What did you do today? 2016 version

[NW-Bound]

Have not done a thing other than cleaning the pool. We had a thunderstorm last night, and a lot of debris got blown in.

Then, BS'ing a bit here on this forum, and taking a nap. Waiting to go to my son for dinner.

Tomorrow, I head back up to my high-country home to finish the deck rebuilding.

 

[Dawg52]

Today is my b'day. Can collect early SS now if I want it. Good to have that in my hip pocket, but going to wait a little bit before pressing the start button. Played golf today and will go to my favorite pub tonight with friends. The establishment gives you a free beer on your b'day so I feel obligated to collect my gift.

 

[W2R]

Happy Birthday, Dawg52!! It's nice to know you have the option of starting SS anytime you want.

My daughter and son-in-law are visiting this week, so I have been busy and very happy lately.

 

[MichaelB]

Happy Birthday! This one is on the house
.
.

 

[Walt34]

Went out to dinner with DW at the Bavarian Inn in Shepherdstown, WV. 28 years of wedded bliss!

 

[Moemg]

Happy Birthday !

 

[Dash man]

Just set sail with DW, her two sisters and a BIL to celebrate three of us turning 60 on the Oasis of the Seas.


Enjoying life!

 

[W2R]

Went out to dinner with DW at the Bavarian Inn in Shepherdstown, WV. 28 years of wedded bliss!

Congratulations to you and your DW! I fondly remember the Bavarian Inn in Shepherdstown, WV, from work travel to that area. Good choice.

 

[NW-Bound]

Happy birthday to those celebrating!

When I was young, birthdays were exciting as I wanted to be older and be an adult with more freedom. Then, it did not matter that much once I reached adulthood. Now that I get older, birthdays become meaningful again. They serve as milestones to the time they allow us to draw from our IRA/401k (whose money is it anyway?), SS eligibility, etc...

Last but not least, any day of good health becomes more precious, as we can no longer take anything for granted. I learned the meaning of that too well myself.

Enjoy! But do not drive drunk.

 

[MRG]

I taught myself a lesson with a chef's knife. I think it's going to hurt.

Paying too much attention to the thumb and the nail on the index finger got sliced into but not off. Blach! I haven't passed out, yet. I can't believe how freaking stupid that was.

 

[harley]

Congratulations to you and your DW! I fondly remember the Bavarian Inn in Shepherdstown, WV, from work travel to that area. Good choice.

Did a lot of oceanography there in Shepherdstown, eh?

 

[W2R]

Did a lot of oceanography there in Shepherdstown, eh?

Was at a week long planning retreat with upper mgmt from HQ. Shepherdstown is pretty close to D.C.

You're right, often qualified senior oceanographers don't get to go to sea nearly as frequently as we might wish.

 

[pb4uski]

Our 34th anniversary is today. Plan to go to a friend's lake house for lunch, cards and if weather permits a relaxing boat ride around the lake.

Yesterday was a busy day.. Saturday morning errands, a sail on my catamaran (first in two years), an unexpected pontoon ride around the lake with a couple friends, then visitors and went out to a dinner event at our pond association. Between a couple beers and all, I immediately fell asleep when we got home.

The sail in the catamaran was interesting since I have been sailing monohulls recently. I forgot how difficult the cat comes about when tacking upwind and how quickly things happen when on a cat. I had a scare a couple years ago.... turtled it for the first time ever and had a devil of a time righting it... ultimately needed assistance from a powerboat passing by. I'm considering buying a ski buoy and clipping it to the mast to prevent it from turtling... I'm not gonna spend $150 for a mast float for a boat I paid $500 for!

 

[NW-Bound]

Packed up the car and was ready to go up to our high-country home, when I saw that the tenacious roof rat/rats has/have chewed another hole in the ceiling of the garage to go up to the attic. So, postpone the trip until the battle comes to the conclusion, hopefully in my favor.

I have set the electronic rat zapper in the attic, and got a small young rat, and a teenage one. The presumably big daddy/mommy rat is just too smart, and left a lot of rat droppings around the trap, but would not enter it. Attempts to plug up the entrance hole seemed to work, until I saw the new hole this morning in a different corner of the garage.

So, if it refuses the clean and humane dispatch by the electronic zapper, out come the traditional spring traps. If that fails, I will buy some glue traps.

C'est la guerre.

 

[Walt34]

Did a lot of oceanography there in Shepherdstown, eh?

Actually there is a large national training center used by lots of different federal agencies nearby. When I worked for a federal contractor I got training/recertifications there. Driving past, one doesn't know it's there other than by a large guarded gate but once over a hill inside the property it is huge. Beautiful area.

https://nctc.fws.gov/

Now back to our regularly scheduled topic....

 

[W2R]

That's where we had our retreat. Pretty amazing facility!

 

[misshathaway]

I have set the electronic rat zapper in the attic, and got a small young rat, and a teenage one. The presumably big daddy/mommy rat is just too smart, and left a lot of rat droppings around the trap, but would not enter it.

C'est la guerre.

I have rats and mice also entering through the garage. Had an exterminator come and plug up the holes. That worked for a couple of months. It is very frustrating. I have had every kind of trap, including snap. I set the snap off easily myself while baiting them (with gloves on so my smell supposedly does not get on the trap). The vermin either ignore them or take the food out. Tried just peanut butter and peanut butter crackers. All I get for results is droppings and crumbs.

I wish you better luck.

 

[harley]

I have rats and mice also entering through the garage. Had an exterminator come and plug up the holes. That worked for a couple of months. It is very frustrating. I have had every kind of trap, including snap. I set the snap off easily myself while baiting them (with gloves on so my smell supposedly does not get on the trap). The vermin either ignore them or take the food out. Tried just peanut butter and peanut butter crackers. All I get for results is droppings and crumbs.

I wish you better luck.

I was just reading my new Family Handyman magazine (just got it yesterday). According to them, the best rodent bait is a mixture of peanut butter and bacon. Supposedly irresistible.

 

[MichaelB]

I was just reading my new Family Handyman magazine (just got it yesterday). According to them, the best rodent bait is a mixture of peanut butter and bacon. Supposedly irresistible.

To be honest, it sounds pretty tasty to me as well.

 

[W2R]

My daughter and son-in-law are flying back to Oregon today, after their week long visit to New Orleans. I miss them already! She's my only child and will always be my baby girl even now at age 38.

She saw my dream house for the first time, and loves it. She especially loves the fact that it's next door to F, so that she doesn't have to worry about me being alone (and possibly getting into an "I've fallen and I can't get up" scenario with nobody to help me) as I grow older. I agree. She is healthy and happy, and we had a wonderful visit.

 

[NW-Bound]

Well, my own roof rats love cheese. Not cheddar but it has to be French brie.

I know, because before deploying the zapper, I fed them first with a bit of both cheeses. The brie got eaten up, but the cheddar was left behind, melted in the heat.

I guess I may try to lure them with a bit of XO Cognac next.

PS. The cheddar I used was not my favorite aged cheddar. Should have tried that, but I had some of this terrible tasteless cheddar that I wanted to get rid of. Now, I know that even the rats turn their nose at it. I do not eat the Brie. That's my wife's favorite.

 

[Sue J]

Last night I was an usher for Michael Feinstein performing with The Cleveland Orchestra. It was wonderful! The concert was at an outdoor covered pavilion with a large uncovered lawn space. We had a solid hour of heavy rain before the concert but it cleared up in time for the performance. Plenty of people filled up the lawn despite the soggy conditions. They know to bring a chair or a tarp.

Nice night!

 

[Walt34]

Well, my own roof rats love cheese. Not cheddar but it has to be French brie.

I know, because before deploying the zapper, I fed them first with a bit of both cheeses. The brie got eaten up, but the cheddar was left behind, melted in the heat.<snip>

Now, I know that even the rats turn their nose at it. I do not eat the Brie. That's my wife's favorite.

At least you know your rats have some class and are not the commoners that will eat anything.

Follow-up doctor appointment, so far I'm fine. Barber shop, grocery run, and home for the day.

 

[NW-Bound]

I have gotten 4 rats total. Two on that Brie. The other two with blue cheese, also my wife's. Note that they are both stinky types that are not my preference.

When we were up in the high-country home and learned of the rat infestation, I asked my son to stop by to set up the trap. He used peanut butter. When I got back in town, there was a lot of rat droppings around the trap. No rat!

The remaining rat is just too smart. I don't think it will fall for bacon or anything at this point.

By the way, the snap traps I set did go off. No rat. I need to post a photo to show the contraption I made.

 

[travelover]

I have gotten 4 rats total. Two on that Brie. The other two with blue cheese, also my wife's........ .

I squirreled away some Sacchrin tablets and now I use it to kill rats. It is kind of sad seeing them die slow deaths, but it is effective.