Random Thoughts That Don't Deserve Their Own Thread Go Here

[flere-imsaho]

We've been using reusable bags for ages and it's not an issue. When unloaded, they live in a pile (well, all of them inside the biggest one) in the mud room, ready to be grabbed for the next shopping trip.

And I actually find because they can carry more than paper or plastic, you can actually bring more in, in a single trip, which of course is the goal of every dad everywhere.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Lathum

It's coming everywhere so be ready for it. Once you get into a routine it really isn't any different. The bags are reusable so you just keep them in the car.

And then they come into the house ... and aren't in the car the next time.

I'd simply go 100% delivery at that point.

I f'n hate that shit nearly as much as I hate self-checkout. I mean, I hate it to the point of nearly being violent about it kinda hate it.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by flere-imsaho

We've been using reusable bags for ages and it's not an issue. When unloaded, they live in a pile (well, all of them inside the biggest one) in the mud room, ready to be grabbed for the next shopping trip.

And I actually find because they can carry more than paper or plastic, you can actually bring more in, in a single trip, which of course is the goal of every dad everywhere.

Footnote to my other reply: kitchen is on a different floor than my garage, here the bags wouldn't be in the path for the next trip

And any hypothetical future place I can't imagine a configuration where that'd be true either honestly (I don't see me wanting to stash bags by the front door of a hypothetical condo)

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by GrantDawg

Papa John's bowls are really quite good, especially if you are trying to drop breading. I have gotten where I really don't care for their pizza, but I crave those bowls.

This post caused me to order from PJs tonight, first time in over a decade (and probably closer to two decades)

You better be right, that's all I'm sayin.

[21C]

Originally Posted by NobodyHere

I was randomly browsing reddit today and I came across a screen name of a former FOFC poster.

Please be 'jbmagic'.

[JonInMiddleGA]

My verdict on the Papa John's bowl?

A bit skimpy but the flavors are good. Notably above average for the regular sausage specifically.

it's not a bad bargain really, not when you compare to their pizza pricing. ($8.75 was the UberEats price)

Paired with their version of cheese bread, I can make two meals outta this (definitely couldn't on the bowl alone though)

I wish it came with size options, it's a bit smallish for me (especially if I want to get two out of it). DEFINITELY recommend using all 7 of your toppings allowance, otherwise this would be pretty scant indeed.

[Edward64]

Reusable bags are in Asia and Australia. Most times you can pay for plastic bags if you want them.

I find it an annoyance but can live with it until they come up with some biodegradeable (like in 3 months) plastic bags.

But then again, there are plastic bottles, containers everywhere?

[Lathum]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

And then they come into the house ... and aren't in the car the next time.

I'd simply go 100% delivery at that point.

I f'n hate that shit nearly as much as I hate self-checkout. I mean, I hate it to the point of nearly being violent about it kinda hate it.

After the first few times you get into a routine and it’s totally fine.

[Ksyrup]

I wish every place was 100% self-checkout. I can do it better, faster than any of them.

I don't mind the bags. We have a couple insulated bags in the cars for cold stuff during the summer.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Lathum

After the first few times you get into a routine and it’s totally fine.

I've had how many years of Aldi experience to attempt that?

They ever pull that shit here (whether "here" is Georgia or eventually Florida) and it's liable to be the hill I die on, well armed and firing randomly

[miami_fan]

How will that work with grocery deliveries? I have not had anything delivered to the house but when I picked up groceries using curbside service it was in bags.

[Kodos]

I find reusable bags are pretty convenient. Biggest problem is I sometimes forget to bring them with me into the store.

[GrantDawg]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

My verdict on the Papa John's bowl?

A bit skimpy but the flavors are good. Notably above average for the regular sausage specifically.

it's not a bad bargain really, not when you compare to their pizza pricing. ($8.75 was the UberEats price)

Paired with their version of cheese bread, I can make two meals outta this (definitely couldn't on the bowl alone though)

I wish it came with size options, it's a bit smallish for me (especially if I want to get two out of it). DEFINITELY recommend using all 7 of your toppings allowance, otherwise this would be pretty scant indeed.

That's a relief. After the threat in the initial post, I thought I was going to have to go into witness protection.

[Lathum]

Originally Posted by miami_fan

How will that work with grocery deliveries? I have not had anything delivered to the house but when I picked up groceries using curbside service it was in bags.

I think they use a cheap version of a reusable bag and charge you for them

[Lathum]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

I wish every place was 100% self-checkout. I can do it better, faster than any of them.

I don't mind the bags. We have a couple insulated bags in the cars for cold stuff during the summer.

This is me. The less human interaction the better. I do my big shopping trip on Mondays so I use a cashier but everything else it is self checkout.

[Edward64]

I am okay with self-checkout for a few items but prefer the cashier & bagger if there's a lot of stuff. Usually a better user experience than at the self-checkout with that one person looking to make sure you aren't stealing anything.

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by Lathum

This is me. The less human interaction the better. I do my big shopping trip on Mondays so I use a cashier but everything else it is self checkout.

I wish they had a couple of large areas for larger self-check because, yeah, I do a lot better job than they do, and faster, too. But you're a bit capped by how big the self check areas are - 3 bags or less at most places. And it amazes me how I can roll up with 25 items and have them bagged before someone with a tiny basket is done. Like this isn't rocket science - if you buy things more than a couple of times, you know where the barcode is. And then you put it in the bag that fits what you just scanned. The thing that actually slows me down is that I can't use two hands because then the weight thing thinks you're stealing stuff.

SI

[Kodos]

Originally Posted by miami_fan

How will that work with grocery deliveries? I have not had anything delivered to the house but when I picked up groceries using curbside service it was in bags.

It differs by service. My Dad used Peapod, and they delivered in plastic bags. My wife uses Instacart at times, and it delivers in paper bags. It probably comes down to the store that fulfills the order.

[Honolulu_Blue]

Today is my first day back in the office in almost three years.

Not a fan.

[PilotMan]

That's wild. I can't even imagine the shift you need to make.

[Honolulu_Blue]

It's quite an adjustment. Last time I was in the office, my daughter was 7 months old. She's now three-and-a-half, so things have changed a lot and my wife (who also works) and I have done a good judge of covering for one another.

It's only three days a week (hopefully it'll be reduced further at some point), but it's not ideal.

[MJ4H]

It's cool to come back here and see a thread I started almost 13 years ago still on the front page.

[cuervo72]

(hey MJ4H)

So, I'm torn on this. I ordered Chinese food the other day and for whatever reason with my order they gave me this large non-disposable bag. Probably for advertising purposes, but still seems a curious choice. I decided to try it out today on a quick trip to the store on the way back from the dentist.

It was...okay. Everything fit in one bag, took a little bit of time for the kid to pack everything appropriately, but it did the job for a "small cart" run. Everything was maybe a little heavy for one bag and the handle is maybe a little too long so you have to make sure you're not dragging the bag. I could probably get used to it.

For "big cart" runs though...meh. I don't know about handling a bunch of these. Now, this is for someone who doesn't like to make a lot of trips from the car into the house -- with plastic bags, I will line them all up and down my arms (distributing the weight), they don't hang down, and I can get everything in one go. I have my system. Also, I can't imagine the cashier having to try to balance 4-5 canvas bags.

Now, the plastic bags themselves. On one hand, they annoy me because they pile up like nobody's business, leading me to tie them up and throw the ball into the garage, where I forget about ever taking them back to recycle (collection no longer takes them, gotta run them to the store) until I have like ten balls of them. On the other hand, they're good for cleaning the cat box.

(Growing up we had that one weird supermarket -- called the "Mad Grocer" -- where you packed your own stuff. Didn't give you bags, which were all paper then anyway, they had piles of boxes at the front of the store. So you'd take your stuff home in a Dole bananas box, another from Kellogs, another from Charmin, etc. It was interesting.)

[Ksyrup]

I've been doing 2 days in, 3 days home for over 10 years at 2 different employers. It's the best of both worlds, IMO. There are definitely times when I wanted/needed to be face-to-face and it's generally good to have those personal interactions with co-workers/bosses periodically anyway, but it also helps save on gas, sleep and productivity to not have a 2-hour round trip commute every day.

[Honolulu_Blue]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

I've been doing 2 days in, 3 days home for over 10 years at 2 different employers. It's the best of both worlds, IMO. There are definitely times when I wanted/needed to be face-to-face and it's generally good to have those personal interactions with co-workers/bosses periodically anyway, but it also helps save on gas, sleep and productivity to not have a 2-hour round trip commute every day.

I would gladly do 2 days in-office and 3 days at home. Three days in the office feels like a bit too much. We've proven we can do the work exceptionally well not being here at all. Happy to do 2, even though I am largely just here doing the exact same Teams Meetings I was doing from the comfort of my basement at home.

[tarcone]

Im kind of a believer in there is more out there reacting to our actions and thus this is out trail. Kind of like that movie with matt damon.

Anyway, I got Statis Pro Baseball when I was 12. Created 8 regional all star teams and started a 162 game season. This game is still with me after 43 years and am on game 156. Thinking about this, I realized that I have been through a ton of shit in my life and should be dead. So I have decided to finish this league and see if it changes my fate. Was it keeping me alive or taking me down a dark trail.

Im kind of nervous.

[thesloppy]

I tend to nod along whenever anyone in my work/orbit insists that everyone is just as productive at home as they are in the office, but boy is that definitely not true for me.

[HerRealName]

Originally Posted by thesloppy

I tend to nod along whenever anyone in my work/orbit insists that everyone is just as productive at home as they are in the office, but boy is that definitely not true for me.

I'm a Data Analyst and I help out our Operations group for deeper studies when they need the help. According to the work measures and analysis that I've done, there are a few people that are less productive at home in my department. They are the exception though. 95+% of the workers are more productive and that's before accounting for decreased absenteeism and other less direct benefits.

I would never say the roughly 140 people measured is representative of the entire workforce in the US but for us there is a clear benefit. Of course, Management feels disconnected and is increasing required time in the office. Shockingly, absenteeism is suddenly a concern again.

[cuervo72]

"Disconnected." More like, "oh shit, these people can do pretty well w/o us."

[stevew]

I hate self checkout but I also hate small talk so it’s a toss up.

I just wish the platforms for self checkout were bigger. I do have Walmart+ so I guess I can scan as I put stuff in the cart, but of course I always forget my bags.

[Ksyrup]

Stores around here have added self checkouts with longer ramps for larger orders. Originally of course they just concentrated on 10 items or less-type orders.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by cuervo72

On the other hand, they're good for cleaning the cat box.

And numerous other disposal tasks.

Which is why I'm firmly convinced that the entire absurd push for eliminating them is the work of the trash bag manufacturers, they stand to be the big beneficiary.

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by MJ4H

It's cool to come back here and see a thread I started almost 13 years ago still on the front page.

Welcome back. WPS, not enough Hog fans here

[stevew]

Those aldis plastic bags are great for cat dumps

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by thesloppy

I tend to nod along whenever anyone in my work/orbit insists that everyone is just as productive at home as they are in the office, but boy is that definitely not true for me.

I get a lot more work done at home in my office than in the cubicle hell I used to have to work in

SI

[thesloppy]

Originally Posted by sterlingice

I get a lot more work done at home in my office than in the cubicle hell I used to have to work in

SI

Man, I'd kill someone for a cubicle. I'm at a startup that got bought like 4 years before I even showed up, but we're still stuck in 'open plan' chaos.

...but I don't have a dedicated office space at home either, which is probably the root of my issue.

[Ghost Econ]

Originally Posted by sterlingice

I get a lot more work done at home in my office than in the cubicle hell I used to have to work in

SI

Same, but I had an office at work. It's really the alternative between "I could wander the house and find a task to do for a few minutes" vs. "I could wander the office and chat for a few minutes." I hate random chit chat, but I'd rather do than than a chore for a few minutes, so I just keep working at home.

[Lathum]

Originally Posted by stevew

Those aldis plastic bags are great for cat dumps

This is the one thing I miss about them, and to JIMGs point we had to buy small garbage bags for the cat liter and dog poop.

[Lathum]

My wife has been exclusively work from home since we moved back to NJ in 2018. She says is far more productive than she was in an office.

[Qwikshot]

Originally Posted by Lathum

My wife has been exclusively work from home since we moved back to NJ in 2018. She says is far more productive than she was in an office.

My wife has been work from home for a number of years and gotten jackshit done. She blames ADHD while playing fortnite while paying "attention" to meetings.

I worked from home for 2 years and got so much shit done work-wise and home as well plus I wasn't spending cash on the car repair, food and gas.

I get one work from home day a week now, not as enjoyable but I did get a promotion that requires me more in the office, I'll be honest, I could do more stuff at home but I understand the expectation when I took the job to be in the office.

[Honolulu_Blue]

My productivity is about the same at home or in the office. The considerable upside to being at home is that when there is down time - which there almost always is - I can spend it doing whatever I want. I can fire up a game for a bit, watch a show, take the dog for a walk, do my laundry, tidy things up, have lunch with my wife, go see what my daughter is doing, etc.

If I have downtime in the office, I just putter around the internet or wander the building, which is now largely empty due to everything closing during the pandemic.

So, all y'all have to step it up and start entertaining me more. The return of MJ4H is a good start!

[Ghost Econ]

Took my dog for a walk and we went by the home of an ultra conservative Christian family. They have 5 kids between about 5 and 12. They are "homeschooled" or more accurately they don't go to school.

Today the kids were out climbing a tree at 10:30. Any time I let the dog out or go for a walk or run an errand, I can hear the kids yelling outside. Pretty much any time of day.

This is just my way of saying it's ridiculous we let people homeschool their kids in this country with no oversight.

[cuervo72]

And I'll bet that if college is even a thought there's a private Christian college that will be happy to accept them.

[Lathum]

Originally Posted by cuervo72

And I'll bet that if college is even a thought there's a private Christian college that will be happy to accept them.

Ammon Bundy University. I hear they have a top notch skeet shooting team.

[Lathum]

Interestingly enough this popped up on my facebook page

Nazi Homeschool Network Under Investigation by Ohio’s Department of Education

[NobodyHere]

Governor DeWine is probably just investigating how he can give them more money.

[Ghost Econ]

Originally Posted by cuervo72

And I'll bet that if college is even a thought there's a private Christian college that will be happy to accept them.

We actually live less than a mile from Bob Jones University (good ole BJu) which also has k-12. I assume they're the sort of Christians who don't think that backwards ass place is Christian enough for them.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Ghost Econ

This is just my way of saying it's ridiculous we let people homeschool their kids in this country with no oversight.

And they'll still be better off than those attending the average public school.

[Ksyrup]

Apparently Dr. Pepper dropped a new permanent flavor - Strawberries and Cream. Our Kroger has it, but of course only the non-zero version so I haven't tried it yet. But they do have Zero, it's just that I'm in Kentucky so 92% of the population prefers obesity.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Irritated a.f. earlier tonight as, while in the middle of a food delivery order, my bank card got cancelled due to a fraud alert query. I've had those any number of times in the past, the whole "did you authorize charge X for $Y" mostly yes but occasional no. But never before had a "nope" gotten my card cancelled in a matter of seconds without discussion.

What follows is my social media explanation of what I learned afterwards.

Let me just go ahead & add to the "well ... $%$#" of that card fraud alert from earlier.

I'm telling the story in more detail in hopes that it might help somebody else cover their own bases someday.

I said no, it wasn't authorized because a) I didn't recognize the vendor's name (which was truncated in the bank text & email, and b) I haven't authorized anybody to bill me through PayPal

Digging into it, the whole thing was tricky.

I saw the full vendor name in a subsequent email and while I didn't know them, it was "ancestry/genealogy related" enough that I would have probably assumed it was some auto-renewing thing that my wife had subscribed to and would have sorted it out later. Approve but cancel basically.

However ... talking to the bank customer service rep, I learn that there had actually been four separate attempts to put through a $200 charge in the past 24 hours. Twice yesterday, twice more today. Had I approved the one tonight, they would have gotten me for $800 ... and there is no product/service/subscription they offer that costs $200 even. Other amounts in the neighborhood, sorta, but nothing for that specific amount.
So it almost certainly WAS a straight up fraud attempt, except I wouldn't have known that (seeing nothing about the previous three attempts) had I not talked to a pretty thorough person with the bank.

If you happen to see something about MyHeritage (who the bank rep said was a name he sees all the time in the fraud department), be wary is my advice.