Donstar

I'm sorry about your loss. Age, or underlying health issues, do not minimize the impact from the passing of a person you love. The probability that death at this time may have been avoided by everyone following basic safety protocols exacerbates your pain. Take care.

Our closest friend is turning 89 and also loves life. We are extra diligent in keeping our distance from her and wearing ppe's when visiting or giving her a hand. Part of this diligence is avoiding contact with those less dependent on our companionship. We also have an older neighbor who lives on her own and thrives on company. She was one who said she'd rather take her chances than be lonely. Unfortunately she found that people quit coming to her home because of this attitude. Now that she is making the effort, she is getting the necessary companionship. FWIW My mother was wonderful at proclaiming her willingness to pass away rather than do or endure certain downsides of being very old. Years after she died, her journals(diaries) debunked this bravado. I don't allow my loved ones to have to choose my attention over risk of infection. There is a lot of optimism that a vaccine is here which should be incentive for all of us to be even more cautious. When a runner sees the finish line, s/he gives it their all.

I would go to the service department of my dealership and ask to speak with someone knowledgeable on the subject. If they can't confidently explain the operation of your two battery system, then phone GM customer support to find the answer and to report on your untrained local service technicians! In my situation, I'd simply need to phone my salesman and he'd find the answers. He may not be a mechanic but he knows how to keep a loyal client! I've owned this truck for 5 years and I still expect (and receive) this level of service.

I would suggest trying a competing dealership but you've already ordered from your current dealer. If you can do better privately, then sell it yourself. In my location I need to consider that we only pay tax on the difference between the trade and the new. This combined with the stresses of selling privately usually makes up for taking less from the dealer. I also negotiate the amount I have to pay to take home the new vehicle. "I don't care if you add more to my trade or take more off the new but..." I feel that if you haven't headed to the door at least once during the negotiation process, you're paying too much. ?

We've gone into some much more restrictive measures due to rapidly increasing Covid infection numbers. This is good news for those of us consistently practicing Covid19 protocols. The great thing about lower numbers is contact tracing can be accurate and there is little room for people to argue that safe practices are ineffective! Now, those that don't follow will have more incentive! So, in response to even more home time, my favorite friend of 40+ years and I got the Christmas decorations up from the crawl space and then put up the roof lights. (Our house is a single story on a flat property so no big deal.) We now will spend the next few days with yard decorations. We have no excuse but to make our home the brightest, happiest house ever! It is ironic that we will have no visitors but our house will look its most welcoming! We were the first on the block to have our roof lights turned on last night and you can be sure others will soon follow. I hope everyone will re-allocate their reduced social Christmas activities to other cheer promoting ventures! BTW. This is not meant to be smarmy but it helps us. When given the choice of who we most want at the Christmas table, our answer was each other. We both have our first choices staying for Christmas and we're going to make it the best ever. Don't make the mistake of moping about who is not in your household. Be thankful and focus on him/her/them!

"Dumb" is a word that will simply provoke conflict. I prefer to ponder what causes people to think differently than what I've concluded. I, for example, can't understand how freedom is used as an argument against safe practices but I wouldn't consider me or them "dumb"(used in the informal). The same applies to politics. I often wonder how people could possibly believe or like what their candidate is offering. The beauty is, they're wondering the same about me! More than ever, we need to develop our skills to properly inform ourselves. You can find ample information to support your beliefs but educate yourselves on why not everyone agrees with you. If your belief is the right one, then you need to convince your disbelievers through sound reasoning. Name calling or bully behavior aren't effective methods to disprove a belief held by another person.

My '00 Silverado was a new 2wd when I lived in a very hilly neighborhood. On wet days, I had to detour on my way to work because my truck couldn't make it up the steep hills out of my subdivision. I have lived in some pretty remote areas many miles from paved roads but no driving technique would get me up the main hill of this urban road. I had to leave earlier for work on wet days because the scenic route took considerably longer! I decided to try new tires on my new truck and the got my extra morning coffee back! I replaced new tires on my '09 and '15. I had no problem selling my "take offs".

Good luck! I've never had the motivation to order a new vehicle as I feel I can make a better deal with in-stock vehicles. I know that incentives apply to both ordered and stock vehicles but I always feel that dealers prefer to move inventory. I have filled in many "dream" build sheets online but I'm better at making the big choice rather than several little ones. I've also found that features I thought were important or things I thought were a waste, often change. My current truck has a "must have" sliding rear window which I rarely use. I based this decision on the many trucks I had without A/C. This truck came with parking sensors which I would have never ordered. (My DD has been a pickup since my first 1969 F100 and I certainly don't need help parking.) Now, I wouldn't buy a truck without! I also like the instant gratification of buying off the lot. If I ordered, I'd probably go nuts second guessing my choices while waiting! ? Enjoy your new truck!

Some good suggestions. I'll add tires to the list. The tendency for my past three pickups to spin the rear wheels was greatly reduced when the factory tires were replaced with Michelins.

I know their vacuums are outstanding. We've had one for 10+ years and it survived some major home renovations!

Yesterday I had a biopsy of an unwanted head decoration. It was relatively painless but my Doctor said I'd probably be cursing at him later. I thought very little of it for the rest of the day but this morning my demeanor has changed dramatically! ;-( I mention this event because of how this unfolded. A month ago, I requested an "in person" visit with my Doctor as I had a concern that went beyond a phone appointment. My concern was quickly dismissed when my Doctor looked at it and it actually disappeared the next day. However, while my Dr. was talking to me he noticed something that did cause him concern. I am not worried but I think it appropriate to remind ourselves to not let Covid19 be an excuse to avoid taking proper care of ourselves. I found a visit to the clinic to be less stressful than ever as Covid19 protocols made it an impenetrable fortress of germ defense! I'm actually striving for self improvement to the degree that I'll be better coming out of it than I was last January! There is very little you can't accomplish while adhering to Covid19 protocols. Most of us even have extra time to accomplish more!

Great link, thanks! The picture showing the progression of battery operated shovel to large two stage snow blower illustrates how my purchasing decision progressed. The cost of the shovel tempts me to purchase it in addition to my new snow thrower! It does pay to shop around. I was able to get $169 price match reduction from Home Depot on my recent purchase. It arrived yesterday afternoon and all I need now is fresh fuel and snow!

Use it or lose it. I've always liked the snow. I remember fondly living in a very northern community and driving my Ski-doo brand snow machine to work and my kids to school! Snow provides countless recreational activities to keep us in shape! However, watching people hurling shovelfuls of packed snow while cursing and clutching their backs makes me cringe. I am looking forward to wheeling my 56 lb. gas powered "shovel" over my and my neighbors driveways. The walking and fresh air are great for the mind and body. I do hope we have a snowy winter. I also love driving in snow and helping those who can't! However, this will be my fourth winter on my Michelin all seasons. With a 4X4, and fresh all seasons, I manage fine. However, my tires are showing wear and I'm considering a new set of Michelins or an auto-store brand set of dedicated winter tires. The fun is in the research/shopping! It looks like we'll be getting more time "on our own" before things get better so no excuse not to be well researched! Some locals decided they needed to "get away" and returned with the gift that we are all trying to avoid. ?

Climbing a ladder and snow clearing are also my two challenges and I am talking a much smaller scale than diyer2. The ladder is forbidden by the Mrs. as she once had to deal with me, along with paramedics, when I took the fast way on my descent. This also ties into why I don't shovel snow. Our last home had a very large driveway, patio, parking areas and several walkways. I had a large self propelled snowblower with power steering and reverse. It wasn't physically demanding if used properly. I sold it when we moved to this house because it was not practical to store or use with such a small property. Now, my wife does her best to keep our walkway clear, and neighbors are quick to give a hand with the driveway. A few days ago my wife asked if an electric shovel could be our answer. Great! Now I had a new research project and the possibility of a new tool to fill up my precious little man space! I immersed myself into the land of snow removal devices and last night I went to Home Depot to order a single stage, 18" gas snow thrower (Toro). It looks simple to use and require little physical effort. The novelty will keep us motivated for at least a couple of snowfalls. When we get bored, we have a 12yr old neighbor who loves controlling anything gas powered! Brain vs brawn! ?

I'm the same age and have lived in the same house for six years. This is the longest I've lived in the same house since I was a child! It is both a culmination and compromise of all we've learned to want in our home. It was purchased with the idea that it will be our forever home and can be tweaked to meet our changing needs. It is modern, open, easily maintained and no stairs. The biggest conflict is I have accumulated tools and equipment to repair and upgrade any structural, plumbing, electrical, or cosmetic requirements a house could possibly need. The tools I need for this house would fit in a kitchen junk drawer! I also now can devote all of my time to tool rich endeavors which is particularly frustrating. I believe the saying is, "I'm all dressed up with no place to go!"

I don't know the answer to your question but I will share how I dealt with the two phone dilemma. Family and friends were given my work number to use in emergencies and my work colleagues/bosses were given my personal cell number for emergencies. My business cards boldly listed my work cell and included my personal cell as "home". I tried carrying two cell phones for a short period of time but discovered that I could manage well with one at a time. I appreciate that you may face different circumstances but if at all possible, simplify!

This is the type of project that I truly miss! When I had no spare time, I had the land and resources to build decks, sheds and structures! Now I have the time but living in a pristine subdivision! My projects have dwarfed considerably! Your bird house is about as big as I can do, but I don't want to attract more birds for the neighbor's cat!

We were sent home from school on that very sad day in Nov. '63. We spent the day glued to the Motorola!

The television has taken up a lot of a lot of people's time over the past few days! It is still amazes me how we can readily see world events happening live. I am also amazed at how I'm still amazed! I clearly remember being glued to the television in the early 60's to keep informed on world events! If you were old enough to remember, you watched the Beatles' first appearance on the Ed Sullivan show. ? I have a decent memory and I'm sometimes asked by younger family members for information. With Veterans Day/ Remembrance Day around the corner, I was asked by an adult nephew for information regarding his grandfather's involvement in WWII. Yesterday the containers of old family photos came out of the garage. I laughed because I know these three large Rubbermaid containers could be replaced with one thumb drive. This has the potential to be a "Covid19 Spare time" project! However, there is something very special about leafing through an actual photo album. The pictures my father had from his time on the Atlantic are powerful images. One thing about those days is you put a lot of thought behind snapping a picture. You had to wait and then pay to see the results! BTW my niece has a app on her phone that she used to convert her photo albums to digital albums. She did this without removing the pictures from the page. Her images are as clear as when I scan individual pictures. I didn't pay much attention at the time, as I didn't have the time or interest or iPhone. Do any of you have a quick way to convert treasured photo albums to digital? (Android & Windows user)

I was fortunate to keep up to date with personal tech devices as part of professional development in my career. During my past 10 years of retirement, my growth in this area has been slow. Over the past 7 months, our TV's and phones have been upgraded and our laptops are up to date but due for replacement. I feel this is the right time to advance my expertise to a more current level. However, I know advancements/improvements/changes happen at a rate that will always keep me with more to learn. I run with a crowd who reminisce about their offices upgrading to electric typewriters so it is not uncommon for me to be asked for technical help. Some are more willing to listen than others. I recently purchased a $300 unlocked phone from Costco and it will meet all my needs and give me room for growth. My friend who needs help hooking up a TV set, just bought a $1500 cell phone. When asked why she needs such an expensive phone, "cuz it's better" was the response. My "why" and "how" follow-up questions simply triggered the original response. IMO, the most useful aspect of these personal devices is the ability to have immediate access to information. We no longer have to wait until our next visit to the library to better inform our own opinions!

I buy weekly lottery tickets and have for decades. I've had no big winners but enough little ones to keep me hooked! The pandemic closed my favored place to get my tickets checked. This didn't stop me from buying tickets as they are available where we shop for groceries. For a period of time, I let my unchecked tickets accumulate until I finally added an app to my phone designed to check our provincial lottery tickets. My favored store has opened back up again but I still let my tickets accumulate and will check them myself when I feel the urge. My mother justified her weekly ticket purchase by saying they are a cheap dream. She meant this in a most positive light and because of this, I like to always have a ticket in my wallet! Yesterday, on my Sunday truck shopping routine, I discovered my dealership took recent delivery on a 2021 1500 black High Country D-max and a 2021 3500 black High Country D-max. Both had tow mirrors and all of the popular options. Needless to say, it's time to check my tickets! My first thought this morning, is if I did win, which one would I choose?? I know chances are excellent that this dream will be dashed but I thought I'd share this simple strategy added to the hope side of my brain!

I'm happy for you that your vehicle was up to current safety standards! This impact on older trucks wouldn't have been so easy on you! Be thankful you are relatively fine and focus on the positive. Make sure you get fully examined by your physician. The sooner after the crash the better. I know from personal experience that this will be of interest to the insurance company responsible for the claim. Their motivation to close the books on this claim will be elevated!

Ouch! I would stop by a few body shops on my travels and get their cash price estimate. I've had success stressing that I'm in no rush and cash flow is poor. One shop had an employee that needs extra money and does small repairs during his lunch break and after hours. Another shop introduced me to a home based body repair shop run by an ex-employee. With some patience and persistence you will take most of the upset out of this and future whoopsies. ?

A couple of times in my life, I've entertained buying an older 1ton flat deck for my all purpose vehicle. I definitely see the appeal of a light duty flat deck but I wouldn't Frankenstein a new vehicle to achieve this goal. Sell your truck and with the proceeds buy a gently used professionally/purposefully built flatbed 3500. You'll be much happier with your towing experience! BTW Welcome to this forum!

At the end of the day yesterday my wife said, "This has been the best Halloween ever!" I don't know how widespread this sentiment is but we had a pretty spook-tackular evening. Our traditional trick-or-treat numbers are pretty low and we anticipated this would drop to zero last night because of Covid19 restrictions.. We decided to go to the Dollar Store and buy trinkets for a few goodie bags. My wife made them up c/w name tags and at suppertime we went out and delivered them to the front porch of our neighbors' children. We knocked on their door, kept our distance, and said trick or treat as the kids picked up their goodie bags. No muss, no fuss, done!