Chrysalis

I am SO sick and tired of all the people who simply will NOT admit that they don't know the answer to your question so they give you incorrect information! I can't stand it!! Example #1: We are considering changing phone/internet providers. We might go with wireless internet but I have to be careful about "data usage limits" because they result in excess charges. Therefore, I called AT&T to find out how much data we use now so that I can choose a right plan for us in the future. Doesn't sound like an unreasonable question, does it? "If you charge people for exceeding their monthly data usage, you must keep track of everybody's data usage, right? So how much data have we been using lately?" You will not BELIEVE how many different people I had to talk to and every one of them gave me a different answer, and none of the answers made any sense! My personal favorite was the billing department. They bill you for excessive data usage so they must be able to access the numbers. But the guy kept insisting that billing did not have that info. B** S**!!! Example #2: Today I wanted to create an online account for Social Security. The online system wouldn't let me do it. I called SS (long wait time) and the woman said that the problems is because I have my credit reports frozen. So I unfroze my credit reports and tried the online system again. The computer still wouldn't let me set up an account! So I call SS again and this woman said once the computer says, "No" you can't ever go back and do it again. Unfreezing my credit reports won't help, I have to go to an SS office in person. That is ridiculous! When I challenged her and said that she was just guessing, she agreed that was true. She finally admitted that she didn't know why the computer won't take my registration but I had to beat the admission out of her! I'm finding this sort of thing happening more and more. I think the problem is all the "call centers". For the most part the people manning them have no direct experience with the company or its products or its services. They get X days of training and are then released onto the public. And given the high turn-over of these jobs, they don't expect to be there very long, anyway, so why bother to try hard. So they don't know what they are talking about and they probably think that they will get in trouble if they ask a colleague or a supervisor too many questions. After all, every time they stop to find out an answer they are using two people's time (them and their supervisor) and slowing down the parade. So they quickly learn to cover their ignorance and lie. I AM SICK OF THIS!!! Thanks for letting me vent.

Jimmy, I am very sorry that so many of your family members are going through tough times just now. I feel even sorrier for you and your Mrs because not only are you probably overcrowded and financially strained, but all these extra people are emotionally distraught and probably a little hard to handle. In my opinion, your patience and generosity go above and beyond! Try using earplugs and finding a man-cave someplace. I will pray that this all gets worked out quickly.

Just a simple, old-fashioned meal tonight but one of my husband's favorites-- corned beef hash and eggs with a side of stewed tomatoes.(Yes, the eggs are fried because we like those better than poached. :) )

I've been snowed in for 2 or 3 days at a stretch several times in my life. Nothing as bad as what you have now, but pretty bad. The thing I remember most is rooting around in the back of the cupboards to find something to eat. That leads to some really strange culinary creations-- tuna fish, mandarin orange sections and crunchy Chinese noodles, anyone?? :) Hang in there, Colleen and you other New Englanders, we're all cheering you on and hoping that this rotten weather breaks for you!

That curry sounds great, Babs! I think I might use chunks of butternut squash instead of the carrots-- for some reason I just associate butternut squash with coconut milk. Let us know how this comes out!

How fun! Thanks, BAT!

Doreen, you must stop relying on cheap substitutes-- go see the movie. PLEASE!! :P

I was just watching a very interesting series of videos created to teach doctors about COPD-- what happens physiologically and how to treat it. If you are interested, you can view them here. But what really got my attention was one particular graph. This shows how lung function normally decreases from age 25 to age 80 (line A). If you smoke, your lung function goes down MUCH faster to where by age 65 or 70 you really can't get enough oxygen (line C). However, if you quit smoking at age 50, you can stop the accelerated loss of lung function (line B ). Seems like a good reason to quit. The take-home message is: quit smoking or be prepared to spend your retirement years on an oxygen tank (YUCK!)

Good thinking, Evelyn! One thing that frequently leads to relapses is straying away from the board too soon. Many of us (including me) have pledged to ourselves to remain active on the board for at least one year. That means checking in at least 2 or 3 times a week, reading some posts and writing a few posts to "pay it forward". Everybody I know who has done this has stayed quit. I'm just saying... :)

Restore your faith in humanity in 4 minutes flat! https://www.youtube.com/embed/btiDHCuWyBA?rel=0

You're doing great with your quit, RF, and you are smart to reach out with your concerns. Remember that 2 months is still considered a "newbie" so your mind and your body are still trying to adjust to your new reality. Everybody's quit is different so no one can tell you how long this will go on. But at 2 months your quit is totally normal. Frankly, from now until at least 6 months, the most important weapon you will need to keep your quit is patience. I'm sure that your cravings and mood swings are better now than they were during the first couple of weeks. Two months from now they will be better still. But many people relapse at this point not because they can't STAND the withdrawal symptoms but because they are just darned TIRED of them! I for sure had a really rough patch like that at around weeks 10-12-- WHEN WILL THIS END??!! All I can recommend is that you remind yourself of the reasons why you quit in the first place, focus on keeping your quit for just one more day (or one more hour or one more minute) and trust that this WILL gradually end because it will. Hang tough, honey. Distract yourself from thinking about smoking and N.O.P.E.!

Oh, Jimmy, I'm sorry for your disappointment. It sounds like you started out being a really sweet husband and things somehow spiraled out of control. That happens to all of us once in a while. I hope everything calms down for you soon.

No, Nancy, I hadn't seen that before. Love it! :P

50% smaller??!! That's so encouraging! Thank you for sharing that good news, Nancy. I'm sorry that your sister has to go through all this, but at least the treatment is working. Thank God! Tell your sister to rest and treat herself with TLC. I'll be praying for the both of you.

Dear Bakon :wub:

OMG! That is SO funny! Thanks, Babs.

Yep, Sharon, I'm afraid you have loosed the floodgates! :D

Speaking of breakfast and eggs, did you all hear that the powers-that-be have officially announced that we no longer have to worry about the amount of cholesterol in our diet? After many years and many studies they have determined that the cholesterol concentration in your blood has very little to do with how much cholesterol you eat. They now know that when you reduce your intake of cholesterol your liver responds by making more cholesterol. Now they say that you still do have to limit your consumption of triglycerides and trans fats (or so they say). So Bakon and his buddies can enjoy all the eggs they want! :)

The moon-- belongs to everyone. (The best things in life are free.) What is the most beautiful sight you have ever seen?

Bakon! Shame on you! Behave yourself. :angry:

Leanne, your parfait looks luscious! You have encouraged me to try it. I have to find chia seeds first, though.

Congratulations, Jess! You REALLY earned your celebration this month! I'm so sorry for all that you have had to go through this month but one thing is for sure-- you clearly made up your mind some time ago that you are NOT going to smoke again and you stuck to it. You may have struggled and suffered but you emerged victorious. Good for you!

A-w-w-w-R-i-g-h-t!!! LMAO!!!

Um, yes, I see your point. (LOL!)

:sarcastic_blum: