Watcha Doin' - 2017.1 edition Showing 351-400 of 5,020

[Sarah]

I had my first swimming lesson today. It went really well. By the end of it i was able to do breaststroke much better. Usually i cannot pit my head under and so i can't do it for long before having a neck and back ache. But i was able to put my head under and breath properly and it all feels much better. Still a long way to go but i did much better than i thought i woukd for just one session. I was determined. I'm going to go by myself on Monday to practice what i learnt. I won't have the noodle float then though. I'm so pleased i decided to do this. Looking forward to my next lesson.

[Kristie, Moderator]

That's great, Sarah! Glad you enjoyed it.

[Tasha]

That is great! I'm glad you enjoyed it!

[Peggy]

Sounds great Sarah!

[Lisa]

I'm so glad you enjoyed it, Sarah!

[Joan]

Janice wrote: "Sarah wrote: "I'm not sure PETA can step in like RSPCA could here for example. I might be wrong. I thought they were more of an investigatory and campaigning body. The thing with this kind of organ..."

OMG how awful.

I'm no fan of PETA, I've done and support research using animals but I have to add that PETA activism in the 1990's forced good changes in animal research. Their methods were extreme but nothing else seemed to work.
If you like having your brain shaken up try Animal Liberation by the ethicist Peter Singer

[Janice, Moderator]

Along the way, they forgot that "ethical" was part of their name.

[Joan]

File under "Was that a compliment?"
The checkout clerk at the grocery store, said "WOW I bet your cupboards are really organized!!", after looking at how I placed my many many items on the conveyor belt.
Doesn't everyone put the stuff on the counter in the order it needs to be bagged and stored? I mean it's not a sign that I am compulsive is it?

[Stephanie]

We do the same thing, Joan :)

[Tasha]

I think it's brilliant! I only lay them out as cold items together and the rest in the order of how I would prefer them bagged. I am going to try that Joan!

[Lisa]

Looks like it's my turn to get sick. I started to get a sore throat last night and it's just gotten worse and worse throughout the day today. I have also now got a headache, a cough, runny nose and just generally feel a bit shivery and achey. Hopefully it's just a cold that will pass fairly quickly.

[Peggy]

I hope you feel better soon Lisa!

I don't put them in any specific order on the conveyor belt, except very heavy things first and vulnerable things last (so that a 6-pack of soda bottles does not squash the blueberries).

I do organize them in the car: bags for things that go in the kitchen or fridge, and bags for things that stay in the garage (where we store unopened stuff) or need to go into the freezer.

[Tasha]

Oh no, Lisa!! I hope you feel better quickly.

[Sandra, Moderator]

Get better, Lisa!

[Sandra, Moderator]

Joan, not compulsive at all! I also organize things on the conveyor belt. Cold and frozen stuff, of course it goes together, and I don't want my gallon of Clorox with my cookies, for example. I also try, like Peggy, to do heavy stuff first. In the car I put the cold and frozen stuff closer, so we can put it away first.
I actually prefer using the self check out line, and this is one of the reasons.

[Joan]

Sarah wrote: "I had my first swimming lesson today. It went really well. By the end of it i was able to do breaststroke much better. Usually i cannot pit my head under and so i can't do it for long before having..."

Sarah - that is great! I hope you love it. I can swim but I have never worked out a good way to hold my head for the breast stroke.

[Travis]

I think we just throw everything on there. But since we use cloth bags we bag everything ourselves

[Travis]

But I have a fear of breaking the conveyor so I put heavy then light then medium weight then heavy etc. Try to disperse the weight so in that respect there is a method to my madness and it's not as random as it seems

[Travis]

Well the Mrs and I are going to go see AcDC tribute band back in black later tonight. They've been this way before and people tell me they sound d just like acdc so should be good time.

[Janice, Moderator]

I tend to put like things with like - vegetables, meats, frozen.

[Lisa]

Janice wrote: "I tend to put like things with like - vegetables, meats, frozen."

I do the same.

[Tejas Janet]

Tasha wrote: "I think it's brilliant! I only lay them out as cold items together and the rest in the order of how I would prefer them bagged. I am going to try that Joan!"

I do this, too, and yet it seems most grocery baggers don't see the logic in my organization. They want to bag all the canned goods together in one bag to make the very heaviest bag possible. And want to bag the raw meet with the fresh fruit.

Of course not so at our natural food stores, but we can't afford to shop there all the time. So at our regular grocer, I've become very active about how the groceries get packed. And try to explain why, if questioned. The baggers hate me because I prefer to bag my own groceries, which is Their job.

[Dawn]

Tejas Janet wrote: "They want to bag all the canned goods together in one bag to make the very heaviest bag possible...."

Yes, seriously, what is with this?? It makes no sense.

[Peggy]

Do all US supermarkets have people who bag it for you? It's unheard of here, I've never seen it.

On a different topic: I'm so impressed by all the Women's Marches worldwide. The turn-up was huge and I think that it was very peaceful everywhere. Makes me happy about the world :) Did anyone go?

[Rusalka, Moderator]

The marches are amazing. I forgot there was one here in the city yesterday and forgot to set my alarm :(

Here, the checkout chick (person) scans and puts things in bags for you. No separate bagger, and now you pay 10c for a plastic bag everyone brings their own canvas and other bags. But here they are trained into how to pack them, and put cold together, fresh food together, have a max weight in each bag, and ask if you want your cleaning products in a different bag to say your tins and oil. Except Aldi. Aldi they shoot all your things off the end and if you don't bag them quick enough it all goes on the floor.

Self-service checkouts are beginning to be a thing (so you bag yourself). And while great if you have worked as a checkout chick, or can do it quickly, the people who go up with a FULL TROLLEY and scan things SO SLOWLY, drive me crazy. I use them if I have a basket, otherwise I use the people. Mainly as it's keeping 16 years olds in work, and the price of their products are not going down even though 60% of the checkouts are now self-serve instead of people. Big corps are pocketing the savings, although convenient at times.

[Peggy]

We always have to bag our own stuff. Or throw it back in the cart and bag when you get to the car if you don't want to hold anyone up and bag your things properly.

We have self scan too at some supermarkets, but they have handheld scanners so you scan while you shop and at the end all you need to do is pay. I love it!

[Sarah]

I put heavy stuff on first and delicates last but that's about it. Most people on the checkouts will ask if we need help with our packing and they'll help if we say yes. I prefer to do it myself though especially as now we have to pay for plastic bags and we use our own bags, often rucksacks. I Rucksack that is packed wrong is very uncomfortable to carry especially if you have to walk a way along the towpath.

I am impressed with all the marches. I didn't even know they were planned! Bad woman! lol.

Feel better soon Lisa.

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Not a "nasty" woman, Sarah? ;)

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Sorry missed before, feel better Lisa! Hope you are hitting the hot toddies this weekend.

[Lisa]

Thanks, everyone! The tablets, hot toddies and asthma inhaler have been deployed. I hope they start to work soon.

[Tasha]

I hope it all works for you, Lisa!

I am one of many women in the US who didn't support the march. I'm not going into details nor do I want to debate it I just want to point out that not ALL women in America felt the need to march nor believed in what it represented. In fact, some women with certain beliefs (not mine) frankly were not allowed to march, not as inclusive as it appeared to be. And just so it's not a question of my strength and power as a woman, I am a very strong woman who does not take shit from anyone. ;)

In all honesty, let's call this march what it really was: an anti-trump rally, not a march for ALL women.

[KimeyDiann]

You can scan as you shop, Peggy? That is awesome!
The problem most people have at the self checkouts is they think they have to try to find the bar code before they put it up to the scanner. I worked at a gro store in high school and part of college and i promise you are wasting your time finding the bar code before trying to scan the item. All ya gotta do is put the item over the scanner and move it around until the scanner find the code for you. And it'll find it much faster than you will most likely.

I somewhat group my items when going to a checkout lane. Boxes together, cold stuff, cans, fragile items last.

[Kristie, Moderator]

I had many friends that attended the marches and I'm so proud of them. I did not attend, but sort of wish I had. I don't tend to like things with really big crowds. I loved seeing all the marches around the world and the show of unity was much appreciated. It really made my heart swell to see it.

Lisa - Hopes everything starts working for you soon and you feel better quickly.

All our supermarkets have people that bag for you. I think they all have self-checkout lanes as well, but those are set up for when you only have a few items. If you have too many items it gets very complicated as there is no shelf to put them. You just scan and put right into a bag. It seems that no matter how you put things on the belt the baggers put them in bags however they choose anyway. I've corrected them a few times - would you mind not putting my tomatoes in with the canned goods? I'm sure my face and tone give away just how I feel that combination when I say it, but seriously it's not that difficult to figure out some of those things. My husband loves it when he has an opportunity to bag some of our things. Also, we don't have to pay for plastic bags, but some stores will give you a 5 cent per bag discount if you bring your own reusable bags.

[KimeyDiann]

Hope you feel better quickly, Lisa!

I'm visiting my husband this weekend. He was supposed to have been off work yesterday but got called in and we knew he had to work today as well. So I'm hanging in the hotel with my two little dogs until he gets off work. I did a little shopping yesterday but i don't think I'm going anywhere until he gets back today, it's raining like crazy and this is a good time to catch up on some reading. We're going to the movies with some friends that work in this area too this afternoon. Then I'm working here tomorrow and possibly Tuesday before heading back home. The only problem is i left my laptop at my office! I'm thinking i can use one of the field guy's computer tomorrow to do what i need to do at that office. That's my hope anyway!

[Kristie, Moderator]

That's too bad your husband ended up having to work. I hope you end up being able to spend some time together while you're there. What movie are you planning to see? I recently saw Hidden Figures and thought it was really good.

I almost forgot to tell everyone - I got a new puppy yesterday. :) She was adopted then returned to the shelter, so we took her home. She's about 7 months old. Very sweet.

[Janice, Moderator]

The turnout for the women's march across the world was amazing. We have come a long way and fought hard for our rights. In some countries, women still have a long road ahead of them.

[Peggy]

Too bad he has to work KimeyDiann. But at least you have some evenings together!

Ahw, a puppy! What's her name?

[Lisa]

Kristie wrote: "I got a new puppy yesterday. :)

How exciting, Kristie! :) What breed is she?

[Sarah]

@Tasha - just curious but who wasn't allowed to March? who said they couldn't? and how was that enforced? I've not heard anything about this.

[Tasha]

Some pro-life groups and most likely any women who supported Trump.

[Kristie, Moderator]

Thanks! Puppy is a dachshund mix and we're calling her Maisie. :)

[Laura]

I'm so proud of women around the world who marched for reproductive freedom and against misogyny, not just in the White House, but everywhere. Marching for the environment, for LGBTQ rights, for immigrants, this was about way more than just women's rights. It was nice to be proud to be an American again for the first time since November 9.

I've been thanking marchers all over the world on Instagram. I'm so glad the world has our back! Thank you times a million!

https://www.womensmarch.com

I really dislike crowds but this movement has energized me. I may find myself marching this year.

I want to add that at last report there were no arrests. This was a peaceful protest, the way it should be, and I couldn't be more proud of my sisters.

[Laura]

Peggy wrote: "Do all US supermarkets have people who bag it for you? It's unheard of here, I've never seen it.

On a different topic: I'm so impressed by all the Women's Marches worldwide. The turn-up was huge a..."

Peggy, were there any sister marches near you?

[Joan]

Anyone could march but some groups felt unwelcome because their views differed from the views of others - for example advocates of traditional marriage or pro-life and those who feel laws that protect specific groups are counterproductive.
They weren't excluded by regulation but felt unwelcome.

[Peggy]

That's a great name Kristie!

Laura, there were marches in Amsterdam and The Hague, which are about 2 hours away from where I live. I think there were about 3000 people in Amsterdam, not sure about The Hague. I didn't go though.

Yes, I love that it was so peaceful despite it being such a diverse group of protestors demonstrating for all kinds of human rights. It's great to see people so united :) did you go to one of the marches?

[Peggy]

But wasn't the whole idea of the marches to demonstrate for reproductive rights and lgtb rights etc? Then it isn't so strange if people feel unwelcome when they want to demonstrate for something that's opposite from what the marches were about in the first place?

[Laura]

Peggy wrote: "That's a great name Kristie!

Laura, there were marches in Amsterdam and The Hague, which are about 2 hours away from where I live. I think there were about 3000 people in Amsterdam, not sure about..."

I'm a crowd-hater, Peggy, but I spread the word about the march as much as I could, and I'm considering marching at some point this year, in spite of my introvertedness.

This movement is energizing and certainly calling people to become more involved in the process, which is something that starts, for me, tomorrow.

[Laura]

Peggy wrote: "But wasn't the whole idea of the marches to demonstrate for reproductive rights and lgtb rights etc? Then it isn't so strange if people feel unwelcome when they want to demonstrate for something th..."

Exactly. I'd imagine this march will spark other marches. These demonstrations strengthen democracy, which is so important, and I hope we see lots more of them.

Whether I agree with future marchers or not, I hope we see a groundswell of them. It's a beautiful thing.

[Kristie, Moderator]

Thanks, Peggy. :)

I agree. Any group that is opposed to what they were marching for would feel unwelcome, as they would at any protest. The point is that all of these people came together with shared values of acceptance and love for other people. I thought it was great.

I'm glad the opposing groups weren't there. That's when tempers flair and violence occurs. As far as I know, it was very peaceful and supportive. I know in Boston, I think it was the chief of police, they put out a thank you to the protesters for their behavior.

Laura, I hope you get to a march for something you feel passionate about. I believe there will be more protests in the near future for various issues that arise.

[Laura]

I believe so too, Kristie. I actually called the White House yesterday because I was so angry about something that happened in their press briefing room. Their comment line was turned off but you can bet they'll be hearing from me and I'll be calling my senators tomorrow too.

I think that the more people who are involved in the democratic process, the better. It's important that we protect our freedoms. It's up to us to do that.

Do you think you might wind up marching at some point?