The Umbrella Rantolution

[Caryh 5,206]

Doesn't that seem silly considering the state is so big? Its like saying, right, I'm going to sail a 2,000 mile voyage. What should I use for a sail? A newspaper you say?! Good call.

I feel like it should be a truck because everyone else drives a truck and godforbid I get in a wreck, I want to have at very least some chances of surviving. Y'see, all the cars be tiny here in the UK.

Same goes on here in Minnesota. Just about everybody drives and SUV. I got one big honking gas guzzling SUV. But I only drive it to and from work now. Bought a Ford Focus for my wife to drive, her feet don't touch the floor in my SUV, and that car has become the primary drive around car now. I love the 40 MPG, but I sometime get nervous about being in such a tiny car with so many idiots driving SUV's around me.

*he, but at the weekends a convincing she**

**not entirely true

Sorry about that mam, I mean sir,

[shippingforecast 126]

Same goes on here in Minnesota. Just about everybody drives and SUV. I got one big honking gas guzzling SUV. But I only drive it to and from work now. Bought a Ford Focus for my wife to drive, her feet don't touch the floor in my SUV, and that car has become the primary drive around car now. I love the 40 MPG, but I sometime get nervous about being in such a tiny car with so many idiots driving SUV's around me.

Sorry about that mam, I mean sir,

Guess I'll speak to the dealer and find a happy compromise. I did see a decent SUV (a Chevy Equinox I think) that got good mileage but Mrs Shippingforecast immediately said nope. Don't know whether that's because of the mileage or the aesthetic of the car or whatever. She has a FJ Cruiser and is bullying me to get a Prius. Edited December 10, 2014 by shippingforecast

[NikLR 13,228]

Ugh not a prius. The car is horrible for the enviroment. Get a car with good mpg like a Honda, even a yaris, or mazda is good too. I watched a top gear episode with a prius vs an m3. The m3 got better gas mileage, just by being driven sensibly. If you want a true high mpg car go hard and get a Tesla.

Edited December 10, 2014 by NLR

[N-o-l-a 7,168]

I rented a Chevy Equinox and I really liked it.

I swear we are the only people with a compact car in Northern Minnesota. It is kind of scary driving on these roads with people going 60+ in their big trucks right at you.

Subaru is better in the snow and ice than the 4wd pick up truck though.

Have you tried Pilates?

Everything, I have tried. Pilates makes my body incredibly angry, notably my back.

Yoga works for stretching the muscles, but does nothing for the joints.

Anyways, I'm supposed to be on a prescription for the inflammation, but with the current state I'm in, that is a no go.

[Asia 2,498]

Good evening!

[Asia 2,498]

I don't mind the shots at all, or blood draws. But when I see it happen, something triggers inside me.

That's why I can't donate blood.

Have tried 2 times, but loosing so much blood makes me really weak and I faint lol.

I know it's my body's reaction and not my mind's, since I don't have any needle phobia

[Vanitas 310]

That's why I can't donate blood.

Have tried 2 times, but loosing so much blood makes me really weak and I faint lol.

I know it's my body's reaction and not my mind's, since I don't have any needle phobia

I can't donate blood because I'm a filthy Englishman born at the wrong time. Pity really because I've had to have so much blood drawn for tests/donations anyway that needles no longer are a cause of concern.

Anyway. Congressman's office called back today, Immigration staffer had been sick with one of the various colds that's been going around here in RI. Privacy release sent in.. we'll see where this case of mine is and what's going on yet.

[Caryh 5,206]

That's why I can't donate blood.

Have tried 2 times, but loosing so much blood makes me really weak and I faint lol.

I know it's my body's reaction and not my mind's, since I don't have any needle phobia

Oh man I don't even consider giving blood

When I was in college, I drove a taxi. The Taxi company had a contract for taxis to pick up blood at bloodmobiles and deliver it at their processing center. I used to have to go into the bloodmobiles, with all these people hooked up donating blood and try to avoid seeing the needles in the arms.

[N-o-l-a 7,168]

That's why I can't donate blood.

Have tried 2 times, but loosing so much blood makes me really weak and I faint lol.

I know it's my body's reaction and not my mind's, since I don't have any needle phobia

Some people are just not meant for it. I had donated a lot of blood because I am O-, but I had a bad reaction the last time I did it and almost passed out. I was not amused.

[Caryh 5,206]

I can't donate blood because I'm a filthy Englishman born at the wrong time. Pity really because I've had to have so much blood drawn for tests/donations anyway that needles no longer are a cause of concern.

Anyway. Congressman's office called back today, Immigration staffer had been sick with one of the various colds that's been going around here in RI. Privacy release sent in.. we'll see where this case of mine is and what's going on yet.

Oh great! so they haven't done their inquiry yet. Hopefully this will give that little push to get your file to the top of the stack.

[Asia 2,498]

I blame Steve

As usual

[Asia 2,498]

How dare you break up our thread!

Where's the link, I feel I've missed something important now.

I'm always missing something important

[Vanitas 310]

Oh great! so they haven't done their inquiry yet. Hopefully this will give that little push to get your file to the top of the stack.

As I understand it, the first time didn't need the release because it was more of a "Hey, what's going on with this?" call to the congressional liaison at Providence. Now they're going to go in-depth (which may also require contacting the NBC), they needed the release. Either way, we shall see. Wifey's new passport arrived yesterday so now we're all set to head to England in Feb.

[Asia 2,498]

Oh man I don't even consider giving blood

And I really want to do this, but I can't

Some people are just not meant for it. I had donated a lot of blood because I am O-, but I had a bad reaction the last time I did it and almost passed out. I was not amused.

I'm 0+, so I could donate, but my body can't to it.

[TBoneTX 45,571]

Was listening to an article on public radio about this type of thing. We all basically get it to some degree or another. They discussed how back surgery often can do little to alleviate situation, but still they push is as a solution. Pain management was what they were focusing on as the best solution. Pain management including exercise, heat, medications, acupuncture and also mental blocking of pain. If you think you're not in pain you won't be. Apparently there are mental tricks that can be learned that greatly reduces you noticing the pain, but focus on the pain and you'll feel it a lot more.

Si, man. Search "catastrophizing" and "fear avoidance" in the medical literature, and there's lots.

Why buy a new car when the old one is still capable of driving down the road? Make a list of the positives and negatives, decide based on that. But if you really think the car has been driven by a madman, is wear age might be much higher than its mileage age.

Si and sigh, man.