Talk About Tennis 2.0

JazzNU wrote: ↑Wed Nov 10, 2021 10:35 pm

dryrunguy wrote: ↑Wed Nov 10, 2021 9:46 pm
As for produce, I'll pay whatever I have to pay, but most produce prices have stayed fairly steady--at least around here.

I think they might be rising most places. We aren't a good barometer for certain produce, milk and a few other things. So much that is produced nearby by some family farm, the Amish, or the Mennonite, that supply chain issues that seem to be occurring elsewhere aren't as big of an issue here on certain items.

But yeah, costs for many things are rising and you definitely notice it when you're shopping and paying at the register. And while I used to get gas occasionally at Costco, I'm getting it there religiously right now, about 20 cents cheaper than everywhere else.

Yeah, I bet we're the exception on this front. We have a lot of local Amish who have a greenhouse and grow all sorts of produce year-round. Some of what they grow almost certainly ends up at the local Mennonite market during the winter and spring months.

But of course the Amish don't grow many of the things I'm looking for (e.g., fresh jalapenos, fresh poblanos, etc.), so that's when I'm reduced to finding those items (probably shipped in from California or the South) at the Food Lion in Mercersburg, if I'm lucky. For example, today at the Food Lion, there were no jalapenos to be found at all, and the poblanos they had were already well past their prime.

Fortunately, I still have some frozen jalapenos I grew last year and the last poblano I grew this year. Because I'm making a fresh batch of roasted salsa at the moment.

In urban centers like Philly and New York, I suspect the prices for fresh produce are through the roof--especially if you attach words like "organic" to it. I can't even imagine what meat is going for these days in places like that.

dryrunguy wrote: ↑Wed Nov 10, 2021 11:52 pm
But of course the Amish don't grow many of the things I'm looking for (e.g., fresh jalapenos, fresh poblanos, etc.), so that's when I'm reduced to finding those items (probably shipped in from California or the South) at the Food Lion in Mercersburg, if I'm lucky. For example, today at the Food Lion, there were no jalapenos to be found at all, and the poblanos they had were already well past their prime.

In urban centers like Philly and New York, I suspect the prices for fresh produce are through the roof--especially if you attach words like "organic" to it. I can't even imagine what meat is going for these days in places like that.

Food Lion!

Produce prices here not that bad yet, but that's because a decent number of places, even Whole Foods, promote locally sourced items, which for us means the entire Greater Philly region which includes Lancaster, Lehigh Valley, and Southern NJ, which all have a ton of agriculture. So there might be something more expensive alongside something more affordable, but likely almost as good. Definitely more expensive the moment you go organic. But also, we have Trader Joe's, Aldi's and a few other places that help with keeping overall prices down. And Wegman's remains the best for great produce at reasonable prices.

You should come to Switzerland and see our meat prices... A good place to be vegetarian.

Arrived yesterday in Bogota. Premium gas at $4/Gallon. Guess I will be walking a lot more for the rest of the year.

How big is there a need to drive in Bogota for a regular guy like you? The last time I drove a car was in Virginia in late 2019...

ponchi101 wrote: ↑Thu Nov 11, 2021 6:54 pm Arrived yesterday in Bogota. Premium gas at $4/Gallon. Guess I will be walking a lot more for the rest of the year.

Glad you made it back safely. Hope your mom and sister are doing better now.

Suliso wrote: ↑Thu Nov 11, 2021 6:56 pm How big is there a need to drive in Bogota for a regular guy like you? The last time I drove a car was in Virginia in late 2019...

Wow!

Suliso wrote: ↑Thu Nov 11, 2021 6:56 pm How big is there a need to drive in Bogota for a regular guy like you? The last time I drove a car was in Virginia in late 2019...

For me, zero. I can walk anywhere or use regular transport that will get me there for the equivalent of $0.75. The issue for working people is comfort and schedules. Our buses are not comfortable at all. I took two yesterday to get from the Airport (my GF will take a taxi) and it was ok, but it is not European public transport.
As a matter of fact, I use my car so little that I just went to start it and it didn't. Dead battery.

JazzNU wrote: ↑Thu Nov 11, 2021 7:37 pm

ponchi101 wrote: ↑Thu Nov 11, 2021 6:54 pm Arrived yesterday in Bogota. Premium gas at $4/Gallon. Guess I will be walking a lot more for the rest of the year.

Glad you made it back safely. Hope your mom and sister are doing better now.

Thanks. Came back because I have a couple of things to do here, and both of them are fine now. But after some more snooping around, I found out that my mom's O2 saturation level reached 75% at one point. That was when my sister called for me to go there.
Also, glad I made it there because there were several things to fix at home. Shower heads, bathroom faucets, toilet flushers, and I forget what else. Little things, but they needed me there. I really have to plan to go to Caracas once a year, just for those things. And to see them (I was more used to bring them here).

ponchi101 wrote: ↑Thu Nov 11, 2021 8:16 pm
Thanks. Came back because I have a couple of things to do here, and both of them are fine now. But after some more snooping around, I found out that my mom's O2 saturation level reached 75% at one point. That was when my sister called for me to go there.
Also, glad I made it there because there were several things to fix at home. Shower heads, bathroom faucets, toilet flushers, and I forget what else. Little things, but they needed me there. I really have to plan to go to Caracas once a year, just for those things. And to see them (I was more used to bring them here).

Yeah, an unfortunate reason to return, but still great you were able to help with taking care of your mom and fix things around the house. And even just spend time with your nephew I'm sure. If you're on good terms with them to start, family visits tend to be positive at the end of the day no matter the cause in my experience.

So happy to hear that mom and sister are doing well.


That's really interesting about the comfortability of public transport. That wouldn't have entered my mind as a consideration.

Sorry about the dead car battery. Hopefully that's as cheap of a fix there as it is here.

ti-amie wrote: ↑Thu Nov 11, 2021 8:19 pm

The real question is who does the Judge happen to work for? It sure as heck isn't the good people of Wisconsin.

What was that you asked Jazz?

JazzNU wrote: ↑Thu Nov 11, 2021 7:44 pm

Suliso wrote: ↑Thu Nov 11, 2021 6:56 pm How big is there a need to drive in Bogota for a regular guy like you? The last time I drove a car was in Virginia in late 2019...

Wow!

Why is that surprising? I don't own a car and drive much by choice not because I wouldn't know how or couldn't afford. Public transport here is outstanding and I live walking distance from both the city center and the central railway station.

Okay where did they find this guy?



This is why so many trials like this end up being held in Federal Courts.