I agree with you. This article about school reopenings in other countries describes this sentiment well. In Taiwan, mask-wearing is done any time someone is sick, not just during covid times. It's considered common courtesy. Now, especially, wearing a mask is done out of respect and consideration for the community as a whole. https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2020/06/11/how-schools-in-other-countries-have-reopened.html

Oh, I bet! It's always such a madhouse in the DMV. And people are SO impatient. It must be very stressful to work there most of the time. I hope appointments become the norm... wouldn't it be better for EVERYONE?? People make appointments for doctors, etc. so it shouldn't be a huge shock.

Oh wow, this thread makes me all squirrely. I'm sound-sensitive, too, and have dealt with multiple neighbors being loud. I feel your pain! A few years ago, I lived in a two-family house with loud neighbors on the other side of the wall. It got to the point where I would be anxious just thinking that they MIGHT start being loud. I could hear them yelling at each other, playing music, having friends over. Over the course of a few months, I went over there a few times to ask them to please be quiet. I was nice about it. THEN, finally, I couldn't take it anymore. It was a work night, probably around 10pm. They had a pack of people over in their living room, which of course was only 6 inches away from my living room across the wall (***shudder**** NEVER AGAIN!). I knocked, my neighbor opened the door, and I looked in and saw a room full of people. I was so angry. I RAISED my voice, told them that I was a teacher and had to get up at 5:30, that it was totally inconsiderate of them to be loud this late on a work night, and that I would NEVER do anything like this to inconvenience THEM, and that they needed to understand that this was a shared house, so I could hear everything they did as if it was in my own home. And if they want to be loud, they should think about the shared house and go somewhere ELSE where it wouldn't bother their housemates. And if they were EVER loud again, I was calling the police and our landlord. Everyone in the room looked completely SHOCKED, and they immediately shut off the music and all left. The next day, the actual renter of the apartment knocked on my door, and I really thought he was going to yell at me, but instead he apologized and said that he had been inconsiderate, and that he wouldn't like it if someone did the same to him, and that they wouldn't do that any more. It was a sweet victory. But awful, for a long time. For this very reason, I only want to move into a neighborhood of elderly people, or to a house in the country!!

I'm on the hunt for the smallest, least obnoxious window air conditioner. Both of ours got damaged in the Great Basement Sewage Debacle of 2019. Ugh! Our rental house is a ranch, and it's kind of long and narrow. The airflow is terrible. The living room doesn't even have windows the right size to fit an air conditioner - it's got a huge middle window panel with skinny side panels that open - but it's the sunniest room in the house. My best option is to put an a/c in the kitchen and hit the living room from one end, and then an a/c in the bedroom, and only have that room cool at night. Luckily I only really need to deal with this problem in July, August, and part of September. One problem is that I'm really sensitive to noises, especially intermittent ones. If a fan or a/c is not just right, the noise bugs me. I also hate those big honking units... especially since I rent, I worry about damaging the windows. Has anyone ever found a window a/c that they love, and doesn't weigh a million pounds?

We're almost finished with all 11 seasons of Cheers!! (Hulu) Next up... Frasier!

Yep. Ugh.

Can someone help me out? I look at the new cases in Germany, Italy, France, etc. every day. They continue to go down. The US is still reporting 23k new cases a day. Is it because we're a month behind Europe, or we're doing this really badly, or what?

Just checking on the covid toe situation! Hope you're all feeling well.

Does he want to do something related to being a field inspector, or something totally different? Someone on the board... Quill, maybe?... is learning to be a paralegal. The initial training time wasn't long.

How does he feel about learning to code? I wouldn't know where to point him, though. It just seems like people with a programming background can always find work.

Thank you everyone, so much. You've given me a lot to think about, and research! I'm feeling a bit calmer now.

I know what you mean, but truly, for her living alone I do think internet and mobile phone are necessary from a mental health standpoint. Perhaps not, but I think I'd rather pay for that stuff - if necessary - instead of her not having them.

Good questions. No, we haven't sat down to look at the budget, but we will. I know her basic income now, and what she spends on utilities, but not on things like eating out, clothes, etc. I think it's probably somewhere between reduced circumstances and not affording basic needs, tilted closer to the not meeting basic needs side.

Oh goodness. That's awful. I'm so incredibly sorry for your mom (and you!). I do worry often about her living alone, for reasons like this.

Thanks - my mother never charges what her services are worth, either.

Eventually she'll live with us, I'm sure... I'm the only child and I just think I'll want her near me. Maybe in an in-law apartment or something. I get what you mean about needing your own space though!!

I'm sure she could, although she's not much of a computer person. She has worked at a call center before, and I bet a lot of those jobs are work-from-home.

Oh wow, what a rollercoaster. Hoping his toes clear up quickly! Did the doc have any ideas about what it could be, if it's not Covid? ((hugs!!!))

Yes, I hear you. I have been joking about hitting the big time for a long while, but the truth is, it's mostly just a joke. And it does make DH more concerned, because it seems like I'm not taking things seriously. He correct to think about these things, and I am very grateful he is around to make sure we cover our bases. We have a financial advisor that manages a retirement account, but we haven't done any actual financial planning beyond that.

Good points here. I'm not 100% sure she won't qualify. She's been busy with arranging medicare stuff - that's finally resolved today, yay! - and after that, we'll start working on SNAP and other options. Even if she doesn't need them right away, she will eventually when she can't work someday.

Yes, absolutely! We are going to be completely transparent about this. My mom is very independent, but lately she has been completely free about telling me how much specific bills are. She knows it's very important to me.

Yep, I went for about 7 years without a car for just this reason. I adjusted!

This is interesting - will investigate. Thanks!

Thanks - she is way more social than me and does a lot more than me! 🙂

Hahaha, well, yes. About certain things 🙂 She's working through the summer.