Two more to go

Yesterday I went for my 10th visit for the Clinical Eye Study.  This means I only have two left: one the first week of August and the last one will be mid-September.

That's still a lot of time that needs to pass before i get the check that will go directly to Home Depot to pay off the appliances we had to buy last November.  The kids will be back in class for their last year of Elementary School.  

The funny thing about participating in this is that it was almost doomed from the start.  At the beginning, almost every visit conflicted with something else.  The last few have been relatively drama free, however.

But...two weeks ago we went to Michigan for a graduation party.  I forgot my eye drops!  Luckily, Sister-In-Law wasn't leaving until the next day, and she phoned us to ask if we had forgotten anything.  So I only missed a couple of nights, but didn't record it as such on the log.  

My SIL, however, had some mega drama on the drive down.  They rented a minivan and were going to do the entire drive in one day.  But when they were around Nashville, the check engine light came on.  Turns out, the car hadn't had its oil changed in a long, long time.  They were going to try and swap out rentals, but instead had to just get an oil change and get reimbursed.  This delayed their arrival but many hours.

I'm torn because, as much as I dislike my BIL, it isn't fair that his wife and two young children had to endure that.  Speaking of Confederate Jethro, we got into it on Saturday of that trip when we were having lunch at Rainfall Cafe.  He just cannot got more than 5 minutes without saying something that would get you in front of HR in Corporate America.   His latest issue is men using the women's bathroom probably because Fox News told him this is happening.   

I told him to STFU at lunch but he refused.  When we got to SIL Adama's home, I told Nightingale's parents how pissed I am and that if they don't want me to go nuclear, it might be a good idea to back me up.  I had meant only after confederate Jethro said anything stupid but MIL preemptively got on his case when they arrived, so of course he was pissy the rest of the trip.  

It's officially summer and the entire United States is experiencing a heat wave.  It's actually hotter in Chicago than it is down here, by a few degrees.  This is the time of year I cannot really stand to be outside too long.  The kids are bored out of their minds.  

I have a few appointments to keep but once those are over, I hope to be able to get them out of the house more.  

This Trip was a Little Different

We just returned from a 10-day trip to Michigan for a high school graduation party, with a stop in Chicago on the way back.  As per our brand, we did it at the Highest Difficulty Setting.  

We were in Louisville on Thursday, and we got to see some friends who live there.  But then, as soon as they left, Nightingale left me in the pool to go talk to her parents.  The parents who 1) live in the same town we do and 2) were going to see every day for the next 4 days.  I was pissed because she didn't even give me a chance to get my iPad or swim wear.  She just went to her parents' room like her umbilical cord was tugged.

On Friday, after a 6-hour drive, we had to get some food and go to SIL's house, an hour away, even though we were going to (check notes) see her every day for the next 4 days.  To be fair, we just didn't think it through: we should have had her come to us, and the food would be warm, and we had access to a hotel pool.

SIL and Confederate Jethro opted to drive all the way to Dearborn on Friday, and this worked out for us because I had forgotten my eye drops.  It didn't work out for them because the car they rented had issues.  The check engine light came on because the oil hadn't been changed on time.  They had to scramble to fix the problem and didn't get to Dearborn until much later than expected, only to find their room had a lot of dead bugs in it.  I feel bad for the kids who had to spend 13 hours in a car.  I don't feel bad for my BIL.  

On Saturday, we decided to go to Legoland, and it was mostly okay.  But during lunch Confederate Jethro just couldn't stop from saying shit that would get you called into Human Resources in Corporate America.  I couldn't take it any longer and told him to stop, but he wouldn't. I mentioned this to his wife, and all she said was "I didn't hear what he said". Right, because he never says this stuff in the car or at home or at his Klan rally.

So when we got back to the ranch, I exploded on my in-laws.  MIL decided to take matters into her own hands and gave him a talking to when he got there, which made him sulky for the rest of the trip.  It didn't stop him from still saying shit but he did avoid me.  On the last day, his wife made him take a gummy so he was more chill.

Then there was the Chicago Leg.  We cannot stay at my mom's crapshack, so we need a hotel.  NG used points, so it was technically free, but really, we are using points for something instead of for something fun.  We have to pick my mom up, and she will stay with us the entire trip.  Her hearing is mostly gone, so I have to raise my soft voice for her to hear, which makes it sound like I'm shouting.  

I didn't get to see anyone this trip.  But at least I got the car washed and went to a spa for a facial.  Down here, men don't get facials.  They get face massages, which are very lame.  But I had to do something about all these white and black heads, so I indulged.  I also got our knives sharpened because everyone down here sharpens their own knives.  

The thing is, whenever we talk about going to Chicago, Nightingale mentions all these things we can do.  But once we get here, all we do is spend time with Katness and her boys and my mom.  We only have one vehicle, so it's tough to see anyone.  We are supposedly going back for Thanksgiving week, and I could literally tell Nightingale that I have no plans except to meet So-and-So on Wednesday at noon, and when we get there, she will forget and make plans for noon on Wednesday.

Werner 55-1 Attic Ladder Spreader Arm

 If you look to the left of this ladder, you will see a hinge. Formally known as Werner 55-1 Attic Ladder Spreader Arm.

About a month ago, the one on the right bent such that it was impossible to close the attic access.  We had to undo the spring and try to find a replacement part.  As you can imagine, these are very proprietary, and I ended up calling the manufacturer directly.

They, in turn, referred me to some vendors that supply the parts.  And not to get too political or anything, but they are both American-based.  Which doesn't really make a difference, except one place was significantly cheaper than the other and could ship sooner.

had to cut this part

So once the part arrived, I read the instructions (and turned in my Man-Card cause we ain't supposed to do that) and was please to find that it was a good thing I called the manufacturer's support line first.  If I had done something most guys would have done, I would need a new ladder.  But because I called and read, I saved myself about $500.

Perpetual Sleep Deficit

 Because of the weather, school was canceled on Monday and Tuesday.  This put a hold on some projects I wanted to get done.  With school resuming today, I got around to those projects.

I have been awake since -3:45 am.  I went to bed around 9, so I did get a good night's sleep. However, at my age and since having children, I feel like I am in a perpetual sleep deficit.  And when you have already been awake for 8 hours and it isn't even quite noon yet, you feel....strange.

First, I was able to go to my In-laws home and put a coffee table in their attic.  We like this table that we got for free but don't really have a place for it in our current home.  I've tried to sell it, but I just cannot give it away because I'm holding onto the hope that this will not be our last house.

Second, I was able to borrow FIL circular saw and cut a large piece of plywood down to a more manageable size to get into our attic.  Our attic is unfinished, and putting down random pieces of plywood increases storage space.

Over the weekend we fixed the broken attic ladder.

Third, I put in a shelf in the awkward base cabinet in our kitchen.  i can only assume it had a Lazy Susanne in it at one point based on shape and the drill holes in the bottom.  It wasn't a perfectly built shelf (FIL helped so I'm blaming him) but it will do to increase/optimize the storage space.

I did stuff like this back at my condo when DIY and HGTV were all the buzz.

Selling money for money

 Two collectors told me essentially the same thing.  These silver certificates aren't worth more than $1 each but I should hold onto them or sell them on Facebook Marketplace.  I did the latter and got some quick responses.  I took an offer for $20 for the fifteen of them.  (Some knucklehead offered me $14, probably as a joke and I quickly insulted him before the post got archived after the sale).

What this tells me is that One Dollar Silver Certificates, especially in the condition these were in, are not worth a professional collector's time and effort.  But perhaps an amateur collector can sell enough on volume to make a difference.

I asked the guy who bought them what he was gonna do with them and he said he just likes to collect old coins.  That's probably it.  

I'm now free of those dollars.  I will slowly reintroduce the coins back in the currency population and empty that box out.  The foreign coins and bills will go to the donation box the next time I'm at a museum.  Go Me.  

These Eyes have seen a lot of things

Since writing about the clinical trial for eye drops, I've made 3 more visits, the 9th one this morning.  It was probably the shortest I've ever been there.  My blood pressure was better than last time because I've gotten a little exercise in.  My diary/log sheet didn't have the usual re-writes since I took my time filling it out over the last six weeks.

The bad news is that I was hoping to get some lunch at Mr Rusty's Real Taste of Chicago.  It's about a 20-minute drive from the clinic, so I figured I'd be first in line.  Unfortunately, they changed their hours and didn't open until 10:30 am.  I couldn't wait another half hour, plus the wait time for food, so I headed home.  

So I just have three more visits to go.  I've earned $1175 but won't get paid until the end of the trail.  I'm hoping there isn't some loophole or something I've missed that will allow them to not pay me.  And I'd be happy if something happened like a job or relocation back to Chicagoland would make me have to quit the trial but with only three more to go, I think it will happen as planned.

Jerk in the truck made it hard to take this photo

The kids are finished with 4th grade next Friday.  The weekend after Memorial Day we are headed to Michigan for a high school graduation/big celebration which I am not looking forward to.  I do not like how the Adamas treat me in my own home, it's gonna suck even more on their terf.

On the return trip, we will swing through Chicago to check on my mom.  She isn't doing well and actually had a fall the other week.  We cannot manage her from here and she won't move down here.  Not that we have the space for her.  IF she would just sell her house, we could find a way to buy a better home in Chicago and take care of her.  

Cleaning Out My Closets

Every now and again,  I get a flyer about a roadshow where they will evaluate your old coins.  They will also look at comics, memorabilia and jewelry, specifically gold and silver.

I finally got my act together enough to go out there with my box of coins and a few other things I hoped they take off my hands.  I had no delusion that I owned anything of five-figure, four-figure or even three-figure value.  I just wanted to put my mind to ease that I wasn't putting a quarter back in circulation that might be worth a dollar.

It was a very pleasant experience.  I thought it would be a conference style format and you had to go to different booths, but instead it's two guys in a hotel's "We-Office" facility and you have a one-on-one discussion.  Along with my coins, I had brought some comics, some memorabilia and jewelry.  The only stuff that was worth his wild were some coins and some jewelry.

And that's fine. They have to make money and they likely know what they can sell for just a little bit more and what won't move.  

I left with a check for $225.  half was from some coins, specifically some coins the local coin shop didn't even bother taking out of the bag when I went there a few months ago.  The rest was for a silver bracelet I got in Mexico in 1994, a 10K gold ring and a couple of other items.  I actually took back two rings that weren't worth much but I thought my kids could enjoy.

But the best part is that now I am free to put the rest of the money back in circulation.  I've carted those boxes around from apartment to apartment to condo to house to house.  Why?  And I can pitch all that other stuff too.  

While I was there I was able to talk to Ronnie about his industry.   We talked about how those stories of someone finding a rare coin worth XXX money makes things harder for his industry because that is such a rare, rare event.  But people like my mom hoard things because they believe it will be worth more some day.

he said he has been doing this for almost a decade now.  it tickles my heart that someone could find something that they enjoy and pays the rent as an alternative to the florescent lighting of Corporate America Hell.  While I only spent less than an hour with this guy, he seemed intelligent, knowledgeable and could probably flourish in many other industries.  But he gets to do something he genuinely seems to enjoy.  

Life in the South part 29

Reptiles: Hey, you've got A/C and Netflix. Can I come in?

Cats:  Sorry you weren't on the E-vite.

Me: How did the lizard get into the house in the first place?

Kids:  That's a mystery that will never be solved.

I posted the above on the Book of Faces, although this happened a few days ago.  I suspect the poor creature got into our bathroom because we currently have a hole in our shower where some tile has fallen off.

Our cats probably had a field day tormenting and then finally, perhaps accidentally, killing this guy.  

In other news, last night we had a Tornado Warning around 1 am.  Nightingale woke us up, and we put a mattress from the kids loft into what amounts to a hallway between the bedrooms and bathroom until it passed.  

Usually, these warnings and events are all NothingBurgers, but it's better to be safe than sorry.  It seems we are experiencing a lot of weather conditions down here.  More snow.  More cold.  and More Tornado warnings than in past decades.  But Climate Change is not real, right?  /end sarcasm font.  

Down to Four Bucks a Day Now

 I thought it would be good to update the Cost per Day for the Drama Playset.  We have now owned the Drama Playset since January 14, 2022.  

Conservative Estimate:  I'm assuming that 4 kids using the playset most days equals one kid using it daily.  Also, we have had an additional kid most of the year.

So using the time and date duration calculator to figure the time between January 14, 2022, when it finally arrived, and today this year, I get 1172 days.  

that works out to $6000/1172 = $5.92 per use.

Slightly Optimistic Estimate:  If we get more optimistic, then we can assume 4 kids using the playset most days equals two kids using it every day.

That works out to $6000/1172/2 = $2.56 per use.

If we take the average of these two values, we get the more like CPU of $3.84.

So as we have owned this for 3 years and some change, it costs $4 to keep my kids entertained and off their iPads.

Same as Always

In the month of February two recruiters reached out to me about contract positions at Law Firm A and B.  Recruiter A used the customary safe language of no promises but probably 3-6 months and might extend, with a slim possibility of going to FTE (Full-time Employment).

Recruiter B said the role would convert to FTE if things looked like a good fit.  This is the new normal because it's easier to offboard a contractor than a FTE.

There were 3 possibilities:  1) they both make offers and I have to choose; 2) only one makes an offer and it's pretty academic.  3) neither make an offer and I'm back to square one.

In the interest of not extending the suspense, neither made an offer, deciding to go with that person I always lose out to: Mr. Stronger Candidate.

Law Firm A just had me do one interview with the director I'd be working for and I recognized her name from when I was a support engineer at the No-Name Software Company.  I thought we had a good interview, certainly better than many of the ones I've had over the years.  Truthfully, I hoped she'd hire me and even if it only lasted 6 months it would 1) get me back in the game and 2) bring in some sorely needed income.

Law Firm B was a different story.  The first guy I interviewed with wanted, if hired, me to start FTE from the get-go.  Naturally, I said I would but this was not something I was prepared for during the interview.. it was quite a surprise.  The feedback was that he felt I'd be a good fit for the team, but let's see how the technical goes.

One issue was like always, they needed me to live in a particular state where they have an office.  And guess what, Tennessee would qualify!  All I would have to do was get an apartment and work from there.

But they still tried to find someone else.  I got a call from a 3rd recruiter for the same role!

The timeline gets fuzzy but eventually, Law Firm B schedules three back-to-back-back 30-minute interviews with some people.  Someone from the business side, a guy I actually interviewed with last year (who swears he was advocating for me then and now), and a director.  

In the end, they decided to go with someone else.  The good thing about this experience was the recruiters didn't abandon me, they were in relatively constant communication all along and even tried to help coach me.

The bad thing is that this shouldn't have taken as long as it did.  I can see mulling it over for a day or two but to make a candidate wait a week and then a weekend just to tell him that you're going in another direction is just cruel and insensitive.  

Winter Beard

 As it happened, we got our kids haircuts at the beginning of the year.  The place we go to has a punch card for adults and my was full, so I got my hair cut too.  But that day (January 4th I do believe) kicked off an experiment.  I decided to grow a beard. 

I've always had Weird Beard.. In my 20s, if I shaved on Monday, I would not get 5 o’clock shadow until about noon on Thursday.  Later in my 30s, the stubble showed up sooner, but it was still like nothing, nothing, nothing, then boom: 5 o’clock shadow that looked like I hadn’t shaved in a week.

I never minded because I’m not a beard, mustache, or goatee person.  And while the stubble grows faster as I have accumulated more spins around the sun, it still took probably longer than one would expect.  it was a good two weeks before anyone really noticed.  It was a good month and a half before the pepper was more noticeable than the salt in the salt and pepper beard.

Most people, including Nightingale liked it. In fact a lot of people who said they liked it also asked if Nightingale liked it.  There is one Friend-From-High-School who was against it but this is more about a relatively recent spat we've had on the Book of Faces and her opinion has no currency.

I personally didn't really like it.  it's itchy, scratch and I have to trim it to keep from looking like a cooter.  I was only gonna keep the beard until middle of February but I extended it to the middle of March.  I trimmed most of it off this week and will eventually get around to being clean shaven again, probably when Spring officially starts.

I might do Winter Beard next year but maybe not.  

Yes but what about Second Snowfall?

If it is rare to get snow in the South, it is even rarer to get more than one snowfall per year but here we are.  Last week the kids were off school for President's Day.  They went to school Tuesday and that evening, in anticipation of the coming snow, schools were closed, and if you didn't have to go anywhere STAY HOME! order was given.

from the first snow 

Nightingale had to use a PTO day because they couldn't reach all the patients in time to close the clinic.  It wasn't as much snow as the last one but down here any snow that lasts more than an afternoon is bad.  I started to clear off the driveway but while taking a short break -- I have a football-length driveway just from the street to the base of the house -- noticed that my neighbor's driveway was melting with the sun beating on it and realized ours was too.

On Thursday, schools were still closed, but the roads in our subdivision had melted, as had our driveway, so it was safe for Nightingale to go to work. The kids did have school on Friday.  The majority of the snow melted over the weekend with the last remnants fading away today.  

also from last time but it looks just like this

We had a big day on Saturday because we actually left the house.  First, it was for Nephew G birthday party at a bounce house.  He is 7 now.  Then, since we didn't have much food in the house, we opted to treat ourselves to Mexican.  We also invited Nightingale's parents who also invited Confederate Jethro et al.  

But first, the party.  I usually sit in a corner and just make sure my son isn't getting into any trouble but this time I made an effort to be social and sat at the adults' table.  Since I only see these people for G or M's birthdays for the most part, I always forget the names of most of Jethro's family.  

His Aunt B asked the table "Well, are we happy with the results of the election?"  My MIL said "We are, they aren't" referring to me and Nightingale.  Nightingale said I hope I still have a job and MIL said "I don't think that will happen, I have a gut feeling".  usually, it's FIL who is clueless.  

A short time later I was asked how I like it down here.  Whenever someone asks me a variation of that question, I respond with "People are uncomfortable with the answer to that question" which I did here.  Credit Beau Bennett, The Ranch.

She didn't quite hear me and thought I said something else but then she said "I'm not like Jethro" which Nightingale thinks is code for liberal.  I think it's more a way to say she's not as bat-shit crazy as Jethro et al but she is still likely conservative and Republican.

So then Dinner.  On the one hand, Jethro probably would have preferred anywhere but a Mexican restaurant for dinner.  On the other hand, if he didn't want to eat there he would have had to go home with at least one kid and make dinner.

It was loud and hard to carry on a conversation but I did manage to have a semi-pleasant chat with SIL and Jethro, though mostly SIL.  We talked about the upcoming trip to Michigan to visit the other SIL because her son is being crowned Prince of the Universe graduating High School and the Adamas want everyone to be there.  

I opposed to going for several reasons, which I may cover in a future post.  

A time ago

 This picture came up in my On This Day on the Book of Faces today.  It feels like Forever Ago, but just 4 years ago we were still in Chicago.  

Timing is everything and my timing genuinely sucks.  If the Dobbs decision had come out or leaked a year earlier, we could still be there.  If the job market heated up just a tad sooner I might have landed one.  IF IF IF.  

Now we are down here in the land of the idiotcracy and nightingale is worried about her job at the VA.  If you are paying attention to current events, President Trump and Elon Musk are gutting the government.  Firing as many as they can get away with.  

what's left out of this is that many Federal workers were not allowed to take the buyout because their position was considered too essential, yet they may also lose their jobs eventually.

Make it make sense.

Winter is Leaving (eventually)

It is wintertime in Mississippi and the rest of the South. Usually, what passes for winter down here is a few below-30-degree days and maybe one snowfall. Since we moved here, and even a few Christmas visits before, there has been bigger-than-standard snowfall and colder-than-record temperatures.  

kids attempt at making us breakfast

The good news is that winter is usually just mid-December to mid-February, give or take a week. Typically, it will be biting cold in the AM, but by 1 pm, the sun will be out, and it will be anywhere from 45 to 60 or even 70 F.  

This year, Winter seems to want to stick around into March according to the weather forecast.  We might actually get more snow next week.  

Finally got the chicken right for the Alfredo

Every January I wonder what I should do with this space.  I've been blogging here for 15 years with 922 posts to show for it.  While blogging isn't dead, it definitely has taken a back seat to other forms of social interaction.

I could go over to SubStack and revive my ChicagoNow blog in hopes of growing an audience, but I don't think I want that anymore.  Writing, running, and playing volleyball were my passions in my teenage and early 20s.  But each one eventually became "work" and thus not as much fun.  

Beyond that, by the time I can make words about something it turns out that other people already said what needs to be said much better than I could ever say it.  

The reality is that I'm not gonna be a viral influencer or pundit and I'm never gonna write that great American novel.  And I'm okay with that.  Having a space where I can write my occasional this happened to me and here are my thinky-thoughts about it is fine.  

A very simple meal

As I've gotten older, I've learned that I don't need to eat a Flintstone's brontosaurus-sized steak.  A simple few ounces will do the trick.

My hack is to buy the smaller 8 - 10 oz no-frills steak that is found at both Aldi or Kroger.  Kroger also offers a pair of lobster tails for $12.  So you can have Surf and Turf for about $10 per person.

The Final Product

And while my kids don't like the Lobster, Natasha will eat the steak.  Boris doesn't eat steak but if he had to eat it, he wants it well done.   He gets it from Nightingale's side of the family.  

What Streaming Services Might Cost a Family

After receiving one of my credit card Year-End Summary reports, I went down a rabbit hole of a sort.  I decided to see how much we spend on fixed services like our streaming services, and also our mortgage and utilities.  I limited it to things like Gas, electricity, Internet, and Water (which includes rubbish, recycle, and sewer) and also added Cell Phones and must-have-in-the-South Pest/Termite control.

I'm gonna share the Streaming services here because it isn't a state secret how much people pay for each individual service.   We have the 4 we explicitly pay for.  We also have 2 that other members of our family pay for but choose the plan that lets you add extra accounts for supposedly cheaper than each member getting their own account.  

[We aren't talking trip to Paris saving; it's more like we can supersize our quarter pounder meal.]  And then there are a couple of services that don't have extra account options but they don't care yet if you share with family members.

The four we have:

We have Amazon Music because my nephew re-enabled it once and I have been too lazy to cancel.  Plus the ability to play any song at will is worth the $10 to keep my kids entertained for 10-15 minutes when they use it.

The Paramount+ auto-renewed last Fall so we are stuck with it for a year.  My understanding is that if I do cancel it, I will not get a prorated amount of money back.  

We keep Amazon Prime because we use it more for the free shipping and whatever other benefits still exist. 

I think the point I'm trying to make is that barring some extreme series of unfortunate events, it isn't game changing to drop all of these Streaming Services, let alone any particular one.

It would be smart to drop all but one, bing watch everything we can, then cancel and add one of the dropped.  Rinse and Repeat.  But that takes timing and organization which is not currently in surplus in the Icarus household.  

My Eyes

 Last summer I signed on to participate in a Clinical Research trial.  I had tried before but didn't qualify but they had me on a list and called me back for a different one and I qualified.  

My thought was I have a lot of free time since no one wants to hire a 50+ year old dude who lives in MS.  

There was conflict even from the beginning.  The very first visit conflicted with my kids' annual pediatrician check-up.  I had forgotten about it and NG was pissed that we had to reschedule.  

Another visit prevented me from going to see my kids get an award or something at school.  

I just completed Visit 6 so I am halfway to the $1550 payout.  Of course, the story of my luck is that if I find a way to earn some extra money, a new expense shows up.  We had to replace our dishwasher and decided to replace the fridge too because the garage fridge died.  While we went frugal and got as many discounts as we could, the total cost was still higher than the Trial Payout, but it was close.

Nightingale and I believe that I have been given the placebo treatment.  The drops do not sting and I haven't noticed any real change in my night or short-sight vision.  

2024 Bears: What a waste of a season

 Another Bears season is over, and thankfully, it is over. We fans had high hopes after last year's surge to finish 7 and 10 and the drafting of generational quarterback Caleb Williams.  

Unfortunately, the Bears regressed this year.  I had them going 11 and 6 instead of 5 - 12.  My prediction record of 7 and 10 is also worse than last year.

This year they started off strong and were 4 - 2 at the bye week.  Then a series of unfortunate events occurred.  Not being properly prepared for the Hail May from the Commanders.  Getting pants by the Cardinals and the Patriots.  Losing to the Packers, Vikings, and Lions down to the wire.  

At that point, they were (4 - 8) not mathematically out of it but needed some help. Instead, they lost to the 49ers, who have been terrible this year.  

Even at 4 and 9 they still had a chance because other NFC divisions were not doing well.  Then Washington won a game they should have won and the Hail Mary came back to haunt them, except they had already dug their own hole.  

Two things can be true at the same time.  It became obvious they were playing to lose and get a high draft pick and their coaching sucked.  Not using times outs.  Not getting closer for field goal attempts.  Players are trying to extend plays and fumble instead of going down to fight again.

Our pretty solid defense also seemed to regress but really was just protecting itself for next year (and their next team).

The lone bright spot of this season is the win against Green Bay in the last game of the season.  It looked like they were gonna win again when they hit a field goal with 54 seconds left on the clock. Game-winning drives were not a part of the Bears equation since the Trubisky years.

But somehow they managed to get decent field position on the kickoff and move within field goal range and Santos got payback for the illegally blocked field goal from Week 8.  

I've always said that if the NFL were fixed, the teams from New York, California, Chicago and a few other markets would always make the playoffs. 

As a long time Bears fan, I've seen the Packers beat the Bears on the last game of the season many times, even when there was nothing to play for.  But times have changed and I suspect with a playoff spot secured, the Green Bay coaches were trying to just get though the game with the slim hope of improving their seeding.  

This game reminded me of the last game of the 2000 season.  The Bears kicked a last second field goal which kept the Lions out of the playoffs.  The next season they went 13 -3 and earned the second Bye in the playoffs, only to lose to the Eagles.