Random 5 for November 8, 2026 – Photo pictures, rain, fall, bad service, coffee

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The view from my office window.

Not again! – I had to get a new driver’s license photo taken at our local department of transportation office. It was easy peasy. My butt didn’t hit the chair before I was taken in to answer some questions. It was donation questions — do I want to donate my organs or do I want to donate money to different organizations, etc. I closed my eyes for the first picture (like I always do) so the person kindly took another. She showed it on a screen. I said “That’s what I look like” and put us both out of our misery. In past years I’ve had to wait while someone ahead of me had six different shots taken because they didn’t understand that they were not beautiful! I’ve learned that it doesn’t matter what I do, I always look the same. My photo looks a lot like Mitch McConnell’s proof of life photo. Next time I’ll keep my mouth shut when I smile. That won’t be for a couple years, so I’ll probably forget.

Really Mother Nature? – Up until the day I went for my photo, we had 17 days of sunshine without a drop of rain. Just gorgeous! There was a slight chance of spotty showers predicted on the day I went. I hoped spotty meant a few drops here or there and in the afternoon. Nope, it poured while I did my errands. I looked like a drowned cat. My hair was mostly dry, but I (foolishly) wore a hoodie instead of a rain jacket, so my clothes were wet. On the scale of life no one sees this photo unless I’m arrested and that won’t happen. Hopefully.

The real fall is coming! – After a fabulous and warm fall season, our temperatures are dropping and the trees are almost bare. It seems to have happened overnight. It’s still mild but a cooler mild. No bumping 70 degrees.  Not looking forward to winter but you must go through it to get to spring.

How do you handle unhappy? – We have a person who does financial work for us. We’ve been with him a while. He replaced the original guy we had chosen. He’s a lot more talk than action. You can’t get a hold of him on Fridays and sometimes Mondays. It takes days to respond to an inquiry. Ultimately the service is adequate and changing would be a challenge. It reminds me of how lucky we are when we have a good match with service providers. We have a meeting this week and I’m working on phrasing my displeasure in a way that doesn’t incite retribution.

Coffee season – Our local Starbucks cafes are jammed. They just came out with the holiday feu-feu drinks. Pumpkin lattes are passe. I get the same drink year-round. Other than for an afternoon treat, I don’t understand the attraction. Morning coffee time should be reserved for those of us who need it to prevent homicides!

So how was your week?

 

45 thoughts on “Random 5 for November 8, 2026 – Photo pictures, rain, fall, bad service, coffee”

  2. I felt really lucky renewing my driver’s license online which is fabulous not having to go i and wait. They use the previous photo which wasn’t horrible but definitely not the kind of head shot I’d want ‘out there.’ They won’t let you smile now so it probably resembles a mug shot. The last time I traveled to Vegas on business, I had a TSA agent really give it a once over-looking, at the license and then back at me, repeatedly. After a few uncomfortable moments, I finally said, “I’m so much better looking in person, aren’t I?” He laughed and then ushered me through.

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  3. I renewed my passport this week–all online, even the picture. I uploaded one (after getting Grok to make it Passport-ready–no smile, no glasses, white background). It’s the first passport I’ll be proud to show the picture.

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  5. Winter arrived here too with a bang – it simply poured and poured. Now the sun is out and the sky is a cloudless blue. I am still cold.
    Ah, yes – photos for official documents. There’s a reason they are known (in British English slang, at any rate) as “mug shots”. I have never had one that made me look good. Not even when I was much, much younger. I think the camera hates me (lol).

    Coffee – now that you remind me – I knew I needed something …..

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  8. I also drink the same coffee and creamer every day. In theory, I might like to try something new and tasty, but I never do. In theory, I tell myself I should try tea instead now and then, but I don’t. Sometimes in the afternoon, but never in the morning.

    Our nice, rather dry fall has come to an end. We’re expecting rain and sometimes wind for the next week. I think it has something to do with El Nino.

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  9. I was surprised I didn’t have to go this year to renew in person as it was 8 years since my last renewal, so I’m good until 2030 … seeing that date on the new license blows my mind though. The third decade in the new millennium and it seems like we were just angsting over what would happen with Y2K. Our beautiful and long-lasting Fall came to an abrupt halt on Friday with rain and we’ve had three days of gusty winds at 30 mph. Now the leaves are here, there and everywhere on my lawn, but they are far from being all off the trees. My last day for yard waste is the Monday before Thanksgiving (the 23rd) but this will be the third year in a row they stopped pickup too early.

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      • Yes, that’s likely what will happen here – we have to hide them though or else be fined (even though many people take pics of the garbagemen mixing the recyclables from that bin with the regular garbage every so often and post them on our Residents Facebook site). We have to pay about $80.00/year for recycling alone.

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  13. I just thought I would mention it again in case you forgot(wink)…. my next license renewal is 2034 🫤 Scary.
    I am happy you had a beautiful fall season. I am trying to get in the mood to even pretend it is fall-ish. Friday night we will be in the 50s with lower humidity… there is hope. I have decided I will have a few white chocolate mochas during our cool down to feel the “merry” of the season… Fa-la-la-la-la ♫

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  15. Loving the fall weather. I enjoy putting on turtlenecks and sweatshirts and getting cozy. One cuppa coffee in the morning is my limit, but an absolutely must have.

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  16. I dislike running errands in the rain . . . especially after a string of sunny days. But I love rain when I can be out on balcony listening to its pitter patter while staying high and dry.

    Good week. Belated birthday cake and pizza for BFF. Plus early Christmas presents from our niece ~ including a digital frame and a baby soft hand knitted blanket to cuddle up in on cooler mornings. The yarn color is “Beach Foam” which is more cozy than wrapping up in “Frosty Snow.” We will be with her for Christmas, most likely, but she couldn’t wait for us to enjoy them.

    I switched from coffee to tea a year or so ago and am happy with the change. Every morning I choose a delicious herbal tea (for flavor) to pair with Twinings English Breakfast Tea (for a hit of caffeine). I did it mostly because I couldn’t find a non-dairy creamer that seemed as creamy as Half & Half.

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  17. I have NEVER had what I’d call a good photo for my drivers’ license/passport – WHATEVER. I look bored or dead (for quite a while) or like a criminal. Period. I’m used to it. I only have one cuppa coffee in the morning – decaf…..my heart goes nuts on caf and I have high BP soooooo….. Anyway, we have had a pretty Fall but the leaves are now that dead color – not brilliant orange/yellow/red BUT on the bright side, without all the leaves on the trees surrounding out house I can see STARS in the morning – beautiful. Love both of the “toons!!

    Hugs, Pam

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    • My heart races on caffeine too. One a friend did a half caf/half decaf pot when I was on vacation. Thought I was having a heart attack. Funny how your body adjusts to no caf, then reacts to it! I can still drink a caffeinated soda but not coffee.

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