and hope your family member " ADMIN Yes, my parents live in Scottsdale. I've been traveling between there and Portland (where I have a house/office). Saw the post up-page that you're home now. Wonderful news!

not sure where to begin Posted by Trish on January 24, 2026, 10:47 am, in reply to "So what's up with y'all lately?" Admin I am down to one client who is part-time. Put in at least 3 resumes daily. I am not sure how I am going to manage financially at this point. So many Freelancers are overseas and willing to work for less than a penny a word. I can't do that, not after 30 years of experience. It's unfair not only to me but also to other long-term writers. I will lower my fee if there's a real interest. I landed back in the hospital just after New Year's with a blockage. I won't describe how it was fixed but let's say no fun Broke a tooth last night, right in front. I should audition for a hillbilly show. Trying to help elder son navigate finding the "right" job after two years of struggle with mental health (resulting in a patchy resume) Our kitchen ceiling is leaking (again). On the upside, I am starting to make soap again.I looked all over for a hobby that does not require good eyesight and that might drag me from my computer once in a while. And this was it. Years ago, I made and sold Lye soap. Not going that route again. I want it to be really different (trying not to repeat combinations or decorations. Thus far, I've made Butterfly Kiss (tea tree), Lemon Harvest (leaf shape), Coffee cleanse, Himalayan sea salt with Jasmine, Hickory do-da (salt exfoliant), and Cinnamon-oatmeal olive oil. On the agenda this week is Oh! Honey (honey powder in honey soap base shaped like a beehive) and Open Sesame Shit it's still only Jan.

I'm trying to find some new beginnings too Posted by jacque on January 25, 2026, 2:21 am, in reply to "not sure where to begin" Valued Poster I'm trying to get myself prepped for some gardening on a more than supplemental hobby situation. I am looking to employ various means. Greenhousing and hydroponics for all seasons. As far as livestock I am allowed 6 'hens' in my municipality. No cattle. So I will have to barter with the country folk a few miles away. I can offer time and skill for meat. I'm good with home repair I wish I could help you easily. Home Maintenance is my main outside work. Hygiene and skin care are important for self maintenance too. Winter work and drywall/masonry work are hard on your hands especially. Moisturizers are your friend. Honey is natures amazing gift. live long and prosper as best you can. Jacque "Jack of all trades is master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one." ... And thanks for masters in skill for a standard of work to instill.

Damn, I hope everything gets better in the coming months! Posted by Sia on January 24, 2026, 6:13 pm, in reply to "not sure where to begin" ADMIN

It’s never just one thing at a time, is it? Posted by greenman on January 24, 2026, 10:33 am, in reply to "So what's up with y'all lately?" Valued Poster Money is always the biggest problem, it seems.. RESIST!

Re: So what's up with y'all lately? Posted by Christopher Blackwell on January 23, 2026, 9:27 pm, in reply to "So what's up with y'all lately?" I note that both goof and bad are thrown at us without reason. Both of them are often confusing as to which each is. So first we much figure the difference between them, and then figure out how to handle each correctly. ChristopherBlackwell

At least for those of us who are learnable Posted by jacque on January 24, 2026, 2:35 am, in reply to "Re: So what's up with y'all lately?" Valued Poster live long and prosper as best you can. Jacque "Jack of all trades is master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one." ... And thanks for masters in skill for a standard of work to instill.

So true! Posted by Sia on January 24, 2026, 1:57 am, in reply to "Re: So what's up with y'all lately?" ADMIN Often we never do know the reasons or which is which as a result. That's life.

Life is full of ups and downs, eh? Posted by Skye on January 23, 2026, 1:39 pm, in reply to "So what's up with y'all lately?" Valued Poster Sorry to hear about your bad news, but glad it isn't worse! Glad to hear about your good news, Sia! Sounds like you are making progress! Meanwhile, I am winging it with my broken wrist, but there will be better days... right?!

Re: Life is full of ups and downs, eh? Posted by jacque on January 24, 2026, 2:32 am, in reply to "Life is full of ups and downs, eh?" Valued Poster You betchya! Especially when you are winging it with a broken wing. Donchano eh? Keep your stick on the ice and it'll work oot. live long and prosper as best you can. Jacque "Jack of all trades is master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one." ... And thanks for masters in skill for a standard of work to instill.

Hahaha Posted by Skye on January 24, 2026, 8:39 am, in reply to "Re: Life is full of ups and downs, eh?" Valued Poster Too soon we get old and too late we get wise! At least I learned to use my crampon spikes for the remainder of the trip and was able to do pretty much all of the activities. A great trip... one to remember for sure! I love your Minnesota accent. We lived in MN... for three winters I always say. lol I sure hope things get better there very soon. The country is watching... and looking for a leader to show the way. I would place my bet on youse to show how to handle these fascist thugs. Never give in to bullies. It only makes things worse.

Broken wrist still giving you fits? Posted by Sia on January 23, 2026, 2:44 pm, in reply to "Life is full of ups and downs, eh?" ADMIN I hope it heals up quickly! Sucks being down a wing.

Well, that sounds about as fun as living in acute rehab Posted by Sia on January 23, 2026, 6:59 am, in reply to "So what's up with y'all lately?" ADMIN I haven't been home in nearly 2 months now! Doing well in rehab PT and OT, but it is also exhausting and painful. Hoping to go home next week! With help, I'll be able to manage while continuing to heal. Wanna trade? LOL Just kidding, your week sounds pretty awful too! I hope it gets better quickly

Re: Well, that sounds about as fun as living in acute rehab Posted by jacque on January 24, 2026, 2:25 am, in reply to "Well, that sounds about as fun as living in acute rehab" Valued Poster That sounds like good news mostly. I hope the pain goes away as you heal. And you get released soon! live long and prosper as best you can. Jacque "Jack of all trades is master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one." ... And thanks for masters in skill for a standard of work to instill.

The damaged nerve pain may last a year or never go away. I hope not, but that's reality right now Posted by Sia on January 24, 2026, 3:20 am, in reply to "Re: Well, that sounds about as fun as living in acute rehab" The surgical pain is insignificant now that the 9" incision appears to be fully closed and healing nicely. If not for the complications, I would have been long done with the acute rehab and home. Maybe even driving again in spite of the ubiquitous back brace I'll need for several months as the bones fuse together. However, in such an extensive and complicated surgery as fusing L1, L2, L3, L4, L5, S1 together it is rare not to have at least 1, if not more, angry or stretched nerves due to the complexity, or far worse with a less talented surgeon. ALWAYS have an experienced neurosurgeon operate on your spine, not an orthopedic surgeon who doesn't specialize on the spine. Given that it was the 4th surgery in 2 years in that particular section (lumbar to sacrum), the scar tissue inside was so widespread that it gave the surgeons fits trying to clean it up, lift nerves, ligaments, muscles, etc after slicing slowly through skin layers to get at my spine and individual vertebrae. Then to remove the previous hardware from earlier, less extensive fusions**. Then two of the vertebrae bones broke when drilling screw holes causing even more complications.That is why she doesn't want to reopen my cervical fusions until it is unavoidable in spite of my having issues from scar tissue build up and adjacent segment disease that cause weakness and frequent pain in both arms. (**Insurance wouldn't allow her to do the whole area the first time but only approving what met their standard required to approve surgery even though SHE knew, and told them, that the rest were close to complete failure and the lesser surgery would only accelerate their failures. Zero foresight in the approval departments. The complications were directly related to the extensive scar tissue and stresses on the adjacent vertebrae from being forced to do it piecemeal.) ANYWAY, it turned out that the ruptured disk she originally tried to trim to relieve the pain I was having was completely calcified and stuck to scar tissue which was stuck to the covering of my spinal cord itself, where it tore the dura not once, but twice, during the 2 surgeries performed on Dec. 3rd and the full fusion on Dec. 10th, each requiring large blood patches to seal the CSF leaks and my lying completely flat on my back for 24 hours each time to allow the patches to seal the tears and stop more cerebral spinal fluid from leaking and causing horrific complications that could have been fatal. As it was, excessive blood loss and other factors nearly did me in anyway. I also have a DVT in my left calf, further complicating everything. I have to take Eliquis, a blood thinner, for at least 3 months when they'll do another ultrasound to see if it has dissolved, encapsulated, or moved. A blood thinner added to my 3 immunosuppressants has ramped up my risk of a severe reaction (infection or blood loss) to any kind of injury, including minor cuts or bruises. I f***in' hate having to be SO CAREFUL and carrying around antibiotic cream and bandaid everywhere I go. Even outside in my yard! So, I have NO illusions of ever truly being pain free or spinal surgeries being finally finished given the high risk of further adjacent segment disease forging its trail upwards into my thoracic spine, which already has its own issues. But thanks for the kind hopes for a pain-free future for me. I'll consider it a win if this nerve pain continues to lessen week to week, reducing the need for pain meds. THAT is a realistic hope for me! I do hope your situation improves quickly and that your car's damage is minimal and not too expensive! Dare I hope that some unexpected financial windfall comes your way? We find our hope and solace wherever we can!

owowowowow Posted by jacque on January 24, 2026, 5:37 am, in reply to "The damaged nerve pain may last a year or never go away. I hope not, but that's reality right now" Valued Poster oh my It's maddening how a number cruncher can decide what is the best medical procedure for your life. ugh! in so many ways!! Crazy how CSF circulation works. A leak for you is pain. My son has a shunt a purposeful leak because of blockage that causes hydrocephalus. When you you say brace I hope it is removable and adjustable and nothing like a plaster cast. Molded Plastic or something similar? live long and prosper as best you can. Jacque "Jack of all trades is master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one." ... And thanks for masters in skill for a standard of work to instill.

A standard, removable, LS Aspen Vista brace Posted by Sia on January 24, 2026, 5:51 am, in reply to "owowowowow" ADMIN It's gigantic, wraps tightlyvaround my waist to hips, with a thinner extension upwards to my shoulder blades area to prevent bending or twisting. The usual BLT rule. No bending, lifting, or twisting. Right now my lifting is at 5 lbs MAX and preferably not more than 2 pounds. Also, no reaching overhead for anything, especially that weighs over a pound, which is consistent with my "forever" after-neck-fusion rule, so im used to that part. I'm so surprised they'd want a CSF leak for your son. Obviously I dont know much about his condition or treatment. All I know about CSF leaks are the major danger to the spine and health of anyone with one, including brain damage.

A leak is an overimplified description. Posted by jacque on January 25, 2026, 12:09 am, in reply to "A standard, removable, LS Aspen Vista brace" Valued Poster Hydrocephalus is a common condition for those with Spina-Bifida (Myelomeningocele). The natural circulation of CBF is blocked. He has a Shunt. It's a one way bypass valve that allows fluid to escape from his skull. An internal catheter goes into his right hemisphere ventricle it flows to a valve anchored to his skull. It's a bump that looks like a large cyst. From there he has a drainage tube just under his skin that goes to his abdomen where the fluid is reabsorbed. His malformed vertebrae are T8-T11 his paralysis and sensation is a conundrum for some. He doesn't have significant abdominal control the bottom right of his rib cage to a few inches above his waist on the left. However is legs and feet have active reflexive sensation just no active control. His toes and feet wiggle if you tickle or poke them. He doesn't feel any of it. When he was about 8 yrs old he snapped his femur while goofing with his brothers. I was interviewed extensively until his ortho specialist was notified. Before I digress to far he never felt it. They set him in a Spica cast basically a full body to immobilize it and they never fully set it (because - insurance). It healed but now one leg is shorter now. Standing became difficult even with bracing. He was trying walking orthoses until then. At any rate we have to pay close attention to his legs because of injuries. He's had several burns, fractures, and typical scrapes. But in the years we had many types of braces and orthoses as he grew or injured himself. Adapting our home has always been a never changing process too. I'm sure you have figured out ways to adjust too. I'm glad you are able to make progress. live long and prosper as best you can. Jacque "Jack of all trades is master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one." ... And thanks for masters in skill for a standard of work to instill.

That sounds pretty awful. What is CBF? Posted by Sia on January 25, 2026, 1:06 am, in reply to "A leak is an overimplified description." ADMIN In my, and most others' situation, a CSF leak is extremely dangerous. However, I don't know anything about spina bifida or how it is treated. A shunt in his skull certainly a vastly different situation that I know very little about personally, especially the SBF you spoke of. Certainly it must be a conundrum that he is paralyzed in his lower body, couldnt feel a femur break, but reacts to his feet being tickled even without feeling it. Fascinating! I'm really sorry to hear that his femur break didn't heal properly so he cannot stand up. I never imagined that someone paralyzed with no voluntary control of lower body could ever stand, never-ending walk! It has been a huge struggle for me to walk correctly when my entire left leg was fiery pins and needles. Thankfulkyvnow only my left knee and the top of my left foot are consistently on fire.

oops CSF Posted by jacque on January 25, 2026, 1:28 am, in reply to "That sounds pretty awful. What is CBF? " He's a full grown man now. Technology has come a long way since he was born. He also is a full sized human I can't throw on my back anymore to carry up a flight of stairs. So much I want to say to explain a lifetime. But I will share more along the way. live long and prosper as best you can. Jacque "Jack of all trades is master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one." ... And thanks for masters in skill for a standard of work to instill.

here are examples of RGO Posted by jacque on January 25, 2026, 3:34 am, in reply to "oops CSF" Valued Poster Reciprocating Gait Orthosis It's a bracing system for the torso and legs to use with a walker. It's pretty cool for how simple the basic mechanism works. It allows one to walk stiff-legged with crutches or walker. Here's a link to explore. https://www.google.com/search?q=reciprocating+gait+orthosis If you have questions just ask. live long and prosper as best you can. Jacque "Jack of all trades is master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one." ... And thanks for masters in skill for a standard of work to instill.

Oh that sounds great! but it's too painful for him because of Posted by Sia on January 25, 2026, 7:10 am, in reply to "here are examples of RGO" ADMIN the stupidity of doctors back when he was 8? Too late to fix it now. The damage is done. That's so unfair and surely frustrating to deal with knowing it didn’t have to be so painful for him. I'm just confused between his paralytic situation but feeling in some areas at times, but not in others. Incomplete paralysis?

Cringe! Just reading this conversation hurts! Posted by Pikes Peak 14115 on January 24, 2026, 6:02 pm, in reply to "A standard, removable, LS Aspen Vista brace" ADMIN I wish there was something I could do! You're both in my prayers and I will ask for it from the congregation tomorrow. Trish too. You can look away from a painting, but you can't listen away from a symphony

Thank you J! That means a lot to me Posted by Sia on January 24, 2026, 6:21 pm, in reply to "Cringe! Just reading this conversation hurts!" ADMIN

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