Oh, Come On! I am so addicted...

I Cannot Stop Sharing This Man's Videos

Quiz Fail

After my husband discovered the trivia YouTube channel Detormentis we’ve enjoyed playing along. We usually rank on the third tier but this most recent humbled us further.

I can hear his South African accent in my head...

Funny enough, I learned a featured word thanks to Andrew. You can read that recent post here. And, of course, I couldn’t remember it at the time.

Do you think the word ‘bollard’ will stick with me now? And how ironic that my small town installed some of these electronic retractable posts just last spring?

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Raising a funny swamphen

Coffee With Scott Adams. Just sipping. 1/9/26

Sad End of an Era - Not Yet!

I don’t know how many of you are familiar with the comic strip ‘Dilbert’ or its creator Scott Adams. While we never followed the comics, my husband somehow discovered his live streaming videos about five years ago. At first Mr. Adams’ repetitive phrasing annoyed me, the same words standing out over and over. When I listened closer, his intelligent and humorous commentary hooked my interest. My fondness grew to the point I would inform my husband when his video was about to start.

Alas, over the last few months we saw his health decline due to terminal cancer. I honestly don’t know how long he fought. An experimental treatment did not cure him and, suffering lower body paralysis about a week ago, he didn’t foresee ever going home. 

I’m glad that wasn’t the case. As of today, however, he reported a cognitive decline and plans to end his life. California law permits physician assisted suicide. So he has the means. Religious suppositions aside, I truly hope his scientific contribution will help others. In December I purchased the 2026 page-a-day Dilbert calendar and I’m glad because we never fail to laugh.

The man has not given up yet. He is doing a livestream as I type (!), which made me happy for today.

Can you see the perfect graphic on his coffee cup?
Oh, happy days... We will miss you, sir.

Have you ever read the ‘Dilbert’ comics? Can you believe that Mr. Adams had a degree and career in finance before his comic artistry took off?

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Annoyances Fixed & Money Well Spent

One of our bathroom faucets fell apart years ago. It still worked but the diffuser was toast and the spray was intense. The most annoying thing didn’t occur to me for a long time; buildup wasn’t getting properly flushed. And purging the gunk meant getting spattered with hot water from the offending faucet.

Also, I noticed a heavy load caused our entire dishwasher to tip slightly forward. That didn’t seem ideal for a unit less than a year old. Fixing this myself turned out to be impossible. Apparently, working on a metal machine plugged into an electrical socket is dangerous. ~rolls eyes~ Ask me what our electrician said a few weeks ago…

I grew increasingly frustrated until the proverbial dam broke. Our water heater stopped working properly. My husband immediately called our plumbing company and two technicians arrived the very next day. While they weren’t warned about the smaller issues, the guys kindly took care of them while the water heater drained.

Now I’m in heaven with gently flowing water and my husband luxuriated in a steamy shower. The dishwasher fix was simple yet complicated. The guys finally realized that two screws were missing. Two. That’s all it took for the thing to overbalance. Meanwhile, a new water heater cost one hundred times more than replacing the burnt out heating element. We plan on flushing that system on a regular basis thanks to the recommendations. Fingers crossed, we’ll get a few more years out of it.

Do you pay monthly for a municipal water supply? Is your water ‘soft’ or ‘hard’?

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Simple Words Spreading Positive Vibes

Exiting the YMCA locker room today, I saw a bald woman preparing to swim. I cannot deny that the sight of a bald headed woman can be a bit jarring, especially since her apparent age indicated it wasn’t a fashion statement. Passing by I smiled and casually said, “I hope you have a wonderful day.”

On the subject of fashion, this amazing guy
has a YouTube channel I will share later...

Her beautiful face brightened and she told me that her weekly chemotherapy sessions were working. I didn’t ask the nature of her cancer but I’m happy to report that she looked healthy. She then happily reported needing mere weekly treatments now and planned a swim to boost her stamina. While I like spreading tiny kindnesses hoping they’ll be passed along, the reactions very often warm my soul.

Isn’t this a perfect example of reciprocal kindness? Have you ever heard of Special Books by Special Kids?

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