GOOD NEWS PEOPLE ...
 

It’s the very last day of winter! Hallelujah!

Anyone else got some good news to share? Let’s hear it ASAP. :D

Re: GOOD NEWS PEOPLE ...
 

Working at home isn't as bad as I thought. Conversely, I think I like it better as I don't waste any time commuting, and can slack more freely (don't tell my boss). On the other hand, given the circumstances, I'm literally spending the whole day in one room in front of a computer. Oh well.

Good news is lately I've been taking it easy with film binges, and giving more time to music & trying to let the movies I do watch sink in. A break like this is quite refreshing, especially now when I'm nearing 10.000.

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Gas is cheaper right now than it's been in a long loooong time! :)

Weather is pretty good right now (at least on the U.S.'s east coast) - not too hot, not too cold - perfect for getting outside!

We are not at war with any other nations right now!

Stimulus packages are allegedly in the works!

We’re not? Wow, it’s a miracle!

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My job security went from "I probably won't ever lose my job" to "there ain't no way I'll lose my job".

Barber shops, hair salons, nail salons & tattoo parlors are all closed in CT.

But I thought of at least one job that will be safe, at least for now. LANDSCAPING!

Because everyone - businesses & private homes - want their yards to look nice.

Good news for these guys. :cool:

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The income tax filing deadline has been officially extended to July 15th!

Re: GOOD NEWS PEOPLE ...
 

This month has been nice at DNKN. For some reason, with the DNKN app or card, we have gotten a free donut every Friday. One more to go. I love free things. :p

Domino's Pizza still delivers. Also take out is available. They're having an online special through Sunday.

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⬆️ You started without us. :p

Nah. I'm ordering mine Saturday evening. Their specialty pizza ExtravaganZZa with their medium size handmade pan crust. Scrumptious.

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Wow. Dominos here NEVER looks that good. Tempting.

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⬆️ Same here. My local Dominos is a tacky little place full of drug addicts. They are p****d because Little Caesar’s, which was next door, has closed down for good. :rolleyes:

Through Sunday, all their pizzas are half off, online ordering only. I can't pass this up.

I like Little Caesar's deep dish pizzas. Hopefully you can find another Dominos in your area that you'll like better.

Never understood why they closed the store. Only thing I didn’t like was that they did not deliver so their empty boxes were everywhere. People would eat the food as they walked along & then dump the box on the sidewalk.

I always took my pizza home. They probably closed because of their proximity to Dominos. Dominos probably drove them out of business.

Quoting you again because you might have created a new domino's fan in me. I took your advice and ordered the exact pizza. I learned the pan pizza option is only available in a 12" but their rulers must be off cuz this thing is huge.

Here's a picture of the ExtravaganZZa pan pizza I ordered tonight. I ate 6 slices and I'm full. I'll save the rest for breakfast. Their pan pizzas are far superior to the traditional hand tossed pizzas. The pan has 2 layers of cheese and the toppings go to the edge of the pizza leaving no wasted space. Most delicious.

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@Yoda - any chance we can get the title of this thread changed to "Mmmmmmm Pizza!". TIA.

Carry on people.....

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Sthap it people! Sthap it! I was supposed to lose weight!

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Good news from a tragic event. But a good thing to keep in mind the next time you're thinking something will never happen.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-51995055

Ya think? :p

Re: GOOD NEWS PEOPLE ...
 

A lot of people are utilizing this shut down and nice weather in most places to start an exercise / fitness program, go on a diet or get a jump on their Spring cleaning!

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⬆️ I don’t need to diet, but, if I did, I think a diet would be the last thing I would attempt in these troubled times.

Re: GOOD NEWS PEOPLE ...
 

Forgot to mention that it’s definitely good news that we have a 3-month extension to file tax returns. Instead of filing on April 15, my husband will now file July 15. :)

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Re: diet. I dunno, it might sort of help? Extra motive for not consuming food when you might have to make it last a bit, after all. I've been doing it and while some parts are harder (food is a great source of entertainment when cooped up), other aspects have made it easier.

Probably harder for anyone who doesn't really like snacking while watching things, though, since there's a lot of watching things going on.

Re: GOOD NEWS PEOPLE ...
 

My dental check-up next month prolly won't take place for a while now which means I can safely scoff choccies during lockdown :)

#Covid19rotsyerteef

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Yeah, I had a friend who needed a root canal about a week ago, had to try to rush and get that in before things locked down.

*waits for Sly Stallone to run through the forum screen, left to right, pausing only to look at us all and scream, "rrrrrRrrrRYYEEEAAAADDDRIIIEEEEEEAAAAAAAANNNNNNnnrnrrrrrrrararr..." then exiting through the right.*

https://www.denofgeek.com/wp-content...verthetop2.png

(I'm sure I have the wrong movie in mind, but It only seems right that it be Stallone)

Exactly. I was going to reply that some people are starting diets because food they like is getting harder to find, shopping has become a real pain (not to mention a risk), and if you're isolating then you need to stretch supplies further.

Hey, ynwtf... let me tell you something you already know...

(then again, if you already know it, why bother?) ;)

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Finally finding a use for all those smelly soaps in the sets people have bought herself over the years in lieu of coming up with an idea for a proper burfday/xmas pressie :)

My hands have never smelled so 'girly' before in my life :D

It’s odd (to me anyway) that dentists remain open as an “essential service” when doctors are declining to see patients in-house.

My middle bro in England is astounded that package stores here are also considered “essential” & will remain open. This kind of store is closed throughout the UK, which totally surprises me as Brits love their booze.

Off-licenses are now on the list.

I don't know if this is the complete list, but as it stands those considered essensial are listed as the following:

Supermarkets and other food shops
Pharmacies
Off-licences and licensed shops selling alcohol, including those within breweries
Petrol stations
Newsagents
Bicycle shops
Home and hardware stores
Launderettes and dry cleaners
Garages
Pet shops
Post offices
Banks

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⬆️ Phew. Off-licenses are on the list. Uprising averted. :)

Saw my first cherry trees in bloom today. SO purty.

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Yeah, there's a few of those around here, walked by one just starting to bloom yesterday. Gonna have to remember to take my phone on one of the walks this week so I can get some pictures. Lovely.

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About 60+ degrees in CT today. Opened a couple of windows that haven’t been opened for 5 months. It was nice.

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Weatherwise, today was probably one of the nicest in the year so far.

And remember...
"There's always hope when you got water and soap!"
- Ed Norton

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On my daily walk it’s nice not to have to wait a long time for the lights at big intersections. Fewer vehicles so I cross against the lights. :)

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Our nextdoor neighbor has a garage band that rehearses about 4 times a week (at pretty much random times) - but due to the shutdown it's been blissfully quiet.

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⬆️ So glad for you. Nothing worse than noise pollution.

Idiot neighbor across the street is back with his leaf blower. He can spend hours on his building’s tiny bit of grass.

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Anyone noticed Venus in the night sky lately?
We must be really close to it right now - it's like a freakin' spotlight! :D

It's called a Moon. :p

I don't think we've been out after dark in the last few months. :(

.

You should step out on a clear night... look towards the west after dark.

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https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbi...stay-home.html

This is pretty darn good.

It is good, but didn’t realize it doesn’t include current shows such as Curb.

Re: GOOD NEWS PEOPLE ...
 

DNKN has extended free donut Fridays through April. Sure they want to get people on the app & in the store, but it’s still nice.

I wrote another screenplay. I joined a contest where people are given two criteria to have in the story. I was given SLASHER and TIME TRAVEL.

Logline: “Time travel is now a business and you can revisit your favorite memories, but some memories should be left behind in the past.”

I got a mask! My mail lady was horrified that I didn’t have a mask. I didn’t want to take one of hers, but she insisted.

I've been wondering about this - we have Optimum (cable), but I've searched their website and there's nothing about free premium channels being made available during the "shutdown" (or even free trials which they sometimes offer).

A couple weeks back I discovered we now have HBO and CineMAX channels - but no On Demand available for them.

When I first discovered this I assumed it was for the shutdown - although the cable co. will sometimes run trial periods (usually about 3 days) for various premium channels.

Then last week I clicked on a SHOwtime channel and found we now have those - the weird thing is we can watch Showtime On-Demand movies, but not the others (HBO & Cinemax) On-Demand.

Re: GOOD NEWS PEOPLE ...
 

⬆️ You just have to go to hbo.com & there is a link to the free shows.

Newborn cheetahs at the National Zoo with Echo, their mother.

https://nationalzoo.si.edu/webcams/cheetah-cub-cam

I got the same one last night when I picked up at a hospital except it's yellow. I was wearing one already but they wanted me in a new one while I was on the premises.

One good thing I was thinking is for a while there it seemed like there were mass killings every time I turned on the News. I haven't heard much of anything recently.

Re: GOOD NEWS PEOPLE ...
 

The cheapest gas in town today was $1.57 / gal. Wow!
(I'm pretty sure the gas prices will go back up once the shutdown ends.)

I don't think the cheaper gasoline has much to do with the quarantines. For several months there has been a glut of oil production resulting in excess reserves and stockpiles. That lowers the price. As I understand it, the U.S. administration and others are in negotiations with other nations to slow production, which will increase prices. It would also allow for U.S. shale producers to fire back up production.

We may actually get the next Game of Thrones book:
https://www.thewrap.com/george-rr-ma...me-of-thrones/

I was going to post something about this man at the beginning of the week. It gives me even greater pleasure to do it now. It's amazing how this has caught peoples imagination.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-52316856
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-englan...herts-52321262

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⬆️ Captain Moore is amazing. Staggering.

So my bro in England emailed me about an old lady there who is doing something similar. Heard about her?

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I haven't, Stirchley. There's so many people doing things but so few of them get national coverage.

Life goes on. 12 goslings a little smaller than this in the park yesterday with their 3 (?) parents. So frickin cute & I was disappointed not to see them today. They may have been sleeping on one of the lake islands. By the time I get back there they will have grown considerably. No ducklings so far. But I did see the resident blue heron fly across the lake. Some of the geese were furious that it had landed on their island & I suspect the goslings may have been there.

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It’s 7️⃣9️⃣ in Connecticut. I’m in heaven. I would say that spring here has sucked weatherwise, but now I see upcoming temps of 7️⃣0️⃣, maybe even 8️⃣0️⃣. :)

My local DNKN will now re-open on Sundays. Shorter hours than before, but still. Saw that another favorite DNKN that was closed has now re-opened for takeout. And next week if franchise owners agree, tables & chairs can be put outside. Little things, but still. :)

We've had 2 months of spring. The first 70 and sunny day was the first or 2nd week of March. Longer than normal it seems.


Alas, the heat is coming. Saw 90 for one of the days next week.

Re: GOOD NEWS PEOPLE ...
 

⬆️ 9️⃣0️⃣ sounds good to me. That’s as high as I go though. Every degree above this gets more & more uncomfortable. But I will never complain about heat as I hate being cold.

Re: GOOD NEWS PEOPLE ...
 

80 degrees in Connecticut & no wind. Everything seems so much better when the weather is nice.

And church services resume in 2 weeks’ time. :)

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Standing in line at DNKN drive thru this morning (hoping no one would run me down), the gentleman in the car in front of me paid for my coffee. I was able to catch up to him & thanked him profusely. Nice. :)

Where's his idiotic smile? He looked like the Joker in previous pictures.

Why is a murderer in my good news people thread? :eek:

So many goslings in the park. Yesterday there were 3 as small as this stock photo. One baby was asleep on the grass & the other 2 were asleep under momma’s wing. So stinkin’ cute.

I would've thought finding this guy was good news.

Re: GOOD NEWS PEOPLE ...
 

⬆️ It is. I just didn’t want to see his ugly mug in my feel good thread. He can stay.

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The weather in CT is so perfect today. 78 degrees with 9 mph winds. Fabuloso!

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Church masses Monday through Saturday resumed on Monday. Sunday mass still on hold. Not sure why since they are limiting it to 100 people & we have to get a ticket online. I got permission yesterday to resume Wednesday morning Rosary Prayer so that was nice this morning. Almost forgot how to do it since we’ve been away 3 months.

Local park has turned on its fountains so that’s lovely. Hair salons have come back. So small openings, which are much better than closings. :)

4 tiny Mallard ducklings in the park today with mom. First I’ve seen this year & saw none last year. Not surprising since there are so many predators in the air, in the bushes & underwater. These tinies are so vulnerable. I saw none last year. (Stock photo)

Re: GOOD NEWS PEOPLE ...
 

Last week I was able to get a mammogram & a hair cut (not at the same time, of course). Impossible to do this for the last 3 months or so. So feels good.

Noticed today that a major teaching hospital here has packed up all its COVID 19 outdoor testing tents & moved on. It’s a good sign for Connecticut, but I hope they know what they’re doing.

Well, we Roman Catholics in Connecticut returned to Sunday mass yesterday for the first time since March 15. I stumbled over some of the prayers at first as it’s been so long. The mass went along at a brisk pace & it lasted maybe 50 minutes or so. I didn’t like to turn around & count how many people were there, but there weren’t a whole lot of us. Our priest said we were brave to come, which rather worried me. :p

Was social distancing being enforced (or mentioned via sign or verbally)?
Did they have new capacity limits?
Were people wearing masks?

Heck, yeah. Every other pew was roped off. Tons of hand sanitizer to use. Masks required. Only 100 allowed in, but we were nowhere near that. Woman in a laptop at the front door checking us in though how that works if one didn’t sign up for an “evite” is beyond me.

No singing. No holy water. Acceptance of the Eucharist by hand only. Not even church collections by passing round the baskets. Other rules too. When the first Mass is over they then have to sanitize everything for the 2nd Mass. Quite the palaver & this will continue for goodness knows how long.

It was nice to be back though. :)

Re: GOOD NEWS PEOPLE ...
 

One of the counter persons at Dunkin is giving me free coffee. No clue why she’s doing this, but I hope she doesn’t get herself into trouble.

She might think you're homeless. You did say you walk through the drive up window. She might assume that without a car you don't have any money.

Re: GOOD NEWS PEOPLE ...
 

DNKN on my block (where I’ve had to use the drive thru window for months) is now allowing us inside to place an order. This is so welcome. I can run in, get my coffee & run out again. I think the manager said it’s Monday thru Friday from 7 a.m. to noon. :)

Tomorrow is my favorite month of the year - August. But how can it be August when July was only 3 days long? :cool:

This photo amused me so I am putting it here. This house is for sale in an affluent neighborhood. See the nice piano? It’s now on the sidewalk all in pieces. :rolleyes:

Why is this good news?

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⬆️ Didn’t know where else to put amusing things so put it here. Don’t want to start a thread for everything that comes to my mind.

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A broken piano is amusing?

Wanted to see this movie forever. (One of my favorite books.) Never been available anywhere until just this week except on poor quality bootleg versions. Amazon says it will be released on dvd mid-December & I have pre-ordered it.

So very random that this 1970 movie is being released now. Thanks to Kino Lorber.

It’s years since I have returned something to Amazon. I remember printing a label (at Fedx as I don’t have a printer), buying an appropriate bubble envelope & then schlepping to the P.O. to drop off the package as one can’t drop packages in a mailbox these days.

So today I have to return a calendar (bought by mistake) & a Breaking Bad box set that does not have CC as claimed on the website. (I knew there were no English subtitles).

So pleased to find that now one need only choose a Kohl’s store, UPS or a Whole Foods store (there may be other options too) to return stuff. I don’t need a label, nothing, just the 2 items. I speak to an associate & she will scan the barcodes from my iPad & I receive a refund in a couple of hours. How easy is this!! :)

How come I never discovered these until just today? New from DNKN. Delicious cream cheese-filled mini bagels.

We don't go to Dunkin', but Hubby buys something similar from the supermarket. He used to buy Bagelfuls, but we haven't been able to find them for a while, so he recently started buying Bantam Bagels. They have several different varieties, and we just found out that they also make egg versions too.


These are Bagelfuls:




These are Bantam Bagels:

Re: GOOD NEWS PEOPLE ...
 

Yeah, the bottom photo is exactly what DNKN is selling. Never heard of them before, but cute idea.

Thought this was too good to be true. As I said, it may be years since I’ve returned anything to Amazon so I didn’t know or see on the website that the customer has to indicate where she wants the refund tendered. I didn’t choose anything & the refund then defaults to an Amazon gift card.

This is a very cheeky scam. They give you a refund, but in the form of an Amazon gift card, which, obviously, is used to buy something else from Amazon. I was buying something new this evening & astounded to find I had a gift card. The balance of the gift card is the balance of the two items I just returned, which I thought was being credited to my credit card.

Spent an annoying 30 minutes on the phone with a not-very-bright individual who, finally, changed the refund from the gift card back to my credit card. This was like pulling teeth, but he finally got it right & emailed me to confirm.

In future, I now know to indicate in advance how I want the refund. These companies!

A couple months ago I got a book from Amazon that was damaged (it was the Eternals Complete Collection).

It was obviously damaged before it was shipped because the envelope didn't have a mark on it, but the book inside was scratched, marred, stained and dog-eared.

I did the online chat to try to get a refund. I really didn't feel like repacking it and taking it to a UPS store to ship it back and told them so (I think they gave a little extra consideration for the pandemic as, in the past, I had to return any damaged item to get a refund or replacement).

This time they offered a refund or gift card - I chose the refund.

I had to contact them a second time to confirm I didn't have to return the item because the first e-mail confirmation said I'd need to return it to get the refund - on the 2nd communication they said ignore that message and keep the damaged item.

In the end, I got the refund, didn't have to return the book... I read it, then sold it on eBay for a pretty decent price considering it was damaged (and described so on eBay) and I got it for free!!! :)

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Don’t know where to put this, but I love this guy on TikTok. Talk about an internet sensation. :p

https://youtu.be/OtzVKUCZE5w


Love Mick Fleetwood’s TikTok tribute.

https://www.npr.org/2020/10/11/92255...ac-sales-soari

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I bought a $5 scratch off & won $100! :)

Right on!