I hate Amtrak I hate Amtrak I hate Amtrak. I HATE AMTRAK

Take Greyhound next time.

I love Amtrak

I think that after about the third mannequin challenge I was completely over it and now it just pisses me off to the level of cursing at my computer when I see one start to play in my timeline.

For anyone interested in a Smart thermostat, ComEd has some pretty nice instant savings right now.

 

The Ecobee3 regular price is $250, and ComEd normally offers a $100 mail-in rebate. However, their current Black Friday deal has it for only $99.50 after an instant rebate, which is an amazing deal (Lowe's, Home Depot and Amazon currently have this on sale for $199, and while you can still apply the rebate, you must do it via mail-in rebate).

 

If you don't like/want the Ecobee3, ComEd also has instant rebates on other Smart Thermostats, including the current Nest for $150.

 

You can also get another $50 back from Nicor with a mail in rebate. I've been wanting an Ecobee3 for a while now, and was waiting to see what deals I could find around the holidays, but I don't think it will get any better than this.

 

EDIT...I do believe you need to be a ComEd customer in order to get these deals.

Edited November 18, 20169 yr by smalls2598

I'm trying to write a message for my son's HS yearbook page (where you pay a bunch of money so your kid can have a personal page of pictures in the yearbook). He's a senior, so while I'm sitting at the computer welling up with tears while trying to encapsulate what he means to us, I picture him flipping through the yearbook in the spring and barely paying attention to what I write. Gotta love parenthood.

Edited November 19, 20169 yr by Middle Buffalo

I started listening to a few different podcasts recently, and listened to the Joe Rogan experience yesterday, and his guests are Graham Hancock and Randall Carlson. Anyone interested in ancient civilizations, comet impacts, egypt, extinction events, you need to listen to this podcast. It is absolutely fascinating

Hey, I started a podcast thread a month or so ago for just this kind of post. Don't bury it in the "catch all."

Hey, I started a podcast thread a month or so ago for just this kind of post. Don't bury it in the "catch all."

 

Good call I will move it and the associated talk

I'm trying to write a message for my son's HS yearbook page (where you pay a bunch of money so your kid can have a personal page of pictures in the yearbook). He's a senior, so while I'm sitting at the computer welling up with tears while trying to encapsulate what he means to us, I picture him flipping through the yearbook in the spring and barely paying attention to what I write. Gotta love parenthood.

Maybe, but when you're dead, he'll appreciate it

Never realized how insanely expensive pinball machines are until I tried researching them last night. Scratching that idea off the list.

Never realized how insanely expensive pinball machines are until I tried researching them last night. Scratching that idea off the list.

 

Totally. I fell in love with the Addams family pinball when I was in college. I made the mistake of looking up to see how much one would cost. Uh, no thanks, I'd rather buy a car.

I was out walking our dogs (Boxers) with my wife this morning, and I fell into a little bad luck.

 

My one dog has cancer, so we're making sure he gets to do what he always loved as the end nears. He's weak, but we make sure we take him on a walk - his favorite activity.

 

My other dog was a rescue, and she has some aggressiveness issues. So, one of these geniuses who doesn't leash their dog let's their dog come up to ours. The dog I was walking gets into attack mode. This friendly lab doesn't get the message that my dog wants to kill him, so he keeps approaching. I'm pulling my dog and backing up. Right into a cactus.

 

I have a million little cactus needles in my legs. Gonna be a fun day.

Totally. I fell in love with the Addams family pinball when I was in college. I made the mistake of looking up to see how much one would cost. Uh, no thanks, I'd rather buy a car.

I used to have a neighbor who collected and restored pinball and video game machines. Was awesome going over there as a kid but I'm sure he was freaking out a bit with kids around that stuff.

 

He bought a few limited edition pinball machines (one was a monopoly one where they had 1 for each property/landing place) that were really cool and I'm sure ran him 5 figures easily (I think I remember him saying Park Place went easily in 6 figures). He also made decent money from the restores, though it took awhile to get them in tip top shape.

Really sad to see the stories coming out of Gatlinburg and the area with the wildfires. My family vacationed down there last year. While I wasn't a huge fan of the tourist strip, the area surrounding the town is just beautiful country. Amazing park lands, mountains and waterfalls are all over the place there.

Really sad to see the stories coming out of Gatlinburg and the area with the wildfires. My family vacationed down there last year. While I wasn't a huge fan of the tourist strip, the area surrounding the town is just beautiful country. Amazing park lands, mountains and waterfalls are all over the place there.

 

When I was in Idaho this year, I drove through many forests that had been victims to forest fires over the years. It's crazy to see the destruction, 10-15 years later, it's all just dead trees & plants.

Really sad to see the stories coming out of Gatlinburg and the area with the wildfires. My family vacationed down there last year. While I wasn't a huge fan of the tourist strip, the area surrounding the town is just beautiful country. Amazing park lands, mountains and waterfalls are all over the place there.

 

 

When I was in Idaho this year, I drove through many forests that had been victims to forest fires over the years. It's crazy to see the destruction, 10-15 years later, it's all just dead trees & plants.

 

These wildfires were hot enough that they melted car wheels.

 

 

I've enjoyed hiking through burn areas and seeing the regrowth, but that's always been way out in the middle of nowhere and not somewhere where there's been massive property damage and loss of life.

Good lord this would be terrifying.

 

 

Edited December 1, 20169 yr by JenksIsMyHero

corner bakery is the worst.

corner bakery is the worst.

Always has been.. Have you been to the newer Panera's yet? Theyve come a long way. Food is fresher and healthier and you can order quickly

Always has been.. Have you been to the newer Panera's yet? Theyve come a long way. Food is fresher and healthier and you can order quickly

 

Panera is one of my favorite places to eat. I usually get mocked when I say that.

Panera is one of my favorite places to eat. I usually get mocked when I say that.

Its come a hell of a long way lately on improving menu and customer experience. I can order with their mobile app and walk in and grab my food 10 min later. The ordering process is all automated if you want it to be. They have cleaned up their menu and made it fresher and healthier.

 

Its like they took alot of things that were wrong with it and completely changed it. I love it now.

Always has been.. Have you been to the newer Panera's yet? Theyve come a long way. Food is fresher and healthier and you can order quickly

 

The only panera is so far from my office, and I have a stupid corner bakery right on the corner that seduces me when I just want soup. And boy is their soup garbage.

Eh, I eat lunch places more than any other restaurant (because I'm lazy).

 

I have always really loved Freshii and people think it's gross, so I hear ya.

Eh, I eat lunch places more than any other restaurant (because I'm lazy).

 

I have always really loved Freshii and people think it's gross, so I hear ya.

I work from home so I use lunch as an excuse to get out. I like any place where i can eat a nice healthy lunch during the week with good service. I like Jason's, Panera, Jersey Mike's, Chipotle, Naf Naf and a few more at the moment.

Panera is one of my favorite places to eat. I usually get mocked when I say that.

I like Panera and Corner Bakery (their chopped salad is really good as is their breakfast, imo).

The only panera is so far from my office, and I have a stupid corner bakery right on the corner that seduces me when I just want soup. And boy is their soup garbage.

I do agree with you that their soup is not good. Panera's soup is good.