Posts by Jose Williams78

wearywolf3 said:The flu hit me incredibly hard this time around, honestly feeling like the last time I dealt with something this intense was probably back when I was fifteen. I’m fully aware that my immune system has been running on empty lately due to a month of heavy stress, and being a smoker hasn't helped either, since it weakens the lung lining—which is basically our primary defense line against viruses. So, I really can't say I'm surprised it caught up with me. It all started after a friend of mine recovered from it over the New Year's holiday. About five days after the festivities wrapped up, we went out for some food, and he ended up handling my phone; looking back, that was likely where I picked it up. Interestingly enough, on the exact day the virus started replicating—you know, right when those first symptoms kick in—I was hanging out with my girlfriend. She hasn't gotten sick yet, even though it’s been four days now, and she didn't get the flu shot.

The progression of the illness:

Around 8:00 this morning, I started feeling this nagging discomfort in my back, and honestly, even though I hadn't realized I was coming down with the flu, I already knew exactly what kind of week was ahead of me.
At 9:00, my temperature suddenly jumped to 102 degrees, accompanied by a mild headache and that persistent, nagging ache in my lower back. I’ve lost all interest in eating or drinking anything, and there is this unsettling wave of nausea rolling through me. For now, I’m just lying here.
It’s 1:00 PM and I’m sitting here staring at the thermometer, which is reading 102.5 degrees, while dealing with back pain that is honestly unlike anything I've ever experienced. I’ve pushed through plenty of viral infections in the past, but this is a whole different level of misery; in fact, I was genuinely on the verge of calling 911 because the pain is so debilitating that I can barely shift an inch from where I'm lying. For a second, I thought maybe it was that old pinched nerve acting up again, but this feels much more intense. I’m currently riding these waves of chills and tremors—that strange, prickly sensation you get when your body is frantically trying to regulate its temperature—and every time a wave passes, it feels like my fever is finally breaking. My throat isn't too bad, just feeling incredibly dry, so I've reached out to my relatives to see if they can drop off some Tylenol and Advil 400mg to help me get through this.
It’s 3:00 PM, and I’m still white-knuckling it until my medication arrives, though I decided against calling 911 just yet. Honestly, looking at this box of Neofen, I was tempted to toss the instruction manual aside and just overdose a little bit if it meant making this pain vanish instantly. I even thought about dissolving two doses of DayQuil in a tiny bit of water just to make the effect hit harder. I know you can safely mix Tylenol with Advil, but you definitely shouldn't mess around with Aspirin. Hopefully, in about thirty minutes, the pain finally breaks and I can sleep like a baby without this fever hanging over me.
5:00 PM — I woke up drenched in sweat, feeling completely relaxed and as if my flu had finally broken. My appetite came back with such a vengeance that even though I couldn't manage a sip of water just two hours ago, I'm now heading to the kitchen to grill some pork neck. Honestly, I've worked up quite an appetite.

I’ve been weighing two different philosophies regarding how to handle this illness. On one hand, there's the idea that you should let the body fight the virus naturally—allowing things like fever to run their course—even if it means dealing with exhaustion, loss of appetite, and general aches. On the other hand, some argue it's much better to manage the symptoms proactively because sleep and recovery are so vital. Ultimately, I’ve decided to take a middle path and combine both approaches. During the day, I try to avoid medication entirely, but once night falls, I rely on them to get through. I actually spent last night tossing and turning because I didn't take anything, which was a mistake. I found myself waking up at 4:00 AM, so I took some Advil, and within twenty minutes, I felt significantly better and drifted right back to sleep. I didn't end up waking up again until noon, which was quite a feat given the fever I've been battling. While the muscle aches have finally subsided, a new symptom has cropped up: a really intense dryness in my throat. It isn't triggering a cough yet, though I can clear out some white mucus when needed. As for my appetite, it is practically non-existent; I truly can't stomach anything besides soup. If I try to make a sandwich, I can maybe manage three bites before giving up. My routine mostly consists of sipping tea, eating yogurt, and sticking to broth. My eyes also feel quite swollen, almost as if there's a slight pressure behind them, which I suspect might just be from sleeping too much—it feels a bit like mild conjunctivitis. Honestly, I reached my limit with the discomfort after only one day of running a fever, so I’ve officially pivoted toward the second philosophy. I'm now managing the symptoms with Advil and DayQuil every four hours. Whenever the medication kicks in and my temperature drops, I try to seize the opportunity to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables to nourish myself, something that simply feels impossible when the fever is high.

My temperature is still fluctuating a bit, but my throat is starting to ache more intensely now, and this cough is becoming quite pronounced—it’s that relentless, second-by-second kind of cough that just won't let up. I've also noticed some yellow mucus appearing. Now, that doesn't necessarily mean we're looking at a bacterial infection; from what I've been reading extensively lately, it can actually be a sign that the antibodies have moved into the phase of isolating the virus, which is honestly pretty good news. 😁I’ve been coughing incessantly—probably closer to 150 times in a row now—whenever those sharp nerve pains shoot through my back, making me feel like I'm about to collapse right onto the floor. 😁Honestly, I feel like I’m a hundred and fifty years old right now. It isn't exactly a catastrophe in the grand scheme of things, but it certainly takes its toll. Once evening rolls around, the fever starts climbing again, so I find myself reaching for some Neofen and half a dose of Tylenol—basically a makeshift version of DayQuil. My liver and kidneys are feeling a bit the strain from all this, especially since I threw a B-complex and some zinc into the mix as well, but I’ve been making sure to drink plenty of water, so I'm hopeful they'll hold up just fine.

Day four of this whole ordeal, and I found myself waking up at 4:30 AM with a mild fever, so I reached for some Neofen again. I finally managed to get back to sleep until 12:30 PM. My appetite has returned with a vengeance, so I’ve been eating quite normally, which feels like a win. Honestly, I feel like I’ve hit a turning point in my fight against this virus because my temperature has completely stabilized. I still feel a bit weak, and there’s this slight scratchiness in my throat whenever I swallow, but as soon as I sip some tea with a little honey, it vanishes; it seems like the discomfort is mostly just from dryness.

Starting this year, I'm planning to get vaccinated and focus on giving my immune system a bit of a boost. Looking back, I think the smoking was the main reason I ended up catching the flu in the first place.

You probably picked up the flu from someone else entirely. People are usually most infectious during the incubation phase—you know, right before they actually feel sick—and at the very beginning. Once they've mostly cleared it, they aren't really a threat anymore, I suppose.

What you're describing sounds like an acute cough to me. Or maybe you have both acute and chronic going on? Usually, a chronic cough lasts longer than two months.

driftingcobra472 said:Man, this thing totally wrecked me yesterday morning. Like, I woke up with this nasty, productive cough that just wouldn't quit. My fever wasn't even hitting 100.4 yesterday, but now? It’s already sitting at 102.2.

Does anyone know how to tell if it's actually pneumonia or something?

I haven't really done anything else, just lying here and mostly sleeping. Honestly, I've even been throwing up from coughing so hard. It feels pretty awful.

Look, nobody can know that from a distance.

I can only compare it to my own experiences with the flu versus pneumonia, if that actually helps you.

With the flu, my high fever would usually last maybe 2 or 3 days and then start dropping, and I'd be sick for about a week.

With pneumonia, once I realized my temperature wasn't budging after more than 3 days, I started suspecting it was something more serious than just the flu. Two different doctors checked me out and they didn't find pneumonia because they couldn't "hear" it through the stethoscope, so I didn't get any meds.

After five days of really high fevers, I went through a nasty crisis that night; I honestly felt like I might die.
A week after everything started, I ended up being hospitalized, and they confirmed it was severe bacterial pneumonia. It was at a stage where the body was already trying to self-heal, following that "crisis" period that usually hits around day five if you don't get treatment (where either the patient dies or the body starts fighting back on its own). Turns out my intuition was spot on, unlike those first two doctors' diagnoses.

Basically, it's better not to panic for the first 3 days than to try to push through it. You just don't know what it is, and stressing out or staying active might just make things worse or cause complications.

And if the fever is high, just stay in bed and call out sick. No debating about traveling, work, going out, or "other priorities." If you have a bad case of the flu, you seriously need to just lie there for a week.

Megan Thomas5 said:That wasn't the flu; it was just some virus. People nowadays call everything "the flu"—as soon as they cough once, they claim it. Especially in certain parts of the country where everyone thinks every little bug is some major illness.
So, you can't really use what someone calls "the flu" as a reliable metric anymore, because people label every common cold that way.

It was definitely some kind of virus, though. I don't get symptoms like that from a basic cold.

But honestly, body temperature is such an individual thing. A certain temp doesn't mean the same level of sickness for everyone, and it changes as you age, too. Like, small kids usually have these massive spikes, whereas as we get older, the fluctuations aren't nearly as extreme.

A low-grade fever—you know, like being in the 98.something range—could actually be a sign of viral pneumonia. On the other hand, bacterial pneumonia tends to trigger those high fevers, similar to how the actual flu works since that's viral.
I remember once having bacterial pneumonia that wasn't even caught until I was in the hospital. At first, we all thought it was just the flu. Even two different doctors who examined me were convinced it was just a virus.

I'm curious what the experts think about this—how much does getting through a virus naturally actually boost our immunity, and for how long?

I read somewhere that recovering from the flu naturally gives you immunity for maybe seven years. Looking back at my own life, I think that might actually be true; I seem to hit those "real flu" cycles right on that timeline, even though I've never gotten vaccinated. As for regular colds, I usually just catch one or two a year, and they're usually pretty mild.

So, I went through something a few weeks ago, and honestly, I'm not even sure if it was actually the flu. I had all those intense cold symptoms—sore throat, really heavy nasal congestion, and I'm still coughing this up... but on top of that, I felt just totally wiped out. My muscles were aching, specifically my back, and my legs felt like lead. I even had diarrhea. The weird thing is, my fever only hit 37.4 at most. A ton of people around me were dealing with the exact same stuff lately.

Do you think it could be the flu, even if the temperature wasn't that high?

The last time I dealt with a brutal bout of the flu—the kind where you're running a massive fever—was about eight years ago. That was back when everyone was talking about that "swine flu" thing, and man, that one absolutely wrecked me. I was stuck in bed for a full week.

What are the odds that after getting hit with this recent bug, I'm basically immune to the flu for the rest of this season?

So, I went through something a few weeks back that I’m not even sure was actually the flu. It felt like a brutal cold—sore throat, this intense runny nose, and I'm still coughing... but then there was this general exhaustion, muscle aches (my back was killing me and my legs felt heavy), and even some diarrhea. My fever didn't go much higher than 99.3, though. A ton of people around me were dealing with something similar lately.

Do you think it could be the flu, given that the fever wasn't that high?

The last time I had a nasty bout of the flu with a really high fever was about eight years ago—back when everyone was calling it that "swine flu" thing—and man, that one absolutely wrecked me. I was stuck in bed for a whole week.

What are the odds that after dealing with this recent mess, I'm basically immune to the flu for the rest of this season?

Kenneth Cruz67 said:In the US, local communities generally have the right to take ownership of any road or thoroughfare that is being used by the public, regardless of whether it is technically private property, and this can often happen without providing compensation to the owners.

Technically speaking, true private roads don't really exist in that sense. Well, they do, but then you essentially need to run it like a business—handling registration, billing, maintenance, insurance, and everything else an entity like ExxonMobil would manage.

It’s pretty straightforward, really; basically anything that functions as a path or a road used by the general public can be transitioned into state ownership without too much of a headache.

Of course, I assume this applies specifically to roads and paths that were already established by the time the law was passed.

If a road was developed after that date, then it ought to have all the proper permits and official designs in place.

If the former owner happens to have some grievances, I guess they could always try to take it to court.

But what does "public use" actually mean?

A goat trail or a pedestrian walkway doesn't necessarily count as a vehicle road just because someone widened a street and ended up encroaching on someone else's land.

Based on what you're saying, I could basically roll up to my neighbor's yard with an excavator while he's away, bulldoze a path through his property, run down to City Hall to get it registered as a public road, and he’d lose his backyard in a heartbeat? Is that how this works?

Honestly, I’d suggest the person who started this thread check the county land records first to see if that little trail is actually logged as a public way. Start there. See where the boundaries are. If it isn't on the books, things get a lot messier—especially if the neighbor is a local favorite and everyone else is an outsider who won't bother testifying for them.

Kenneth Cruz67 said:If there is a physical road there, maybe you could head down to the local municipal office and ask them to register it as a public local road under California ownership, and then hopefully the whole issue will just resolve itself. (You might want to check out the state highway laws, specifically articles 123 through 133)

From what I can tell, that law is talking about unclassified public roads, not private ones.

I honestly think the OP should go back and read that other thread on Service Trips, or maybe the admin should just link these two together.

My two cents? Just sit down with the guy and try to find some middle ground if you can. Otherwise, you might end up getting screwed in a lawsuit and having to pay all the legal fees too.

Did you even ask him if he was cool with you driving through his property before you bought the land and started building? What was his reaction?

Look, if we're talking about a public path—something more like a hiking trail listed in the county records as a public right-of-way—then yeah, nobody can block pedestrians or animals from passing through. But that doesn't mean he's obligated to let you drive your car down his private driveway just because it connects to the road. I'm not sure what kind of lock he’s using, but usually, those gates have specialized locks that the local fire department can bypass in an emergency.

I guess the real solution would be to buy that strip of land, or maybe some other plot that links your property to the main road, and just build your own private driveway there... assuming you actually have the cash for that. Or, you know, try to strike a deal with him. Maybe things could work out.

Nancy Cook65 said:Yes, because an exchange is legally considered a method of acquiring property, which means the person receiving the new land is liable for real estate transfer tax, typically calculated at 5% of the property's value.
Furthermore, a participant in the swap might also trigger capital gains tax if they dispose of their property (which, in this scenario, happens through the exchange) within three years of originally acquiring it; in such a case, they could be taxed at 25% of the difference in the property's value.

Thanks for the info.

It’s been over three years since I got the land, so I guess the capital gains thing isn't an issue. We’re basically looking at recombining some lots with a neighbor. See, we have these two properties where the boundaries are all tangled up and messy... the idea is just to swap a few specific parcels to untangle things rather than redrawing the whole map.

But who actually decides the value used for that 5% tax? In a standard sales contract, there's a price listed, but values in this part of town vary like crazy. Does an exchange agreement even list a "price," or how does that work?

So, if you're doing a land swap with a neighbor and there’s no actual cash changing hands—assuming the values are basically equal—do we still have to deal with some kind of tax man here?

So, if I'm swapping some land with my neighbor and no cash actually changes hands—assuming the value is basically a wash—do we still have to deal with some kind of tax man?

So, does anyone actually have experience using those probiotic tampons? Like, is there any point to them, or is it just a total waste of cash? And where can I even find them here in the States?

Angela Smith14 said:The search bar hasn't worked for what feels like a year, and honestly, it probably won't ever work again. With how many threads and posts we have here, the site used to crash every couple of days. So, they just killed it. Every single week, someone starts a new thread complaining about it, instead of actually bothering to look through existing ones. It's just not happening.

Most of this stuff you can find on Google, just add "Reddit" to your search query

That’s exactly my point. 😉
When the search actually works, people don't keep starting duplicate threads because they can actually find what they need.

But hey, I get it—technically, they can't support it anymore. Makes sense, I guess.

I tried that Google trick with Reddit right before posting this, but it doesn't really work the way it's supposed to.

Honestly, it feels like the search function hasn't worked for at least a year now. It makes using this Reddit pretty much impossible, and I bet it’s driving the moderators insane, too. For instance, I spent forever scrolling through one sub-section only to give up because the results just kept loading infinitely. So, I went ahead and started a new thread, only to find out—of course—that the exact same topic had already been posted. If the search actually worked, I wouldn't have to bother anyone; I could just find what I need myself.

Can any of the mods please weigh in on why the search tool is broken? Is this some massive technical glitch, or is it just some new, questionable vision for how Reddit should operate?

Thanks for the heads-up, everyone. We finally tracked them down at a different shop. Turns out there was some limited pre-sale quota through certain agencies, and the first place we checked apparently had no clue—they just told us they were sold out.

See you guys tonight at the Factory! 😁

slypanther5 said:Pre-sales are happening all day tomorrow, right up until 6:00 PM. I guess that's when it ends. Maybe. $50
Presale wraps up at 6:00 PM. After that, I guess you're stuck waiting until 8:00 PM to grab tickets at the box office. $60

I can't find any tickets available in Cleveland right now—supposedly they're all gone. I guess it's hard to tell if they just ran out during the presale or if they're actually completely sold out. Is there any way to snag some in Chicago today, maybe before the show starts?

That’s actually pretty important info for us. I mean, we don't want to drive all the way from Cleveland for nothing, I guess.

feraltrucker5 said:I don't know, maybe I'm just imagining things, but it feels like you're trying way too hard. 🤷 If it doesn't work, well, it just doesn't work. That's that. I guess there's really no point in beating your head against a wall over it.

Look, I’m not saying it’s a bad thing, or that I have anything against it. Really. But I guess I just want to know how everyone else is feeling about all this, which is why I put up the poll. To be honest, those "unfortunate souls" listening to menhir got me thinking—like, am I actually missing out on some top-tier music because of my tastes? I mean, the singer's voice is honestly beautiful... 😍 ... there are just a few things where he doesn't really growl.

Thanks for the examples.

Maui... I love Maui, honestly a great excuse to get away. 😍

You can actually find some decent music playing in the bars on Maui. The crowds are super diverse during the summer, too. There are tons of spots there, and if I were you, I’d hunt down a place that plays something a bit more unique and high-quality than what you'd hear in your average tourist trap. The problem with most coastal bars around here is they all feel exactly the same, and there's just way too many of them.

So, what kind of music are you actually into? And are you planning on working the bar yourself? It really matters that the vibe stays consistent—you can just feel it in the atmosphere.

Henry Thompson35 said:I need some suggestions here. I’ve gotta record a set for this beach bar out on Maui—supposedly it's doing pretty well, lots of younger crowds, so I'm honestly not sure what would actually fit the vibe. I already handled the restaurant gig; just went with some classic Americana, folk, and old-school hits, which was a total no-brainer. But this one? I've been racking my brain for a while now and I'm still stuck. To make matters worse, I'm running out of time. Any ideas?

The music you play basically dictates the crowd you get. It’s all connected. I mean, where exactly is the bar located? How many tourists are rolling through versus locals? And what about those weekend crowd types staying in the nearby vacation rentals? It all shapes who shows up.

It’s probably smart to keep the music mixed up—you know, some chill stuff, some heavy tracks, maybe some danceable hits depending on the time of day. It’s actually kind of a clever move to ask the regulars to send you tracks they and their friends are vibing to; I mean, it’s a win-win for everyone involved, I guess. I knew this one coffee shop back in the day that basically became this legendary hangout for the local crowd, mostly because this sweet old lady running the place would play whatever music they brought to her. Because of that, it turned into this huge hub where musicians and anyone who actually gives a damn about good music started meeting up all the time. 😁
So, some new owner took over the reins. Honestly, they’re basically just coasting on the place's old reputation at this point. If you look at the actual venue, it's a total dump—zero view of the ocean or anything. I mean, nobody would even bother stepping foot in there if it weren't for the killer music and the decent crowd that comes with it. That's really the only thing keeping it alive, I guess.
Why bother opening just another cookie-cutter bar that looks exactly like the one next door? I mean, seriously. If you actually have decent taste, why not let your place stand out with a killer playlist? You know, music that’s actually curated instead of just some random loop. Even if it’s just for your own sake—if you actually enjoy listening to it—it makes a difference. Just a thought, I guess. 😉

One more thing—if you actually decide to play music at a reasonable volume compared to those other mediocre coffee shops around here... I mean, if you don't feel the need to compete in some loud-volume contest and just let people actually talk without having to scream over the speakers... then I’ll be a regular. I'll even bring the whole crew with me. Maybe.

wiredranger30 said:Alright, my bad. I guess I totally misread the post.

I mean, everything's fine, I guess. 😁
Man, if someone actually goes after Jelena Rozga like that... I guess people might start thinking Zloverk is hiding behind my username. 🙈 ... 😬

wiredranger30 said:So, what exactly were you guys doing down by the Riverside embankment? 😁 😁

We wandered through those prehistoric forests, I guess, guided by that signature sound—all those traditional instruments they use. Just staring out at the beauty of the wild at night, watching the Mississippi River flow by... honestly, what else is there? 🙂 😉