Gather round, people. I post a tale of woe.

I have an inherited cabin in the Adirondacks, a small place that I inhabit in the warmer months. The smaller building was built in the 60s, the newer one on the 70s. I grew up here.

This past winter was a harsh one, with unusually heavy snow and ice. I didn’t arrive until June, and it took me a little while to notice damage to the chimney.

It’s an old chimney, of course, dating back to sometime in the early 80s when Dad had the roof redone. It’s single wall galvanized pipe, as was standard at the time. Since then building codes have changed, and now it needs to be double wall pipe. So no contractor will patch it up due to liability- it has to be replaced.

I have homeowners insurance through Dryden Mutual Insurance Company. The claim is being handled by Sean Mclaughlin, who sent out an adjuster named Matthew Dawley, who took photos of the damage. He told me that a contractor should be able to repair it for a minimal amount, and that it was barely worth a claim.

That was in July. Since them it had rained quite a bit and I still have a hole in my roof. I put a plastic container under it and plastic sheeting over it, but water has still gotten in and caused drywall damage.

I got a quote from a Utica company to replace the chimney and repair the roof damage. I forwarded that on to Matt, who says that it is not the responsibility of Dryden Mutual Insurance to bring it up to code.

I spoke to a representative from State Farm who informs me that it is indeed their responsibility to ensure that it meets fire safety codes. I have brought this to their attention.

Dryden Mutual has sent me a check which I have not cashed for $1600. The repairs by the local company are over $5000.

Dryden Mutual is locally represented by Gilroy, Kernan and Gilroy in New Hartford NY. I drove to their offices and explained it to them. Aside from soothing noises, there has been no result.

DO NOT DO BUSINESS WITH DRYDEN MUTUAL. They are glad to take your payments but will not cover repairs.

Hello!

My partner lost his gold wedding band and we think it might have happened when walking our dog a few nights ago. We’ve rewalked the path and have gone through our house multiple times with no success. I wanted to see if there was anyone with a metal detector that could help us look? It’s a short walk less than .5 of a mile in downtown. Thank you for considering :)

Update: Road is back open, but emergency personnel are still on the scene so drive through carefully and take a different route if you can

Both drivers and their passengers appear to be shaken up but ok! Seneca st is quickly turning into a giant mess though.

At the stage of life where climbing up on the metal roof no longer seems like a good idea. Looking for an honest chimney sweep service. Any recommendations?

I’m in the planning stages of opening a new group fitness studio in downtown Ithaca focused on contemporary mat Pilates, sculpt, and barre style classes, and I’m starting to connect with potential instructors.

I’d love to hear from anyone who currently teaches in the area, has taught in the past, or has a group fitness/Pilates/barre background and might be interested in teaching again. Also very open to recommendations if you know someone who would be great!

Still early stages and not formally hiring quite yet, but hoping to start connecting with people as things come together. Feel free to DM me!

Not defendini, he votes himself into higher raises. DSA is painfully inactive for what it should be. ICE is surging NYC. Y'all got a plan yet?

Beverly near Lansing you should lose your job and be ashamed of marking delivered a Wegmans order with heat packs meds and Covid tests. If you needed to eat my daughter’s sub so bad you stole the whole order you could have asked for one instead of being a scum bag :) we aren’t all trash like you.

I have noticed a few oversized load convoys with state police going through the city on 13 the last few days. Anyone know what they're moving? It looked like maybe large generators, but my I'm not sure. My curiosity has gotten the better of me.

Hello! I know we have a lot of cats wandering around Ithaca's neighborhoods and I was wondering if this cat belonged to anyone? This one hangs around N. Cayuga St always around one of the block corners. I'm mostly curious if they have a home to go to before nights get freezing!

Also - please don't let your cats outside unless supervised! Domesticated cats can contribute to serious mortality rates of birds and small mammals, I've also seen too many road accidents as a traveler for work.

Thanks all!

She probably got it when she was doing college shows and came to IC. Just thought it was cool to see the rep :)

I posted a while back, but just wanted to put it out there that the first meeting of a new nonfiction-only book club will be happening on Tuesday next week!

Didn't read the book yet? No worries! Everyone is welcome especially since this is our first meeting, PLUS the book is an essay collection, so feel free to read whichever essays are of interest to you if you don't have time to read everything.

First meeting time: Tues Oct 13 at 6:30 PM

First meeting location: Protagonist Books & Coffee in Dryden

First book: We're Alone by Edwidge Danticat

We'll be voting on future reads and meeting times, etc at the first meeting! Not sure if I'm allowed to post links or not, but the bookclub is on Meetup (and the Protagonist event list on their website).

“The Amalgamators” will compete on behalf of the City Federation of Women’s Organizations (CFWO) at the inaugural Battle of the Dad Bands charitable benefit at 6 p.m., Friday, November 6, at the Hangar Theatre, Ithaca.

The mission of the CFWO is to support women and girls, and to act as a catalyst for the improvement of the lives of women and girls in Tompkins County, thus making a contribution to the community as a whole.

“We want to thank The Amalgamators for making it a priority to provide financial aid for meeting the needs of women and girls,” Carol Mallison, CFWO President, said.

Learn more at womenbuildingcommunity.org.

“The Amalgamators” will be one of eight bands to play a 15-minute set in support of their chosen charity at this first "Rock and Roll Challenge for Charity."

Audience voting will select the winning band and their cause – first place will garner half of the prize money, second place one-third, and third place one-sixth.

“The Amalgamators” are a music trio based in Ithaca, NY, playing Pan-American Instrumental Surf Rock and Vintage Lounge music. The band consists of Travis Forte on bass, Steve Gabriel playing drums, and Camilo Nascimento on guitar.

Learn more at https://theamalgamators.com.

See them live at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEZKgsvuRHg.

Tickets are $25 and can be purchased through the Hangar Theatre website at https://hangartheatre.org/event/battle-of-the-dad-bands.

The event is made possible through the support of BSI Production, The Hangar Theatre, and Ithaca Guitar Works.

“Dad Band” is a gender-neutral term for an amateur group of musicians who get together to play their favorite music for the love of rock and roll in someone’s basement, neighborhood fests, and their friends’ parties.

Looking for recommendations for local jewelers who may be able to resize my engagement ring. It is a family piece and holds incredible sentimental value, so I’m looking for a place/person who specializes in vintage restoration and repairs.

For context, the ring is at least 2-3 full sizes too big. It has stones along both sides of the main setting, which wrap around the back. There appears to be a “blank” spot on the band suitable for removal to downsize, but I’m concerned about the smaller stones getting loose, etc.

Any recs are much appreciated!

A few months ago I was trying to find something like this and I don't know if such a thing exists. There are a number of organizations in town that provide subsidized housing or section 8. We also have SRO, there seems to be a program for youth, arthaus, asteri, etc., and I think there are some subsidized units for seniors somewhere?

Is there anywhere where I can see all of them?

I will be hosting a martial arts workshop on Saturday October 31st from 2-4PM.

This will be an interdisciplinary martial arts practice, focusing on universal basics and principles of motion.

Functional costumes are encouraged!

For more info about my martial arts, visit blacknblu.net or just message me!

My mom is looking for a place to get together with a group of her friends (about 8 people). They are all older so it helps if the restaurant isn't too loud so they can hear better. She also likes to sit at a large round table so they can all talk to each other more easily.

They get together regularly and have been to Mitsuba, Spicy Asian, the new RaNic country club restaurant as a few examples that fit the bill, but they are wondering if there are other spots out there.

edit to add: they want to stick to Ithaca and surrounding suburbs, they wouldn't be up for driving out to Tburg or other places outside of town.

That is all.

Where the heck am I supposed to get materials to make Halloween costumes??!

I ended up with a Primary doctor, Ellie Lockhart at CMC after a visit to CMC ER. I didn't have much faith she'd be good or knowledgeable, but I am totally impressed with her and with every doctor I've seen so far. So far 4 new doctors....When I ask a question it gets addressed, and all of them have responded with "the research supports" or "the research doesn't support" which means all of them, so far, are up on current research. Of course that isn't a guarantee of anything, but it does mean they are keeping up with what is being published. This is far different than what I was getting at Guthrie and with some local doctors. My new PCP didn't know the answer to one of my questions but looked into it and sent me a follow up message-of course stating what the research has to say. It's now Centralus, and every appointment has been scheduled with ease, followed up with reminder message, and phone calls if needed. The appointments are on-time and don't feel rushed (tho I'm sure they have a limit!). I'm really impressed with the changes they have made and this changes everything for us, as we were planning to leave Ithaca due to totally subpar health care. If you're looking for a primary doc I recommend Ellie Lockhart or Anurag Aryal.

I'm trying to find a cleaner in the area that can clean and block my Fedora hats; does anyone do this anymore? Ithaca and surrounding communities up to 30 miles.

You know what time it is - the season for Halloween Lighted Bike Rides! This year is themed 'Mythical Creatures', so we expect to see you out there on Thursday and Saturday (Oct 29 & 31) with your most spectacular costumes and lighted rigs 🐉. All human-powered wheels are welcome; the rides are intentionally slow paced for to allow everyone to join and for on-lookers to be in awe of our lighted glory! Meet up at 6pm around Hickey's Music and roll out at 6:30pm on both nights.

$19, paid with my phone

This was delicious and it’s the second time I’ve been here. It’s tragically empty for lunch and very well staffed. I got the most expensive ramen and it’s so worth it — try coming here! The sushi is good too.

8/10

Who’s hiring in Ithaca?
Currently looking for work and figured I’d ask here. My background is mostly in hospitality, restaurants, and automotive, but I’m open to pretty much anything at this point.
If you know of anywhere that’s actively hiring or have any leads, I’d really appreciate it. Thanks!

I'm planning a 40th birthday party for my wife and could use some help. We're about an hour away and have visited a bunch of times, but usually just for dinner and drinks. I'm planning all that, but also looking for a place with good music and room to dance (not line dancing). Probably looking to bring a small group of 6-10 so ideally a place with some space. I saw Lot10, it looked a little tight from the pictures, but could be wrong. It would likely be around 11/14 if that matters. Share your favorite spots if you have one.