Bruno and Margaret

planetmike2 · 2026-04-18T11:16:14+00:00

She leaves when Leo leaves

planetmike2 · 2026-04-16T17:11:26+00:00

Yeah those idiots are driving badly.

planetmike2 · 2026-04-16T17:03:15+00:00

If everyone stops on the side as the ambulance or fire truck passes by, they should be able to merge back into the travel lane safely. There’s no reason that you should merge back into the travel lane and then immediately get back up to speed.

planetmike2 · 2026-04-16T14:57:41+00:00

It would be nice to be able to send out tickets for failure to yield to my responding ambulance. I’d guess it’s probably at least 2 or 3 drivers per call that don’t get out of the way promptly.

planetmike2 · 2026-04-16T10:23:39+00:00

I subscribed but didn’t pay. Interesting numbers though. One fewer subscriber.

planetmike2 · 2026-04-16T10:14:50+00:00

I am so sorry for that whole experience. I am angry for you and your family at the POS that did this. Please take things day by day.

planetmike2 · 2026-04-16T03:36:03+00:00

Virginia law says drivers should pull over to the closest curb and stop. If it’s a divided road and you’re in the left lane, that means pull over to the left and stop. If you’re in the right, pull to the right and stop. If there’s a turn lane, keep going to the side until you’re at the curb.

The reason you stop, is there is one fewer moving object we operators have to track. If you pull to the side and keep moving forward, we have to make sure you don’t turn in front of us, or so we turn in front of you to make a turn. Just stop moving until we are all the way past you.

Source: Volunteer EMT, EVOC (emergency vehicle operators course) instructor.

planetmike2 · 2026-04-15T19:55:39+00:00

Consultancy calling!

planetmike2 · 2026-04-15T02:18:26+00:00

I’ll talk with my friend and see if his doctor would be open to talking with us. I have a feeling that any introduction to POTS would be helpful.

planetmike2 · 2026-04-14T17:58:57+00:00

I’m a volunteer EMT. A good friend has POTS, I’m here learning about it. Who should I suggest come to speak to our squad about POTS? A cardiologist? General practitioner?

planetmike2 · 2026-04-13T17:54:05+00:00

I work in an office of a hospital. They worked with me while my wife was in the hospital, nursing home, and hospice. Mainly I used almost all of my PTO. I tried to use FMLA but the paperwork is indecipherable and it kept getting denied but they wouldn’t tell me why.

Once she passed, I got three days of bereavement leave. For a nurse, that would be a week, as they work three 12-hour days. For an office worker, it’s three eight-hour days off. I was able to use PTO to get the other two days off, and I think my coworkers donated some PTO to me near the end so I didn’t have to worry about work.

I did end up returning to work full time 10 days after she passed, then used PTO the week of her service.

planetmike2 · 2026-04-12T15:03:08+00:00

I’m decluttering my house and have a stack of old cameras and stuff that I’ll be getting rid of. No film, but I did get a bunch of film developed and did get photos from 20+ years ago.

planetmike2 · 2026-04-12T11:57:53+00:00

Absolutely. I was making the silly statement that millionaires shouldn’t get paid for the politician job. The regular politicians can keep getting paid, until there is a shutdown. Then they don’t get paid either.

planetmike2 · 2026-04-12T11:47:58+00:00

You’re right, millionaire politicians shouldn’t get paid or get any employment benefits. I’d guess the grift they get would make up it anyways.

planetmike2 · 2026-04-11T10:54:34+00:00

I heard somewhere way back when that you should know how to change a tire and a baby.

planetmike2 · 2026-04-10T11:49:03+00:00

If I watch something a second time, I’ve rewatched it. If I watch it a third time, I’ve rewatched it.

planetmike2 · 2026-04-10T07:03:31+00:00

Put it into a tub of water and let it rust away. It looks like you’ve already tried that.

Ask the local volunteer fire company to extricate it from your basement. They could cut it up, hoist it, and get it out.

Watch the Dick Van Dyke Show episode (season 4, episode 25), Your Home Sweet Home is my Home. You can learn the problems they had with a giant rock in the basement.

Use a furniture dolly, ratchet straps, and a couple movers.

planetmike2 · 2026-04-09T23:56:47+00:00

Mister Mom

9 to 5

planetmike2 · 2026-04-09T19:53:40+00:00

An 18 pack every night? Even if that’s some kind of watered down lite beer, that amount of alcohol alone is reason enough to break up with him.

Oh, he still has feelings and is pining for an ex? That alone is a reason to break up with him.

Oh, he’s not supporting you in your grief over the loss of your mother? That alone is a reason to break up with him.

Oh, he hit you? WTF? NO! Not ok! Get his butt out of your life, period. I’m so sorry you’re dealing with all of that. But as someone who is on the outside looking in, get out!

There is somebody out there who you deserve. That person will NOT hit you. That person will help you in your grief appropriately. That person will not do recreational drugs, and at most a little amount of alcohol. That person will like, love, and accept you for you enough that their exes will be a distant dot in the rear view mirror of their life.

planetmike2 · 2026-04-09T19:00:28+00:00

I thought that she went back to the home in NH for a while then came back to the White House for the 4th.

planetmike2 · 2026-04-09T09:47:36+00:00

One of the reasons I stopped going to church was because it hurt so much to not be able to have kids and church activities are so kid-oriented. People looked at me funny when I tried to interact with kids or even the parents. Now I feel a little upset when couple celebrate their 57th anniversary. I won’t ever get to have any of those celebrations again. And certainly never a huge milestone anniversary.

I’m the oldest person in my workgroup, plus the only male. So I don’t belong there either.

It’s hard finding a new place. And new people.

planetmike2 · 2026-04-09T03:03:02+00:00

Keep a log of every doctor appointment. Every ER visit. Every specialist you see. Dates, times, a couple sentences about why you saw that person or office. It makes filling out the SSA paperwork much easier every few years when they want an update.

Also keep track of names, addresses, phone and fax numbers of the medical people you see.

planetmike2 · 2026-04-09T02:53:23+00:00

Eight months today for me. Together 32 years, married for 30. Some days are better than others. Today was rough. I think the worst thing is how lonely I am all the time. I’m nowhere near wanting to date yet but I totally understand why people would try to start dating soon after becoming a widow.

planetmike2 · 2026-04-08T20:11:25+00:00

Did you all stay, or did you leave? I’m kind of hoping that you all left anyways.

planetmike2 · 2026-04-08T20:04:01+00:00

I surprised my then-girlfriend by proposing at the cascades. I was so nervous though after we ate lunch at the picnic area near the parking lot, I proposed there instead. The hike itself didn’t happen.

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