Posts by rustyharbor3

On July 11th, I submitted my mother's request for a follow-up cardiology appointment—using that clunky online portal they have at the Mayo Clinic—and guess what? I just got notified today that her appointment isn't until April 4th, 2023!
I’ve got this nagging feeling in the back of my mind that if you actually show up in person at the Mayo Clinic to request an appointment, you might actually get seen much sooner—apparently, there are specific days of the week or month when they coordinate shifts, and you can catch them in the act.
Does anyone here know anything more about how this works? 🙂

Taylor Sanders4 said:Just confirming that you don't need any paperwork for crossing the border anymore; nobody's even asking for it out there. Just have your Little Mask on while you're on the bus and you're good to go.

Not even for entering Italy? They were being incredibly strict before, so I'm double-checking everything.
Specifically, I'm looking at driving from California through Canada to get to Trieste.

How do I go about switching my primary care physician? My doctor finally retired, and the woman who took over her practice is—to put it mildly—absolutely terrible. Is there some kind of official directory out there listing doctors currently accepting new patients, or am I stuck playing phone tag and cold-calling local clinics one by one?

I’ve been lurking in this thread since day one, but honestly? I haven't felt like typing anything. It just doesn't feel worth the effort. Every single time a topic like this pops up in this corner of the internet, it follows the exact same predictable trajectory and ends in the same inevitable disaster.

I just want to send some solidarity to everyone—Hilda, kiss me, David Foster80, Leeloo, and the rest of you—who still possesses the sheer willpower and patience to engage in debates with that absolute tumor known as Zillow, or that infantile clique of people who lack even the most basic social skills and can't hold a conversation without descending into hysterics, vomiting insults, and being plain abusive. And all of this happens under official supervision, no less.

Honestly, I find these people who take offense over a single piece of clothing—which, let’s be real, is wildly overpriced—absolutely hilarious. It’s like they’re mourning a firstborn child instead of just talking about a pair of basic jeans.

jadepilot3 said:Thanks, I'll give that a shot.
I can definitely swing a bit more cash for some decent denim, but honestly? I think brands like Replay and Diesel are just total rip-offs.

Oh, absolutely. We’re talking about basic cotton here—for heaven's sake! I actually have a pair of jeans from back in the 90s that I still wear today, and they weren't some luxury investment... Think Levi's, Miss Sixty, Top Shop, Benetton...
The only pair that ever completely lost its shape and fell apart after just two years were my H&M ones. Seriously, stay far away from those if you want anything that actually lasts.

Sandra Wells5 said:Bills don't pay themselves and kids at home aren't exactly asking if Mom can handle breathing in smoke all day—people deal with much worse garbage than this in their daily lives.

And what happens to those kids if Mom ends up in the hospital because she got sick? Seriously? And what exactly constitutes "worse garbage"? In my book, there is nothing worse than being poisoned for eight hours straight just to clock in.

Instead of going out there and catching a battery charge, why don't you just file a proper report? Use this link right here.

I’ve been through the exact same nightmare. My coworkers would smoke everything in sight right in my face—the manager was constantly puffing away on a cigar, and the supervisors were always passing around those cheap, nauseating cigarettes you'd find at some roadside gas station in Santa Barbara. I’d head home from work with a pounding migraine and bloodshot eyes, and I had to wash my hair every single night just to get the stench out... honestly, it was worse than any workplace bullying I’ve ever dealt with.

If I were you, I’d file an anonymous report with the state inspectors. They’ll send someone out—health inspectors actually seem to take complaints seriously these days, unlike back in the old days 🤔 when they didn't care about anything 😉—to inspect the premises. They’ll even check the trash cans! If they find cigarette butts or any other evidence of smoking, they’ll slap the employer with a massive fine. Once that happens, those lowlifes will think twice before lighting up on the clock.

*Regarding what Sandra Wells5 said about her colleagues being "good people"—look, anyone who is so blatantly disrespectful that they jeopardize someone else's health and recklessly foul up a shared workspace cannot be considered a good person. I realize they might be addicts and struggle to help themselves, but frankly, I don't have a shred of tolerance left for people like that.

Is your brother actually attending school right now? And more importantly—what’s the feedback from his teachers? Honestly, he’s almost certainly going to need a speech therapist—and frankly, I’d suggest looking into a child psychologist as well, given that losing his mother is such a devastating trauma, especially for a kid that young. The behavioral issues you mentioned aren't nearly as extreme or unusual as they might seem, and I truly believe that with the right professional support, things will stabilize. My own little brother went through those exact same struggles when he was small, yet look at him now—he's in college and has grown into an incredibly bright, capable individual. 🙂

As for everything else... do you have any grandparents, aunts, uncles, or even just some extended family members you can actually rely on? Is there anyone in your circle who could step up and help you out? Because let's be real: everything you've described here is an absolutely massive burden for such a young woman to carry all by herself.

Ugh... honestly, I thought this whole thread was supposed to be about Judino's communication style—so why on earth has everyone suddenly pivoted into some intense religious debate? It’s completely lost the plot. And let’s be real: even on other topics, that guy doesn't hold back when it comes to being insulting; he’s incredibly aggressive and just plain rude. I’ve reported his posts several times now, yet not once have I seen any actual disciplinary action taken against him. Why is that?

goldenbison31 said:It all sounds like empty phrases and clichés to me, just blah, blah, blah.
Just a bunch of "what ifs" and similar nonsense.
I don't really buy that every stage of life has its perks; I mean, aging isn't exactly a gift, no matter how much some people might try to convince themselves otherwise.

Oh, I disagree completely. There are absolutely advantages. For instance, personally, I find it incredibly liberating to reach an age where everything is already behind you—the good, the bad, all of it. It’s this massive weight off your shoulders, and it's only then that a person can truly, deeply relax—assuming, of course, that your body holds up and you actually possess the right mindset (which, unfortunately, is something a lot of people just lack)
Take my neighbor, for example—an 89-year-old woman. She lives in the same house as her kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids, but she has her own separate apartment and keeps a healthy distance from them (except for those brief moments when they pop in to help her collect her Social Security check🙄). Her family is a complete disaster zone—all three generations are constantly at each other's throats, and they basically treat her like she's invisible. I ran into her once while she was sitting out in the garden, and she told me: "I know everyone is just counting down the days until I'm gone, but honestly? Life is beautiful right here... nothing hurts, I just sit in the sun, crochet, eat grapes, and watch the peppers ripen." I was just left standing there, totally stunned.😁

Of course they hate them. Who actually wants to look at wrinkled faces and decaying bodies that serve as nothing more than a grim, constant reminder of our own mortality and inevitable decline?
As Rosita says, how we treat the elderly is the ultimate litmus test—it’s the clearest indicator of whether we have any actual humanity left in us or not.

Here we go again. Every single year, right when peak tourist season kicks in, they start pushing these same tired narratives. You see the same segments popping up on ABC or FOX claiming everything is cheaper in Greece or Mexico, and that America is somehow failing... blah, blah, blah. It’s either those foreign tourism boards are paying for the coverage, or we’re just a nation of deep-seated masochists who love being insulted.
Look, all credit to Greece, but I wouldn't dream of heading there right now given the political instability and the constant strikes breaking out. I still remember those poor tourists who got stranded down there last year amidst all those street riots. And Mexico? No thanks. Friends of mine who went there specifically to avoid us came back feeling pretty miserable—they said the service was subpar and the places were filthy.
And why on earth do we insist on looking toward the East? Why aren't we comparing ourselves to, say, Italy? Now *that* is a world-class destination, and their prices make ours look like a bargain by comparison.
We are far too small of a country to be obsessing over sheer volume. Maui, for instance, is definitely not built for mass tourism, and I am 100% behind their push to be a luxury destination. If you want luxury, you have to play by certain rules of conduct.
If people want to go stare at naked butts, they can head to Ibiza, Key West, or whatever other "laid-back" spot they find—thankfully, our coastline is crawling with places like that.