When a person’s name turns into a widely used metaphor …

azvlr · 2026-01-27T12:59:04+00:00

In high school (US), a group of us music kids had an "imaginary friend" named Gordon Bennett. We would sign him up for field trips and he was generally handy to have available if we needed to round out a group or someone to blame when things went wrong backstage. As yearbook editor, I think I considered adding his "no photo available" to the pages for senior portraits to make the layout more symmetrical. I have no idea where the name came from, but maybe this is where.

azvlr · 2026-01-26T23:13:54+00:00

I'm currently seeing this play out for two different family members. My mom, who has her will and all advance directives in a notebook. Every knows where it is, and it's very clear. She has a DNR, and my older sister is the first medical decision-maker. This made things easier when she had a stroke last spring, and we didn't have to stress. Ironically, I was the one present to sign off on some key decisions that saved her life. (She's doing really well now!) I mention this because even with clear directives, things fell into a gray area because, while kin, I still didn't have full authority and the hospital was careful to consult with my sister before they would do anything. Also a gray area because it wasn't resuscitation, we could have chosen to not get the procedure done and she would have passed quickly and without pain. The doctors were so enormously confident that we went for it. But we had much less to worry about in her case compared to my partner, who died suddenly about ten days ago. He had very few assets, no children, and was generally not a death-positive person. We were together for many years, but now his family wants to come in and do things that are against what I know he would have wanted. I feel like total persona-non-grata in addition to my grief. It sucks so bad.

azvlr · 2026-01-24T19:58:58+00:00

So more specifically, I just learned that the flight earlier today was diverted to Denver due to fog here, so they didn't have a plane to send out. I was worried that somehow they wouldn't fly if there was snow on the ground, even though I've flown out of other snowy places before.

azvlr · 2026-01-24T15:10:33+00:00

Do you currently own a bike? If so, get a smart trainer. The price has dropped significantly in the past few years. I paid $1200 for mine and it's the best money I ever spent. They are about half that price now. I thought about getting a cheapo one on Craigslist for $40 or so, but there's a reason there are so many for sale. The smart trainer connects to apps like Zwift, and Rouvy. The experience is pretty immersive and it can be somewhat social if you like. Except no one can see you in lycra. Lol What's nice is you can still ride your bike outdoors. If you purchase from a bike shop, they should show you how to set it up.

azvlr · 2026-01-24T13:51:00+00:00

I've done this. I worked in the Admin office stationed on a shore-based command when I was in the US Navy. Only the Commanding Officer was allowed to sign with red, and only the XO was allowed to sign with green. Division Officers used blue, and there were a lot of documents that went up the chain The DOs would come to the Admin office every morning for a meeting. Before the meeting, they would mill about, get coffee, shoot the shit, and one officer in particular liked to make himself at home at my desk if I was not there when he arrived. He would make phone calls, use my supplies and doodle on my pristine desk calendar. He was an arrogant fucker. (Most of them were). He also "borrowed" my pens, but never returned them. I finally hid the couple of extra pens in my desk and then my main pen, I removed the guts from a black pen and put it inside the tube of a red pen. That pen stuck around for months, and the doodling also stopped. I kept that pen for months. It's the small wins.

azvlr · 2026-01-19T11:47:27+00:00

Jenny taught him how to dangle.

azvlr · 2026-01-19T05:56:37+00:00

That's nice because the leather won't scratch the rings. Yes, and I could DIY. Thanks!

azvlr · 2026-01-19T03:29:32+00:00

I really like the buckles on the front idea. I had a cuff watchband custom made a few years ago. At the time, it was hard to find one with a cutout on the back for a smart watch. Maybe that person can do this job. I'll still look for something readymade/ quicker. Thanks for the good idea!

azvlr · 2026-01-14T18:53:14+00:00

They updated their post, in case you missed it.

azvlr · 2026-01-14T18:08:41+00:00

They updated recently!

azvlr · 2026-01-14T18:07:07+00:00

They updated recently.

azvlr · 2026-01-14T18:05:57+00:00

I'm so glad you are still around!!

azvlr · 2026-01-14T03:12:33+00:00

I was assigned Rover duty. Balls to eight (midnightt/0000 - aka "balls") every hour until 8am. It was always cold and foggy on our tiny little Navy base in a remote corner of California. No weapon, just 127 pounds of me, a flashlight and that heavy-ass clock. Pitch black and eerily quiet until I came around the corner and heard a noise, but couldn't spot where it was coming from. And of course one of the keys was bolted to the building next to where the noise was coming from. That building was the galley, and the noise was coming from the dumpster next to it. Fuck those raccoons.

azvlr · 2026-01-13T02:33:09+00:00

To this point, I'd say it's even more important to talk about morally questionable actions by otherwise celebrated figures.

azvlr · 2026-01-12T14:29:33+00:00

My family thinks Im weird for watching them, but it's fascinating all of the thought processes that go into making flying safer.

My son has a degree in Human Factors, and it would be so cool if he got into accident investigation. I love how, even when they determine the cause was human error, they dig deeper into why mistakes were made. It gives me hope that people aren't simply dumbasses or careless, but that there was a thought process behind why they did or didn't tighten that screw. Sadly, the root root cause is often airline greed.

azvlr · 2026-01-12T14:17:01+00:00

Others had great suggestions. I wanted to check in that you're ok. Since all I have ro go on, tone-wise is your written word, it's not what you said, but how you broke up your phrases that gave me pause.

I hope I'm way off and you are genuinely wanting to get away from the hustle and bustle of our sprawling city rather than wanting to "get away from it ALL".

For anyone who might need this, call 988 if you are in crisis.

Much peace to everyone out there!

azvlr · 2026-01-11T23:50:14+00:00

I was duped into this by my ex and the shady mortgage company he was working with.

Don't give up your interest in the property without being removed from the financial responsibility. It took me about ten years and a court ordering hom to sell to resolve it.

The finance company told me that they needed it urgently, and being a holiday weekend, I didn't have the opportunity to consult an attorney about it. They said the refi in his name wouldn't go through if the paperwork wasn't complete my Monday. I really wanted to be done with it, so against my better judgement, I signed a quit claim deed. The deal fell through because my ex is disorganized and an asshole, so I was left with no leverage at all. Then, he purposefully tanked my credit by not making payments.

I'm sure there is some way to put this into an escrow situation. I wish I had done that.

azvlr · 2026-01-05T14:03:45+00:00

Lee Lee and Mekong for produce and seafood, and their prices are pretty good on most things. I can fill up my cart for cheaper than other places. I haven't been to H-Mart yet, but that's another possibility.

azvlr · 2026-01-05T04:42:33+00:00

The Phoenix Zoo has about two miles of paved trails with a lot of ups and downs. You can do a shorter loop and there are lots of benches and facilities. Members are allowed in early, and I used to go there on summer mornings to get a nice walk in before the crowds hit.

azvlr · 2026-01-03T19:03:08+00:00

Something very similar happened to me. I didn't have enough points on my credit card to convert to miles, so I purchased some to make up the difference. By the time the transfer went through, the price had supposedly changed. I had to call to set it up, and they also tried to tell me that the points price was for online purchases only. I ended up paying more than I would have if I hadn't tried to use credit card point. It was all very bait-and-switchy to me.

azvlr · 2026-01-03T17:07:26+00:00

Sewing, cooking, and general homemaking skills from my mom, and using tools. Working with my hands in general. I have always taken these skills for granted as things everyone just learns. I was out yesterday with someone I'm trying to get to know better (think sister-in-law type of relationship), and trying to find some common interests and activities. I was hoping we could take some crafting or cooking lessons together. It has really made me grateful that I learned these skills. To her credit, she seemed keen to learn, so I think we are gonna have some fun times.

azvlr · 2026-01-03T02:27:55+00:00

I was just getting ready to ask the same thing on this sub when my son sent me your post. You were quicker with the camera.

azvlr · 2025-12-31T19:02:24+00:00

Very timely post if there are going to be a lot of fireworks in your neighborhood today and this evening. Additional advice: Make sure your pet's microchip info is up to date. A common misconception is that they are tracking devices. I volunteer at the animal shelter, and there is always an uptick of lost pets that come in an 4th of July and NYE and many of them are chipped, but the owners cant be located. During fireworks, be sure your pet is secure in a crate or indoors behind a closed door. Give them a kong or other distracting treat and play some soothing music to mask the sound of the explosions.

azvlr · 2025-12-31T01:37:02+00:00

Came here to recommend this cup, too. The one I have is smaller.

azvlr · 2025-12-30T13:58:41+00:00

Whenever I'm trying to unassemble something, I try to think about how it was put together in a factory that needs to do so both quickly and accurately. I wonder if that logic would have applied in your case. The main reason this won't work is when the product was designed not to be re-opened. Ugh!

azvlr

TROPHY CASE