WEEKLY CHAT (non-osprey) SUNDAY AUGUST 22, 2021

Hi, all.  I'm now back from Indianapolis, having stayed an extra day so my friends could attend a family gathering. I've been surrounded by dogs every day and night, and now I miss them terribly. What am I going to do now that I don't have any bellies to rub or ears to scratch?

I didn't have any work project to do, so I was able to just watch TV (my friends have all the streaming, premium channels) and take care of the doggies and the house.

I haven't read back on the threads yet, so I hope you all are okay. Thank you, Annette, for starting the new thread this week. I hope you enjoyed your own trip away to see friends. I also hope your sciatica is ebbing off now and you're feeling better. 

My trip relieved some intense anxiety. I've been unemployed since last year due to the COVID crisis. I qualify for unemployment benefits, but the state has deliberately made actually getting the money very difficult--requiring lots of expensive technology, dozens of very, very complicated bureaucratic steps, and jumping through almost impossible hoops to get accepted to the program. One of the requirements was having an expensive smartphone and a phone plan that allows video calling. My cheap phone plan doesn't allow that. But my friends did have that capability, so they both sat down with me and helped me wade through all the requirements. Hopefully, I can now get approved and collect the benefits retroactive to last year. I was at my wit's end fighting with the state.

Hope you all are thriving. Back to make replies soon. I am under heat advisories for the rest of the week. Temperature at 100F or 38C today. The humidity right now is 94%. The air is so heavy I'm having trouble breathing.

Here are the dogs. They were all rescued from the local shelter by my friends. They had hard lives before and are very loving and cuddly.

DIANE So sorry to learn you have had such a tough time of it. Love the dog pics, they look so comfy now, thank goodness.

Have missed about 10 days of posts and will not be reading back over them

We have been away for over a week. My OHs Dads funeral was on Friday so we went down the previous Saturday and stayed in a travel lodge and on our return we stayed with friends in Fife. All went well and the family were really pleased to have the coffin draped in the NARPO (National Association of Retired Police Officers) flag. Even better there was a young serving officer in attendance wearing his formal uniform.....inc that amazing helmet!!!! He didn't know the family but was part of a team who attended funerals of fellow officers if asked. He had come from Amersham over an hours journey away and couldn't come to the eats after as he was on duty at 2 pm. Anyway it is good to be home. Benson stayed with friends and got a gold star for his behaviour!!

Welcome back, Diane. The doggies loss is our gain. Nice that you were able to reassure them whilst their owners were away. That's great news that you were able to sort out your benefits due to you, thanks to your friends. I hope you can sleep easier, now.

You wrote whilst I was blathering, dibnlib: welcome back to you, too!

How good was that, that the funeral went well and that he was honoured by the police. Must be of some comfort to his relatives.

We are all OK on here, and now expecting back Annette, too, as she is returning home today.

Diane - I'm so sorry that you've had such a rough time of it the past year. I hope it all gets sorted quickly with friends help and you receive the benefits you deserve!

P.S. I love the pic of the dogs!

Morning all:  Got back in good time yesterday; that is, in time for a glass of wine just before dinner.  Had a good trip.  First two friends (one was already visiting from LA) were at a house just north of San Francisco.  House is located next to an inlet of the bay with watery landscape so lots of birds and critters.  Had a very lazy couple of days filled with lazy walks, wine, cheese and chocolate, before heading to second friend's home farther north - a tiny apartment within a large house on a couple of acres with lots of lovely oak trees. I stayed in a hotel in town. This friend is not in good shape from any aspect and I left feeling a bit sad and worried about her remaining years, remembering how she was back in the 1970s....  

Diane: Welcome home - those dogs are gorgeous and so happy with each other.  Glad your friends were helpful and that you got your info to the unemployment folks. Do hope the actual checks arrive soon!  Take care in those temps.  We are still coolish here. It was cooler than normal up north and in one area the trees were already turning, which is very, very early.

dibnlib: Hope your OH is doing okay; nice that the NARPO person showed up.  I googled NARPO helmet and got some Japanese anime costumes......  

Lindybird; A rude awakening followed by unscheduled laundry?  Not a great way to start the day.  Hope OH got his teeth sorted.

AQ:  Love those TV quotes.

Sciatica didn't bother me too much on trip - was just sort of vaugely in the background.  Am planning to keep it that way and then have it disappear completely.

Take care everyone.

Annette -- "In the background" is good!!

Glad you're home again after your adventures.

Edit:  sorry about your old friend.

He was 80. Don't suppose he lead a completely blameless life, so probably lucky to get to that age....

It is disconcerting, though, to find that all our youthful idols are getting old, just like us!