OT: General OT Thread [NO POLITICS, RACE OR RELIGION]

[RiotPunch]

Putting down our 13 year old lab tonight. Goddammit this sucks.

Best dog I've ever had.

Really, really sorry. We don't deserve them to begin with, but saying goodbye to such a beautiful friend is devastating. 13 is a great run, I hope my 8 year old makes it that far. Give the 3 year old closure, if you can. They understand-- better to grieve than feel abandoned. We're here for ya.

[ReasonablySober]

Condolences bb. Very sorry for your loss.

[Ryan5UW]

Putting down our 13 year old lab tonight. Goddammit this sucks.

Best dog I've ever had.

Damn, I’m so sorry, I know how much that hurts.

[buckboy]

We have a 3 year old lab too. She's going to be lost.

4000 good days and one very, very **** one.

Thanks for the kind words.

Every time I've cried in the last 20 years has been because a pet died. I'm sorry man.

Same. We've lost a lot of animals (my wife is a nut about animals, we've had a lot), but this one was the most special to me. He and I were the only 2 dudes in a house with 6 female humans. I know that sounds stupid, but we got each other. We always did.

But all 7 of us were there with him in our home, on his favorite bed. I can't express how great our in-home vet is. She made it so much easier for all of us. I don't know how anyone can be a vet, but she did an unbelievable job helping us through this, especially the two youngest ones who have never lived a day without their Omar (until today).

Thanks for listening guys, it really does matter.

RIP Omar.

[MikeIsGood]

We have a 3 year old lab too. She's going to be lost.

4000 good days and one very, very **** one.

Thanks for the kind words.

Every time I've cried in the last 20 years has been because a pet died. I'm sorry man.

Same. We've lost a lot of animals (my wife is a nut about animals, we've had a lot), but this one was the most special to me. He and I were the only 2 dudes in a house with 6 female humans. I know that sounds stupid, but we got each other. We always did.

But all 7 of us were there with him in our home, on his favorite bed. I can't express how great our in-home vet is. She made it so much easier for all of us. I don't know how anyone can be a vet, but she did an unbelievable job helping us through this, especially the two youngest ones who have never lived a day without their Omar (until today).

Thanks for listening guys, it really does matter.

RIP Omar.

This is what we did each time we had to put our last two cats down and it was such a mental relief. I couldn't wrap my head around doing it at a vet office again. Glad you could do it with you good boy.

I have no idea how vets can do it either. Granted the one who did ours is a friend of ours, too, but she cried along with us.

[wallus]

I have two pets that are getting up there in age and they are the best boys ever. I have thought about them passing and it makes me sad to think even though they are healthy.

I am sorry to hear the loss of your dog.

[ReasonablySober]

Update after a couple days with the Hero bread.

Toast with peanut butter: solid. Would be more tasty with the usual kind of PB I like but I'm using a new kind that just has roasted peanuts and salt. No sugar.

Grilled cheese: not good. TBH this was what I was missing most. A grilled cheese made with American. The first thing I ever learned how to make, still one of my favorites, and it just wasn't good.

But that made tonight's meal all the more surprising. I put a hamburger in between the bread and some American cheese and it was delicious. Tasty as hell. Cheeseburgers will definitely be an option going forward.

[ReginaldDwight]

Anyone here rent cars traveling, I almost never do, but will need to next weekend. Companies you like?

I always rent through Costco Travel. I've used them for about the last 10 years and they are always the cheapest for me. You do have to have a Costco membership but you can check prices without one. The prices you see are all-in, all taxes and fees are included. It also includes an extra driver at no extra cost, which we like because my GF and I will often both drive if we have a lot of miles.

You do not have to pay up front and can cancel at any time. Or rebook if the price goes down. They offer Budget, Alamo, Avis and Enterprise. Budget is usually the cheapest but not always.

And before you book join the loyalty club of whichever company you are choosing. Free and nice perks. With Budget if you are in their Fastbreak club you can skip the counter and go straight to the cars. That can save a lot of time.

That all said be sure to check other sites too as well as the rental companies themselves. Usually the initial rates you see are before taxes and fees so make sure you get the total. And often the cheapest deals require advance payment. And various cancellation policies.

Our rentals are usually a week to 10 days. If you're only doing a day or two the price differences could be small.

Prices went up a lot post Covid. '21, '22 and '23 we paid almost double. For a rental we're doing in February the price is down about 25% from the past 3 years but still higher than pre Covid.

1. Make sure you credit card information is current. Had a few times where I had an expired card and had to wait in line like the plebs
2. Status match. Find a way to get top status at a car rental (promotion, credit card, etc) and then status match to all others. I had reserved a small SUV over Xmas at SIXT and got a 15% discount for being a platinum member. There were no SUVs and you could tell they were told not to release 3rd row SUVs. Guy on the phone with his supervisor kept saying i was a platinum member and they eventually released it no charge.......That was the second time I have ever rented from them.
3. Chase Sapphire, Ritz, Venture X etc have primary insurance. I think some of the Amex cards you can buy it for like $15.

Ill be waiting with the plebs as you can't use the skip the counter benefit your first time renting with Budget. Of course I already paid when that information was relayed to me.

[MartyConlonOnTheRun]

I always rent through Costco Travel. I've used them for about the last 10 years and they are always the cheapest for me. You do have to have a Costco membership but you can check prices without one. The prices you see are all-in, all taxes and fees are included. It also includes an extra driver at no extra cost, which we like because my GF and I will often both drive if we have a lot of miles.

You do not have to pay up front and can cancel at any time. Or rebook if the price goes down. They offer Budget, Alamo, Avis and Enterprise. Budget is usually the cheapest but not always.

And before you book join the loyalty club of whichever company you are choosing. Free and nice perks. With Budget if you are in their Fastbreak club you can skip the counter and go straight to the cars. That can save a lot of time.

That all said be sure to check other sites too as well as the rental companies themselves. Usually the initial rates you see are before taxes and fees so make sure you get the total. And often the cheapest deals require advance payment. And various cancellation policies.

Our rentals are usually a week to 10 days. If you're only doing a day or two the price differences could be small.

Prices went up a lot post Covid. '21, '22 and '23 we paid almost double. For a rental we're doing in February the price is down about 25% from the past 3 years but still higher than pre Covid.

1. Make sure you credit card information is current. Had a few times where I had an expired card and had to wait in line like the plebs
2. Status match. Find a way to get top status at a car rental (promotion, credit card, etc) and then status match to all others. I had reserved a small SUV over Xmas at SIXT and got a 15% discount for being a platinum member. There were no SUVs and you could tell they were told not to release 3rd row SUVs. Guy on the phone with his supervisor kept saying i was a platinum member and they eventually released it no charge.......That was the second time I have ever rented from them.
3. Chase Sapphire, Ritz, Venture X etc have primary insurance. I think some of the Amex cards you can buy it for like $15.

Ill be waiting with the plebs as you can't use the skip the counter benefit your first time renting with Budget. Of course I already paid when that information was relayed to me.

Interesting. Did you previously upload your driver's license and credit card?

[ReginaldDwight]

1. Make sure you credit card information is current. Had a few times where I had an expired card and had to wait in line like the plebs
2. Status match. Find a way to get top status at a car rental (promotion, credit card, etc) and then status match to all others. I had reserved a small SUV over Xmas at SIXT and got a 15% discount for being a platinum member. There were no SUVs and you could tell they were told not to release 3rd row SUVs. Guy on the phone with his supervisor kept saying i was a platinum member and they eventually released it no charge.......That was the second time I have ever rented from them.
3. Chase Sapphire, Ritz, Venture X etc have primary insurance. I think some of the Amex cards you can buy it for like $15.

Ill be waiting with the plebs as you can't use the skip the counter benefit your first time renting with Budget. Of course I already paid when that information was relayed to me.

Interesting. Did you previously upload your driver's license and credit card?

You bet, ill be calling tomorrow the online chat portal is of no help.

[MickeyDavis]

Ill be waiting with the plebs as you can't use the skip the counter benefit your first time renting with Budget. Of course I already paid when that information was relayed to me.

Interesting. Did you previously upload your driver's license and credit card?

You bet, ill be calling tomorrow the online chat portal is of no help.

You already paid? For your rental? Fastbreak doesn't cost anything. And I used it from the start. That was a few years ago though, that policy may changed.

[ReginaldDwight]

Interesting. Did you previously upload your driver's license and credit card?

You bet, ill be calling tomorrow the online chat portal is of no help.

You already paid? For your rental? Fastbreak doesn't cost anything. And I used it from the start. That was a few years ago though, that policy may changed.

Yeah just for the rental Budget was the cheapest by far so it is what it is. 30 bucks a day is nothing im gonna lose sleep over. This does remind me why I prefer traveling places that renting a car isnt needed.

[MoreTrife]

Question: What kind of provider should I see - orthopedic Dr, physical therapist, chiropractor, other?

Issue: I'm 44 years old. 8 or so months ago I overextended my lumbar twice over the course of a few weeks doing stupid things - lifting heavier weight than I should on lumar intensive lifts and doing handstand pushups when I probably don't have the needed strength. Since then, I've had lingering lumbar soreness. I've tried diligent daily exercises like planks, bird-dogs, other random **** but the soreness is lingering. It doesn't stop me from my physical activities as I can warm it up (though playing basketball my lumbar gets fatigued and sore by the end) but it is a nuisance daily with standing for more than a few minutes, getting up and down from sitting and bending over.

Any advice on best provider to see appreciated.

[ReasonablySober]

Question: What kind of provider should I see - orthopedic Dr, physical therapist, chiropractor, other?

Issue: I'm 44 years old. 8 or so months ago I overextended my lumbar twice over the course of a few weeks doing stupid things - lifting heavier weight than I should on lumar intensive lifts and doing handstand pushups when I probably don't have the needed strength. Since then, I've had lingering lumbar soreness. I've tried diligent daily exercises like planks, bird-dogs, other random **** but the soreness is lingering. It doesn't stop me from my physical activities as I can warm it up (though playing basketball my lumbar gets fatigued and sore by the end) but it is a nuisance daily with standing for more than a few minutes, getting up and down from sitting and bending over.

Any advice on best provider to see appreciated.

A good massage therapist is my first go-to. My girl has succeeded where other options (PT, Chiro) have come up short.

[MikeIsGood]

Question: What kind of provider should I see - orthopedic Dr, physical therapist, chiropractor, other?

Issue: I'm 44 years old. 8 or so months ago I overextended my lumbar twice over the course of a few weeks doing stupid things - lifting heavier weight than I should on lumar intensive lifts and doing handstand pushups when I probably don't have the needed strength. Since then, I've had lingering lumbar soreness. I've tried diligent daily exercises like planks, bird-dogs, other random **** but the soreness is lingering. It doesn't stop me from my physical activities as I can warm it up (though playing basketball my lumbar gets fatigued and sore by the end) but it is a nuisance daily with standing for more than a few minutes, getting up and down from sitting and bending over.

Any advice on best provider to see appreciated.

I throw out my back about once every year or two. When I do, I basically can't move for two weeks.

My half-a-cent from these options: start with PT if you can. I think it's likely your back needs rest, some targeted stretches and strength training, and PT strikes me as the best to provide that direction and support. This doesn't strike me as need to escalate right to ortho, but I also don't want to be the one telling you that and then you find out you've really **** something up...so I'm not

My actual two cents: Call your insurance's nurses line. In my experience, they're legitimately helpful and it isn't just a funnel into your GP. But, also, GP might not be the worst place to start.

You couldn't pay me to go to a chiro but I know that's a very polarizing topic, one I think has been discussed here before.

[MoreTrife]

Question: What kind of provider should I see - orthopedic Dr, physical therapist, chiropractor, other?

Issue: I'm 44 years old. 8 or so months ago I overextended my lumbar twice over the course of a few weeks doing stupid things - lifting heavier weight than I should on lumar intensive lifts and doing handstand pushups when I probably don't have the needed strength. Since then, I've had lingering lumbar soreness. I've tried diligent daily exercises like planks, bird-dogs, other random **** but the soreness is lingering. It doesn't stop me from my physical activities as I can warm it up (though playing basketball my lumbar gets fatigued and sore by the end) but it is a nuisance daily with standing for more than a few minutes, getting up and down from sitting and bending over.

Any advice on best provider to see appreciated.

I throw out my back about once every year or two. When I do, I basically can't move for two weeks.

My half-a-cent from these options: start with PT if you can. I think it's likely your back needs rest, some targeted stretches and strength training, and PT strikes me as the best to provide that direction and support. This doesn't strike me as need to escalate right to ortho, but I also don't want to be the one telling you that and then you find out you've really **** something up...so I'm not

My actual two cents: Call your insurance's nurses line. In my experience, they're legitimately helpful and it isn't just a funnel into your GP. But, also, GP might not be the worst place to start.

You couldn't pay me to go to a chiro but I know that's a very polarizing topic, one I think has been discussed here before.

Thanks for the tips, my insurance does have a nurse line so I will try that first.

(TOTALLY agree on chiro, I threw that on there to cover bases)

[MickeyDavis]

I've had good and (mostly) bad experiences with chiropractors but it's certainly worth a try. Physical therapists also vary. I had an ineffective one but found a really good one. If you go the PT route I would recommend getting an MRI to find out exactly what's wrong with your back. Then the PT will know exactly what he's dealing with.

[chonestown]

Directed to the homey More Trife:
I had a herniated disc combined with severe sciatica over the course of 5 months. Original episode resulted from bad deadlifting form.

My PA was ultimately the most helpful and recommended walking along with a flexibility program. I already had been doing regular yoga, but I upped my frequency and slotted it into my pre-and-post-work routine. The good news is you've been able to maintain activity. I simply haven't deadlifted since the last of my episodes. There's exercises/movements you may want to do and you have to ask yourself if it's worthwhile to keep doing them. There might not be one-to-one substitutions, but there are things you can do that will approach the benefits from riskier maneuvers.

Chiro was of marginal use to me. Rank speculation from me, but I think chiro is more useful for fine tuning as opposed to addressing major problems. Some people swear by it, but my PT (separate from my PA) said I should discontinue it. Haven't been back, haven't need to go back.

Listen to your body. I used to stress over missing workouts, but I'm at the point now where I take a day/week off if something doesn't feel right. Fighting through sluggishness and malaise is recommended, but going through pain and injury is not. Ultimately, fitness is supposed to make you feel better. Keep that in mind.

I'm able to walk to work. It's a brisk 30 minute walk. Among my footing in and back, I take a lunch walk of about the same duration. It knocks out my cardio for the day and keeps me off the roadways and, frankly, centered.

I also met with the head of the UW spinal surgery department. Ridiculously well-regarded, but surgeons want to do surgery. One of his colleagues tested my strength by having me attempt a fking pistol squat roughly 6 weeks after my last episode. A pistol squat! Was trying to push me to surgery, but at that point I had recovered to the point that I didn't want to do surgery unless I had another flare-up since it would have rendered my previous recovery useless.

[ReasonablySober]

Just saw this posted from the bar next door.



Gonna have to try this one out tonight.

[jschligs]

Anyone have a air fryer chicken wing recipe? Gonna give wings a shot tonight.