Fun stuff -- word related or not, ramblings, junk, whatever.

[2cute]

I haven't reached that age, but I have taught the offspring all the stuff I know, and when I teach it's on the practical side...they can change tyres, brake pads, fan belts, spark plugs and (sadly) know how to change a head gasket, they can revive a deceased lawn mower, they understand the mechanics of washing machines, basic plumbing, grow vegetables and fruit, can cook, do their tax returns (it's pretty easy here), and all the basic stuff.... they have put themselves on a roster, and fight over who gets to do it, helping out their grandparents who are 92 (Granny), 85 (Nanna) and 81 (Pa)....they have Nanna and Pa (my parents) on a group chat called "NaPa", and have shared all of their streaming accounts with them (I was very entertained to see that NaPa had changed Netflix so that they can watch "R" rated shows now. Contingency planning....I figure it's good for them to have a solid set of life skills, and they understand that they will be called upon in the future (I've been working on them noticing what needs to be done, before it's pointed out....stay tuned...)

If only these were the kinds of knowledge we learned in school. You know useful stuff. My father taught me a couple things but mostly I have to hire someone to do it for me. My mother taught me a few family recipes & that's about it, well, she also taught me not to trust anyone but I don't count that in this discussion. My grandmother didn't teach me much except how to hold in my emotions as not to bother other people with mine. She'd always say, you attract more bees w/honey than vinegar. Yep, that's very true. So I don't express my emotions to other people, that they taught me well. I never knew my grandfather (as he died when I was very young) & I barely knew my grandparents on my mother's side as I only met them once. So mostly what I've learned I taught myself, learned from books or the internet (that's not counting what I learned in school).

So, now is the season (at least in Wisconsin) and the furnaces are being turned on for the first time in maybe five months or so. MY furnace has a defective flame sensor. It's a good name for a thermocouple. Sometimes, it "knows" that there is a flame and turns the burner on full blast and we get heat. More often, it decides that there is no flame and it ought to strangle everything (and I use the poetic imagery because that's how it sounds). It's a safety feature and a good one, except that I can SEE there is a flame. I can watch it. And I can see when the flame sensor fails. So, here's the question: I know perfectly well now, having seen the repairman do the job before (except the last time he just cleaned the old flame sensor, not replaced it), that I could do the repair and do it correctly. But I'm not 50 years old any more, that being the oldest I think I could have been and done the repair. I couldn't bend myself that much, couldn't have sat down that far and gotten back up without help, just couldn't have done any of it. It's annoying, to use a mild word.

So I have two questions: For all of us there comes a time when we know what we can't do any more. We have to hire people to do it, or have relatives do it for us. First question: If you haven't reached that age yet, have you made plans for when you do? I know I didn't. I never thought I would not be able to do routine maintenance. Second question: If you've reached that age, what strategies have you used to cope?

I too am younger but I am disabled due to a car accident about 15 years ago so I can sit on the floor but I can't easily rise. I'm a saver, so I have $ in case of needs that arise, like hospital visits (had one recently) & for hiring others to do the work I no longer can or never could.

[bwt1213]

Let me (hopefully not the first) point out that you have done an excellent job. In fact, you have taught your children to do things I've never learned to do.

[floppers]

I haven't reached that age, but I have taught the offspring all the stuff I know, and when I teach it's on the practical side...they can change tyres, brake pads, fan belts, spark plugs and (sadly) know how to change a head gasket, they can revive a deceased lawn mower, they understand the mechanics of washing machines, basic plumbing, grow vegetables and fruit, can cook, do their tax returns (it's pretty easy here), and all the basic stuff.... they have put themselves on a roster, and fight over who gets to do it, helping out their grandparents who are 92 (Granny), 85 (Nanna) and 81 (Pa)....they have Nanna and Pa (my parents) on a group chat called "NaPa", and have shared all of their streaming accounts with them (I was very entertained to see that NaPa had changed Netflix so that they can watch "R" rated shows now. Contingency planning....I figure it's good for them to have a solid set of life skills, and they understand that they will be called upon in the future (I've been working on them noticing what needs to be done, before it's pointed out....stay tuned...)

[bwt1213]

So, now is the season (at least in Wisconsin) and the furnaces are being turned on for the first time in maybe five months or so. MY furnace has a defective flame sensor. It's a good name for a thermocouple. Sometimes, it "knows" that there is a flame and turns the burner on full blast and we get heat. More often, it decides that there is no flame and it ought to strangle everything (and I use the poetic imagery because that's how it sounds). It's a safety feature and a good one, except that I can SEE there is a flame. I can watch it. And I can see when the flame sensor fails. So, here's the question: I know perfectly well now, having seen the repairman do the job before (except the last time he just cleaned the old flame sensor, not replaced it), that I could do the repair and do it correctly. But I'm not 50 years old any more, that being the oldest I think I could have been and done the repair. I couldn't bend myself that much, couldn't have sat down that far and gotten back up without help, just couldn't have done any of it. It's annoying, to use a mild word.

So I have two questions: For all of us there comes a time when we know what we can't do any more. We have to hire people to do it, or have relatives do it for us. First question: If you haven't reached that age yet, have you made plans for when you do? I know I didn't. I never thought I would not be able to do routine maintenance. Second question: If you've reached that age, what strategies have you used to cope?

[bwt1213]

Superbuy shows up, then everything is on sale!

[2cute]

it's not quite right (adding a letter, rather than changing it), but I like the concept of "Irony Man", teaching everyone, including my offspring, what irony is.It wouldn't hurt them to know what ironing is either....

LOL ... good one!


Ooo, how about Fat Woman (instead of Cat Woman) ... she sucks all the fats out of foods, yet they retain all the yummy flavor.

[Naboka]

Since Wordtwist seems to offer different approaches to different people, thought sharing this variation might be interesting.

Try turning the word-score column a specific color. There are only 4. Green, yellow, orange and red.

Here are two examples of red, one successful, one a near miss.

Screen Shot 2022-09-29 at 10.08.06 AM.png Screen Shot 2022-09-29 at 10.12.39 AM.png

40 seconds is a comfortable time limit. (takes time to screen shot.)

Since there are only 13 available lines, if you get a wrong color you can try to march it down the column to make it disappear.

Green is pretty easy. Yellow and orange are the hardest.

Thinking of trying patterns: red/yellow/green for example. Though 13 is a prime number so you'd have to cut the column short. To 12 lines.

[floppers]

two letters, maybe? Sup'man? (goes around asking whats going on).

[dannyb]

How about dropping a letter? Dare Devil becomes Dare Evil. You dare the character to do something for you. The character does it, but it ends up like the wishes in "The Monkey's Paw".

[bwt1213]

The Flush: Repairs plumbing emergencies at a glance.
Fatman: Look at him and the pounds will pile on.

[floppers]

it's not quite right (adding a letter, rather than changing it), but I like the concept of "Irony Man", teaching everyone, including my offspring, what irony is. It wouldn't hurt them to know what ironing is either....

[bwt1213]

Saw something on Reddit that reminded me of the monthly contests that used to be held on The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. The challenge on Reddit was to ruin a superhero's (or superheroine's) name by changing one letter, then describe his/her superpower.
Examples: Superman/Superban -- guy instantly deodorizes places.

[2cute]

Ooo, I missed one & as you know I can't edit ... Harry Potter Order of the Phoenix.

[2cute]

Floppers, I never went to kindergarten. I went to first grade in three different schools in three different states (Arizona, Oregon, Michigan) starting when I was five, because I could read and read well. But I wish I had a teacher like you when I was little. I did have good teachers, at least until I reached third grade, and good ones after that. I think you would have been my favorite. But it would have been hard to beat out Miss Vivian in fifth grade. I thought she was ancient. Her fiancee went to France in the Great War and never came back, and so she never married. If she'd been born in 1900, she'd have been about 56 when I was in her class. I thought she was ancient. She was probably in her late fifties or early sixties at most. Ah, but what do kids know? Edna Steinbrecher was my 4th grade teacher. Her husband didn't come back from WW II. She was patient and understanding to a fault.

The point is, we remember our teachers. We still love them. And I want you to remember all those children who will love you forever.

This is very true. I remember Mrs Green when I was in 3rd grade. She was patient & didn't make fun of me like everyone else did because I was a slow reader (now its called learning disabled). I was upset because she enrolled me in the 'special reading class' & all my classmates punished me because of it. Yet I did begin reading faster & I began to enjoy it. I liked that 'I' got to choose the books I wanted to read, rather than adults choosing for me. I read 'Summer of Fear' my fav book & I reread it every year until they made that horrible film version of it. I also discovered Judy Blume and it was ok I read her books too. When I went on vacation, I'd meet new friends & we'd become 'pen pals' for a little while & my writing as well as my reading improved. I'm still pretty terrible speller (I always get the vowels mixed up), yet I love reading. I read daily & enjoy it. Sometimes its just an article in a magazine or newspaper, sometimes its entire novels or non-fiction biographies. This year alone I read 'Vanderbilt: The Rise & Fall of An American Dynasty' plus Harry Potter Prisoner of Azcaban, Goblet of Fire, Half Blood Prince & now I'm finishing the series with 'The Dealthly Hallows'. When I'm done, I have another book ready to go next. Mrs Green also did something very unusual, she got married in a synagogue & my family is Christian so I had never been in one. She invited all her classmates to her wedding & we went. After the wedding we still called her Mrs Green, I'll never forget her.

[bwt1213]

Floppers, I never went to kindergarten. I went to first grade in three different schools in three different states (Arizona, Oregon, Michigan) starting when I was five, because I could read and read well. But I wish I had a teacher like you when I was little. I did have good teachers, at least until I reached third grade, and good ones after that. I think you would have been my favorite. But it would have been hard to beat out Miss Vivian in fifth grade. I thought she was ancient. Her fiancee went to France in the Great War and never came back, and so she never married. If she'd been born in 1900, she'd have been about 56 when I was in her class. I thought she was ancient. She was probably in her late fifties or early sixties at most. Ah, but what do kids know? Edna Steinbrecher was my 4th grade teacher. Her husband didn't come back from WW II. She was patient and understanding to a fault.

The point is, we remember our teachers. We still love them. And I want you to remember all those children who will love you forever.