Absolutely Anything Else

Sorry about the BIL.It is hard to see people going.Makes on think hard about their own mortality. - @Marilyn Tassy

Thanks, we aren't close so I feel completely "OK" with it although I feel for my sister and her kids/grandkids.  I am not really thinking about mortality. It's like he's gone already as I haven't seen him for a couple of years as he lives in a home in the South East and I don't go to that area.  And I don't think he cares if we visit anyway. 

The Auntie is more of a problem.  She's rejecting any help as she doesn't understand she needs managing even though we know she's going.  She cannot recognise it because of her dementia.  She's not aware of her condition.  Hard to know how to convince her to accept help.  It's a tricky one.  How to get a dementia patient to accept other people helping?  In the end, the demise is inevitable.

Probably a good move post-BIL might be for my sis to get a dog some way down the line. That's not a joke!

BIL update:

Thrashing about in bed and trying to pull out the IV and cannulas.   Calling the staff racist names and trying to kiss the personnel (!!!).  Hallucinations all the time.  Doesn't know who is who any more.  Confuses his wife with his long dead mother.   

I'm no medic but I've asked those closer to check his conditions and determine if he is sedated with a catheter.   He's got sepsis now from a bowel issue so I think he's got delirium. Contrary to TV shows, delirium does not mean he's got a fever. If he's sedated and he's got a catheter, it's really the beginning of the end.   

He's definitely in palliative care - over WhatsApp video calls I've to explain what that means. I am really surprised people do not know what that is.   They throw the word around but do not understand what it means in practice.  It means no life saving treatments, it's making someone "comfortable" but not trying to save their life, it's letting nature take its course.

More unusually, our daughter usually has accurate (yet spooky) dreams of people passing.  She's put a date on it of 5 September.  That's a week today.  We'll see.

I feel like we're surrounded by death of the old guard now.  Mrs F has two uncles still but the rest of them are gone or nearly gone.  We'll inherit the old guard title as we move into our 60s (me, closer to 70).

Sepsis, my brother died within 6 hours of getting to the hospital while my other brorher is living with it in his spine.

A very odd illness and deadly most times.

I can not believe my bro is still alive, lost his leg, sepsis, heart stopped twice, he is tough for sure.  Kindneys were shutting down, on every machine they have for 6 weeks.He has allot of Irish blood in him, half bro. They seem like tough people.

Surprised we do not hear more about it as it can get anyone out of the blue.

Sounds like the family will be taking a trip to the UK sooner then later, sorry.

I hope he had time in his mind to get good with things, as they say, get good with God or whatever.

Sept. 5, I would take betting odds on that date.

Old guard, it is so strange, I still feel like I am a teenager.

Life is short even for those who live to be 100.

Perhaps later your sister will visit you in Hungary after she settles from her loss.

It is very upsetting I am sure she will need time to adjust to a new lifestyl

So exhausted today.

I like to know the days plans ahead of time but took an exception yesterday, big mistake.

Slept in later then usual;

Fixed a nice breakfast and was planning on just doing some personal maintance for the day;

Hubby brought up the bright idea of going to Balaton.

I said no then I thought it over and do not want to be a stick in the mud old lady.

Ok, give me a bit of time and off we go;

Left the house around 11 am, super late for us.

Took the subway to Kelnford, big surprise; They stopped the line for repairs so we had to get off on the Buda side and take a tram; About a hundred people with suitcases had the same idea!

Got to the station very slowly.

Saw a train heading to Balaton leaving in 15 mins; Got to the platform and saw it was super busy. loads of last min. travelers.

Train pulled in the station...No, it did not have 2 light on behind.

We got on and to our surprise there were lots of emtpy seats. Did not compute 2 plus 2 about all those waiting to get on.

Rode and rode, no A/C on that train.

After God knows how long, at least 90 plus mins I said, I never saw this town before, we had gotten on a train to Verspren not Balaton!!

Our train was to arrive first at Kelnford but somehow another train came first. Dumb and lost !

Had to turn around and get back to a connection to Balaton.

Long story short, 4 pm arrival at Balaton, enough for a dip and a few rays then back home on the 6/19 train. That train arrived late and stopped in every backwater town on the line! Water levels on the S; shore are terrible, had to walk out for 5 mins just to reach chest level.

Arrived home just before 9 pm!

Finally ate a light meal before passing out.

I usually pack food but this time I only brought one banana and one small apple to share.

Hubby was willing to buy Balaton food but I totally refused to do that.

Sometimes staying home is very nice.

I asked my husband about a million times to get the proper info but he seems to think he can do it without asking, guess not!

Sepsis, my brother died within 6 hours of getting to the hospital while my other brorher is living with it in his spine.A very odd illness and deadly most times.I can not believe my bro is still alive, lost his leg, sepsis, heart stopped twice, he is tough for sure. Kindneys were shutting down, on every machine they have for 6 weeks.He has allot of Irish blood in him, half bro. They seem like tough people.Surprised we do not hear more about it as it can get anyone out of the blue.Sounds like the family will be taking a trip to the UK sooner then later, sorry.I hope he had time in his mind to get good with things, as they say, get good with God or whatever.Sept. 5, I would take betting odds on that date.Old guard, it is so strange, I still feel like I am a teenager.Life is short even for those who live to be 100.Perhaps later your sister will visit you in Hungary after she settles from her loss.It is very upsetting I am sure she will need time to adjust to a new lifestyl - @Marilyn Tassy

Yes, sepsis is real nasty.  It can get bad real quick and can be hard to identify. 

According untrustworthy reports, he's responding well to treatment.  I think it doesn't mean much to me as not heard that from anyone properly. I mean people who are really in the know.   But your bro is a good example of humans clinging to life.  The body is a marvellous thing.  It tries to keep one alive for as long as possible - all sorts of emergency biological processes kick in.  It's actually quite hard to die in many circumstances.  I've heard from the same sources my BIL looks emaciated.  It's just a mess. 

Meanwhile the Aunt is doing quite reasonably considering she's on a slippery slope to meeting the Grim Reaper.  She's walking and talking but starting to look "consumed" by the disease. There's a technical word for that - Cachexia.  There's no cure.  As she has dementia, she doesn't recognise her predicament and if she did, she'd forget it immediately.

I'm biding my time on what's going on.  I'm an emotionally uninvolved observer available for chats via WhatsApp.   I've had to advise people to look at it all rationally and systematically.  In other words, "try and just get on with the job" in hand. For some people it means showing leadership and taking control while others collapse into helplessness.  We're seeing two sides of it with two people on the slippery slope.

Anyway, our daughter here at Tuffy Flowers is using her spooky skills to predict the forthcoming events and she's not had an update from above or below.  I'm not a believer of course but it makes for kind of interesting discussions  on life, nature and the universe.  In the meantime, life goes on for everyone.

So exhausted today.I like to know the days plans ahead of time but took an exception yesterday, big mistake.Slept in later then usual;Fixed a nice breakfast and was planning on just doing some personal maintance for the day;Hubby brought up the bright idea of going to Balaton.I said no then I thought it over and do not want to be a stick in the mud old lady.Ok, give me a bit of time and off we go;Left the house around 11 am, super late for us.Took the subway to Kelnford, big surprise; They stopped the line for repairs so we had to get off on the Buda side and take a tram; About a hundred people with suitcases had the same idea!Got to the station very slowly.Saw a train heading to Balaton leaving in 15 mins; Got to the platform and saw it was super busy. loads of last min. travelers.Train pulled in the station...No, it did not have 2 light on behind.We got on and to our surprise there were lots of emtpy seats. Did not compute 2 plus 2 about all those waiting to get on.Rode and rode, no A/C on that train.After God knows how long, at least 90 plus mins I said, I never saw this town before, we had gotten on a train to Verspren not Balaton!!Our train was to arrive first at Kelenfold but somehow another train came first. Dumb and lost !Had to turn around and get back to a connection to Balaton.Long story short, 4 pm arrival at Balaton, enough for a dip and a few rays then back home on the 6/19 train. That train arrived late and stopped in every backwater town on the line! Water levels on the S; shore are terrible, had to walk out for 5 mins just to reach chest level.Arrived home just before 9 pm!Finally ate a light meal before passing out.I usually pack food but this time I only brought one banana and one small apple to share.Hubby was willing to buy Balaton food but I totally refused to do that.Sometimes staying home is very nice.I asked my husband about a million times to get the proper info but he seems to think he can do it without asking, guess not! - @Marilyn Tassy

Well, at least you had a swim in Balaton.  It's really the last days when it will be warm enough for a swim.   During the day we've got 34C but only 20C at night which means the lake will be slowly cooling down.  I know what you mean about walking out far to get any kind of decent depth of water.  It's crazy.  I think it's twice as far now as it was a few years ago.

I use online apps on my phone for train travel planning.  Not that I really go anywhere by train around here.  The kids take a lot of trains but not me.  I have been known to take my bike on the train. Mainly we go by car as our village doesn't have a railway station or metro stop.   We do have Budapest buses often to Moscow Square and Kelenfold.

There was talk of a Budakeszi metro stop for ages - as there was talk of a M0 junction - but it would have bankrupted the town.  M0 would have been 14km away I think.  If only the central government was prepared to put up all the money and risk.  It would have run in Phase II to Budaors (about 7km away) then come to us under the hills  (and protected area) - all by costly tunnels.  I was in favour of having the metro (Line 4) but not paying Fidesz cum Orban "taxes" on us for their and his mates profiting off it.  And it would have screwed everyone. 

BTW, they have nice ice cream in Balaton.  Siofok has some very nice ice cream places - sugar free but 500 HUF a scoop which I think is pricey.

I messed around today.  The only thing I did which was reasonable was take my new car batteries and fit them to my hobby car.  Looking good now.  I also did some work background reading while listening to golden oldies on YT.

500 a scoop is what we pay at a treat shop located near Keliti.

I only go there because they are very generous with their scooping.

The best vanilla and coconut flavors.

It is a thing all children from Simi in my generation remember;

Going to the Thrify drug store and getting a huge scoop of ice cream for 5 cents;

I always volunteered to walk to the store for mom,s bread or milk shopping because she always gave me an extra 5 to 10 cents for Thrify Drug.

Once I had 15 cents to spend, got a triple, was way too much at once.

No more Thrify drug stores.... The old 5 and 10 is a thing of the past.

500 a scoop is what we pay at a treat shop located near Keliti.I only go there because they are very generous with their scooping.The best vanilla and coconut flavors.It is a thing all children from Simi in my generation remember;Going to the Thrify drug store and getting a huge scoop of ice cream for 5 cents;I always volunteered to walk to the store for mom,s bread or milk shopping because she always gave me an extra 5 to 10 cents for Thrify Drug.Once I had 15 cents to spend, got a triple, was way too much at once.No more Thrify drug stores.... The old 5 and 10 is a thing of the past. - @Marilyn Tassy

Maybe this is the normal price. I must be leading a sheltered life because I thought 350 HUF was more like it. Mrs F was also commenting on how expensive it was.   It's probably always cheaper somewhere.  Drugstore ice cream is something odd to us.  But I guess it's linked into selling Coca-Cola too (which used to have drugs in it).   The Siofok ice cream places have many flavours - even Guinness and things like Dubai chocolate.  Sounds good but a lot of them are far too sugary for me.

I used to go to the supermarket as well as my mother used to allow me treats.  My job was to help get the shopping into the car - push the trolley etc.  And with there being 7 of us, we had a lot of stuff.  Used to go maybe every 2 weeks.  There are just 4 of us here (not counting the dog and cat) and we eat loads of stuff.   We stockpile loads of things as well which is a bit absurd.  Certainly not toilet paper which people buy in emergencies.

I stock up on TP but it is a mental thing since my illness.

Dry goods too.

Comes in handy when one feels like being a hermit for a few days, no need to run out to the shop if you can fix something at home from the stash.

Yes, 500 forints is pricey we think too but this one shop gives out huge scoops, equal to at least 2 scoops anywhere else.

Went in last week and a new lady was serving a mom and her children; The scoop was not as large as the other workers give so I told my husband I changed my mind, the scoop was not large enough!

I like to see what is up before jumping in. Let everyone else be the lab rat first!

Tomorrow it will be 4 years since my bro passed, it seems still like yesterday to me.

I think we may have another week or so of OK weather, not sure I am up for another 8 hours of train travel though! Never again, going to force my husband to ask if we are on the correct train next time. he has done this 3 times already! I know they say men dislike asking directions but this is too much!

I stock up on TP but it is a mental thing since my illness.
Dry goods too.
Comes in handy when one feels like being a hermit for a few days, no need to run out to the shop if you can fix something at home from the stash.
Yes, 500 forints is pricey we think too but this one shop gives out huge scoops, equal to at least 2 scoops anywhere else.
Went in last week and a new lady was serving a mom and her children; The scoop was not as large as the other workers give so I told my husband I changed my mind, the scoop was not large enough!
I like to see what is up before jumping in. Let everyone else be the lab rat first!

Tomorrow it will be 4 years since my bro passed, it seems still like yesterday to me.
I think we may have another week or so of OK weather, not sure I am up for another 8 hours of train travel though! Never again, going to force my husband to ask if we are on the correct train next time. he has done this 3 times already! I know they say men dislike asking directions but this is too much! - @Marilyn Tassy

OMG! 4 years.  I remember this occurring.  Time really does whizz by.  3 years since my Dad went and 7 years since my Mum departed.  And 11 years since my bro passed.   It's very strange how time is speeding up.  When one is young, it seems like time was really slow.  And now it's going faster and faster.

Are you sure hubby is OK?  Loss of direction can be a sign of issues.  BTW, I can look on my phone and see exactly where the trains are at any moment in time.  I know it's confusing on their phone apps but it is in English (and German) as well and so are the announcements and display boards.  But it does mean having a smartphone which might seem over complicated.

BTW, Aldi used to sell sugar free ice-cream.  It's all stopped now.  Something has happened to that shop.  They have re-arranged everything and dropped a lot of lines.  I used to go there to look at tools.  They had some good ones and I've got a few things from there like gardening stuff and spanners.   Whatever  happened has massively reduced choice and now we are beginning to avoid it.  I am not happy as it means going to Lidl now as they haven't changed but their tool choices were not that great.  We looked at Aldi down at Balaton at Zamardi/Szantod and every summer they had a tent with "summer" stuff in it but this year, nada.   Something is afoot at Aldi.

I've got to make appointments for the medical certificate for my DL.  That means going to the Kormanyablak.  We're left it far too late for renewing.  While I won't have the card I can have the paper to say it's in the post. I can still drive but getting in for a medical is a problem.  It's already Wednesday and I'm travelling all next week. Oy vay.

I was at the KCC (Korean Cultural Centre) in Budapest where they have a touring lantern exhibition.

Very pretty colours.  They must mean something but what, no idea.

Many were from the region of Jinju, South Korea.

Hey fluffy2560,

Wow, thank you for sharing the pictures! It looks absolutely beautiful. 😊

They must mean something but what, no idea.

I know there is a celebration/festival (I can’t recall the name) around Buddha’s birthday involving lanterns, where people light up the streets with colourful lanterns😍

I too notice our local Aldi has gotten a bit run down.

We had not been in for months, usually walk over to Lidl, better deal there on avacados and I like their bread better then Aldi,s.

Shelves did seem hit or miss, no soy-sauce either.

Bought soy suace in an Asian market in the past, they have better stuff but my husband hates taking me into these speciality shops because I always find everything and one item shopping turns into a full basket.

They have Aldi in the US in Minn; My sistrs shop there often, prices are bettr then larger grocery shops.

Hubby has a cell phone but never takes it with us.Lots of good that does us!

I dislike talking on the phone, my sister does too. Years ago she snet me a magic jack gadgt for the

computer; You could dial up the entire world for free.

I would chat with my friends in the US, my cosuins but my sister always kept the calls to 10 mins or less.

I always wondered why she sent me that gadget if she hated to chat.

My bro and halfie sister talk allot, I can hardly get a word in and I can talk.

We go across town to our old family doctor when my husband needs his driving medical done. IDK for some reason we feel comfortable with her. You have to pay for that mediccal exam anyways so best to see someone who you trust.

My US license expries in Dec; Guess I will have to start from scratch if I ever move back;

No interest in driving in Hungary unless we lived in the countryside. I do not want to invest in another car either.

Not sure what those lanterns are about but it has to be some religious thing.Pretty enough.

In Vegas as a games dealer all the casinos would make a big thing out of the Chinese New Year; We had a parade of dancers etc; going through the casino floor, dragons too, lots of noise and banging going on.

Hey fluffy2560,Wow, thank you for sharing the pictures! It looks absolutely beautiful. 😊 They must mean something but what, no idea.I know there is a celebration/festival (I can’t recall the name) around Buddha’s birthday involving lanterns, where people light up the streets with colourful lanterns😍 - @Cheryl

It said on the info that the lanterns were used for military signalling but that was 100s of years ago.   There were photos of rivers in Jinju being full of lanterns.  I guess over time, the meanings have changed and now it's a coloured lantern festival.

I do like multi-colour lights.  I'm quite a sucker for that kind of thing.   We always have multi-coloured lights on our Christmas tree.  In previous years, they only sold white lights here for Christmas trees.

I too notice our local Aldi has gotten a bit run down.We had not been in for months, usually walk over to Lidl, better deal there on avacados and I like their bread better then Aldi,s.Shelves did seem hit or miss, no soy-sauce either.Bought soy suace in an Asian market in the past, they have better stuff but my husband hates taking me into these speciality shops because I always find everything and one item shopping turns into a full basket.They have Aldi in the US in Minn; My sistrs shop there often, prices are bettr then larger grocery shops. Hubby has a cell phone but never takes it with us.Lots of good that does us!I dislike talking on the phone, my sister does too. Years ago she snet me a magic jack gadgt for the computer; You could dial up the entire world for free.I would chat with my friends in the US, my cousins but my sister always kept the calls to 10 mins or less.I always wondered why she sent me that gadget if she hated to chat.My bro and halfie sister talk allot, I can hardly get a word in and I can talk.We go across town to our old family doctor when my husband needs his driving medical done. IDK for some reason we feel comfortable with her. You have to pay for that mediccal exam anyways so best to see someone who you trust.My US license expries in Dec; Guess I will have to start from scratch if I ever move back;No interest in driving in Hungary unless we lived in the countryside. I do not want to invest in another car either.Not sure what those lanterns are about but it has to be some religious thing.Pretty enough.In Vegas as a games dealer all the casinos would make a big thing out of the Chinese New Year; We had a parade of dancers etc; going through the casino floor, dragons too, lots of noise and banging going on. - @Marilyn Tassy

I think Aldi is not  so much run down as it's more like they don't now sell  what we want.   Lidl was not that great either.  We were there yesterday in order to avoid Aldi.  And there were big gaps on the shelves.  Thursday is the Aldi day when new stock appears on the shelves and we get their new newspaper/flyers.   Mainly it's all food items now in Aldi.  Gardening tools and that kind of thing has completely disappeared.  Looking at the flyers, it's been several months - perhaps just before the summer - when it was all rearranged and the tools disappeared.

I remember those Magic Jack boxes.  Of course all unnecessary now as anyone can call anyone for nothing on WhatsApp which operates on the Internet.  I now use WhatsApp to call people in far away places as usually it's work related and needs video.  We also use Viber for inter-family messages.  We only use Viber because Skype ceased to exist.  I used to work for a phone company and we had free calls both mobile and fixed line.  I used to call people all the time. I even could call two relatives on conference calls and then "join" them together so they could talk between themselves.  It was always considered "testing".   

I'm up for the Driving License doctor tomorrow.  I hope we can get to the Kormonyablak for renewal tomorrow too, immediately after the doctor.  It's a fixed fee for the doctor's involvement so a few of them don't like it as it's peanuts.  Well take it up with parliament. The medical is cursory anyway.   I find it all rather annoying. My license will only last 1 year I believe because of my truck and bus endorsement.  I'm now 66 and over 65 which means 2 years licensing.  This is going to be yearly from my 70s.  I will get licensing until 2028 I suppose.  I will get a paper for continuing to drive without the actual card -  that'd take 2 or 3 weeks I'd think.

I also don't like talking on the phone.  I can of course, do it if I have to.  But I'd rather people e-mailed me and then I can get my thoughts in order before replying.

I might take the dog for a walk but it's hot again and the UV is high.  And my hips are playing up.  I've got some work papers to read.  I feel like summer is almost over so it won't be long before the weather turns and outside jobs become impossible.   And even worse, I get "unbenched" and thrown back into the fray.  Roll on January 2027 when I can get my pension.

In today's most exciting news, I've identified a shed for the garden.  It's a flat pack metal one with lockable doors I can bolt into the ground using ground anchors.    Life has turned into a kind of a semi-retirement fog of ongoing lists of DIY.

Here is a rant.

We have an idiot of a house manager, he no longer anwers his phone, have to e mail him and wait.

He used to send out checks to pay our HOA, common costs.

Now he wants people to pay at OTP.

We usually pay 3 months at a time because we want to stay on top of it and not pay too far ahead of time because the fees go up every so often.

Went in person to OTP on the large blvd.

Paid at that location just a few times in the past, usually go to another OTP bank.

Got our number and sat down, they kept skipping our number. A office rep was walking around and my husband asked her what was up?

She said since we ourselves do not have an account with them that we had to suck it up and wait till the clerks dealt with their real customers first!!!

WTH??

My husband had words with her and we walked out without paying.

Went to our bank and hopefully have set up an online payment thing.

How rude, I mean yes the manager is a jerk but as he collects from 12 buildings monthly he has an account with OTP and we are giving them cash money plus they charge a tiny fee because we do not have an account with them;

We actually were slightly considering opening an account with them but for sure now, no darn way.

In the US they never would do that to anyone using their bank services.

Here is a rant.We have an idiot of a house manager, he no longer anwers his phone, have to e mail him and wait.He used to send out checks to pay our HOA, common costs.Now he wants people to pay at OTP.We usually pay 3 months at a time because we want to stay on top of it and not pay too far ahead of time because the fees go up every so often.Went in person to OTP on the large blvd.Paid at that location just a few times in the past, usually go to another OTP bank.Got our number and sat down, they kept skipping our number. A office rep was walking around and my husband asked her what was up?She said since we ourselves do not have an account with them that we had to suck it up and wait till the clerks dealt with their real customers first!!!WTH??My husband had words with her and we walked out without paying.Went to our bank and hopefully have set up an online payment thing.How rude, I mean yes the manager is a jerk but as he collects from 12 buildings monthly he has an account with OTP and we are giving them cash money plus they charge a tiny fee because we do not have an account with them;We actually were slightly considering opening an account with them but for sure now, no darn way.In the US they never would do that to anyone using their bank services. - @Marilyn Tassy

They (government and banks) are pushing everyone to use electronic payments now all over the world.  In the UK, it's quite difficult to pay cash for some things - even over the counter into bank accounts. Many shops no longer accept cash.

It's all cards cum touch payments or transfers.  As for cheques/checks - almost all gone now.  Been  years since I used or received one.  I haven't used my physical cards in more than a year. It's all online payments using the smartphone.   I was in Auchan and used my phone for dog food and immediately after I was at the Aldi gas/petrol station and used it there.  No cash whatsoever.

One can see why this is ultimately good for the government - tracking people's spending and income.  And for banks, lowering costs and fighting fraud.   No branches, no cash machines etc.     

I expect cash to be hardly used by 2030 in any EU or developed economy.   The biggest problem I can see is charges by the likes of Visa and MC (Mastercard).  These have to be reduced to close to or actually to zero for domestic transactions.  Or better, a domestic card processor should be able to operate without Visa and MC as the US could easily nobble financial systems in some countries.  Both Russia and Iran have domestic card system which do not depend on US connections.

I was at the docs for the DL medical paper.  It was cash only there.  But hardly any money - only about 2500 HUF I believe.   I will need to get to the Kormanyablak to sort that out and we're cutting it fine.  Only issued for 2 years until 2028.   Just a nuisance!   

I was pleased to know my agricultural machinery and pedestrian operated motorised lawnmowers endorsement were renewed.  I can look forward to two more years of tractors and combine harvester driving.  Yeah right.

Touch pay looks so easy but we feel it is easy for a scammer to also steal your info. I will not use the ATM unless no one is within 30 feet of me. Stores are so crowded and who knows what scammer standing next to you are up to.

Paranoid maybe just do not want to introduce ourselves to trouble.

Our main bank is out of the country so not so easy to jump in a fix things in person.

We do not fully trust HU banks, their bad additude is just a warning of future BS with them.

My cousin, Shirely is such a family person and so thoughtful.

She and her husband allowed the parole staff into their NM home to investigate it, background search on them etc;

My bro is going to move there when he settles a few issues in Ca.

He is getting fit again for yet another leg, think this is his 4th one!

Gain a bit of weight, lost a bit of weight and it no longer fits right, Rubs the stump and makes open wounds.

I never knew it was that hard to have a fake leg.

He will have to open up a storage unit one day just for his extra legs! Or open up a shop called spare legs.

Congrats on a new license, 2 years is not long but better then nothing.

My husband needs a new one in a year I believe.

He keeps saying he wants to sell our car, we hardly use it but it is handy for Tesco shopping. He says we can always rent a car, one of those electric ones if needed.

Living in the city it is faster and easier to jump on a bus but outside the city a car is best.

I see videos of people saying things like they are so far in debt they do not care if the system changes and money is not longer used.

I get it but what about those of us who are not in debt, who save and do not buy every flashy thing they see?

I am sure those with real wealth are not going to let money go bye-bye without another similar system in place first.

Those who owe may have a very low social credit score and be locked out of things until they  pay up to the system.

IDK, but since when does any gov give people a clean slate? I see work farms in some people,s futures.

Touch pay looks so easy but we feel it is easy for a scammer to also steal your info. I will not use the ATM unless no one is within 30 feet of me. Stores are so crowded and who knows what scammer standing next to you are up to.
Paranoid maybe just do not want to introduce ourselves to trouble.
Our main bank is out of the country so not so easy to jump in a fix things in person.
We do not fully trust HU banks, their bad additude is just a warning of future BS with them.
My cousin, Shirely is such a family person and so thoughtful.
She and her husband allowed the parole staff into their NM home to investigate it, background search on them etc;
My bro is going to move there when he settles a few issues in Ca.
He is getting fit again for yet another leg, think this is his 4th one!
Gain a bit of weight, lost a bit of weight and it no longer fits right, Rubs the stump and makes open wounds.
I never knew it was that hard to have a fake leg.
He will have to open up a storage unit one day just for his extra legs! Or open up a shop called spare legs.
Congrats on a new license, 2 years is not long but better then nothing.
My husband needs a new one in a year I believe.
He keeps saying he wants to sell our car, we hardly use it but it is handy for Tesco shopping. He says we can always rent a car, one of those electric ones if needed.
Living in the city it is faster and easier to jump on a bus but outside the city a car is best.

I see videos of people saying things like they are so far in debt they do not care if the system changes and money is not longer used.
I get it but what about those of us who are not in debt, who save and do not buy every flashy thing they see?
I am sure those with real wealth are not going to let money go bye-bye without another similar system in place first.
Those who owe may have a very low social credit score and be locked out of things until they pay up to the system.
IDK, but since when does any gov give people a clean slate? I see work farms in some people,s futures. - @Marilyn Tassy

If you use your US issued cards anywhere including for touch or card swiped payments, the security situation with smartphone payments is more or less the same.  It's all encrypted and your PINs are not stored on your device or cards.  That has always been the case.  The PIN verification takes place directly with MC or Visa etc.   Nothing is stored.  So there's very little chance anyone can grab it.  Now, also, with phone fingerprint recognition, there's no real chance of anyone faking your data. It's not absolute but mega low it could be used for fraud.    Not even identical twins have identical dabs (fingerprints).   AI voice generation is becoming a worse issue.  Silent calls try and capture your voice because in theory, they could emulate it.  Never use voice recognition with banks! 

Your passport is LESS secure than the payment system.  There was a story 10+ years back of smart bombs scanning for people's passports and then detonating when certain nationalities passed by.  I don't know if anything came of it.  It was an unusual concept and shows the terrorists are sometimes one step ahead.

But I do agree, HU banks really suck big time.  I'd single out Erste for extra sucking.  That is really Sparkasse in AT and other countries.  They are absolutely retarded in the way their systems work.  They tried to con me out of money in HU and in the end, as aggrieved suckee I had to write to their Austrian HQ complaining.  Only then did I get a result.  The bank regulator here in HU is staffed by morons and the management of Erste in HU all have low IQs and their customer service must be run by a group (whoop?) of chimpanzees.  And what's more, I don't even bank with them!  They inserted themselves into the process because my bank in HU outsources their back office operations to Erste. Like WTF?  I did get what I needed from Erste in AT only after involving myself at the highest level.  And the money they "stole" came back.  It wasn't 1000 HUF either, it was in the hundreds of US dollars.  And it took like 2 months for them to even recognise it was a problem.

Social scores are really important in China.  That includes credit bureau scoring.   That could end up here too in the EU but it's a vote loser.  Government interferes enough.

I don't know if there is a market for extra legs.  I expect there is.  Maybe he could donate them to a charity for re-use?  I think the stump bit has to be especially moulded to the actual stump.  But the metal bits and foot can be reused for sure. I saw a TV news report where soldiers and locals were getting prosthetics fitted. Might have been Afghanistan.   

I've got three cars here and one in England. I'd like to get rid of at least one of them as it's getting too old.  Two normal cars and my hobby car (which will never be sold and I mainly fix it myself - it just got another 2 year test).  The problem is trying to sell the older ordinary car.  It's got HU papers but I think it's had its clock wound back by the dodgy dealer we bought it from.  We didn't think he was dodgy but it looks like he was.  We should have known.  But we've run it for maybe 10 years and been through numerous clutches and repairs.  It runs really nicely now and it's economical compared to the other ordinary car.  We tried to trade it in but they all said no.  So I dunno, what do we do?  We don't really need 3 cars.  Two would do here.  I will probably dispose of the UK car next year, maybe March.  It drives great so I'd be sad to see it gone.

It's going to be pretty warm today.  I think I see doggy walking on the cards and as it's the weekend, Mrs F might come with us.  It gives us chance to have a chat.  No. 1 HU daughter is holding court with a load of people passing through here. Allegedly it's a "photo shoot".  Everyone has fancy make up and the cameras and lighting are out.  I don't really know what they are doing and who they are.  But HU daughter knows them so I guess that'll do. I do find them all to be terribly polite.  Not the riff-raff one would fear.

Speaking of passports,

months ago when my husband went into city hall to report his ID missing he ran into some BS.

We always do.

The guy who was sorting out his lost driving license said something like we have to prove who you are, hubby told him you already have my fingerprints and photo going back years; Silly me, I had his US passport with me and just put it down in front of my husband. The clerk grabbed it against my husbands objections as the guy removed it from his view; He called the guy out telling him he is not allowed to take his passport out of sight and it belongs to the US gov;

The guy got all hot under the collar and told him he would not help him or get his license papers in order; Refusing to do his job. husband told him he did not care and did not need a license or anything from him.Before it blew up futher a women came over and told my husband to come to her station and she would help him;

Still upset about the guy taking the passport out of view and for as long as he did, not sure, maybe up to 10 or more mins;

The guy asked my husband if he thought he was a criminal and my husband said anything is possible with the dark web.

Just because someone works for the city hall does not mean they do not have a side gig going on.

I was going to contact the US embassy and let them know someone mistook his passport and we want to know why.

They do things different here for sure.

Speaking of passports,
months ago when my husband went into city hall to report his ID missing he ran into some BS.
We always do.
The guy who was sorting out his lost driving license said something like we have to prove who you are, hubby told him you already have my fingerprints and photo going back years; Silly me, I had his US passport with me and just put it down in front of my husband. The clerk grabbed it against my husbands objections as the guy removed it from his view; He called the guy out telling him he is not allowed to take his passport out of sight and it belongs to the US gov;
The guy got all hot under the collar and told him he would not help him or get his license papers in order; Refusing to do his job. husband told him he did not care and did not need a license or anything from him.Before it blew up futher a women came over and told my husband to come to her station and she would help him;
Still upset about the guy taking the passport out of view and for as long as he did, not sure, maybe up to 10 or more mins;
The guy asked my husband if he thought he was a criminal and my husband said anything is possible with the dark web.
Just because someone works for the city hall does not mean they do not have a side gig going on.
I was going to contact the US embassy and let them know someone mistook his passport and we want to know why.
They do things different here for sure. - @Marilyn Tassy

Probably the person took the passport to copy it as verification.   It's just normal In HU for officials to invade one's privacy.  I doubt if there was any criminal intentions with your hubby's passport.  Unless someone wants to masquerade as your hubby at passport control.  Seems a bit unlikely.   That business of fingerprints really gets up my nose.  It won't be long before they want DNA from swabs or even blood tests.   Absolutely intrusive.   But in HU's defence, in any case, US law has no meaning in HU and there's no entitlement for different treatment based on nationality. 

We get equally messed about in the USA at passports or the TSA wannabes.  The Canadians are not much better - they made me empty my bags and photocopied my documents.  I was like "mind your own business, got nothing to do with you or your government". I was in any case, in transit.  US doesn't recognise transit travel.  Really dumb and time wasting.  Of course,  those border Nazis have sweeping powers so nothing I could do about it.  My view is to avoid wherever one can, going via North America to anywhere else.  If I'm going to the Pacific, there's no way I'd want to go West.  Always best to go East even if it takes more time.

I wouldn't be surprised if my information is already in the public domain.  I get regular reports that data breaches show my home address, e-mail etc.  Hard to keep ahead of naughty people.

Its perfectly normal for officials to make a copy of a passport or any form of ID. There is nothing criminal about it.

@Marilyn Tassy

Interesting post. I got rid of my Hungarian bank account when I started to spend more time here. They helped themselves to more money than I was spending. Then they charged me to close the account.

I dont participate in any of that instant pay..flashing my phone at a machine.

I use cash for everything. When I get paid I take a fixed amount of money out for bills and shopping and stick to it.

@Marilyn Tassy
Interesting post. I got rid of my Hungarian bank account when I started to spend more time here. They helped themselves to more money than I was spending. Then they charged me to close the account.
I dont participate in any of that instant pay..flashing my phone at a machine.
I use cash for everything. When I get paid I take a fixed amount of money out for bills and shopping and stick to it. - @anns

I had money in a bank account which they had problems closing.  They argued with me.  In the end, I just transferred the money out and zero was left.  Then I said, it's over, you can close if you want and if you don't want, it'll be empty forever more.  I don't know what they did in the end as I haven't looked at for maybe 7+ years.

I use instant pay all the time.  It works both ways. I pay people instantly and I receive money instantly.  Delays in the banking system reminds me of 1980s banking.   What a load of malarkey. All they are doing is using your money for their own purposes while it is transit.   Having worked in banks, it's money for old rope.  Costs them almost nothing to transfer money but they charge loads for the privilege,

Cash is good as it's anonymous BUT in the end, no-one will be using it because it costs too much to handle in large businesses.  Everything is already on the edge of totally being touch payments.   

I got some coins in change the other day.  Now I cannot get rid of them and I have to carry them around looking for an opportunity to use them.  Haven't found one yet.

I have my UK bank account although technically I shouldn't because I am not resident. But its my dads address, and I will change it to my sisters address after his passing. Its jussss used for pocket money when I am there.

I have of course my Austrian account which is great for traveling in the Euro zone. I use contactless all the time and I use cash at localks where they don't take the card.

@Marilyn Tassy
Interesting post. I got rid of my Hungarian bank account when I started to spend more time here. They helped themselves to more money than I was spending. Then they charged me to close the account.
I dont participate in any of that instant pay..flashing my phone at a machine.
I use cash for everything. When I get paid I take a fixed amount of money out for bills and shopping and stick to it. - @anns

Exactly as we do for the most part.

Hubby has a HU account but it is and always has been a hassle;

Can not even get the codes they say they send out to be able to pay a few bills online:

Seems we are always running over to fix something with his account; Keep it a very low amount in there.

Csh is King and always will be as far as we can access it.

Had a bank account in Hu for IDK, over 15 years, they tried to change the set up on us so we cancelled the account; They were not making any money off of our account so they did not need us.

My US bank has better security, when I was in the US in march, they froze my debt card until I went in; Unusual activity was the reason the fruad dept stopped it.

I was put in a fix for a short time till I was able to go in and straighten it out, happened 3 times in a week in Vegas, thankfuylly I had friends and family to bail me out, I just gave them cash and they used their cards for things I needed.

Fixed it, I think

@Marilyn Tassy
Interesting post. I got rid of my Hungarian bank account when I started to spend more time here. They helped themselves to more money than I was spending. Then they charged me to close the account.
I dont participate in any of that instant pay..flashing my phone at a machine.
I use cash for everything. When I get paid I take a fixed amount of money out for bills and shopping and stick to it. - @anns
Exactly as we do for the most part.
Hubby has a HU account but it is and always has been a hassle;
Can not even get the codes they say they send out to be able to pay a few bills online:
Seems we are always running over to fix something with his account; Keep it a very low amount in there.
Cash is King and always will be as far as we can access it.
Had a bank account in Hu for IDK, over 15 years, they tried to change the set up on us so we cancelled the account; They were not making any money off of our account so they did not need us.
My US bank has better security, when I was in the US in march, they froze my debt card until I went in; Unusual activity was the reason the fraud dept stopped it.
I was put in a fix for a short time till I was able to go in and straighten it out, happened 3 times in a week in Vegas, thankfuylly I had friends and family to bail me out, I just gave them cash and they used their cards for things I needed.
Fixed it, I think - @Marilyn Tassy

Sounds like the HU bank is rubbish at customer care.  More like Customer "We don't care".   They probably don't have the necessary tools or personnel to check what is going on with spending patterns.  I mean, if a US bank customer suddenly turns up in the US after being in HU for years, then this is likely to be flagged.   I doubt they have these kinds of systems in HU or don't apply them sufficiently but many other countries do have them as they need them for risk management.  AI is also getting in on it as well but the basis for scoring risk on a transaction or account has been known and used for many years.  In most cases, there's no need to go to the bank, it's possible to fix nearly all problems online or on the phone.

In the EU (it's the law), there has to be "two-factor" authorisation.  In other words, if one tries to do an online transaction, a code is sent to the registered mobile with a code to complete the authorisation (or perhaps more properly, authentication).  If your mobile number is not in the bank's system correctly, that's why you don't get the codes.   That's has been a known problem at OTP in HU which is often confused.  Other banks are equally confused for a whole variety of reasons. But for 99% of transactions, it all works smoothly and instantly.

The Yellow Cheques (US: checks) are easy to pay using the HU Simple Pay application.  One just scans the QR code  and then authorises payment against a selected payment card.  Receipt comes back via registered e-mail within seconds.   Job done.  Really, these aren't cheques (promise to pay) but Giro payments (cash is always with order) with card processors doing the actual transaction.

Personally I am against the use of cheques (US: checks).  This is an anachronism. Talk about old fashioned.   There's a lot of infrastructure in the US and Canada linked into using cheques so It's harder to get rid of them.  Cheques are easily manipulated for fraud.  In my own country, cheques are almost gone now.  Almost no-one is using them.  In the US and Canada, it will happen eventually.  I have issues with it as I do or did have dealings with both Canada and the US banking system.   

My biggest beef are charges levied by MC and Visa.   These card processors are a total con.  Europe is more enthusiastically trying to move to an own system because - yes, you've guessed it, Donny Trump's madness - if MC and VI were told to pull the plug by Donny having a bad day, Europe would be stuffed.  There was an attempt to have a Eurocard (as alternative to Amex) but this merged with MC.   

The biggest problem with US banks, is they won't send codes to none US numbers.

All our bills come come out of one account. We don't live in 1950's anymore where you could go and pay your bills in cash at the gas or electricity shop. Most things are done on standing order, or you simply pay online. We pay our food shopping with debit card. I'm not going around carying €200 in cash or more if its a larger item.

The biggest problem with US banks, is they won't send codes to none US numbers. All our bills come come out of one account. We don't live in 1950's anymore where you could go and pay your bills in cash at the gas or electricity shop. Most things are done on standing order, or you simply pay online. We pay our food shopping with debit card. I'm not going around carying €200 in cash or more if its a larger item. - @SimCityAT

Yeah, I get it.  AT was not a particularly easy place to do things even 25 years ago.  Way back we always had massive problems buying fuel on a card.  The only place we could do it was at Vienna Airport petrol/gas station as one passed there enroute to Hungary.  No-one took cards.  It was all cash.  Now, it's all cards or phones (same difference).  The biggest development which pushed it was SEPA (Single European Payments Area).  It's a godsend.  Who said the EU never did anything for anyone?  Unlike the Romans*.

I don't know about US banks not sending to US numbers but that kind of thing is fairly commonplace elsewhere. It makes no sense really.  I've had a US phone (for the Caribbean) which uses the +1 code and it was incredibly expensive to keep alive.  I just let it lapse.  I think it would be possible to have a PAYG (Pay As You Go) US number via an e-sim so there's no physical card.  But just for banking? Why bother when it's easy to open a USD account these days?   Companies like Wise and Revolut allow multi-currency accounts all over Europe (and some other countries - soon to be in the USA too) and they do instant payments (certainly between accounts within the same company, like inter-Revolut or inter-Wise).   Of course, this is entirely online and via Smartphone.  It makes "old school" banks look like Neanderthals.

BTW, try paying for anything in Europe with a 500 or 200 EUR note.  Not a chance (not much anyway)!   Cards/Phones, no problem!

*it's a reference to the movie Life of Brian

Sky News

A £100 grocery shop in 2020 will cost £147.50 by July next year, a major food industry body has warned.

The Food and Drink Federation, which represents 12,000 manufacturers, forecast food inflation will reach almost 4% by Christmas and peak at 6.4% next July.

That's another £8.90 added to the £138.60 you'd need to spend on a basket containing the same groceries you bought for £100 in January 2020.

"Food and drink manufacturers have kept food prices as low as possible during the energy shock since the closure of the Strait of Hormuz but they can't do this indefinitely," says chief executive Karen Betts.

Energy prices, driven by Donald Trump's war in Iran, are partly to blame.

Gas prices have more than doubled since February, while UK electricity prices are some of the highest in Europe. UK diesel prices have also risen by 28.6% since the start of the conflict in the Middle East, according to the FDF.

Climate change is only compounding the problem, with the cost of wheat up 45%, cocoa more than 100%, rice up 60% and sugar and coffee up 27% and 22% respectively.

Droughts across the UK and Europe this summer have further strained supplies, meaning manufacturers would face higher costs for fruit, vegetables and grains in the months ahead.

Sky News
A £100 grocery shop in 2020 will cost £147.50 by July next year, a major food industry body has warned.

The Food and Drink Federation, which represents 12,000 manufacturers, forecast food inflation will reach almost 4% by Christmas and peak at 6.4% next July.

That's another £8.90 added to the £138.60 you'd need to spend on a basket containing the same groceries you bought for £100 in January 2020.

"Food and drink manufacturers have kept food prices as low as possible during the energy shock since the closure of the Strait of Hormuz but they can't do this indefinitely," says chief executive Karen Betts.

Energy prices, driven by Donald Trump's war in Iran, are partly to blame.

Gas prices have more than doubled since February, while UK electricity prices are some of the highest in Europe. UK diesel prices have also risen by 28.6% since the start of the conflict in the Middle East, according to the FDF.

Climate change is only compounding the problem, with the cost of wheat up 45%, cocoa more than 100%, rice up 60% and sugar and coffee up 27% and 22% respectively.

Droughts across the UK and Europe this summer have further strained supplies, meaning manufacturers would face higher costs for fruit, vegetables and grains in the months ahead. - @SimCityAT

I think wheat is going to be really up due to Ukraine not having the ability to ship it because their ports are always under attack by the Russians.   It'll have a knock effects all over - Africa is dependent on Ukrainian grain.  This is what happened before.

There's more aggro at the nuclear plant in HU - Russian issues due to legacy of Orban's top secret contract.  Nightmare for power over winter. I hope they disconnect electricity and gas prices.  It's a disaster.

I cannot see the US-Iran conflict coming to a conclusion anytime soon and that means oil prices will continue to be high.  I was perturbed to read the US looking how to "bunker bust" the Iranian bunkers.  The current US bunker busting bombs are ineffective.  I worry they will resort to a small scale nuclear strike down the access tunnel.  If the US does that, it could be the gloves are off for others to start throwing their nuclear weight around.

@fluffy2560

Oil has gone over $100 a barrel now.

@fluffy2560Oil has gone over $100 a barrel now. - @SimCityAT

I believe a $10 increase on a barrel means about 7ct increase on a litre of fuel. 

Something like that.

I am presently in the UK and 1 litre of 95 is about £1.62 and diesel around £1.82.   

That's outrageous.

Thank you Donny.   He's said (again) it'll be the Straits of Trump instead of Hormuz.  It's highly accurate as he's definitely he's in dire straits.  Forever known as his folly. 

The biggest problem with US banks, is they won't send codes to none US numbers.
All our bills come come out of one account. We don't live in 1950's anymore where you could go and pay your bills in cash at the gas or electricity shop. Most things are done on standing order, or you simply pay online. We pay our food shopping with debit card. I'm not going around carying €200 in cash or more if its a larger item. - @SimCityAT

We used WISE to transfr funds for awhile; They out of the blue took a couple days to send the money while they used to do it striaght away; We stopped using them as we no longer trust them;

I tried to wire money from our US account to my sister for my jail bird brothrs jail fund;

No longer have an active US phone number so could not send it.

I have my sisters number listed but with the time difference and her being a bit of an air head at times, I did not want to chance losing money.

Had to hand over some cash when I was in the US for him.

Nightmare trip that was, cost more then I thought it would so had to be a bit tigher with what I gave him then I had planned on.

Still kept him in noodles for awhile.

The biggest problem with US banks, is they won't send codes to none US numbers.
All our bills come come out of one account. We don't live in 1950's anymore where you could go and pay your bills in cash at the gas or electricity shop. Most things are done on standing order, or you simply pay online. We pay our food shopping with debit card. I'm not going around carying €200 in cash or more if its a larger item.  - @SimCityAT
We used WISE to transfr funds for awhile; They out of the blue took a couple days to send the money while they used to do it striaght away; We stopped using them as we no longer trust them;
I tried to wire money from our US account to my sister for my jail bird brothrs jail fund;
No longer have an active US phone number so could not send it.
I have my sisters number listed but with the time difference and her being a bit of an air head at times, I did not want to chance losing money.
Had to hand over some cash when I was in the US for him.
Nightmare trip that was, cost more then I thought it would so had to be a bit tigher with what I gave him then I had planned on.
Still kept him in noodles for awhile. - @Marilyn Tassy

It should still work smoothly if both ends are using the same application between accounts within the provider - e.g. inter-Wise or inter-Revolut or whatever.   That's regardless of where each end is.  Then it wouldn't matter about having a US phone number, a HU number would work equally well.  We do this all the time but obviously not with a US number.   But if you could not verify the transaction via the code sent to the mobile phone, nothing would have been transferred so no money would be lost.  The pending transaction would have expired.

I've heard Ramen noodles is a currency inside  jails.   Amazing really how inventive people actually are.  I suppose noodles are the new cigarettes as jail proxy for cash.  I am not sure about drugs - be controlled by gangs.  I've read that drones will now deliver drugs directly to the inmate's window and they are putting up drone nets everywhere.  Whatever the authorities do, people will be able to find away around it.

My dad sends me money all time time for Birthdays and Christmas. He uses Wise, he has my bank account details and gets put staright into my account.

My dad sends me money all time time for Birthdays and Christmas. He uses Wise, he has my bank account details and gets put staright into my account. - @SimCityAT

Yup, it will work very smoothly. 

Instant Payments really are the bees knees or the dog's ballcocks.

They always had the capability to do that.  They chose not to do it.

IDK, my husband is obessed with online bank scammers; He hates to use his phone for anything.

Does not give out his number either.

No one sends us money, we ar the ones who are savers.

My older sister kills me, she works 2 part time jobs, told me she is behind on a few bills and the halfie is still sitting around;

She got used to buying the best of things; Best household appliances and big ticket items.

Now days she is broke.

A neighbor gave her a car a few months ago; Her 20 something year old Toyota was acting up.

It is a covertable car, the gift car that is, the top got stuck down.

I suggested she look on google, could be fluid, some sort of objet stuck, the battery connection something minor. No, she just took it to the dealer!!

WTH??

I even suggested she drive to the shop areas near here where they have small repair shops, they have them in just about every town. I thought she was the smart one too!

Tell the guy a sob story and give him a 6 pack of beer if it is an easy fix.

Dealer for another old car?

She scares me to death the way money is treated.

If you can not make more, then spend less.

I do not know anyone we wish to send funds to that has a Wise account, you need money to have any sort of account.

Those 2 in Minn; really scare me, how are tehy still functioning, IDK. Credit cards?

My dad worked hard all his life, saved he had a few jobs, but only one main one. The man is very comfortable, he has his state pension as well as a couple of others. He can't take the money with him, so might as well give it us children now, as we will be getting the inheritance when he has gone anyway. His funeral is already paid for and the car is leased. So has made everything as simple as possible when he does go, but not planning on him going any time soon.

As I've said before, he only pays for his gas as the electricity is solar.