Things That Stick In Your Craw

I will be the first one to say that I don’t do this, but if you change them at daylight savings, you don’t have this problem!

I’ve always wondered what I would do if my home security alarm went off in the middle of the night as that would be utterly terrifying. Grab for the softball bat next to my bed, then hope my cell phone is on.

The one In my 2 year old’s room went off full bore in his bedroom this Fall. A combination of the humidifier, a fan on low speed and the furnace running all managed to create enough of an effect that it triggered the alarm at 3:00.

That was not a fun evening

This happened to a friend of mine many years ago. The guy who invaded was really drunk and thought he was at his friend’s house. He ended up almost getting a baseball bat and a shotgun shot as his punishment.

The funny thing about it is that the guy was so drunk that he ended up in the wrong house (by 1 or 2 blocks) but was sober enough to enter the garage service door and step through 3 ladders to get the door into the house.

My parents told me the story of how a neighbor guy waltzed into their bedroom one night, drunk. Their houses had the exact same layout so the guy thought he was just stumbling into his own bedroom. Of course my mom was terrified because she was pregnant but thankfully my dad realized who it was and was able to steer him in the right direction. This was back in the day when people didn’t lock their doors. I can’t fathom doing that anywhere anymore.

I would never leave my bedroom with a bat or even a gun. I would not want to escalate a confrontation over a t.v. set or a computer. All that stuff is replaceable. It makes for good t.v. drama, but no thank you. Just call the cops without ever leaving your room and ask them to make a house call. It's more complicated with kids, because now you have to go into protect mode.

I no longer have kids at home, so I installed an over center lock on the bedroom door that cannot be kicked in from the outside: <a href=" https://www.amazon.com/Defender-Security-11126-Door-Reinforcement/dp/B00QR2QCJI/ref=asc_df_B00QR2QCJI/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=167140177670&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=12538431779972923983&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9019691&hvtargid=pla-335478159484&psc= 1" class="bbcode_url"> https://www.amazon.com/Defender-Security-11126-Door-Reinforcement/dp/B00QR2QCJI/ref=asc_df_B00QR2QCJI/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=167140177670&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=12538431779972923983&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9019691&hvtargid=pla-335478159484&psc=1

It really helps me sleep at night, but if for some reason you make it past that your next obstacle is the Glock 19.

MN announced a new pilot program for vaccinating people 65 and over. The call center for appointments opened at noon today. I called at 12:01 and got a message that this number has been disconnected.

I hereby request that Jup change your status from Golden to Keeper of Expensive Meat.

Actually, my company builds chips that control smoke alarms (another company designs them and we manufacture them) The LoBatt (low battery) function was not designed well and has the highest failure rate on the chip tests.

This is a 'pareto' of the fails, showing the top fail rates for the tests performed. Because of the design marginality, LoBatt has the highest failure rate. I guess it's better than the, "Hey, I detect smoke" function not working.
[attachment=0]LoBatt.png[/attachment]

Just a note. Whenever we change a battery in appliances, watches, etc, we always make them with the date they were put in. (also lightbulbs, other things). Typically, the smoke alarms go 4 years before the battery runs out. You could do something like replacing the batteries on a particular date on odd or even years with plenty of margin. (I don't know if I'd want to add changing batteries along with changing clocks)

Now who wants to do sensible stuff like that. What’s wrong with living on the edge....

Some might balk at trusting the battery to last two years. :ahhh:

Have a boot knife under my mattress, and a Lousiville slugger next to my bedroom door. I am a sound sleeper, unless something like that happens. Storms, fire, whatever, I will sleep through. My door opening? WIDE AWAKE.

I currently have like... 5 softball bats within arm's reach of my bed and another 20ish in my closet a few feet from the foot of my bed ? the trouble would be picking which one. Does a balanced bat provide better control or do I want a heavy endloaded one to really pack a punch? ?

This thread reminded me I need to replace all the batteries in my smoke detectors soon. I need to move the one in my kitchen a bit. Some idiot (me) decided to install it basically directly over the stove so it goes off basically whenever I'm making anything. Even if I'm just boiling water for pasta, the steak must mess with it.

You don’t need one in your kitchen as long as you have one on that floor outside of a bedroom or other room with frequently shut doors.

I used to go by the change detector batteries when I change the clocks plan but the time between spring forward and fall back was too long and I would have the overnight chirp. And that ALWAYS happens when I am traveling for work. Now I have calendar reminder set up for every 6 months.

As for the weapon of choice, I’ve decided a 5 iron is going to do more damage than a softball bat.

When we bought our 1988 house (not that old) there were only 2 smoke detectors in the entire house. We purchased several 10-year smoke detectors shortly after we moved in. We've been here 9 years this January, test them occasionally, and not one has had a battery issue. I assume I will be replacing them all this year rather than just a battery. But the cost of a 9 volt battery every 6 months over 10 years has to be close to the cost of a smoke detector...

I don't know when but new construction requires, by national electrical code IIRC, that smoke detectors be hard wired in & I think if one goes off they all do. The batteries are merely so that if the electrical system is disabled the system function with out line voltage.

I had to purchase 5 new ones for my upstairs level just last year when the inspector wouldn’t sign off on our basement remodel until the upstairs was to code.

We bought the 10 year ones as well. I had to replace the one in my son’s room after it triggered due to the issue i mentioned earlier, but the others have been just fine so far

Yeah it would. Maybe I'll bring my extra sandwedge upstairs too.

Yes. All of our detectors are hard-wired with battery back up. But if the voltage in the battery gets too low the detector will chirp. I replace them religiously. I have a about a dozen smoke detectors and 3 CO detectors. The cost of batteries is about $30 every 6 months to replace. But I wouldn't be able to live with myself if one of my kids died in a fire. It's the cost of safety (like replacing tires). And it's a long drop from the top floor bedroom windows so I want to give anyone maximum time to get out a lower level, if needed.

Did I mention my dad was a firefighter?

The most costly/deadly fires are the ones with inoperable smoke detectors.

And here’s a general tip, if you have a bat, a 9-iron or your foot; don’t bother aiming for the head, go for the knee! Much easier target. Then once they’re down, aim higher :good2:

I learned this in a self defense class. Hitting someone in the head is difficult, they’re moving around and can see the swing. Aiming for the knee is an easier hit and disables the attack. The other thing that was drummed into us, don’t hesitate.

What a bizarre turn of conversation!

I have a buddy who used to have a Great Dane that patrolled the house at night checking on each room in the house. A burglar once broke a main level window and reached in to unlock it from the inside. The dog latched onto the burglar's arm and must have chewed it up pretty good because when my buddy responded to the alarm, there was a pool of blood on the floor under the window.

Frontier Communications is installing fiber optic in our neighborhood. This morning, the crew put in junction boxes. My wife and I look outside at about noon, and there's a box - about 18" tall by 9" wide, practically in the MIDDLE of our front yard (WTF?). We call Frontier and question why the box wasn't placed in the same general proximity as the other three junction/maintenance boxes 15' from where they placed this one, and got some b.s. response about their specs calling for placing it between the property lines (I guess they nailed that one).

After we got off the phone with them, I noticed their crew was back out there, digging up our yard - AGAIN - to move the box. So now, we've got two areas where they've dug up our yard, because their surveyor couldn't be bothered to take the time to talk to us and discuss where the box should be placed.

OMG, I’d be :censored: furious!

Trust me, my wife was.

They shouldn't have to discuss it with you to know the middle of the front yard is not where you'd like it.

Frontier is an apt name for them. It is like dealing with Daniel Boone era technology.

Exactly - it's not really rocket science to figure out where every other customer's junction boxes generally reside in relation to the property

Strange.... My Fiber "box" from Jaguar Communications is just off the street and is in the ground with a 1ft black plastic cover at ground level. Pop it off and there is a 2ft deep hole in the ground and you can see a splice off the main fiber optic line that goes underground to my house. So nothing that sticks up line underground phone boxes or anything like that.

Here's my home defense

<img class="go2wpf-bbcode" src=" https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EU8ju-JXgAAdkiw?format=jpg&name=900x90 0" alt="">

Mine too. That said, they tore our yard up in 3 different places having about 10’ round spot where the grass is gone and half assed fixed it. I had to go back with seed multiple times. It looked like crap for most of the summer and I can still see the spots. There were other houses in our neighborhood that had no spots in their grass messed up.

I do love having fiber internet tho.

Torso. Wherever the torso goes, the body goes, and it's the most mass target on anyone. Up the middle for a hit! Then work the knees. Head shot could get an "intent to kill" or something.

I am not a fan of frontier. Had a terrible experience with their service, they were completely incompetent when dealing with them by phone and had some shady unethical practices. Placing boxes in the middle of a yard sounds like something they would do. Never use frontier. Unless it’s your only option.

[mention]Cowgirl[/mention] that's the problem. In parts of the state it is your only option for "wire"service for phone & dial up internet. I.E. East Bethel has a small section in the far NE corner of the city where no cable & Frontier owns the wire in the ground. The adjoining are of southern Isanti Co. would be the same.

We used to have Frontier as our phone service at the cabin on the south end of ML but now we use a cable service, SCI, out of Hinkley for internet (5G BTW) and CCTV with free landline.

Finding out one of my managers has been having an affair (he's married) with one of his subordinates. :censored: :chainsaw:

Major, Misconduct and Ejection penalties all apply here.

I was a volunteer police reserve which means we wore uniforms but no guns. We did have a collapsible baton though. In training they taught us to go for the knees with the baton.

Regarding the smoke alarms chirping at night, there is a reason for that (from the Kidde website):

As a smoke alarm's battery nears the end of its life, the amount of power it produces causes an internal resistance. A drop in room temperature increases this resistance, which may impact the battery's ability to deliver the power necessary to operate the unit in an alarm situation.

This battery characteristic can cause a smoke alarm to enter the low battery chirp mode when air temperatures drop. Most homes are the coolest between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. That's why the alarm may sound a low-battery chirp in the middle of the night, and then stop when the home warms up a few degrees.

No offense but I’m glad you get to deal with that personnel issue rather than me having to.

He came and told me himself ahead of me likely finding it out otherwise. It probably kept me from doing very bad things.

<img class="go2wpf-bbcode" src=" https://media.giphy.com/media/RZvbEQbuE0gWQ/giphy.gi f" alt="">

We get our neighbors mail or a package delivered to our house at least once a week, sometimes twice. Not the same neighbor, just the same block. This is pure sloppiness. If I’m getting their mail that often, how many times does my mail go to the wrong address? Last week the mailman delivered a bound bundle of magazines, ONE was mine. There were 8 other magazines for 5 different address, all within a 2 block area. Today I find my neighbors Amazon box on my front step. :chainsaw:

Everybody I know in my age group entered the shot lottery last night. I had a better chance of being struck by lightning than getting a shot.

I think you may be right about those odds...so far the rollout hasn't gone especially well. A week ago Tuesday I was on hold for AN HOUR, with no success. Finally gave up out of frustration. Am now signed up online and waiting for my name to be called. Wife too. :anger:

Take comfort that you're further along than the rest of us.

Yeah. My parents put themselves on the list but weren't chosen either. The wife's boss was, though.

The waitlist is much better than the first thing which crash the phones/website.

The owners of the company I work for both got in the first round here in Mankato and had no issues scheduling their shots through the website. My daughter had hers scheduled by her employer with no issues with the website either. My wife who works for Headstart is having more issues though it's more linked to the area that they cover, nine counties in Southern Minnesota, more than the website/phone issues.

Are they saving/guaranteeing second timely doses for the folks who get picked in the lottery?

Yes. As I understand it both appointments will be made if you are selected. I just spoke to my neighbor who did get picked today. She has both doses scheduled, first one next Monday.

Well surprise surprise, I received an email from my health care provider (North Memorial) which directed me to their site to schedule an appt. for the first shot. Will get it on Monday at their Minnetonka clinic, at which time they will schedule me for the second shot roughly three weeks later. Totally unexpected but I'm glad it'll be taken care of.