Pit: We got an e-mail about A Regular Scheduled Maintenance due on our 2021 Durango. IOW, oil change, of which was done at the Dealer right before we bought this Durango in October 2023. I have the paperwork stating that. So, I called Service and the young lady tells me, looking up my wife's name (her name is first on the sale/contract): "Last time you were here and your Service was done (oil change) was July 2022". I told her, "We weren't even living here then. We didn't get here until Sept. 2023." She says, "I'm just reading what the computer says". Then, when I ask her about the Maintenance Plan we bought that includes oil changes", she tells me, "sorry, but the Plans you bought have been cancelled". WHAT???? So, now have to call Finance Manager and she tells me "the three Maintenance Plans you bought, when we bought the Durango, were put into the computer, but the finance gentleman didn't complete something and the Plans were cancelled." The three Plans were showing on the computer, but "cancelled" was by each one. So, just what happened to the $4,000 plus that we paid for these three plans? Finance Manager told me she would check the situation out, however, the guy that set-up these Plans for us was no longer there. Peak: Well, after three hours of waiting, I called her. She told me all three Plans would be reinstated and that "no, your oil change isn't due yet." We also found out that the young guy that showed us this Durango we bought, was sent to work in Service. Guess he wasn't that great at Sales. To a point, guess Dealerships don't think owners of vehicles they sell will keep good records of Maintenance and ALL paperwork that was done at time of sales. Well, I sure do!!
The guy sent to service may not have been a bad salesman, but when there are not enough sales to go around, i.e., not many cars are being sold by anybody, the junior person gets bumped unless there is a specific reason to keep them on--like they are female or a minority.
Pit: The nurse who swapped my catheter today asked if another nurse who had never seen a supra-pubic cath could come in and observe. Peak: Having no dignity left is rather freeing.
Pit: When I was loading firewood, it looked like I missed shoring up some of the bottom support rails. I was certain I had done them all when I built the racks. Peak (sort of): I found some lumber and got out the circular saw and the digging tools. I cut one of the supports and when I went to install it I discovered one already there, buried under a few years of dirt and bark. *sigh* I don't know if I saved time by not having to do this, or if I wasted time needlessly dragging out tools and supplies. So I went and stacked more wood, since there's no mistaking whether or not I already stacked it.
It was a 17" length of 5/4" decking. It went back into the pile. I'll find a use for it. You know how it is.
Pit (sort of): Going to the VA Clinic to meet my new doctor, which her real title is NP/Nurse Practitioner. When I asked her "so, what should I call you (as in Nurse or doctor)?" She said, "when I was in the Philippines, I was called a doctor". So, I told her that I would call her "doctor". After doing some online research, I found out that an NP has a much higher level of education than a regular RN does. IOW, they can pretty much do the same as any doctor can, as in diagnosis, prescribe meds, etc. However, I also read that it is not ethical for a NP to call themselves a doctor and an NP can be disciplined for doing it. Anyway, she was wearing a mask and, to a point, it was sort of hard to understand her due to both mask and Filipino accent. She told me that she would go by my last blood labs for discussion. Thing is, my last labs were done in June of last year (2023). I was sort of shocked that she didn't have labs done before my appt. yesterday, but didn't. Funny, but the same thing happened to my wife last month. Seen her new doctor here for the first time and he didn't order labs before he seen her. Her last labs were in April of last year! I just don't get it!! Now, for the rest of the "Pit", many of the clinic personnel in the back, were wearing a mask. Both the nurse and my new doctor. When I got home, I was hitting the toilet quite a bit...........if you know what I mean. Not many Veterans in the clinic, but some of them definitely looked sick, or close to it. Now, finally, the Peak: The NP had me get an x-ray of my left shoulder to see what is really happening inside. IOW, why I'm still getting the achy/irritating pain daily, where I have to take the 50mg Tramadol every-other day along with daily Tylenol 8HR and Extra Strength. She also asked me when I had my last colonoscopy. My last full one was in 2009. Been doing the "feces" mail-in one since and all have been fine. So, she gave me the mail-in type, but told me to simply drop it off at the clinic. My next appt. with her will be in July. But, I am darn glad this appt. is done.
I go to MFR therapy almost every week in a small 'clinic'. About 3/4 of the way through, I could not hold any longer and told her I was going to hop out and pee. She said she would give me time to get myself together. I said I am an old fat lady in a sweatshirt, underwear and black socks. No one is here and no one would get turned on or be shocked if there were and I only get an hour. I jumped off the table and booked it to the Loo. The black socks might have been a turn on, now that I think about it. On the plus side, she said I wasn't fat.
Peak: A church I go to does a chili contest every year. They serve up hot dogs and nacho chips with all the fixin's, as well as a ton of desserts. There were 10 entrants this year, and they award "medals" for First, Second, and Third place, as well as for People's Choice. Pit #1: I fell 1 point short of 3rd place. Pit #2: I am stuffed.
Peak#1: I started a lasagna last night. Got the sauce made and let it cook for a few hours, mixed up the ricotta & seasonings, shredded/grated the cheeses, and let them sit in the fridge overnight. I assembled it this morning, and can't wait for dinner. The thing weighs a ton. Peak#2: I got a letter from Wells Fargo Customer Remediation Dept, and they claim I was signed up for some type of disability income insurance for a 6 month period in 2008, and that my enrollment may have been fraudulent (it was.) I have never banked with them. I recall when W.F. got caught setting up bogus customer accounts to boost their numbers, so I guess this was part of it. I looked the letter up on the web, the letter is legit, I just called them, and they're gonna send a compensation check my way!!! Pit: I guess if there's a pit, it's the cost of making a lasagna. Holy moly!!! I should have bought a whole filet mignon instead. When I get that check, I guess I can afford to make another one.
I cheat. My hamburger is from my freezer and my tomato sauce is from storage. I like hot italian sausage and wine in my lasagna but hubby does not so that saves me some. Aldi has pretty good deals on cheese. ( I drive up to Chilton for some cheeses and freeze them.) But it does weigh a ton and then we do too.
I usually keep burger and Italian sausages in my freezer, but grabbed fresh while I was out shopping. I got all the tomato products from ALDI, and the sauce turned out fine. One of the seasonings in this recipe is fresh-crushed fennel seeds, which adds a very nice flavor. Since I had the mortar & pestle out to crush the seeds, I mashed all the seasonings together to freshen them. Funny, I have some good pasta sauce recipes that have wine in them, but this one does not. I've been buying my cheese from the Murray cheese kiosk in Kroger, and that's where a chunk of the cost came in (although the mozzarella was Kroger brand.) A good parm reggiano ain't cheap (and I toss in some pecorino romano), but it makes a difference. And I now have a couple of rinds in the freezer for the next time I make minestrone. Dunno why I've been on an Italian kick lately.
These are mine: This is @Beth Gallagher's: Her dough recipe comment is here. It's made its way to the top of the favorite pizza dough list for both of us. The technique is genius...heat the oven to 500°, put the pie on a cookie sheet, cook it on the screaming-hot oven floor for 5 minutes (poor man's pizza stone), then finish it on the rack. It proofs in only 30 minutes (although you can let it sit in the fridge for 24hours.) I attached a pdf of the recipe for you.
That technique may be genius but that's not how I made my pizza. I just rolled out the dough, placed it on a peel that was sprinkled with cornmeal, loaded the toppings on, and slid it onto the hot stone. I need to stop putting cheese on top of the other toppings; it always gets too "brown". (I put a light layer of sauce, a light sprinkle of cheese, various toppings, then a truckload of cheese on top.)