Octopus Overlords

COVID is messing up my power bill paying. Its a big bill this month due to heating and I wont have enough to cover it UNLESS my energy assistance voucher goes in OR I borrow yet again from my property tax savings...which Ive done before and not put back. I usually get my voucher before 2 months are up but I talked to the lady at the assistance place and they are already 2 weeks late. She said due to covid the State hasn't sent it back to them even yet. She also has no idea when they will. Could be a day could be a month or whenever.

The last time I used my tax money to pay the voucher went in 2 days later..doh. But this time I have no idea and neither does anyone else. I need that money that would go to the power bill...but I also need to keep power lol. The power place said its due Friday and to call back and check before I pay. Or I could let it slip and after its due they add $10 to the bill. But thats only good another 10 days at which point they would normally cut someone off but I have perfect payment history for 40+ years here and they would send a guy to put a warning on my door. But that in itself is $35.

Always money money money .World revolves on money. So now I decide to borrow and pay, or let it go late and hope for the voucher then probably pay anyways..and pay more because of it......or I get lucky and the voucher goes in ..sigh. I thought gambling was illegal here

If you pay and the voucher arrives, do you get your money back or maybe a credit for that amount on the next bill?

Nope. The voucher just sits there until next bill.

Vouchers like that are usually just applied as a credit to the account. You get a negative 'owed' balance that they take your bill out of until it goes positive again.

The smart move involves not paying extra at any point.

Probably so. Ill give it to Friday morn. If no go Ill have to borrow that extra $100 and then go out in the world to the bank and deposit it and pay it later that day. Ugh. Then according to my luck the voucher will be there Monday

It will all work out in a couple months IF that $1400 stimulus is a thing. Then I can put back all the money Ive been borrowing and have enough to repair the car finally. Guess getting a used riding mower is out for a few more years. My walk behind is about seen its last summer. Blade knocking against the deck worse each time.

Saw an old pic of a kid wearing a 00 grad tshirt from a local high school here. Thinking about it that was 21 years ago for that grad and the year of Y2K. That high school kid is 40 years old now!

I was today years old when learned Barred Owl is a thing and that thing is not Barn Owl and I have long referred to the former as the later.

Barred owls call with a series of classic hoots and whoo sounds, written as,"who-cooks-for-you? Who-cooks-for-you-all?" They often make a loud, drawn out hoo-waaah that slowly fades away, and it's common to hear two or more barred owls calling to each other.

Barn owls never hoot. Their harsh screeches and rasping calls are unlike any sound made by barred owls or any other owls.

barred owls are the raccoons of the raptor world. do not approach them...

I was finally able to grab a couple boxes of that Cheetos mac&cheese. I really wanted the jalapeno but all they had was normal and flamin hot. Got one of each. made the normal just now. I can say its different. Its also good but with some caveats. It has a strong flavor compared to other boxed brands. Its better than Kraft and Velveeta for sure. But to me it seems more pasta with some cheese flavor and not a true mac and cheese.

The powder pours from the packet like Cheetos powder would but it never thickens up. It stays thin and watery. It does coat the pasta in a bright orange Cheeto color not unlike a former President we all know. But it does remain watery.

Also the pasta they use is some long spiral type and not the normal shape. So it takes up more space in the box and once cooked is only about half as much as a box of other brands. But it tastes better than those boxes. Maybe because its a stronger flavor and a different one too.

It is not as good as the Kraft I had as a child but nothing is. I still think the best I had lately was one suggested to me here on OO and its a frozen microwave brand. I think it was Stouffers and I plan to try other brands as well.

Next time will be the flamin hot version of the cheetos ones.

Daehawk wrote: ↑Sat Feb 13, 2021 12:02 am I found the Cheetos brand mac&cheese. I got normal and hot. Shall see.

I have tried the Flamin' Hot and the Cheesy Jalapeño. I was not a fan of the Flamin' but the Cheesy Jalapeño is my cheap, quick, low calorie go to for lunch now. It's not really spicy, but it tastes alright and like I said, easy, quick and cheap.

Looking at the ingredient list I dont see why they would be hot at all.

I forgot I got a microwave version of Cracker Barrel mac&cheese. Will see how it is next week.

We got some of the Flamin' Hot Cheetos at CostCo. I'm regretting it. They don't list the specifics. Kind of like "special sauce". So don't expect to see what's in it. However, I can say that the Cheetos we got are unpleasantly hot. They leave me with that "burned throat" feeling. Hopefully mac and cheese would be mitigated somewhat.

TheMix wrote: ↑Thu Feb 18, 2021 8:30 pm We got some of the Flamin' Hot Cheetos at CostCo. I'm regretting it. They don't list the specifics. Kind of like "special sauce". So don't expect to see what's in it. However, I can say that the Cheetos we got are unpleasantly hot. They leave me with that "burned throat" feeling. Hopefully mac and cheese would be mitigated somewhat.

I saw this picture of a shark with a rope around it. Its had it so long it's dug way into it. Now I don't like sharks and wouldn't mind if somebody killed it but I don't like to see it suffer either.
I'm not sure what that says about me.

TheMix wrote: ↑Thu Feb 18, 2021 8:30 pm We got some of the Flamin' Hot Cheetos at CostCo. I'm regretting it. They don't list the specifics. Kind of like "special sauce". So don't expect to see what's in it. However, I can say that the Cheetos we got are unpleasantly hot. They leave me with that "burned throat" feeling. Hopefully mac and cheese would be mitigated somewhat.

I buy the big box of small bags of assorted FritoLay product when they go sale at Costco so I can have some chips but have a sort of enforced portion control and those big boxes often often come with five bags of flamin hot cheetos. I don't like 'em. The flavor is mild but the lasting heat is stupid. Cheese will temper it but if I'm eating cheese to temper my chips then I'm defeating the point of paying extra to get small bags of chips. There may be purchasing habit change in the future.

LordMortis wrote: ↑Fri Feb 19, 2021 8:25 amThere may be purchasing habit change in the future.

Handing the flaming hots out to beggars?

Winging them at the head of the receipt checker?

You can save the Flamin' Hot Cheetos for me. They are well below my heat tolerance and still tasty.

TheMix wrote: ↑Thu Feb 18, 2021 8:30 pmWe got some of the Flamin' Hot Cheetos at CostCo. I'm regretting it. I can say that the Cheetos we got are unpleasantly hot.

You bought something called "Flamin' Hot" and you're complaining that they are unpleasantly hot?

Also, is there any actual cheese in those? I would bet a lot that it's something like "cheese food product" or some similarly worded dodge.

Carpet_pissr wrote: ↑Fri Feb 19, 2021 12:49 pm

TheMix wrote: ↑Thu Feb 18, 2021 8:30 pmWe got some of the Flamin' Hot Cheetos at CostCo. I'm regretting it. I can say that the Cheetos we got are unpleasantly hot.

You bought something called "Flamin' Hot" and you're complaining that they are unpleasantly hot?

Also, is there any actual cheese in those? I would bet a lot that it's something like "cheese food product" or some similarly worded dodge.

Not sure if you've ever been to Colorado. Almost every salsa that I've purchased that has been labeled as "Medium" ends up either sweet or no heat at all. It's extremely rare for something here to actually have the heat level that is advertised. However, in this case, I actually wanted to get the cheese puffs, but gilraen didn't want them; so I grabbed the Cheetos instead - without actually reading the bag carefully. I saw the "lime" part and thought "mmm... tasty". So I'm just going to blame her for not wanting to get the first choice. Should I let you know how that works out for me?

According to the product page, it is made with cheddar cheese. However, it contains less cheddar cheese than it does artificial color.

TheMix wrote: ↑Fri Feb 19, 2021 12:57 pm

Carpet_pissr wrote: ↑Fri Feb 19, 2021 12:49 pm

TheMix wrote: ↑Thu Feb 18, 2021 8:30 pmWe got some of the Flamin' Hot Cheetos at CostCo. I'm regretting it. I can say that the Cheetos we got are unpleasantly hot.

You bought something called "Flamin' Hot" and you're complaining that they are unpleasantly hot?

Also, is there any actual cheese in those? I would bet a lot that it's something like "cheese food product" or some similarly worded dodge.

Not sure if you've ever been to Colorado. Almost every salsa that I've purchased that has been labeled as "Medium" ends up either sweet or no heat at all. It's extremely rare for something here to actually have the heat level that is advertised. However, in this case, I actually wanted to get the cheese puffs, but gilraen didn't want them; so I grabbed the Cheetos instead - without actually reading the bag carefully. I saw the "lime" part and thought "mmm... tasty". So I'm just going to blame her for not wanting to get the first choice. Should I let you know how that works out for me?

On the other hand, Colorado is where I got the hottest Thai food I have ever experienced. Remember I live in Texas. Zaxxon bore witness to the pain. He even warned me, but I am a spicy food eater from Texas, bring it on. I can still feel it.

TheMix wrote: ↑Fri Feb 19, 2021 12:57 pm

Carpet_pissr wrote: ↑Fri Feb 19, 2021 12:49 pm

TheMix wrote: ↑Thu Feb 18, 2021 8:30 pmWe got some of the Flamin' Hot Cheetos at CostCo. I'm regretting it. I can say that the Cheetos we got are unpleasantly hot.

You bought something called "Flamin' Hot" and you're complaining that they are unpleasantly hot?

Also, is there any actual cheese in those? I would bet a lot that it's something like "cheese food product" or some similarly worded dodge.

Not sure if you've ever been to Colorado. Almost every salsa that I've purchased that has been labeled as "Medium" ends up either sweet or no heat at all. It's extremely rare for something here to actually have the heat level that is advertised. However, in this case, I actually wanted to get the cheese puffs, but gilraen didn't want them; so I grabbed the Cheetos instead - without actually reading the bag carefully. I saw the "lime" part and thought "mmm... tasty". So I'm just going to blame her for not wanting to get the first choice. Should I let you know how that works out for me?

1. You and Gilraen are married? How did I not know this?! Cool!
2. Yes, I've been to Colorado - once, and it was lovely. Took the whole fam with me when I had a sales conference in Englewood a few years ago. I long to go back ASAP to explore more of it.
3. "Should I let you know how that works out for me?" Totally unnecessary. I've been married for (counts in head, poorly) 20 years now.

Oh, here's a fun fact - let's make it trivia - who knows what Cheeto's are made from (common parlance, not reading the ingredients list on the bag)? And yes, it's corn, but more specifically?

Huge hint: You can buy the exact same uncooked ingredient in any grocery store in the South (and spreading, if not already there).

Carpet_pissr wrote: ↑Fri Feb 19, 2021 1:10 pm Oh, here's a fun fact - let's make it trivia - who knows what Cheeto's are made from (common parlance, not reading the ingredients list on the bag)? And yes, it's corn, but more specifically?

Huge hint: You can buy the exact same uncooked ingredient in any grocery store in the South (and spreading, if not already there).

No clue. I try to avoid looking at ingredients for things like this.

Also, yes, we are married. I made the mistake of introducing her to OO. So now I have to be careful what I post.

coopasonic wrote: ↑Fri Feb 19, 2021 1:01 pm

TheMix wrote: ↑Fri Feb 19, 2021 12:57 pm

Carpet_pissr wrote: ↑Fri Feb 19, 2021 12:49 pm

TheMix wrote: ↑Thu Feb 18, 2021 8:30 pmWe got some of the Flamin' Hot Cheetos at CostCo. I'm regretting it. I can say that the Cheetos we got are unpleasantly hot.

You bought something called "Flamin' Hot" and you're complaining that they are unpleasantly hot?

Also, is there any actual cheese in those? I would bet a lot that it's something like "cheese food product" or some similarly worded dodge.

Not sure if you've ever been to Colorado. Almost every salsa that I've purchased that has been labeled as "Medium" ends up either sweet or no heat at all. It's extremely rare for something here to actually have the heat level that is advertised. However, in this case, I actually wanted to get the cheese puffs, but gilraen didn't want them; so I grabbed the Cheetos instead - without actually reading the bag carefully. I saw the "lime" part and thought "mmm... tasty". So I'm just going to blame her for not wanting to get the first choice. Should I let you know how that works out for me?

On the other hand, Colorado is where I got the hottest Thai food I have ever experienced. Remember I live in Texas. Zaxxon bore witness to the pain. He even warned me, but I am a spicy food eater from Texas, bring it on. I can still feel it.

I went to a "Mexican" restaurant shortly after I moved here. It was extremely unpleasant. I'm 95% sure that their "salsa" was ketchup with Tabasco sauce. And the beef enchilada tasted like someone read the basic ingredients to make it. Browned hamburger? Check. Tortilla? Check. Cheese? Check. (Proabably cheddar.). I don't think they used any seasonings at all.

Obviously not all the Mexican restaurants are like that. But more are in the "bad" category than the "good" category. I definitely miss Austin's Tex-Mex. Though not too long ago we got our very own Chuy's nearby. So at least I can get a taste that reminds me of Austin now. Though I do have to be careful there. I cannot handle the heat like I could when I lived in Austin.

Edited to fix restaurant name.

Carpet_pissr wrote: ↑Fri Feb 19, 2021 1:10 pm Oh, here's a fun fact - let's make it trivia - who knows what Cheeto's are made from (common parlance, not reading the ingredients list on the bag)? And yes, it's corn, but more specifically?

Huge hint: You can buy the exact same uncooked ingredient in any grocery store in the South (and spreading, if not already there).

If it's corn-related, I'm guessing hominy. (Although we've had that in this area for a long time. How else would I be able to make my vegetarian posole?)

Hominy? Hominy? Hominy! That's very sexy.

Just give me a ham hock and a grit of hominy...

Hominy is one of those foods Ive hated since I was a kid and still do. I grew up to love some foods I truly despised as a child but hominy is not one of them.

I don't really ever buy hominy, except for when I made white chili, but it's been several years since I've done that.

TheMix wrote: ↑Fri Feb 19, 2021 1:43 pm
I went to a "Mexican" restaurant shortly after I moved here. It was extremely unpleasant. I'm 95% sure that their "salsa" was ketchup with Tabasco sauce.

Man, targeted advertising can be super-creepy sometimes.

Last night, I started reading the original Legend of Drizzt trilogy again. I didn't do any Google searches for it, I didn't watch any YouTube videos about it, we didn't talk about it in the house (for the Echo to hear), and it wasn't on an e-reader. I just picked up the physical book off my nightstand and read it for an hour before bed.

This is the ad that started showing up multiple times on FB today.



Granted, it could be entirely coincidental based on other searches I've done for D&D, board games, and assorted high fantasy stuff, but to have that specific ad show up the day after I started reading that book is a bit...unsettling.

When they first announced the upcoming D&D movie, it was to be set in the Forgotten Realms, and there were some solid rumors that it would involve Salvatore's characters (including Drizzt.)

They just announced the casting of the second lead (alongside Chris Pine) a couple of days ago. It could just be pre-marketing.

Well this is going to be hard to explain at all. I have part of a song stuck in my head and finding it will be impossible. Its a nonsense song...no words you can understand as far as I remember.

Its like Huh uh uhuh uhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhhmhmhmhmhmhm and the tone flows downwards as its sung out. Its as if a caveman was singing it with a malformed tongue.

Alexa brought back ACDC's Anything Goes which is wrong of course and then figured I was senile and gave up.

Or maybe its humnanahumnanahumnanahumnanahum

It sounds like the guy from Digital Underground singing it..you know the guy who sang Humpty Dance.

Blackhawk wrote: ↑Fri Feb 19, 2021 2:59 pm When they first announced the upcoming D&D movie, it was to be set in the Forgotten Realms, and there were some solid rumors that it would involve Salvatore's characters (including Drizzt.)

They just announced the casting of the second lead (alongside Chris Pine) a couple of days ago. It could just be pre-marketing.

I had honestly not even heard this was happening. You'd think that would have hit my geek radar at some point.

Like me you probably totally block out any D&D movie stuff because of that God awful one from before.

Daehawk wrote: ↑Fri Feb 19, 2021 3:18 pm Like me you probably totally block out any D&D movie stuff because of that God awful one from before.

Three. There were three.

I found many. Which 3 are you referring to?