frustratedearthmother
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Thanks for letting us know STA!
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Senile Texas Aggie - comic relief for the rest of you
- Thread starter Senile_Texas_Aggie
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Bruce
Herd Master
Thanks STA, let her know that we are all passing on 
to her.
to her.- Thread starter
- #1,063
Senile_Texas_Aggie
Herd Master
Not much happening here at the moment. I did the federal and state taxes Thursday and Friday. I'm bummed out about our federal taxes. 2018 was the first calendar year we were both completely retired. When I withdrew a substantial amount from my rollover IRA, I told the broker to withhold so much for federal taxes. (I withdrew it before we moved to Arkansas so that hopefully I would not have to pay Arkansas state income tax on it -- fortunately I didn't.) But the amount I withheld for federal taxes turned out not to be enough. I thought the income tax rate was lower than it turned out to be. Now we are having to pay in over $3,000 in additional taxes. Ouch! I'll know better this year to hold out more for taxes when I make another withdrawal some time later.
Last night we finished reading our first fictional book in a while. The name of it is The Rosie Result, by Graeme Simpsion. It is the third book of a trilogy and we had already read the other two. The books are about a man, Don Tillman, who has Asperger Syndrome (now considered part of the autism spectrum), and his girlfriend (later wife), Rosie, who is normal. My wife and I both have loved reading the books, as it is so much like what our marriage is like. (I have Asperger Syndrome as well -- self diagnosed -- while my wife is normal.) Don sounds so much like I do whenever he talks and thinks, while Rosie sounds so much like my Beautiful Gal. We both laugh often because of the striking similarities of the characters to us. It is so enjoyable that two characters, although fictional, sound so much like us.
The latest rain is finishing and it is expected to turn quite a bit colder, so we will be hunkering down for a while longer.
Hope everyone has a good day.
Senile Texas Aggie
Last night we finished reading our first fictional book in a while. The name of it is The Rosie Result, by Graeme Simpsion. It is the third book of a trilogy and we had already read the other two. The books are about a man, Don Tillman, who has Asperger Syndrome (now considered part of the autism spectrum), and his girlfriend (later wife), Rosie, who is normal. My wife and I both have loved reading the books, as it is so much like what our marriage is like. (I have Asperger Syndrome as well -- self diagnosed -- while my wife is normal.) Don sounds so much like I do whenever he talks and thinks, while Rosie sounds so much like my Beautiful Gal. We both laugh often because of the striking similarities of the characters to us. It is so enjoyable that two characters, although fictional, sound so much like us.
The latest rain is finishing and it is expected to turn quite a bit colder, so we will be hunkering down for a while longer.
Hope everyone has a good day.
Senile Texas Aggie
Bruce
Herd Master
Interesting to find a book that mirrors you two. How "Asperger's" are you? I have a friend who told me he found it painful, PHYSICALLY painful, to look people in the eye. He can come out a bit with people he knows well but otherwise is very quiet and not socially interactive. People assume he isn't real bright because he doesn't talk much and won't look at them when he is having a conversation. But put him on a keyboard and it is quite clear he is highly intelligent in emails. HIs current job is data analysis sorts of stuff, things where he doesn't have to interact with people much, and he is good at it.
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- #1,065
Senile_Texas_Aggie
Herd Master
As for how Apsie I am, I took the Aspie quiz online about 4 years ago and scored 144 out of 200 (the threshold score is 70, I think). My wife has always suspected there was something different about me, but when I first heard about Asperger's about 15 years ago and looked at the formal diagnostic criteria in the DSM-IV and later the DSM-V, it did not seem to fit me very well so I dismissed the idea. Then four years ago we read a non-fiction book about a married couple whose husband had Asperger's and whose wife was normal (Asperger's in Love I think was the name), and we were amazed at how it seemed to describe us. We probably laughed or cried on every page of that book. Since that time we have read numerous books on Asperger's and autism, to learn more about me -- and us.
I don't have any problem looking people in the eye, nor do I have a problem with physical contact, such as hugging. Certain kinds of fabric irritate me, and I am especially sensitive to noise. (I wore hearing protectors at work because I was unable to concentrate with people talking. I worked in a top secret facility where we weren't allowed to bring in our own music and wear noise cancelling headphones.) I absolutely HATED the leaf blowers in our neighborhood where we lived in McKinney. I had to go indoors whenever they were running, which was just about every day in the spring, summer, and fall. That is why I so much love our place in Arkansas -- so quiet and peaceful.
I am quite introverted and am not good at small talk. I have a hard time thinking of a topic that I think would interest other people. I become quiet in groups of more than 3 or so but am good at one-on-one conversations on topics that are interesting to me. If I ever meet up with some BYHers, I hope they won't think I am stuck up or aloof, should I not talk much -- it's just the Apserger's or introversion taking over. I read the book Quiet by Susan Cain -- she has a TED talk about introverts -- and I felt she was writing about me. I majored in computer science in college and spent almost my entire career in software engineering. I enjoyed working with computers -- I could understand computers a helluva lot better than people.
I never got accustomed to rush hour traffic. While I would no longer be surprised when I would have to panic stop from going 70 MPH, or having to crawl along in stop-and-go traffic, I never got acclimated. On the times I had to drive to work in rush hour traffic, by the time I got to work I felt like fighting someone, all from sheer stress. Fortunately I worked at a job where I could usually go in VERY early, 4 AM, when there was hardly any traffic, so I could avoid most of that. Now that I am retired and live in the country near a small town, that source of stress has gone away.
I guess this is more than you asked for, but I thought I would mention it, especially should I be able to meet you as well as @CntryBoy777 and Miss Joyce, and anyone else who helps to move their stuff to Florida.
Senile Texas Aggie
I don't have any problem looking people in the eye, nor do I have a problem with physical contact, such as hugging. Certain kinds of fabric irritate me, and I am especially sensitive to noise. (I wore hearing protectors at work because I was unable to concentrate with people talking. I worked in a top secret facility where we weren't allowed to bring in our own music and wear noise cancelling headphones.) I absolutely HATED the leaf blowers in our neighborhood where we lived in McKinney. I had to go indoors whenever they were running, which was just about every day in the spring, summer, and fall. That is why I so much love our place in Arkansas -- so quiet and peaceful.
I am quite introverted and am not good at small talk. I have a hard time thinking of a topic that I think would interest other people. I become quiet in groups of more than 3 or so but am good at one-on-one conversations on topics that are interesting to me. If I ever meet up with some BYHers, I hope they won't think I am stuck up or aloof, should I not talk much -- it's just the Apserger's or introversion taking over. I read the book Quiet by Susan Cain -- she has a TED talk about introverts -- and I felt she was writing about me. I majored in computer science in college and spent almost my entire career in software engineering. I enjoyed working with computers -- I could understand computers a helluva lot better than people.
I never got accustomed to rush hour traffic. While I would no longer be surprised when I would have to panic stop from going 70 MPH, or having to crawl along in stop-and-go traffic, I never got acclimated. On the times I had to drive to work in rush hour traffic, by the time I got to work I felt like fighting someone, all from sheer stress. Fortunately I worked at a job where I could usually go in VERY early, 4 AM, when there was hardly any traffic, so I could avoid most of that. Now that I am retired and live in the country near a small town, that source of stress has gone away.
I guess this is more than you asked for, but I thought I would mention it, especially should I be able to meet you as well as @CntryBoy777 and Miss Joyce, and anyone else who helps to move their stuff to Florida.
Senile Texas Aggie
Bruce
Herd Master
Me too though I don't think I'm on the autism spectrum.
I think that given you already "know" those people you would not be as likely to go play wallflower. You may not be the first to rush up and greet the crowd but you know we already accept and like you for who you are.
Oops, you just moved yourself from "autistic" to normal!
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- #1,067
Senile_Texas_Aggie
Herd Master
Hey, folks, I need a bit of advice. I have a lot of trees with limbs that hang down into the pastures. I would like to trim those trees so that a tractor can easily pass under the limbs without a risk of having the canopy torn off like I did last year. I am unable to reach them with the pole saw attachment with my string trimmer, as the trimmer power head wasn't really designed to have the end where the trimmer head is held higher than the power head -- gas pores out the gas tank!
I was watching two sets of YouTube videos that got me interested in using something else to trim these limbs. The first set of videos was one by Tractor Time with Tim, where he talked about the Limbsaw. I then watched the manufacturer's video here:
I checked out the price for this and found someone selling it for $1999.99. A bit of an ouch for sure! Then I found other brands that do the same thing, such as Limbinator and Limb Hog. It could make trimming the limbs a whole lot easier. But, still a bit on the ouch side.
The second video set was by "Outdoors with the Morgans", episode #367, where Mike is trimming a maple tree that got blown over and then hung up in another tree. Near the end (around 8:28) he uses what appears to be a really long battery powered pole saw. I think that would work as well but I have been unable to locate any such pole saws with that long of a reach.
So, what do you folks think I should do?
Senile Texas Aggie
I was watching two sets of YouTube videos that got me interested in using something else to trim these limbs. The first set of videos was one by Tractor Time with Tim, where he talked about the Limbsaw. I then watched the manufacturer's video here:
I checked out the price for this and found someone selling it for $1999.99. A bit of an ouch for sure! Then I found other brands that do the same thing, such as Limbinator and Limb Hog. It could make trimming the limbs a whole lot easier. But, still a bit on the ouch side.
The second video set was by "Outdoors with the Morgans", episode #367, where Mike is trimming a maple tree that got blown over and then hung up in another tree. Near the end (around 8:28) he uses what appears to be a really long battery powered pole saw. I think that would work as well but I have been unable to locate any such pole saws with that long of a reach.
So, what do you folks think I should do?
Senile Texas Aggie
Bruce
Herd Master
Are you stalking me? I follow both those guys as well
Mike is using a Stihl battery operated pole chain saw. I don't know which one or what they cost:
https://www.stihlusa.com/products/pole-pruners/battery-pole-pruners/
How high do you need to get? You could let your Beautiful Lady drive the tractor while you stand in the bucket with your trimmer saw attachment. Since you follow TTWT I'm sure you've seen the episode where Christy was in the box lifted by the pallet forks to put the Christmas lights on. Or you could buy a pair of climbing spikes and a safety belt and rope
If you took the canopy off and stood on the tractor seat, would the trimmer saw work or still dump gas all over you?
What good is the trimmer saw attachment if the saw has to be lower than the power head?
Mike is using a Stihl battery operated pole chain saw. I don't know which one or what they cost:
https://www.stihlusa.com/products/pole-pruners/battery-pole-pruners/
How high do you need to get? You could let your Beautiful Lady drive the tractor while you stand in the bucket with your trimmer saw attachment. Since you follow TTWT I'm sure you've seen the episode where Christy was in the box lifted by the pallet forks to put the Christmas lights on. Or you could buy a pair of climbing spikes and a safety belt and rope
If you took the canopy off and stood on the tractor seat, would the trimmer saw work or still dump gas all over you?
What good is the trimmer saw attachment if the saw has to be lower than the power head?
CntryBoy777
Herd Master
Course ya could rent a geni-boom and cut it with either saw....just have to manuvre the bucket in place....or, ask for a bid from some cutters and get them to drop them and then ya deal with the wood....may be pretty reasonable....safer....and more timely.....
Bruce
Herd Master
spoil sport!
