MSGID: 1:396/45.28 cecb8a83   
   REPLY: 167411.cooking@1:2320/105 2d40d427   
   Hi Dave,   
      
      
    RH> At one point this place was valued at almost triple what we paid for it   
    RH> but the market has shifted (again) and we're no longer valued so high.   
    RH> We still get a lot of junk mail/calls "we want to buy your house" so   
    RH> one time Steve told the caller that he'd sell--for half a million   
    RH> dollars. Guy was somewhat taken aback, said he couldn't offer that   
    RH> much, good bye.   
      
    DD> I don't get calls like that any longer. What I see now is "SPAM and   
    DD> BLOCKED!" on my screen. I used to have fun with some of those callers.   
    DD> Lead them right along and agree to all of their"suggestions' for   
    DD> add-on items to the point I could almost hear them salivating. And   
    DD> when it came time to give payment information the call would   
    DD> mysteriously get dropped.   
      
    DD> And since they were using a robo-caller there was no way they could   
    DD> call back. When I still had the land-line the teelemarketers were   
    DD> "spoofing" numbers. Once I looked at the caller ID and it said my   
    DD> phone number was calling my actual phone number.  Bv)= Needless to say   
    DD> ........   
      
   We've had nothing but cell phones since we moved back to the mainland in   
   fall of 2006. In Hawaii we dropped long distance from our land line the   
   last 2 or 3 years we were there as we could call for free on week ends   
   with our cells. And yes, even with the cells, we've gotten calls from   
   our own number a few times. W have Google Fi for our provider; until   
   recently they had a call screening service. When I upgraded phones in   
   June, I noticed it had been discontinued--I miss it, especially with   
   calls that come in with our local area code. It's ID'ed if in my contact   
   list but if it's a new to me, I have to answer (or let it go to voice   
   mail, not always the best option).   
      
    DD> And rents? HAH! They're worse than .........   
      
    RH> When we bought this house, the payment schedule worked out that we'd   
    RH> pay a bit less than our (at the time) rent. We've added a good bit to   
    RH> the principle each month so now, after almost 11 years, we've over half   
    RH> paid it off.   
      
    DD> I put 20% down and made the monthly strokes plus U$50. Then in 2016   
    DD> after the ballots were counted I figured the stock market was in for a   
    DD> very rough ride. So I cashed out my stock portfolio and paid off the   
    DD> mortgage. I wasn't totally correct in my guess about the market but   
    DD> I've never regretted making that move.   
      
   We've debated it a few times but figured the payment is reasonable   
   enough now, we're not wiping out our savings for old age. With the VA   
   loan we didn't put anything down.   
      
      
    DD> I told Dennis that the clear-out was gong to be a regular thing. And   
    DD> if he stashed something  to eat it (or share it with the mutts) within   
    DD> two weeks or - into the bin with it. We'll see how that plays out.   
      
    RH> Containers labeled for contents and dated, I presume? I'm better about   
    RH> that for the freezer than the fridge.   
      
    DD> The ice box stuff is an see-thru containers and I've not dated and of   
    DD> it. The stuff that gets sucky-bagged and frozen gets dated and   
    DD> (usually) has a name or description on the package.   
      
    RH> Unless it's something obvious, like the pizza Steve brought home from a   
    RH> meeting last night. We repackaged it into 2 slices/bag vaccuum bags and   
    RH> froze. It'll reheat quick on the convection cycle of the toaster oven   
    RH> and a slice each, with a side of something else, will make an easy   
    RH> lunch.   
      
    DD> I nuke frozen (leftover) pizza. Lots quicker.   
      
   By doing it our way, the crust doesn't get soggy. We've tried it both   
   ways (nuking and rebaking) and personally prefer the other. Yesterday   
   Steve brought home from the farmer's market a different twist on   
   pizza--a roll up. Didn't really have any noticeable sauce, just   
   pepperoni and cheese, but it was good. One of the vendors has been   
   bringing them so Steve finally decided to give them a try--we may try   
   making our own version.   
      
    RH> Steve's mom bought the real thing from time to time at the little   
    RH> Italian store in Rochester that we shop at from time to time. She also   
    RH> used the green and red cans; I was raised on the green can. Once our   
    RH> finances eased a bit (and getting into the echo), I started buying the   
    RH> real thing and haven't looked back.   
      
    DD> I'm more like Steve's mom then. I do both - depending. Hy-Vee sells a   
    DD> shaker-can of grated Parm w/black pepper and garlic added. Very nice   
    DD> in some (many) applications.   
      
   Wegman's sells the fresh grated, usually in tubs. The black pepper and   
   garlic sounds like a nice addition; maybe I'll take some of our Parm,   
   now that it's grated (and frozen), add pepper & garlic to a small jar of   
   it. (We keep a pint sized glass jar with a shaker top in the fridge.)   
      
      
    RH> Sometimes it just takes something simple to open your eyes. Steve   
    RH> doesn't like black olives so some years (decades) ago I bought some   
    RH> kalamata olives. Big!!! hit, and they appear regularly in my cooking.   
      
    DD> I alsways like the ripe olives better than the green guys. Although   
    DD> I'll do the greenies as long as I can ditch the pimientos.   
      
   I don't mind the pimentoes so will eat them along with the olive. (G)   
      
      
   ---   
   Catch you later,   
   Ruth   
   rchaffly{at}earthlink{dot}net  FIDO 1:396/45.28   
      
      
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