Even though I live alone, I cannot sleep with my bedroom door open. I also don't like sleeping with a light on, though I'll keep a bathroom light on if I have a guest staying the night.
I have one I stole off a nun.
Probably my strangest one is right before I close my eyes to go to sleep, I push my hair forward so that it pretty much blocks most of my eyesight. I'm not sure, but it definitely feels like I fall asleep faster doing that (as opposed to when I couldn't the first half of last year...).
I bite my nails. Really badly. My nails are quite possibly the worst nails you'll ever see.
I sleep with a fan on and pointed directly towards me, no matter what the temperature. The noise helps drown out my tinnitus, and the cool air makes it impossible to get hot (unless the room is warm, in which case, the air is usually on).
I wear shorts 99.9% of the time regardless of the temperature.
I'm pretty sure that's the weirdest things I can think of that I do constantly.
Quote from: golden eagle on February 10, 2015, 11:41:01 PM
Even though I live alone, I cannot sleep with my bedroom door open.
That can actually be a good thing. If there's a fire (obviously somewhere other than in your bedroom) when you're asleep, the closed door will give you a bit more time to escape.
Whenever I get in any car with anyone I immediately look at the gas gauge. If I see it is at 1/4 tank or lower I will nag the driver to stop and get gas.
Running out of gas is one of my worst nightmares, and seeing people let their gauge drift towards E without acting like something urgently needs to be done about it drives me batshit.
Quote from: Duke87 on February 11, 2015, 01:08:57 AM
Whenever I get in any car with anyone I immediately look at the gas gauge. If I see it is at 1/4 tank or lower I will nag the driver to stop and get gas.
Running out of gas is one of my worst nightmares, and seeing people let their gauge drift towards E without acting like something urgently needs to be done about it drives me batshit.
Sounds like you need a ride with Kramer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TuEdU_lrtZk
Quote from: Duke87 on February 11, 2015, 01:08:57 AM
Whenever I get in any car with anyone I immediately look at the gas gauge. If I see it is at 1/4 tank or lower I will nag the driver to stop and get gas.
Running out of gas is one of my worst nightmares, and seeing people let their gauge drift towards E without acting like something urgently needs to be done about it drives me batshit.
I thought I was alone in this regard. Mom usually lets the gas tank get pretty dry and it drives me nuts.
I also can't sleep with the door open, but for me it's just a peace of mind thing with having the door closed.
I've known a few folks low gas has bothered. I don't go out of my way to drive them absolutely nuts, but I know there's still a couple of gallons in there when the needle dips below E, and I'm not going to go on some panic run to the nearest price gouger. It's good to confront fears anyway.
If somebody got in my car and started telling me when to put gas in it, I'd throw them out. My car, my rules. And my rule is: wait until the gas light is on. :cool:
Quote from: Duke87 on February 11, 2015, 01:08:57 AM
Whenever I get in any car with anyone I immediately look at the gas gauge. If I see it is at 1/4 tank or lower I will nag the driver to stop and get gas.
Running out of gas is one of my worst nightmares, and seeing people let their gauge drift towards E without acting like something urgently needs to be done about it drives me batshit.
I know someone I have to do that to. In his truck, he doesn't bother to think about how much fuel he has onboard till the "low fuel" light comes on. Doesn't need fuel till then. He will blatantly pass an exit posted, "no services next xx miles."
On his Harley, if he's got a quarter tank, he'll argue with anyone that he's got at least a hundred miles' worth. Makes himself difficult to ride with. I am surprised he's never ended up walking.
While I can't sleep with anything that emits light (TVs, computers, lamps), I also can't sleep without some sort of ambient noise, so I usually sleep with a fan on, even in winter. I also can't sleep without covers, even in the summer.
This one isn't a weird habit of mine, but my cousin, when shutting the door to her room, tends to open and close it several times before closing it for good. It's really annoying.
Quote from: kj3400 on February 11, 2015, 04:12:38 AM
I usually sleep with a fan on, even in winter.
Don't move to South Korea, where they have the opposite habit (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fan_death), complete with pseudoscientific explanations.
I have an abundance of pillows that I sleep with, and as an earlier poster said, cannot sleep with the door open. As far as "other" weird habits, I compulsively check my bank balance, credit cards, loans, and credit report almost every day.
I bite my nails. They might be worse than @Zeffy's.
I almost always use a knife when I eat. Not just for cutting, but also for scooping against. Those of you who live in a society where this is common don't realize it's not actually the norm here.
I arrange my closet by type of shirt: flannels together, short-sleeves together, Oxfords together, sweaters together, etc. My wife's closet habit is stranger, though: she has to have all her hangers be the same color.
I have a whole bunch of habits that I'm sure are very annoying to others. Hell, they're annoying to myself. And many of these habits come and go.
I am a procrastinator. Big time. I get pissed off with myself about it.
On the topic of gas: I tend to let mine get low, and the light will come on. But I also have the "Miles to Zero" displayed, and know exactly where I am in terms of fuel. I have also learned that when Miles to Zero gets to Zero, I still have a gallon of gas left.
I'm a chronic gas price watcher. I am one of those that will seek out the best deal around. Gasbuddy is my best friend. But, if I find out I could've had it nearby for cheaper, I get a bit pissed off about that too...even if the total savings is less than 50 cents.
Quote from: jeffandnicole on February 11, 2015, 10:00:36 AM
....
On the topic of gas: I tend to let mine get low, and the light will come on. But I also have the "Miles to Zero" displayed, and know exactly where I am in terms of fuel. I have also learned that when Miles to Zero gets to Zero, I still have a gallon of gas left.
....
I don't use the "Miles to Empty" all that often because I know it's only an estimate and a conservative one at that. When mine says "0" I know there will be at least two gallons of gas still in the tank, which means I can go anywhere from 38 to 60 miles depending on the kind of driving. Unless we're out on the Interstate on a longer drive, I'll usually let my yellow light come on before I fill up, and if I have a large grocery-point discount I try to get the tank as empty as I'm willing to dare before I fill it so as to maximize the number of gallons purchased at the cheaper price (this isn't necessarily trivial: I had a discount of over $1.00 a gallon twice in the past two months and paid under $2.00 a gallon for 93-octane gas). If we are out on the highway I will just fill up when it's convenient to do so or when we make a food/toilet stop. I'm more interested in minimizing the number of stops than I am in seeing how far I can go before stopping for gas.
I will not, however, drive particularly far out of my way to buy gas unless I have some other reason for going in said direction. "Particularly far" varies. The stations near my house vary by a good 30¢ a gallon within a two-mile radius. In that situation, I'll absolutely go to the cheaper ones. But I won't drive 10 miles each way unless there's a mega-difference in the price, simply because under normal circumstances I'd waste more money in gas burned roundtrip than I would in money saved.
Things some people might find weird but for which I have what I consider a good reason:
–When I back the car out of the garage, I stop in the driveway and I do not drive off until I see the garage door is all the way down and has stayed down. This is because once or twice I had a problem where the door went back up because the electric-eye sensor got knocked slightly out of position, probably when I was moving stuff around, and as a result the handle on the bottom of the garage door broke the beam and caused the door opener to reverse the direction. Two of my neighbors have had that happen to them (in both cases, I found their garage doors up when they weren't home), so as a result of all this I just watch my door so I can fix the problem on the spot if it happens.
–Every time I put gas in the car I note down the odometer and trip meter readings, the number of gallons and brand/octane rating, average mpg per tank, and average speed for the tank. Then I reset the trip computer and the trip meter. Reason for all this is that a sudden adverse change in fuel economy may be a sign of a problem with the car that would prompt me to take it for service. (If the gas station is particularly busy I will pull away from the pump and stop on the curb to note this info down so as to let someone else fill up.)
–We have a couple of three-way light switches (meaning locations where more than one switch controls the same light bulb–for example, the light above the main stairs inside the front door can be controlled from three different switches). Some of those are in double-gang boxes (meaning there are two light switches in one place, each controlling something different). When there are two switches in the same box, I think it looks better to try to switch them so both are in the same position (both down or both up) rather than having one up and one down. My wife couldn't care less. I never say anything to her about it, but when I go past I will change the switches if she's not looking at the time. I'm not neurotic about it, I just think it looks better with them both in the same position.
Probably for another thread, but I find grocery gas points a big fraud. Based on how Stop & Shop (Giant) does it–10¢/gal off for every $100 spent– I find there is much more money to be saved by shopping at a less expensive grocery store. The ones with giveaways are always making that money up and more on grocery prices. Ditto the local Shaw's/Star Cuisinart cookware points giveaway–the cookware is much more expensive this way than buying it outright.
Is having a very good working knowledge of going prices for groceries a strange habit?
I eat salad with chopsticks*. Instead of trying to stab or balance veggies on your fork, you get a firm grip, with less mess. It's a superior tool. I don't think it's strange, but I've never seen anyone else do it (that wasn't influenced by me)
* also recommended for those of you into Cheetos
Quote from: Pete from Boston on February 11, 2015, 10:52:20 AM
Probably for another thread, but I find grocery gas points a big fraud. Based on how Stop & Shop (Giant) does it–10¢/gal off for every $100 spent– I find there is much more money to be saved by shopping at a less expensive grocery store. The ones with giveaways are always making that money up and more on grocery prices. Ditto the local Shaw's/Star Cuisinart cookware points giveaway–the cookware is much more expensive this way than buying it outright.
Is having a very good working knowledge of going prices for groceries a strange habit?
I suppose we're getting off-topic....
When I've compared the prices to other stores nearby, I find the Giant comes out reasonably competitive. I don't know how the new Wegmans opening on June 14 might change that equation, though (but I will avoid it for the first week or two due to traffic). There are a few Wegmans in our area, but none close enough to make it worth going there on a regular basis, so I haven't really considered prices there. This new one will cause me to reconsider that.
(The other two closest stores to us are a Safeway and a Shoppers Food Warehouse. I don't like the Safeway for several reasons, so I don't go there. The Shoppers is OK, but I found I wasn't saving much money by going there. I like Harris Teeter, but I find it a bit more expensive and the location can be a hassle due to traffic.)
The big thing on the grocery points is that I'm willing to play the "bonus point" game up to a point. At least once a month they have a coupon for 300 extra gas points if you spend $50. I'd spend $50 anyway, so that's no big deal. Then sometimes they'll have a special where if you buy x number of a certain item, you get y amount of extra gas points. I'm not always willing to do that, but if the item in question is something I would buy multiple times within a month anyway, sometimes I'll just go ahead and stock up since the way I view it is that I would spend the money anyway, so why not just get the gas points. (I would NOT do this if they raised the price at the same time they offered the extra gas points, however. I usually know what the things we buy regularly cost.) So last month, for example, I netted something like 845 gas points in a single trip to the grocery store, which means 80¢ off per gallon. Combined with points we already had I believe I got $1.10 off when I filled up. According to my notes I paid $1.829 a gallon (93 octane) instead of $2.929, and I put in 15 gallons, so 15 gallons times $1.10 equals a $16.50 discount. I am not obsessive enough that I would have saved $16.50 by going to another grocery store.
(Now, I have heard the Aldi commercials on the radio and I have heard from other people that they have very good prices, but their nearest store to us is a hassle to reach. The nuisance of going there would outweigh the savings unless I were saving $20 a week or more, which I think is quite unlikely to happen.)
Now, I'll try to tie grocery shopping into the "strange habits" thing.
I don't think the way I shop is strange, but some people do. I'm sure I have described this in some other thread. The Giant near our house has this optional system called "Scan-It." When you enter the store, you scan your shopper's card and take a Scan-It gun. Then you scan the barcodes as you go around the store and put the groceries directly into the bag. When it comes time to check out, you scan the "End of Order" barcode by the register, then scan your shopper's card again. It pulls up your transaction and then you scan any coupons and pay. Much faster, IMO.
So one day some woman looked at me using it and asked me why I would want to use that–"Why would you bag your own groceries when they have cashiers to do that? That seems pretty stupid." I looked at her and said, "Explain this to me. You're putting all your groceries loose in a cart so that you can go to the checkout and unload your cart so that a store employee can re-arrange all your groceries for you and then put them back in the cart. I think THAT seems pretty stupid." She didn't have a response other than to be somewhat outraged at my use of the word "stupid." (If you can't take it, don't dish it out, lady.)
This is what the Scan-It thing looks like, although current carts have the holder on the right instead of the left. You press the yellow button to scan a barcode. (There is also an iPhone app that lets you use your phone to do this, but I tried it and didn't like it. The Scan-It gun is easier to hold and operate.)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi31.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fc378%2F1995hoo%2F5004928f.jpg&hash=79def628c76a133957785d126a85e6fc9e9354c0)
Quote from: Duke87 on February 11, 2015, 01:08:57 AMWhenever I get in any car with anyone I immediately look at the gas gauge. If I see it is at 1/4 tank or lower I will nag the driver to stop and get gas.
Running out of gas is one of my worst nightmares, and seeing people let their gauge drift towards E without acting like something urgently needs to be done about it drives me batshit.
I have family members who are the same way. Personally, I run my car into reserve capacity whenever possible and have run out of gas only three times in about 200,000 miles of driving. The worst delay and greatest expense I sustained as a result of having to fetch fuel on foot (I never carry it in the trunk for the obvious safety reasons) was 45 minutes and $15 for a one-gallon jerrycan.
After an experience with an unsigned 71-mile fuel desert (Bloomfield to Dulce) along US 64 in northern New Mexico, I take a more conservative approach toward staying fueled up in thinly populated areas where signing has not necessarily caught up to gas station closures. And on many car forums it is recommended that you not allow a tank to get down to the last two gallons or less since electrically operated fuel pumps, which are responsible for maintaining pressure at the fuel injectors, depend on the fuel itself for lubrication and cooling. This said, I have never had to replace a fuel pump as a result of my approach toward fillups, and I prefer to space out my visits to gas stations because most of my travel is in states without effective pump-side vapor recovery systems. I don't like to smell gasoline at all--I dislike the odor itself and I worry about lung cancer.
Quote from: Pete from Boston on February 11, 2015, 10:52:20 AMProbably for another thread, but I find grocery gas points a big fraud. Based on how Stop & Shop (Giant) does it–10¢/gal off for every $100 spent– I find there is much more money to be saved by shopping at a less expensive grocery store. The ones with giveaways are always making that money up and more on grocery prices. Ditto the local Shaw's/Star Cuisinart cookware points giveaway–the cookware is much more expensive this way than buying it outright.
Is having a very good working knowledge of going prices for groceries a strange habit?
I would say No. I have actually been thinking that I need to determine the cash equivalence of fuel points at the local supermarket. However, I never think of them as a ripoff because reported profit margins in the retail grocery trade are usually never higher than 5% and, when I seek an explanation for absurdly high margins on individual products, I look to on-the-job consumption in the executive suite.
The real ripoff is to pay full whack for groceries because you refuse to join the loyalty program, or once you join the loyalty program, collect fuel points and then let them expire. I don't think boycotting is an effective response to loyalty programs; I am not sure there is one short of regulating supermarkets as a public utility and limiting their capacity for price discrimination. I don't see that happening in the US when there are already some networked utilities (such as cable broadband providers) that operate with minimal regulation.
In this part of the country, people say you should put your money down with QuikTrip (a gas station/convenience store chain) rather than Dillons (the local branch of the Kroger tree) because the fuel rewards are much more generous. I have local Facebook friends who brag about 10c/gallon fillups at a time when gas is around $2/gallon and Dillons fuel rewards for a family of three with three cars hardly break the 30c/gallon barrier. I don't think these people are being smart with their money because the types of things they buy at QuikTrip (like coffee and road food) are almost certainly sold at a far higher margin than at Dillons. On the other hand, employee compensation at QuikTrip is better, so if you believe businesses have an obligation to set a livable wage for their least-paid workers, that is one dimension in which the tradeoff tends to favor QuikTrip.
As for the OP's question: I irrigate my sinuses (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neti_%28Hatha_Yoga%29). I have found it very helpful in reducing the frequency of colds (I have gone from two bad colds a year down to having a year or two without any colds), shortening their duration, managing the symptoms (I have not had to take decongestants for years now), and preventing the development of secondary sinusitis. I use noniodized table salt bought from the grocery store and don't bother to buffer with baking soda.
Most coupons and loyalty cards are ripoffs to some extent.
If I'm traveling, I don't like being barred from sale prices because I don't have some local store's loyalty card. So when it's reasonably convenient I try to minimize shopping at my city's stores that require loyalty cards in order to get sale prices.
Quote from: kkt on February 11, 2015, 12:34:43 PMIf I'm traveling, I don't like being barred from sale prices because I don't have some local store's loyalty card. So when it's reasonably convenient I try to minimize shopping at my city's stores that require loyalty cards in order to get sale prices.
When I am grocery shopping, I try to minimize the following:
* Time spent travelling to the store
* Time in the store spent searching for a specific piece of merchandise (which tends to go way up when I am not familiar with the store layout)
If I "pay" myself the equivalent of federal minimum wage to grocery-shop, the frictional losses from those sources is easily comparable to the aggregate discounts I receive through coupons, members-only prices, fuel points, and the like. Since the full-service supermarket closest to me is a Dillons less than a mile away and I know its layout, I play the loyalty-card game.
As for travelling, it is increasingly a case of "Have card, will travel." The fuel point program at Dillons is actually Kroger-wide and I successfully redeemed fuel points at a Fred Meyer in Brookings, Oregon, almost 1900 miles from Wichita.
Quote from: 1995hoo on February 11, 2015, 11:21:40 AM"Explain this to me. You're putting all your groceries loose in a cart so that you can go to the checkout and unload your cart so that a store employee can re-arrange all your groceries for you and then put them back in the cart. I think THAT seems pretty stupid."
The only stupid thing there is having a store employee do it! Costco here does it (in Britain the default is you doing it), trying to speed checkout lines up. Often I have to waste 10 seconds re-sorting it as they've done some bonehead move wrt either hygiene or fragility, and occassionally I'm annoyed enough to passively aggressively try and keep the trolley in the way while I get it sorted so that they don't process as many people per hour*. I do have a kind of OCD wrt packing that I must do it, which is not helped by people paid to pack being rubbish at it.
I use the checkout area at the supermarket to sort out my groceries so that I can pack them better than if I packed as I went. No store is arraigned by weight, bulk and fragility, but rather by genre. I don't want to have to keep re-sorting my bags (eg lifting up eggs to put stuff under them, having to merge bags of room-temperature products as I need another bag for frozen/fridge stuff due to a great offer) or to have to go round the store in a crazy order. Packing is best done when you know exactly what needs to be packed.
*This must be the reason why they don't like to give you your trolley until after you have paid and moved out of the way - it affects the only metric the store has of seeing cashier/packer efficiency - people processed per hour. I can pack faster and better than these guys, but they won't let me pack!
I had a QuikTrip turn down a loyalty card once. Apparently they're not valid down in Fort Worth. Which stunk, as we were filling up two cars at the same pump.
When I check the time after not having done so in a while, I habitually go back and forth in my head first to guess it. This as much as anything is preparation for it to be later than I'd hoped. Turns out I'm very good at it (both guessing the time and having it be later than I'd hoped).
Quote from: 1995hoo on February 11, 2015, 11:21:40 AM
(Now, I have heard the Aldi commercials on the radio and I have heard from other people that they have very good prices, but their nearest store to us is a hassle to reach. The nuisance of going there would outweigh the savings unless I were saving $20 a week or more, which I think is quite unlikely to happen.)
Don't underestimate how good Aldi can be on the wallet. I find it very difficult to spend a lot of money when I go there...
Quote from: Mapmikey on February 11, 2015, 03:51:17 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on February 11, 2015, 11:21:40 AM
(Now, I have heard the Aldi commercials on the radio and I have heard from other people that they have very good prices, but their nearest store to us is a hassle to reach. The nuisance of going there would outweigh the savings unless I were saving $20 a week or more, which I think is quite unlikely to happen.)
Don't underestimate how good Aldi can be on the wallet. I find it very difficult to spend a lot of money when I go there...
Perhaps, but you also have to factor in the time spent/wasted driving to and from the store along with the cost savings. The one nearest us is the one on Route 1 between Martha Street and Russell Road near where the old Multiplex Cinemas used to be (https://www.google.com/maps/place/ALDI/@38.7336641,-77.1008433,18z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x0000000000000000:0xc45aac72c50d865e). It's about the least convenient possible location along that segment of Route 1 because I'd have to go so far out of my way to get there, either via the new Jeff Todd Way or via Lockheed Boulevard. It'd probably wind up taking 50 minutes to an hour roundtrip to go there. If I'm going to spend that amount of time driving somewhere for groceries, it needs to be a real super-duper place to go unless I have some other reason for making the trip (example, there is an outstanding seafood store in Potomac Village over in Montgomery County, but it's simply too far to go just for seafood unless I'm coming back from Rockville and I can just detour down Falls Road).
Quote from: english si on February 11, 2015, 01:37:36 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on February 11, 2015, 11:21:40 AM"Explain this to me. You're putting all your groceries loose in a cart so that you can go to the checkout and unload your cart so that a store employee can re-arrange all your groceries for you and then put them back in the cart. I think THAT seems pretty stupid."
The only stupid thing there is having a store employee do it! ....
See, with the thing I use, I bag the groceries as I go and I adjust the arrangement as needed. It's already all done by the time I reach the checkout. Once the item is in the cart, it doesn't come back out until I reach the car and move the bags into the trunk (unless I remove an item to rearrange things or because I change my mind on buying it). Back when I was in junior high and high school my mom used to shop at a store where you had to pack your own groceries ("pack" denoting they charged you 3¢ per bag, and since reusable bags were not around yet, my mom brought cardboard boxes with her). I often went along and packed everything for her, so I got quite good at fitting everything into the two boxes she used and I guess packing the bags as I go still comes naturally to me 30 years later.
I might not have told the woman she was being stupid had she not used that word to describe what I was doing. But it doesn't make sense to me not to use the little Scan-It thing when it's available because it simply doesn't make sense to me to unload the cart at the checkout if there is an alternative available. (Of course most stores don't offer this system....drives me crazy when I need to grocery-shop at a store that doesn't, but thankfully that's not often.)
I compulsively shake my gearshift while in neutral, as if this is going to keep it loose or something.
Total gear shift shaker here too! Back when I had a stick shift, that is.
Me too, moving the gearshift back and forth in neutral. It's a habitual way of making sure the shift is in neutral.
Quote from: kj3400 on February 11, 2015, 04:12:38 AM
While I can't sleep with anything that emits light (TVs, computers, lamps), I also can't sleep without some sort of ambient noise, so I usually sleep with a fan on, even in winter. I also can't sleep without covers, even in the summer.
I am
exactly the same way. I was waiting and waiting for you to say something that I don't do, but there isn't. I need the blanets and the dark. When I travel, I keep a couple of clothes pins and some electrical tape with me to keep as much light as possible out.
Past that, I am the sort of person who almost never lets the gas tank get under half a tank. It usually happens at the beginning of long road trips so I can get a better price on gas than the urban area where I live. It's also happening right now. I haven't bought gas since December 23, and I want to see how long I can go. (It's amazing how rarely you drive in the winter when your car has no heat.)
Quote from: Pete from Boston on February 11, 2015, 05:45:03 PM
I compulsively shake my gearshift while in neutral, as if this is going to keep it loose or something.
Yeah I do that too, not sure why.
Another strange habit I have is when eating a burger, all the trimmings must be between the meat and top bun. It's fine if ketchup is on the bottom bun, but the cheese, lettuce and all the other stuff must be on top.
1. I won't go in the garage after showering, because it's dirty.
2. I trim my fingernails and toenails really short with Swiss army knife scissors
3. I prefer to urinate outdoors. This is because there is no splash back when you use the grass, vs accidentally hitting a toilet seat. It just seems right.
4. I grunt when taking a dump. My mother gets pissed at me for this, though it seems totally natural, and it's hard to avoid.
5. I cannot stand driving a vehicle without blind spot mirrors.
6. I won't go anywhere without all the supplies that I could possibly need.
7. I prefer TV shows geared toward younger people, inc some Disney Channel Shows. I dislike deep, dark murder drama crap that most adults like.
8. I rarely watch movies.
9. Even as a teenager, I mostly listened to Adult Contemporary Stations.
I have a very low tolerance for stupidity and ignorance, and it gets less and less every day. Also for superstitions. I don't believe in saying "bless you" after someone sneezes, throwing salt over my shoulder when I spill it, not closing a knife someone else has opened, going out the same door you came in, not whistling after dark or any number of other what I call "stupid-stitions."
Those may more properly be classified as pet peeves than strange habits, though.
Quote from: corco on February 11, 2015, 07:20:34 PM
Quote from: Pete from Boston on February 11, 2015, 05:45:03 PM
I compulsively shake my gearshift while in neutral, as if this is going to keep it loose or something.
Yeah I do that too, not sure why.
I do that as well, but I do it to make sure the car is fully out of gear. One of my cars has stalled when I thought it was in neutral but was still slightly in gear. Hasn't happened since I started doing that.
Quote from: Takumi on February 11, 2015, 08:30:31 PM
Quote from: corco on February 11, 2015, 07:20:34 PM
Quote from: Pete from Boston on February 11, 2015, 05:45:03 PM
I compulsively shake my gearshift while in neutral, as if this is going to keep it loose or something.
Yeah I do that too, not sure why.
I do that as well, but I do it to make sure the car is fully out of gear. One of my cars has stalled when I thought it was in neutral but was still slightly in gear. Hasn't happened since I started doing that.
I do that too, for the same reason.
Quote from: Takumi on February 11, 2015, 08:30:31 PM
Quote from: corco on February 11, 2015, 07:20:34 PM
Quote from: Pete from Boston on February 11, 2015, 05:45:03 PM
I compulsively shake my gearshift while in neutral, as if this is going to keep it loose or something.
Yeah I do that too, not sure why.
I do that as well, but I do it to make sure the car is fully out of gear. One of my cars has stalled when I thought it was in neutral but was still slightly in gear. Hasn't happened since I started doing that.
I guess that's why, but I do it beyond that.
When I set an alarm, I always set it for x:x6, or sometimes x:x1 if I need finer control. Part of the reason is because my favorite NASCAR driver growing up was Mark Martin, in the #6 car. I have no idea what the rest of the reason is.
I actually set my alarm for non-00 or -05 minutes because I find myself less likely to fall back asleep that way. I guess I feel less like I have a handle on just how much time I can waste before getting out of bed.
Quote from: Pete from Boston on February 11, 2015, 05:45:03 PM
I compulsively shake my gearshift while in neutral, as if this is going to keep it loose or something.
I do that when I come to a stop, but I no longer sit there doing it while I wait for the light to turn.
In college a female friend asked why I shook the gearshift so much. I told her it was because I like to play with my stick in traffic.
Quote from: hbelkins on February 11, 2015, 08:25:39 PM
I have a very low tolerance for stupidity and ignorance, and it gets less and less every day. Also for superstitions. I don't believe in saying "bless you" after someone sneezes, throwing salt over my shoulder when I spill it, not closing a knife someone else has opened, going out the same door you came in, not whistling after dark or any number of other what I call "stupid-stitions."
Those may more properly be classified as pet peeves than strange habits, though.
People aren't superstitious, they just have well-honed senses for what's lucky and unlucky. :bigass:
Regarding the alarm clock, we've tried setting it ten minutes earlier than we need to get up because we have such a hard time getting up in the morning. Hasn't helped at all. Setting the clock ten minutes fast didn't work either–we knew it was fast and we ignored it and went back to sleep.
Whenever I sleep, I need one pillow that's oriented normally and another that's rotated 90 degrees that I like to hug and cuddle with. This is essential for sleeping. I'm also the type of person that needs blankets to sleep (actually, I prefer to have at least one blanket on everywhere, no matter the weather; guess I never grew up in that respect). I also like to have the fan on even in winter; the quiet is unnerving and random noises distracting without it.
Quote from: 1995hoo on February 11, 2015, 10:41:42 PM
In college a female friend asked why I shook the gearshift so much. I told her it was because I like to play with my stick in traffic.
Perfect response!
Quote from: 1995hoo on February 11, 2015, 10:41:42 PM
Regarding the alarm clock, we've tried setting it ten minutes earlier than we need to get up because we have such a hard time getting up in the morning. Hasn't helped at all. Setting the clock ten minutes fast didn't work either–we knew it was fast and we ignored it and went back to sleep.
My just-awake mind has about 2k of memory, most of it used to store whatever alarm scheme I set the night before to confuse it, therefore enabling it to override said attempt.
The only thing that works is going to bed earlier, and I don't like doing that.
Ever since reading this comic (http://xkcd.com/1103/) I rarely put something in the microwave for a nice round amount of time, and make a point of trying to use all the buttons regularly. I think I reheated pasta last night for 81 seconds.
I have hangers that are all sorts of colors and I try to match color of hanger to color of shirt as best I can.
When I eat food I insist on doing so in a quantity that is an even fraction of the size of the package, since I hate pulling some from an old package but then having to open a new one in the same sitting.
Costco's bags of precooked bacon contain 50 slices so I always eat 5 slices at a time. If my girlfriend eats 3 I will eat 7 to compensate because I have to keep it even.
I always eat 4 eggo waffles at a time (because my toaster has 4 slots), and buy the boxes of 24 instead of the boxes of 10 because 4 does not go into 10. If I am forced to buy a box of 10 because the store lacks boxes of 24, I will buy 2 boxes of 10 because at least 4 goes into 20.
When it comes to stuff that's more measure than count I eyeball it and stuff myself as necessary. If I'm eating potato chips and I find myself getting close to the bottom of the bag, I will never leave it near empty, I will keep eating chips until I finish the bag off.
The numbers I punch into the microwave appear random to the uninitiated eye, but really I just try to keep the buttons close together. I'm much more likely to zap for 41 seconds than 40 seconds because the 1 is directly above the 4. Earlier today, I reheated a mug of tea for 71 seconds. After hitting Start, I was kicking myself because I realized I wouldn't have had to skip over any buttons if only I had entered it as 1:11 instead. Wow, this sure sounds really weird when I explain it in text.
Quote from: Brian556 on February 11, 2015, 08:00:15 PM
1. I won't go in the garage after showering, because it's dirty.
2. I trim my fingernails and toenails really short with Swiss army knife scissors
3. I prefer to urinate outdoors. This is because there is no splash back when you use the grass, vs accidentally hitting a toilet seat. It just seems right.
4. I grunt when taking a dump. My mother gets pissed at me for this, though it seems totally natural, and it's hard to avoid.
5. I cannot stand driving a vehicle without blind spot mirrors.
6. I won't go anywhere without all the supplies that I could possibly need.
7. I prefer TV shows geared toward younger people, inc some Disney Channel Shows. I dislike deep, dark murder drama crap that most adults like.
8. I rarely watch movies.
9. Even as a teenager, I mostly listened to Adult Contemporary Stations.
I prefer to piss outside. My ex-wife would get upset with me and then was really mad when my 2 and a half year old daughter stood outside to pee because "that's what daddy does"
But I'll even piss outside at work if no patients are in parking lot. Although I don't have much modesty, thanks to 8 years of football, I do not want to get arrested for public indecency
I think is part of being a man wanting to piss outside, marking our territory.
This seems appropriate for the thread.
I have to have blankets to sleep. I think I would enjoy having a lead smock to sleep under, like what they shield you with at the dentist when they take X-rays.
Man, I must need a lesson in peeing outside, because it always seems to splash off the grass blades onto my shoes. FWIW, I usually pee sitting down: splash problem solved.
I sleep in the nude almost every night, only putting on a tank top if the temp is cold enough that 620 blankets aren't enough. I haven't worn bottoms to bed in something like nine or ten years. Oh, and I've NEVER been able to stand wearing socks to bed; that feels SO unnatural.
I use one number on the microwave at a pop: :33, 2:22, :66, etc. This is a habit I call laziness.
I hate letting my alarm wake me up. If my alarm is set for 0700 and I wake up at 0659, I very quickly wake up to make sure my alarm doesn't go off. I think it's the unpleasant noise so early in the morning that I hate.
Quote from: Pete from Boston on February 12, 2015, 12:27:30 AM
I use one number on the microwave at a pop: :33, 2:22, :66, etc. This is a habit I call laziness.
That, or you could get one of those microwaves that if you press 1, it automatically cooks for 1 minute without you having to press anything else.
Quote from: SignGeek101 on February 12, 2015, 12:41:15 AM
Quote from: Pete from Boston on February 12, 2015, 12:27:30 AM
I use one number on the microwave at a pop: :33, 2:22, :66, etc. This is a habit I call laziness.
That, or you could get one of those microwaves that if you press 1, it automatically cooks for 1 minute without you having to press anything else.
If it ain't broke, don't replace it. Common sense 101.
Quote from: SignGeek101 on February 12, 2015, 12:41:15 AM
Quote from: Pete from Boston on February 12, 2015, 12:27:30 AM
I use one number on the microwave at a pop: :33, 2:22, :66, etc. This is a habit I call laziness.
That, or you could get one of those microwaves that if you press 1, it automatically cooks for 1 minute without you having to press anything else.
(I thought about our recent colorblind accessibility thread, and made sure to use accessible emphasis.)
Quote from: hbelkins on February 11, 2015, 08:25:39 PM
Also for superstitions. I don't believe in saying "bless you" after someone sneezes, throwing salt over my shoulder when I spill it, not closing a knife someone else has opened, going out the same door you came in, not whistling after dark or any number of other what I call "stupid-stitions."
Those may more properly be classified as pet peeves than strange habits, though.
This is called being a rational adult. Congratulations. You would hate going in a casino; there's tons of people who do stuff like refuse to gamble with anything other than $5s (or $1s!), refuse $50s because they are "bad luck", and paw at slot machine screens like a cat as the reels spin. I always get a chuckle out of imagining these last people at home doing the same thing when they check their email hoping to make more and better emails come in.
I don't consider saying "bless you" to be a superstition, more of a social nicety, but I often don't say it because I am not religious and it feels sort of dishonest hearing "bless you" come out of my mouth.
As for my own strange habits, I tend to have a lot dealing with cash, some from my job and some just with my own money. First, it bugs the crap out of me if all the bills in my wallet are not all facing the same way (both front-back and up-down). Some cashiers do not bother to face the change they return to a customer, and this irks me, because it's simply not professional. The bills issued to us by the casino do not come faced, but I have gotten pretty adept at facing them in the process of pulling them out of the drawer, because we are not allowed to face the bills ahead of time. I will avoid if at all possible to avoid handing out the N-type bills (the white-background ones with the large oval portraits), and stick them at the bottom of the stack. I am also kind of a snob about the condition of bills; with my personal money I spend the most beat-up bills (and the N-types) first. At work I hand out the crispest bills possible and retain as many poor-condition ones as possible to return to the vault in the hopes that they will be sent to the bank.
In general, I tend to choose a method of doing things consistently, with some arbitrary "rule" in place to keep it myself consistent. For example, at work, whenever we perform a drawer increase, we are given a duplicate carbonless receipt, the yellow copy of which is discarded as unnecessary (we have a lot of impact receipt printers at work, and about half of them are used in contexts that require duplicate receipts, so the carbonless paper is loaded in all of them to avoid having to keep one-ply paper in stock). I will retain the yellow copy of the receipt until I have logged the transaction in my computer (as we are required to do). That way I can tell if I have logged a particular increase or not based on if the yellow copy is there or not. This is just an example; I have a bunch of little procedures I follow like that so that I can do things in a consistent way.
The strangest habit I have is that when I get excited about something I will unconsciously rub the skin above my lip, as if I were flattening a non-existent moustache. I am not really sure where this comes from but I find it very difficult to stop myself if I catch myself doing it.
Quote from: Pete from Boston on February 12, 2015, 12:27:30 AM
I use one number on the microwave at a pop: :33, 2:22, :66, etc. This is a habit I call laziness.
Me, too!
Quote from: kphoger on February 12, 2015, 12:03:43 AM
I sleep in the nude almost every night, only putting on a tank top if the temp is cold enough that 620 blankets aren't enough. I haven't worn bottoms to bed in something like nine or ten years. Oh, and I've NEVER been able to stand wearing socks to bed; that feels SO unnatural.
On the flip side, I've never gone naked to bed ever. Always at least boxers. I do forgo shirts in summer though. I wear socks all winter though. We have a bad habit of turning the heat off during the day, but I usually sleep til 1:30, because of my work schedule, so I need the extra warmth.
I'm right-handed but do some stuff with my left.
This thread caused me to remember my roommate during my third year of college 21 years ago. He had this thing about lining up the TV and stereo remotes so they were all pointed directly at the system and perfectly parallel to each other.
Drove one of the other guys in our apartment crazy and he'd deliberately mess them up.
(I think at the time there were three remotes–TV, receiver/tape deck since both were Denon and the receiver remote could run the tape deck, and CD player. Those guys would go nuts in my house today....I think we have ten remotes in the downstairs rec room, six more in the upstairs family room unless you count the Wii controllers in which case it's eight, three more in the master bedroom, one in the guest bedroom, and one in my home office.)
Quote from: Scott5114 on February 12, 2015, 04:13:37 AM
First, it bugs the crap out of me if all the bills in my wallet are not all facing the same way (both front-back and up-down). Some cashiers do not bother to face the change they return to a customer, and this irks me, because it's simply not professional.
Yes!
At my first job, a co-worker of mine always wanted the bills faced, and I continued this routine. When I worked the Jersey Turnpike the money flowed much faster as each transaction would only take a matter of seconds, it would be a bit time consuming to keep the bills facing the same direction (both front-back and up-down), but I would at least keep them face up. When I go to the bank nowadays to deposit cash I like the bills to be all faced properly. Yet, when the bank gives the bills back to me...or even in an ATM at the bank...the bills come all 4 ways.
Quote from: SignGeek101 on February 12, 2015, 12:41:15 AM
Quote from: Pete from Boston on February 12, 2015, 12:27:30 AM
I use one number on the microwave at a pop: :33, 2:22, :66, etc. This is a habit I call laziness.
That, or you could get one of those microwaves that if you press 1, it automatically cooks for 1 minute without you having to press anything else.
I hate those. I'm used to just typing in the time and hitting start. Now, many microwaves require you to hit "Timed Cooking", then the time, then start.
If I just wanted a minute, I would simply hit the 'minute plus' button (or the '30 second' button twice).
Quote from: jakeroot on February 12, 2015, 12:36:50 AM
I hate letting my alarm wake me up. If my alarm is set for 0700 and I wake up at 0659, I very quickly wake up to make sure my alarm doesn't go off. I think it's the unpleasant noise so early in the morning that I hate.
That's 1 more minute of sleep! :-) (Well, 12 more minutes, because I'll probably hit the snooze alarm at least twice...)
Quote from: kphoger on February 12, 2015, 12:03:43 AM
I sleep in the nude almost every night, only putting on a tank top if the temp is cold enough that 620 blankets aren't enough. I haven't worn bottoms to bed in something like nine or ten years. Oh, and I've NEVER been able to stand wearing socks to bed; that feels SO unnatural.
A few things with this one:
I never wear tank tops. Ever.
I never wear white undershirt t-shirts. I think I have one or two for thin dress shirts, but that's it.
I usually only wear underwear when I'm in bed...or nothing at all. And I always sleep with a comforter over me.
I always like to have at least one or two cameras on me as much as possible when I'm going outside of my house (My cellphone and 3DS count as cameras to me since the have cameras built into them). Never know what you might want to/need to photograph sometimes!
Tequila, but I can stop any time.
Re: Microwave ovens...
I used to get frustrated with the one-touch microwaves, because the one at work had that feature and the one at home did not. I would keep getting it wrong. But then our microwave at home went out, and the one we bought to replace it is the same brand as the one at work. Now I'm happy again. Sometimes, if I don't feel like pushing two buttons (that aren't next to each other!), I just push "1" and take it out when it's gone long enough.
Re: Facing money...
Mine not only has to be all facing the same way, but it also has to be sorted by denomination. Largest bills in the back of my wallet, then smaller and smaller as you work your way forward. When we do our annual mission trip to México, I handle the money on an almost exclusively cash basis. So, at the start of the trip, it's common for me to have $4000 or so in cash, broken up between dollars and pesos, and also divided up into baggies dedicated to different purposes (gas, food, tolls, etc.). I face all the bills in each baggie the same direction, divide it all up by denomination, and flatten out all the dog ears.
Quote from: kphoger on February 12, 2015, 02:05:18 PMRe: Facing money...
Mine not only has to be all facing the same way, but it also has to be sorted by denomination. Largest bills in the back of my wallet, then smaller and smaller as you work your way forward. When we do our annual mission trip to México, I handle the money on an almost exclusively cash basis. So, at the start of the trip, it's common for me to have $4000 or so in cash, broken up between dollars and pesos, and also divided up into baggies dedicated to different purposes (gas, food, tolls, etc.). I face all the bills in each baggie the same direction, divide it all up by denomination, and flatten out all the dog ears.
I do the same, except I also separate the money by country of issue and use something other than my wallet (e.g., my passport pouch) to store cash that is not legal tender in the country I am currently in.
As for sleeping, I wear just boxer shorts, and adjust blanket cover for comfort. The thermostat in the house is set at 72° F during the heating season and 78° F during the air-conditioning season, but the actual swing in my bedroom depends on ambient temperatures. As a result of several years of heavy resistance training in the gym, I have more muscle on my chest, which has affected my temperature regulation to the extent that I can no longer sleep comfortably under a duvet in typical Kansas winter temperatures. Cover usually ranges from linen sheet + Vellux + fluffy sports blanket at about 10° F outdoors to nothing at about 90° F.
I also have to be careful about drinking water before bed. I try to get one glass about 1 1/2 hours before going to bed. The lag means no need to visit the bathroom in the middle of the night, while the water makes it less likely that dry mouth will wake me up after 6 hours of sleep (I typically need about 8 hours or a little less to function well).
Quote from: kphoger on February 12, 2015, 02:05:18 PM
Re: Facing money...
Mine not only has to be all facing the same way, but it also has to be sorted by denomination. Largest bills in the back of my wallet, then smaller and smaller as you work your way forward.
I do the same thing, except my wallet has a divider built into the bills section. Bills <$5 go in the front section; bills >=$ go in the back section. Rarely do I carry a bill larger than a $20.
Quote from: J N Winkler on February 12, 2015, 02:25:03 PM
Quote from: kphoger on February 12, 2015, 02:05:18 PMRe: Facing money...
Mine not only has to be all facing the same way, but it also has to be sorted by denomination. Largest bills in the back of my wallet, then smaller and smaller as you work your way forward. When we do our annual mission trip to México, I handle the money on an almost exclusively cash basis. So, at the start of the trip, it's common for me to have $4000 or so in cash, broken up between dollars and pesos, and also divided up into baggies dedicated to different purposes (gas, food, tolls, etc.). I face all the bills in each baggie the same direction, divide it all up by denomination, and flatten out all the dog ears.
I do the same, except I also separate the money by country of issue and use something other than my wallet (e.g., my passport pouch) to store cash that is not legal tender in the country I am currently in.
Well, yes, I separate by currency as well. 50-peso bills are not next to 50-dollar bills, but rather 100-peso bills.
Quote from: kphoger on February 12, 2015, 02:05:18 PM
Re: Facing money...
Mine not only has to be all facing the same way, but it also has to be sorted by denomination. Largest bills in the back of my wallet, then smaller and smaller as you work your way forward.
That's me!
Sorting by denomination back to front just seems logical to me. Doesn't seem like a strange habit at all. Most people I know sort money that way.
My wallet has a divider in the billfold portion, but I don't use the back portion for money. Instead, receipts and other pieces of paper tend to accumulate there (but not lottery tickets; those go with the bills so they don't accidentally get shredded when I clean out the pieces of paper).
I also sort by denomination in my wallet. I also have a habit of keeping a single $50 in a separate compartment of the wallet that is more difficult to access, just in case I encounter a situation where I need a large amount of cash immediately (which hardly ever comes up, but it doesn't hurt to be prepared).
Quote from: kphoger on February 12, 2015, 12:03:43 AM
Man, I must need a lesson in peeing outside, because it always seems to splash off the grass blades onto my shoes. FWIW, I usually pee sitting down: splash problem solved.
I sleep in the nude almost every night, only putting on a tank top if the temp is cold enough that 620 blankets aren't enough. I haven't worn bottoms to bed in something like nine or ten years. Oh, and I've NEVER been able to stand wearing socks to bed; that feels SO unnatural.
I have slept naked since I was 16. The only time I wear something to sleep in is when I stay over someone's house.
At least the thread is getting interesting. People sleeping naked is not interesting, but the growing volume of users wanting talk about their private nakedness on a roads site–that's interesting.
Take that, my microwave-button-push-repeating!
I never had a problem with the express cook microwave feature. When I was a kid the microwave we had required you to hit "time" and then type in numbers before pressing "start". If you just pushed numbers and then hit start, nothing would happen. I think this was intentional as a sort of babyproofing.
When we got a new microwave with the express cook feature, the standard procedure for manually entering a cook time did not change for me, it just became additionally possible to do it faster for round numbers. I therefore would never think to start just pushing numbers unless I were trying to do express cook.
But as I recently learned, my girlfriend has apparently for years had a microwave with no express cook feature but where you can just type numbers and then hit start. She has gotten caught off guard by my microwave because of this, invoking express cook unintentionally and getting annoyed. Prior to her using my microwave and having this happen I had no idea that could even be an issue for anyone, since I was unaware of the existence of microwaves with the input method she's used to.
The problem we have with the microwave is that I frequently use the timer button to time something that's on the stove or in the oven, but my wife seems to have some mental block between the "timer" button and the "time cook" button. I've gotten her to remember that when I'm using the timer she can't hit the "add 30 seconds" button as an "express cook" button because it just adds 30 seconds to the timer, but I cannot seem to get her to remember that she needs to press "time cook" before entering the amount of time to heat something ("time cook"-->amount of time-->"start"). For some reason, she almost invariably hits "timer" instead of "time cook," I guess because you're "timing" the microwave for x amount of time. This, of course, erases the timer I had set for something else. I may just have to give up in frustration and use the other (much less convenient) kitchen timer I have. Our microwave does have "express cook" up to six minutes, but when the timer function is on the express cook doesn't work.
Other strange habit my wife has about which we argue: Squeezing the toothpaste tube from the wrong end. I thought everyone squeezed toothpaste from the bottom (the crimped end opposite where the toothpaste comes out) and flattened the tube as you go up. Not my wife. Picture a tube of Crest toothpaste. The "C" is closer to the end where the toothpaste comes out. She typically squeezes it where the "r" is. This, of course, shoves toothpaste down towards the bottom at the same time some comes out the top, so to me it seems like a silly way to squeeze toothpaste because sooner or later you're going to have to squeeze it from the bottom and flatten it anyway to shove all that toothpaste back up the tube. I wind up flattening it when I brush my teeth, then the next time I go to use the tube it's no longer flat and toothpaste has been shoved back down to the bottom end. It did NOT go over well when I asked her why in the world she does it that way (although she didn't have any real explanation either–it's just how she does it).
I don't think it is strange, but got commented on the fact I eat foods separately one at a time and I don't let different foods touch on a plate.
I collect pens. :bigass:
Quote from: Big John on February 13, 2015, 09:59:01 AM
I don't think it is strange, but got commented on the fact I eat foods separately one at a time and I don't let different foods touch on a plate.
Same.
I also hate touching wet foods on plates when I'm doing the dishes, but I'm not sure how strange that is.
Quote from: 1995hoo on February 13, 2015, 09:51:51 AMOther strange habit my wife has about which we argue: Squeezing the toothpaste tube from the wrong end. I thought everyone squeezed toothpaste from the bottom (the crimped end opposite where the toothpaste comes out) and flattened the tube as you go up. Not my wife. Picture a tube of Crest toothpaste. The "C" is closer to the end where the toothpaste comes out. She typically squeezes it where the "r" is. This, of course, shoves toothpaste down towards the bottom at the same time some comes out the top, so to me it seems like a silly way to squeeze toothpaste because sooner or later you're going to have to squeeze it from the bottom and flatten it anyway to shove all that toothpaste back up the tube. I wind up flattening it when I brush my teeth, then the next time I go to use the tube it's no longer flat and toothpaste has been shoved back down to the bottom end. It did NOT go over well when I asked her why in the world she does it that way (although she didn't have any real explanation either–it's just how she does it).
I do the same thing as your wife, so I can supply an explanation. It is basically a question of convenience. The toothpaste tube is easier to grasp and squeeze at its middle than at its end. Once enough of the toothpaste is used that squeezing from the middle no longer works, it is a fairly simple matter to pick up the tube, lay it across the edge of the bathroom counter or sink, and pull it from back to front while pressing down to push toothpaste from the back of the tube to the front. Then the flap of empty tube is simply folded over the part of the tube that still has toothpaste, which is squeezed between thumb and forefingers as needed until the tube is empty. This gets all of the usable toothpaste out of the tube eventually--there is no waste compared to other methods like squeezing only from the back or using a toothpaste tube roller.
This discussion of toothpaste tube squeezing methods with your wife may have turned out to be much more heated than you expected because someone in her past, like her father or mother, tried to convert her from squeezing the toothpaste tube in the middle. When I was growing up, I had a couple of sharp disagreements with my father on this very issue, since he believes that squeezing from the middle wastes toothpaste and favors toothpaste tube rollers. The second time this happened, I told him point-blank that I hated rollers and would not use them, and demonstrated my method of squeezing the tube against counter edge to demonstrate that there was, in fact, no waste.
If the sight of a tube squeezed from the middle nevertheless causes you dismay, however, it is much easier in the long run to have separate his-and-her tubes instead of having periodic arguments about this issue. There is much to be said for separate bathrooms as well.
Quote from: Big John on February 13, 2015, 09:59:01 AMI don't think it is strange, but got commented on the fact I eat foods separately one at a time and I don't let different foods touch on a plate.
Normal. I do this as well.
Quote from: roadman65 on February 13, 2015, 10:06:38 AMI collect pens. :bigass:
Normal. I don't do it, but other family members do.
Quote from: freebrickproductions on February 13, 2015, 10:26:54 AMI also hate touching wet foods on plates when I'm doing the dishes, but I'm not sure how strange that is.
Normal. I don't care much for it either.
A toothpaste tube roller? Never heard of any such thing! I just did a Google search to see what one looks like. Strikes me as a waste of money. But you know, if the toothpaste tube is the worst disagreement we ever have, I'd say that bodes well for one's marriage!
Our microwave has an old dial-turn timer. I always just turn it to about 10 minutes, watch the food cook, and turn it back to 0 (which causes the bell to ring) when it's done. I usually have to open it up and turn the food several times during cooking, because this microwave doesn't spin the food, and cheese seems to heat very unevenly.
Of course I sleep nude. Because of my job and therefore my need to sleep at unpredictable times of day, I use either a thermostatted room heater or a thermostatted window A/C unit almost year-round. There are only short periods in spring and fall where I might sleep with the window open and my sleep quality may suffer during those periods. The amount of blankets on my bed stays the same year-round.
Quote from: 1995hoo on February 13, 2015, 12:10:09 PM
A toothpaste tube roller? Never heard of any such thing! I just did a Google search to see what one looks like. Strikes me as a waste of money.
We had something like that. I think it came from a dollar store. At least I hope it did. Yes, it is a waste of money. And I don't even know why we had it because toothpaste squirting isn't an issue in my house. (We generally just squeeze wherever - whether it be on Crest's R or Colgate's A)
QuotePens
My grandfather collected pencils, and was part of a pencil collecting club. He passed away in '88, so that shows this was well before the days of the internet. Recently when we were cleaning out the house I came across some of the pencils, including some with his name, the club he was with and his club number. I jumped on the internet and found out that the club was still in existence...at least I think it is. I emailed one of the current officers to mention my grandfather's involvement, but never heard back.
Quote from: 1995hoo on February 13, 2015, 12:10:09 PMA toothpaste tube roller? Never heard of any such thing! I just did a Google search to see what one looks like. Strikes me as a waste of money.
Quote from: jeffandnicole on February 13, 2015, 12:23:22 PMWe had something like that. I think it came from a dollar store. At least I hope it did. Yes, it is a waste of money. And I don't even know why we had it because toothpaste squirting isn't an issue in my house.
There are actual rollers you can buy, as well as slit feeders which are run up the tube from behind to push unused toothpaste to the front. My father has tried both over the years. In theory the cost is amortized over time in reduced waste of toothpaste, but the counter edge is a more cost-efficient solution. And none of these solutions by themselves will get out the last bit of toothpaste that sits within the tube collar. There is usually at least five days' worth of toothbrushings in there (if you use a motorized toothbrush) and the only way I know of to get it out is to fold the back of the toothpaste tube and use it as a pusher. This improves finger strength too.
Toothpaste squirting is an under-fives problem.
Quote from: jeffandnicole on February 13, 2015, 12:23:22 PMMy grandfather collected pencils, and was part of a pencil collecting club. He passed away in '88, so that shows this was well before the days of the internet. Recently when we were cleaning out the house I came across some of the pencils, including some with his name, the club he was with and his club number. I jumped on the internet and found out that the club was still in existence...at least I think it is. I emailed one of the current officers to mention my grandfather's involvement, but never heard back.
The biggest potential obstacle to being a collector (hoarder?) of writing implements: the patience or otherwise of your spouse.
Quote from: jwolfer on February 12, 2015, 11:34:39 PM
Quote from: kphoger on February 12, 2015, 12:03:43 AM
Man, I must need a lesson in peeing outside, because it always seems to splash off the grass blades onto my shoes. FWIW, I usually pee sitting down: splash problem solved.
I sleep in the nude almost every night, only putting on a tank top if the temp is cold enough that 620 blankets aren't enough. I haven't worn bottoms to bed in something like nine or ten years. Oh, and I've NEVER been able to stand wearing socks to bed; that feels SO unnatural.
I have slept naked since I was 16. The only time I wear something to sleep in is when I stay over someone's house.
Complete opposite here. I cannot sleep without a minimum of a t-shirt, sweatpants and socks. I never go without socks, ever - it's something of an inside joke with my wife claiming she's never seen my feet. I also never wear shorts.
Quote from: freebrickproductions on February 13, 2015, 10:26:54 AM
Quote from: Big John on February 13, 2015, 09:59:01 AM
I don't think it is strange, but got commented on the fact I eat foods separately one at a time and I don't let different foods touch on a plate.
Same.
I also hate touching wet foods on plates when I'm doing the dishes, but I'm not sure how strange that is.
What happens when someone else serves you and allows the foods to touch?
What about a dish where the foods are meant to touch, like a salad or a sandwich?
Quote from: Pete from Boston on February 13, 2015, 07:58:35 PM
Quote from: freebrickproductions on February 13, 2015, 10:26:54 AM
Quote from: Big John on February 13, 2015, 09:59:01 AM
I don't think it is strange, but got commented on the fact I eat foods separately one at a time and I don't let different foods touch on a plate.
Same.
I also hate touching wet foods on plates when I'm doing the dishes, but I'm not sure how strange that is.
What happens when someone else serves you and allows the foods to touch?
What about a dish where the foods are meant to touch, like a salad or a sandwich?
First question, I separate them if I get them like that.
Second question, I don't order such foods: any salad would be just lettuce au naturel, and any sandwiches would be meat and bread only, perhaps with gravy. Can't have anything hard nor crunchy in it.
Chalk me up as another "must have the fan on" while sleeping no matter the temperature. I need it more for air movement than for the noise it makes.
I need so many blankets on my bed that my wife jokes that even bullets couldn't penetrate all the layers (which, looking back on it, is probably another reason I have to have the fan on).
I cannot set my alarm any earlier than I absolutely need too or I will shut it off and oversleep. For work I need it to go off at 5 (am or pm depending on which 2 week cycle I am on). If I were to set it for 4:50, I'd accidentally shut it off trying to hit the snooze, guaranteeing that I'd be late for work.
I absolutely detest getting in my car and turning the key to start the car only to have the radio and HVAC fan come on after my wife drove it and didn't set the switches to OFF before she shut the car off-drives me nuts every time. Oh, and don't even think about shutting either of our cars off with the wipers turned on and think I'm gonna let it go that the wipers are halfway across the windshield. I will nag her until she storms outside, turns the car back on and shuts the wipers off. She got tired of that so it's been a long time since I have had to say anything about it, LOL. All of that said, I don't get pi$$ed when I have to reset the seat and mirrors-I'm 6ft 1 and she's 5ft 5 so I knew what I was getting into there!
When I was a teenager, I was a socks on in the bed guy. My wife broke me of that habit, now I could not dream of sleeping with them on.
Condiments on a burger must not -I repeat- must not come in contact with the buns. Failure to abide by this rule results in the mandatory picking apart and eating of said burger one item at a time with the buns getting tossed. Oh and mustard and ketchup are acceptable on burgers as long as they are on opposite sides of the meat. Ketchup is never acceptable on hot dogs or scrambled eggs (we need a puke smilie here).
Oh and I guess this one is not really weird, because with my food allergies I have to be anal about this: I will not consume any product that was placed in the fridge sans its original ingredients label. My wife loves to consolidate things down to plastic ziplocks to save space-that means she and the kids must eat it or it gets tossed. I am allergic to all fowl, and these days it seems nothing is sacred. Everything, it seems, contains chicken and/or turkey these days. Bacon, sausage, pepperoni, salami, hot dogs, hell even some frozen burger patties come with chicken or turkey mixed in and they usually don't publicize the change in the big print, so things I have eating all all of my life have become instant poison to me (I'm looking at YOU, Totino's Pizza Rolls!!!).
Oh and I must have been the only kid in the US of A that liked both peanut butter and jelly but could NEVER have both on the same food item at the same time...no PB and J for me.
Quote from: slorydn1 on February 13, 2015, 10:43:16 PMI absolutely detest getting in my car and turning the key to start the car only to have the radio and HVAC fan come on after my wife drove it and didn't set the switches to OFF before she shut the car off-drives me nuts every time. Oh, and don't even think about shutting either of our cars off with the wipers turned on and think I'm gonna let it go that the wipers are halfway across the windshield. I will nag her until she storms outside, turns the car back on and shuts the wipers off. She got tired of that so it's been a long time since I have had to say anything about it, LOL. All of that said, I don't get pi$$ed when I have to reset the seat and mirrors-I'm 6ft 1 and she's 5ft 5 so I knew what I was getting into there!
Since we're in the "revealing deep personal details" thread now, how does your wife handle this level of nagging? Is it a happy consent she makes, or resentful one?
QuoteOh and I guess this one is not really weird, because with my food allergies I have to be anal about this: I will not consume any product that was placed in the fridge sans its original ingredients label. My wife loves to consolidate things down to plastic ziplocks to save space-that means she and the kids must eat it or it gets tossed. I am allergic to all fowl, and these days it seems nothing is sacred. Everything, it seems, contains chicken and/or turkey these days. Bacon, sausage, pepperoni, salami, hot dogs, hell even some frozen burger patties come with chicken or turkey mixed in and they usually don't publicize the change in the big print, so things I have eating all all of my life have become instant poison to me (I'm looking at YOU, Totino's Pizza Rolls!!!).
What about regular non-pre-prepared foods, like leftovers? If you can't remember that you ate it, do you throw it out on principle?
Quote from: Pete from Boston on February 13, 2015, 11:06:09 PM
Quote from: slorydn1 on February 13, 2015, 10:43:16 PMI absolutely detest getting in my car and turning the key to start the car only to have the radio and HVAC fan come on after my wife drove it and didn't set the switches to OFF before she shut the car off-drives me nuts every time. Oh, and don't even think about shutting either of our cars off with the wipers turned on and think I'm gonna let it go that the wipers are halfway across the windshield. I will nag her until she storms outside, turns the car back on and shuts the wipers off. She got tired of that so it's been a long time since I have had to say anything about it, LOL. All of that said, I don't get pi$$ed when I have to reset the seat and mirrors-I'm 6ft 1 and she's 5ft 5 so I knew what I was getting into there!
Since we're in the "revealing deep personal details" thread now, how does your wife handle this level of nagging? Is it a happy consent she makes, or resentful one?
QuoteOh and I guess this one is not really weird, because with my food allergies I have to be anal about this: I will not consume any product that was placed in the fridge sans its original ingredients label. My wife loves to consolidate things down to plastic ziplocks to save space-that means she and the kids must eat it or it gets tossed. I am allergic to all fowl, and these days it seems nothing is sacred. Everything, it seems, contains chicken and/or turkey these days. Bacon, sausage, pepperoni, salami, hot dogs, hell even some frozen burger patties come with chicken or turkey mixed in and they usually don't publicize the change in the big print, so things I have eating all all of my life have become instant poison to me (I'm looking at YOU, Totino's Pizza Rolls!!!).
What about regular non-pre-prepared foods, like leftovers? If you can't remember that you ate it, do you throw it out on principle?
Re part 1: Actually she handles it quite well, because I have also given in to some of her wants/needs/whims too. My dad taught me that give/take thing works pretty in keeping a marriage together. My parents were married 42 years before cancer took my dad back in 2011. My wife and I have been together 17 years (15 married) and we actually don't have many issues.
Re part 2: That is different, and I guess I should have characterized my comment based on whether or not it was cooked/prepared or not-not that we usually have many left overs we have a (bad?) habit of eating pretty much everything made in one sitting (and my very much overweight frame proves that, lol).
I don't mind having the radio or fan already on when I start the car. If the wipers are on, that's annoying if the windshield is dry, but this is a rare annoyance. If I drive Ed's car, however, he strongly prefers that I change the radio back to his favorite station before turning off the engine.
Quote from vtk:
QuoteI don't mind having the radio or fan already on when I start the car. If the wipers are on, that's annoying if the windshield is dry, but this is a rare annoyance. If I drive Ed's car, however, he strongly prefers that I change the radio back to his favorite station before turning off the engine.
I always turn the wipers off before shutting off the engine. I also would be sure to put the lights back on low beam, that is, if I were to ever need the high beams.
Quote from: slorydn1 on February 13, 2015, 11:27:04 PM
Re part 1: Actually she handles it quite well, because I have also given in to some of her wants/needs/whims too. My dad taught me that give/take thing works pretty in keeping a marriage together. My parents were married 42 years before cancer took my dad back in 2011. My wife and I have been together 17 years (15 married) and we actually don't have many issues.
Spoken pretty well for the day on which we're supposed to give a nod to those who put up with us.
Quote from: vtk on February 14, 2015, 01:49:55 AMI don't mind having the radio or fan already on when I start the car. If the wipers are on, that's annoying if the windshield is dry, but this is a rare annoyance. If I drive Ed's car, however, he strongly prefers that I change the radio back to his favorite station before turning off the engine.
I try to have all accessories off when I shut off the engine, to limit draw on the battery. The main exception to this is the blower fan in hot weather--I often don't bother to shut it off. I try to keep batteries going for as long as possible because I have a very low tolerance for electrical problems, largely because of the effort it takes to diagnose them.
A bad battery will often take out the alternator or vice versa, finding out which of the two is causing a problem is a process of elimination, and often one or the other needs to be replaced or repaired even though it holds nominal voltage within accepted limits. My big project for today is actually to reinstall an alternator I had rebuilt after having it load-tested at virtually every parts store in town. It passed every in-car load test thrown at it (usually 14.2 V without load, 14.0 V under load), but none of the stores was able to give me a reliable measurement of current output. I suspected it was browning out the ignition and transmission solenoids because I was feeling a rumble at idle whenever electrical loads were heavy and shift quality went into the toilet whenever voltage (observed using a multimeter duct-taped to the windshield since the instrument panel does not have a volts gauge) dropped below 14.2 V or so. I took it to a local rebuilder and requested a stock rebuild, which raised output (measured on a testing bench) from 70 A at 11.7 V to 100 A at 13.8 V. It took about three months of off-and-on troubleshooting to reach this point.
I especially try not to have the radio playing when it is just me in the car. I can't hear it, but it sets up enough vibrations in the interior trim to cause me to suspect something mechanical is going wrong under the hood.
Quote from: slorydn1 on February 13, 2015, 10:43:16 PMKetchup is never acceptable. (we need a puke smilie here).
Fixed it for you.
Quote from: Crazy Volvo Guy on February 16, 2015, 03:28:50 PM
Quote from: slorydn1 on February 13, 2015, 10:43:16 PMKetchup is never acceptable. (we need a puke smilie here).
Fixed it for you.
You're both high as a kite. Ketchup is my life blood! I put that shit on everything. Fries, dogs, burgers, bacon, eggs, hashbrowns, chicken, etc.
I don't understand the ketchup hate that many people have. On the other hand, I don't understand putting it on eggs.
Quote from: jakeroot on February 16, 2015, 03:35:11 PM
Quote from: Crazy Volvo Guy on February 16, 2015, 03:28:50 PM
Quote from: slorydn1 on February 13, 2015, 10:43:16 PMKetchup is never acceptable. (we need a puke smilie here).
Fixed it for you.
You're both high as a kite. Ketchup is my life blood! I put that shit on everything. Fries, dogs, burgers, bacon, eggs, hashbrowns, chicken, etc.
Ketchup on hot dogs is for children. Ketchup on bacon, eggs and/or chicken is for heathens.
I find ketchup too sweet to be appealing in a broad array of uses. It's no surprise that it's such a favorite of kids, because what kid doesn't love sugar?
Like most things, fine in moderation.
Quote from: spooky on February 16, 2015, 04:03:18 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on February 16, 2015, 03:35:11 PM
Quote from: Crazy Volvo Guy on February 16, 2015, 03:28:50 PM
Quote from: slorydn1 on February 13, 2015, 10:43:16 PMKetchup is never acceptable. (we need a puke smilie here).
Fixed it for you.
You're both high as a kite. Ketchup is my life blood! I put that shit on everything. Fries, dogs, burgers, bacon, eggs, hashbrowns, chicken, etc.
Ketchup on hot dogs is for children. Ketchup on bacon, eggs and/or chicken is for heathens.
A decent hot dog should have a slight spicy kick to it. If you have to negate this with cloyingly sweet sauces like ketchup, then you should probably be eating a microwaved Oscar Meyer instead.
Quote from: spooky on February 16, 2015, 04:03:18 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on February 16, 2015, 03:35:11 PM
Quote from: Crazy Volvo Guy on February 16, 2015, 03:28:50 PM
Quote from: slorydn1 on February 13, 2015, 10:43:16 PMKetchup is never acceptable. (we need a puke smilie here).
Fixed it for you.
You're both high as a kite. Ketchup is my life blood! I put that shit on everything. Fries, dogs, burgers, bacon, eggs, hashbrowns, chicken, etc.
Ketchup on hot dogs is for children. Ketchup on bacon, eggs and/or chicken is for heathens.
They do call me 'the Heretic'.
For hot dogs, I usually use mustard, but every other meat is ketchup except steak and crabcakes which also get mustard. Unless there is ranch around. Then it all gets ranch. Even pizza.
Quote from: jakeroot on February 16, 2015, 03:35:11 PM
Quote from: Crazy Volvo Guy on February 16, 2015, 03:28:50 PM
Quote from: slorydn1 on February 13, 2015, 10:43:16 PMKetchup is never acceptable. (we need a puke smilie here).
Fixed it for you.
You're both high as a kite. Ketchup is my life blood! I put that shit on everything. Fries, dogs, burgers, bacon, eggs, hashbrowns, chicken, etc.
Catsup on dogs is verboten. On eggs and bacon just sounds gross to me (don't much like bacon anyway), but on potatoes and burgers, it's just fine.
Now, mustard, particularly the brown mustard is great on dogs, but a good burger needs a good barbeque sauce.
Quote from: Brandon on February 16, 2015, 05:28:50 PM
Catsup on dogs is verboten.
Second image from Google Image search for "hot dog":
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dairyqueen.com%2FPageFiles%2F331%2Fdq-sides-hotdog.png%3Fwidth%3D%26amp%3Bheight%3D810&hash=2b1fc65d27a58a0ecbec548fd0f6b904afb5f73c)
Quote from: jakeroot on February 16, 2015, 06:07:49 PM
Quote from: Brandon on February 16, 2015, 05:28:50 PM
Catsup on dogs is verboten.
Second image from Google Image search for "hot dog":
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dairyqueen.com%2FPageFiles%2F331%2Fdq-sides-hotdog.png%3Fwidth%3D%26amp%3Bheight%3D810&hash=2b1fc65d27a58a0ecbec548fd0f6b904afb5f73c)
It's more a Chicago thing that ketchup is verboten.
I squeeze the tube of toothpaste at all different points, mushing it this way or that each time. It only matters when it's down to the last bit, and then I start squeezing from the bottom, scraping along the counter with my knuckles, and rolling from the bottom end. Once it's too the point of none coming out, I do the aforementioned method of using the rolled-up part as a pusher. After that... well, it just occurred to me that a box cutter might come in handy.
I have no idea how my wife squeezes the toothpaste tube, as we use different brands and rarely brush at the same time.
Quote from: jakeroot on February 16, 2015, 06:07:49 PM
Second image from Google Image search for "hot dog":
<snipped>
That's the way I eat my hot dogs, and goddamn does it taste so good.
I think we might be halfway to a CO meet.
(And we'll see if anyone but @vtk gets that one.)
Quote from: Big John on February 16, 2015, 06:10:33 PMIt's more a Chicago thing that ketchup is verboten.
I'm not sure where you get that idea from. The standard hot dog of New Jersey, the Texas Wiener, comes topped with mustard, chili, and onions. The usual protocol is that you have to specify if you want something different, but that's "all the way."
Connecticut has a serious hot dog culture, but I don't know if they have a regular format. I would be very surprised if it included ketchup. Massachusetts is in the dark ages on this stuff–standout hot dogs in Boston are very rare.
Quote from: Big John on February 13, 2015, 09:59:01 AM
I don't think it is strange, but got commented on the fact I eat foods separately one at a time and I don't let different foods touch on a plate.
I eat foods separately too, but don't really care if the foods touch.
EDIT: Maybe I should put this more specifically. I eat one course at a time (aka, sides one at a time, then the main dish). Drives my wife nuts, especially if she's cooking. I think it goes back to the time when my classmates in elementary school used to make horrible looking combinations just for visual effect. Or the fact that someone at an after-school program thought it might be neat to mix canned apples with overly-cooked sweet potatoes...for years I thought I was allergic to cooked apples because of the gagging sensation that combination elicited (I was 6 at the time, and one of my "classmates" was allergic to tomatoes). Now, if you served me a combination like that, and both were cooked just to doneness (aka, still with some firmness), I might have seconds or thirds. I do like a baked sweet potato.
A non-food habit that amuses my co-workers is that I take my lunch hour to the second. I leave right at 12pm and get back at 1pm, almost on the nose.
I have no idea what ketchup tastes like since I've never eaten any. But I do know that it's horribly disgusting to touch since it's cold and wet and sticky, and if it feels revolting on my fingers I ain't gonna put it on my tongue.
It also makes a noise like someone launching diarrhea out of their ass when you squeeze it out of a bottle. How is that possibly appetizing?
All of the above could be said of mustard in a squeeze bottle.
Ketchup only enters my mouth if it's in combination with mustard on a hamburger. I don't eat it on eggs (my wife does) or on my Thanksgiving turkey (my wife's sister does) or on french fries or anything else.
Quote from: jakeroot on February 16, 2015, 03:35:11 PMYou're both high as a kite. Ketchup is my life blood! I put that shit on everything. Fries, dogs, burgers, bacon, eggs, hashbrowns, chicken, etc.
Quote from: vdeane on February 16, 2015, 03:47:09 PMI don't understand the ketchup hate that many people have. On the other hand, I don't understand putting it on eggs.
Ketchup is the second grossest condiment in existence. The only condiment that can out-gross ketchup is mayonnaise. Mayonnaise is egg infused with baby puke.
Quote from: kphoger on February 16, 2015, 06:41:37 PM
I think we might be halfway to a CO meet.
(And we'll see if anyone but @vtk gets that one.)
I hope someone else gets it, because it went right over my head.
Quote from: Pete from Boston on February 16, 2015, 06:44:55 PM
standout hot dogs in Boston are very rare.
Eddie Andelman disagrees.
http://hotdogsafari.phantomgourmet.com/
Quote from: spooky on February 17, 2015, 07:52:45 AM
Quote from: Pete from Boston on February 16, 2015, 06:44:55 PM
standout hot dogs in Boston are very rare.
Eddie Andelman disagrees.
http://hotdogsafari.phantomgourmet.com/
Here are the hot dogs from that menu:
Windy City: Never been, but I do know this is a Chicago dog place in Weymouth. Not a "local" style.
Kowloon: Chop Suey Dog? Really? Next.
Fuddruckers: National hamburger chain. Not a local anything.
Dunn Gaherin's: Admittedly, I have no idea about this Irish pub's hot dogs
Boston Salads: A distributor, not a place you can get a hot dog, and moreover selling a "NY style beef dog."
Dietz and Watson: See above.
Jeff and Maria's: Another one I'm not familiar with.
Where is Simco's, possibly the most standout dog in Boston? The previous holder of that claim, and the only one that people talked about much, was Speed's, but he's gone. Lawton's in Lawrence is another of the few worth a trip, but notably absent here.
Even Sullivan's, whose dogs are nothing special but are celebrated for their setting, would have added some local cred to the list. Boston Hot Dog (in Salem) are ok, but hardly local-styled and not really worth going far afield for. Spike's is Chicago style.
Most of the rest of the hot dogs that get attention around here are nonsense like $15 Kobe beef dogs at gastropubs (one of my least favorite words) in the South End.
The Phantom Gourmet may be butt-kissing slaves to their advertisers, but their list still helps bear out the scenario here: Boston is just not much of a hot dog town.
Does avoiding hot dogs count as a strange habit?
Probably a healthy one, at least.
I don't like hot dogs, but I do like turkey dogs with Worcestershire Sauce on them.
Quote from: vtk on February 17, 2015, 06:47:22 AM
Quote from: kphoger on February 16, 2015, 06:41:37 PM
I think we might be halfway to a CO meet.
(And we'll see if anyone but @vtk gets that one.)
I hope someone else gets it, because it went right over my head.
Man! I was so pleased with myself for that one too...
With all the nude sleeping posts, I figured we should start making at least some of the road meets clothing-optional.
Quote from: kphoger on February 17, 2015, 01:23:48 PM
Quote from: vtk on February 17, 2015, 06:47:22 AM
Quote from: kphoger on February 16, 2015, 06:41:37 PM
I think we might be halfway to a CO meet.
(And we'll see if anyone but @vtk gets that one.)
I hope someone else gets it, because it went right over my head.
Man! I was so pleased with myself for that one too...
With all the nude sleeping posts, I figured we should start making at least some of the road meets clothing-optional.
Roadgeeking around Cap d'Agde (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cap_d%27Agde)?
Quote from: Duke87 on February 16, 2015, 11:52:07 PM
It also makes a noise like someone launching diarrhea out of their ass when you squeeze it out of a bottle.
If I wind up giggling whenever I squeeze ketchup out of the bottle from now on, this sentence is to blame.
I never use the right-hand Shift key when typing. To type a capital Q, A, or Z, I actually shift my left hand over a bit in order to use my pinky for Shift and my ring finger for the letter. I also use my right hand for the letter B instead of my left; it's always seemed more natural.
Quote from: kphoger on February 17, 2015, 01:23:48 PM
With all the nude sleeping posts, I figured we should start making at least some of the road meets clothing-optional.
Thanks for the Mental Scar.
I know. It's impossible to not imagine a specific person you've met at a meet. And then it's impossible to un-imagine it.
Quote from: kphoger on February 17, 2015, 10:19:58 PM
I never use the right-hand Shift key when typing. To type a capital Q, A, or Z, I actually shift my left hand over a bit in order to use my pinky for Shift and my ring finger for the letter. I also use my right hand for the letter B instead of my left; it's always seemed more natural.
I have very little feeling in my left ring finger due to an accident in high school in which I severed the tendons and nerves in said finger, so I type with just my index and middle fingers on both hands (except for using my thumbs to hit the spacebar). But I still type 50 to 60 words per minute on my ergonomic keyboard (much slower on my iPad touchscreen, of course). Like you, I never use the right-hand Shift key either.
Quote from: freebrickproductions on February 17, 2015, 12:46:45 PM
I don't like hot dogs, but I do like turkey dogs with Worcestershire Sauce on them.
How do you get the Worcestershire Sauce to stay on a hot dog - soaked into the bun?
Quote from: vdeane on February 17, 2015, 10:06:34 PM
Quote from: Duke87 on February 16, 2015, 11:52:07 PM
It also makes a noise like someone launching diarrhea out of their ass when you squeeze it out of a bottle.
If I wind up giggling whenever I squeeze ketchup out of the bottle from now on, this sentence is to blame.
You're only just finding that out? You should have discovered that squeezy bottles make funny noises about 20 years ago!
Quote from: Crazy Volvo Guy on February 17, 2015, 04:17:35 AMKetchup is the second grossest condiment in existence. The only condiment that can out-gross ketchup is mayonnaise.
Nope, Salad Cream (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salad_cream) is far worse and if you tried it, you would agree with me. It is the equivalent to mayonnaise that margarine is to butter: trying (and failing) to make a cheaper equivalent.
I never use the right shift key either. But then, I don't "touch type" in the classic way, with fingers resting on the home row and such. I have this hybrid method where I use only my index and middle fingers to hit letters, and I pivot my wrists in addition to moving my fingers in order to reach all the buttons. I use my left ring finger to hit shift, caps lock, and tab. I use my right ring finger to hit enter. Backspace, interestingly, I use my middle finger for rather than my ring finger. Spacebar is always hit with my right index finger, never my left.
I *can* type without looking at my hands via this method and usually do, but it's somewhat dependent on having the precise layout of my laptop's keyboard memorized, such that when I go to type on a keyboard I'm not familiar with I make tons of typos if I don't watch where my fingers are going.
I used to hunt and peck with just two fingers when I was little and stubbornly refused to learn the touch typing method since whenever I attempted it it slowed me down further. Over the years as I used computers more and more I learned to start using a few more fingers since it enabled me to type faster. But seasoned touch typists can still kick my ass, I can't go much past 45 words per minute.
I also misspell a lot of words in stupid ways and have to go back and correct them. The typing speed test I just took docked me points because I typed "numberal" instead of "numeral", and as I was typing this sentence I typed "poiints". If you really want to fuck with me, take away the red squiggly lines that show up under words not in the dictionary and watch how much I embarrass myself.
Most of what Duke87 just said applies to me too. However, I can usually sense when I make a typo as I'm making it.
I've also remapped a few keys, most notably using right alt as enter to avoid reaching over with my pinky. And scroll lock is pause/play because who the fuck uses scroll lock? (yeah, spreadsheets)
Yeah, it's weird, I usually sense a typo right after I make it when I use a regular keyboard, but not when I use a touchscreen. I don't know why that is. Maybe because I make constant typos on the touchscreen due to bumping "m" when I want a space and the like? I've done that so often it's ridiculous. (I wish I understood how autocorrect decides when to change something and when it doesn't. It seems wildly inconsistent–sometimes it'll fix a word and sometimes it won't fix the same word, such as earlier in this sentence when I typed "snd" and it didn't fix it to "and" despite usually doing so. Maybe with the "m" issue I've done it so often it thinks I want the "m" there?)
I used to freak people out because I'd type on a laptop without looking at the screen or the keyboard and I wouldn't be making any typos.
Quote from: english si on February 17, 2015, 11:52:00 PM
Quote from: freebrickproductions on February 17, 2015, 12:46:45 PM
I don't like hot dogs, but I do like turkey dogs with Worcestershire Sauce on them.
How do you get the Worcestershire Sauce to stay on a hot dog - soaked into the bun?
I don't eat them with buns either. I'm quite weird that way.
One should never eat a hot dog that wouldn't be delicious on its own.
I don't heat up my Pop-Tarts. Neither does my wife.
Quote from: kphoger on February 18, 2015, 10:17:36 AM
I don't heat up my Pop-Tarts. Neither does my wife.
I don't either.
In fact, I don't think I've met one person who heats up their Pop-Tarts.
Quote from: freebrickproductions on February 18, 2015, 10:30:57 AM
Quote from: kphoger on February 18, 2015, 10:17:36 AM
I don't heat up my Pop-Tarts. Neither does my wife.
I don't either.
In fact, I don't think I've met one person who heats up their Pop-Tarts.
Brown Sugar Cinnamon pop tarts taste amazing when you heat them.
I type with all five fingers (both Shift keys) and don't eat Pop-Tarts, warm or cold.
Where keyboarding is concerned, I think I am an anomaly only in using the left Ctrl key exclusively, and never using the right Alt key on US Standard keyboards at all, since I am too used to alternate keyboard layouts where this maps to the AltGr key and is used to enter special characters. I often take my fingers off the home keys to enter digits (especially the ones that map to my little fingers), but I don't think this is terribly unusual among touch typists.
I wonder if some of the confusion regarding "CO" (as in clothing-optional) could have resulted from there actually being a meet planned for CO (the state) later this year.
Quote from: Zeffy on February 18, 2015, 11:38:28 AM
Quote from: freebrickproductions on February 18, 2015, 10:30:57 AM
Quote from: kphoger on February 18, 2015, 10:17:36 AM
I don't heat up my Pop-Tarts. Neither does my wife.
I don't either.
In fact, I don't think I've met one person who heats up their Pop-Tarts.
Brown Sugar Cinnamon pop tarts taste amazing when you heat them.
Have you ever tried butter on a Pop-Tart? It's so frickin' good.
Quote from: kurumi on February 11, 2015, 10:59:58 AM
I eat salad with chopsticks*. Instead of trying to stab or balance veggies on your fork, you get a firm grip, with less mess. It's a superior tool. I don't think it's strange, but I've never seen anyone else do it (that wasn't influenced by me)
* also recommended for those of you into Cheetos
My method supersedes yours; I eat my salad with my bare hands, like a vegan caveman.
Quote from: kphoger on February 17, 2015, 01:23:48 PM
Quote from: vtk on February 17, 2015, 06:47:22 AM
Quote from: kphoger on February 16, 2015, 06:41:37 PM
I think we might be halfway to a CO meet.
(And we'll see if anyone but @vtk gets that one.)
I hope someone else gets it, because it went right over my head.
Man! I was so pleased with myself for that one too...
With all the nude sleeping posts, I figured we should start making at least some of the road meets clothing-optional.
I parsed CO as Colorado, and wondered what Colorado had to do with anything. I think when I encounter the phrase "˜clothing optional', it's usually not abbreviated. So, unless the context is already established as being about places you don't have to wear clothes, I'll likely only recognize CO as being the state. (Unless I'm listening to railroad employees, then CO probably means conductor.)
^^ Right. I just figured that, if I had given you any context at all, someone else would have figured it out (that darned Google). Oh, well...
Also I'm very happy that we've made it to the sixth page already.
I know it's not strange in this community, but in general pulling to the side of the road to get out and take pictures of road signs is a strange habit (that I indeed have.) :biggrin:
Quote from: webny99 on October 26, 2017, 12:44:55 AM
there's two other quotes I want to insert here, but they're not in the topic summary, so I can't figure out how to insert them.
In this case, I usually open a separate program like Notepad. Then I go to the other thread, click on Insert Quote, copy the code, and paste it into Notepad. Then I go back to the thread at hand, copy out of Notepad, and paste it into the reply window.
Quote from: kphoger on October 26, 2017, 11:52:46 AM
Quote from: webny99 on October 26, 2017, 12:44:55 AM
there's two other quotes I want to insert here, but they're not in the topic summary, so I can't figure out how to insert them.
In this case, I usually open a separate program like Notepad. Then I go to the other thread, click on Insert Quote, copy the code, and paste it into Notepad. Then I go back to the thread at hand, copy out of Notepad, and paste it into the reply window.
I tend to duplicate the current tab in Chrome, go back to the "read" view, find the post in question, select "Insert Quote", copy the text, switch back to the original tab, and then paste it. One less program to open.
Quote from: webny99 on October 26, 2017, 12:52:54 PM
My last two posts above had actual new content that I typed, but it must not have saved. I'll update them when I get around to it.
How much content did you write? Surely it wouldn't take more than a few moments to update the post :-D
Quote from: webny99 on October 26, 2017, 03:03:28 PM
Weird things are happening to my posts. So far, three posts have only the quotes showing up, not what I typed. The post above posted partially (until I edited it just now) stopping halfway through the word "remember" :confused:
What device are you using to post? Is
all the content in the text box before hitting "post"?
Quote from: webny99 on October 26, 2017, 03:03:28 PM
Werd thing are happning to my pots. So far, thee posts hae ony the quotes shwing up, not what I typed. The post above posted partialllly (until I edited it just now stopping halfway thrugh the word remember" :love:
I just assumed someone strangled you from behind and you couldn't get all the way through "remember". Glad to know you're OK.
(How's my quote treating you?)
Quote from: webny99 on October 26, 2017, 12:47:19 PM
Quote from: MNHighwayMan on October 26, 2017, 06:02:41 AM
I know it's not strange in this community, but in general pulling to the side of the road to get out and take pictures of road signs is a strange habit (that I indeed have.) :biggrin:
EDITED to add my actual content :D
I, of course, don't think this is a strange habit. I don't do it myself, though, as I'd prefer to spend my time exploring or clinching, than photographing. Also, I know if I started taking sign pics, I would not be able to stop. It would get out of control way too fast!
To me, clinching is interesting in concept, but after I've done it, the only evidence of it is my memory and belief in the fact that I did it. Photographs, on the other hand, can prove that I've been to both endpoints, not to mention that they capture the essence of the time and place–was it cloudy and cool, or sunny and warm? Did the DOT just install new signage, or has the sign been out in the sun for too many years? What's the road like: smooth and fresh, or cracked and crumbling? And so on. These are all the fine details that can eventually be forgotten, if they had not been saved by the indelible evidence of a picture. This applies even more strongly to highways that once were but have been lost to time.
I definitely agree, though, that it can get out of control, especially if you're like me and don't keep up on sorting and naming. I have a massive folder of new images from my last few trips that needs to be edited and sorted. X-(
Quote from: webny99 on October 26, 2017, 03:16:17 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on October 26, 2017, 03:05:36 PM
Quote from: webny99 on October 26, 2017, 03:03:28 PM
Weird things are happening to my posts. So far, three posts have only the quotes showing up, not what I typed. The post above posted partially (until I edited it just now) stopping halfway through the word "remember" :confused:
What device are you using to post? Is all the content in the text box before hitting "post"?
Well, given my "thumbs" comment, it should have been obvious :-D
True.
The only posting problem I have is that, sometimes, I'll hit post, and then Chrome will spin forever, until eventually getting a 304 error. I'll hit back, and then the text box is empty, but I can see in the topic summary that my post actually went through.
Quote from: jakeroot on October 26, 2017, 03:44:54 PM
The only posting problem I have is that, sometimes, I'll hit post, and then Chrome will spin forever, until eventually getting a 304 error. I'll hit back, and then the text box is empty, but I can see in the topic summary that my post actually went through.
Same.
I sometimes have to touch something multiple times in different ways or else I feel uncomfortable. Have no idea why this is or what causes it.
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on October 26, 2017, 10:46:32 PM
I sometimes have to touch something multiple times in different ways or else I feel uncomfortable. Have no idea why this is or what causes it.
It's
possible that what you're experiencing is Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (but I don't know for a fact). I actually have a severe form of this. OCD (the abbreviation for this) can cause you to do Ordering and Repeating rituals (also known as compulsions), among many other possible kinds of compulsions. With the ordering and repeating compulsions, you may have to do the same thing over and
over again (which could include touching things such as a wall or a chair - or you press the Caps Lock key over and over again multiple times a minute when you're on the computer *cough*yup, that's me*cough*). If you don't do this, you may feel uncomfortable, or even experience debilitating anxiety. You may have to repeat stuff until it feels "just right" or "perfect" to stop, or once you have reached the "mandatory number" that the OCD says you "must get to." This is more common than you would think. Of course, I am no doctor, but I have rich personal experience with these kinds of things and tons of knowledge on mental health, so I felt obligated to let you know all of this. I might tell your parent(s) or someone close about this and get it checked out, in case it is in fact Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (which is somewhat likely considering the habits that you spoke of).
What happened here? I swear I posted in this thread last afternoon...
Anyway, I have the habit of running every race (except orienteering courses) with the same T-shirt. Somehow it's my lucky T-shirt.
Quote from: CNGL-Leudimin on October 27, 2017, 05:13:53 AM
What happened here? I swear I posted in this thread last afternoon...
You did, but let’s pretend you didn’t. That was waaaaayyyyyyy too much information.
Quote from: adventurernumber1 on October 26, 2017, 11:35:46 PM
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on October 26, 2017, 10:46:32 PM
I sometimes have to touch something multiple times in different ways or else I feel uncomfortable. Have no idea why this is or what causes it.
It's possible that what you're experiencing is Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (but I don't know for a fact). I actually have a severe form of this. OCD (the abbreviation for this) can cause you to do Ordering and Repeating rituals (also known as compulsions), among many other possible kinds of compulsions. With the ordering and repeating compulsions, you may have to do the same thing over and over again (which could include touching things such as a wall or a chair - or you press the Caps Lock key over and over again multiple times a minute when you're on the computer *cough*yup, that's me*cough*). If you don't do this, you may feel uncomfortable, or even experience debilitating anxiety. You may have to repeat stuff until it feels "just right" or "perfect" to stop, or once you have reached the "mandatory number" that the OCD says you "must get to." This is more common than you would think. Of course, I am no doctor, but I have rich personal experience with these kinds of things and tons of knowledge on mental health, so I felt obligated to let you know all of this. I might tell your parent(s) or someone close about this and get it checked out, in case it is in fact Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (which is somewhat likely considering the habits that you spoke of).
Thank you for replying about the possibility of OCD. It does sound like it might fit the bill.
By the way, I'd feel more comfortable if we could call it CDO instead. Then the letters would be in alphabetical order. AS THEY SHOULD BE.
Quote from: webny99 on October 27, 2017, 08:21:12 AMAnyways, another "strange habit" of mine is to stay up late. 11 PM is about as early as it gets for me, and I often stay up until around 1 AM. I must be nocturnal or something, but I'm not sure what causes this problem.
This is called "being a night owl" and I wouldn't classify it as a strange habit, though some are possibly more predisposed to it than others. I am one myself.
To try to take this thread away from personal hygiene, which can lead to self-disclosures that are later regretted, I'll outline a few strange habits that relate to driving.
* Turning the ignition key to the RUN position (resting it against the START return spring), and not actually cranking the engine until the belt mouse stops running and all electrical accessories have been switched off manually.
* Being extremely reluctant to nose into parking spaces unless specifically required by regulation (e.g., at metered lots, which typically require nose-in parking for the convenience of parking enforcers checking through the windshield for hangtags and other evidence of concessionary parking).
* Insisting on backing through 90° angles with the vehicle coming to rest at the end with wheels pointed straight ahead, to avoid tire scrub.
* Opening the hood virtually every time the car is parked for the night to hook up the battery to a maintainer.
My general feeling is that except in the case of habits that cause harm or undue annoyance to others, one shouldn't fear to be strange.
Quote from: J N Winkler on October 27, 2017, 01:20:51 PM
* Being extremely reluctant to nose into parking spaces unless specifically required by regulation (e.g., at metered lots, which typically require nose-in parking for the convenience of parking enforcers checking through the windshield for hangtags and other evidence of concessionary parking).
I'm not "extremely reluctant", but I do back in whenever possible. I had already started doing it when I drove a box truck delivery route, and a lot of my customers were schools. I came to prefer driving slowly past my delivery point, scoping it out while I drove by, then backing up partially by mirrors and partially by memory. Then, after my delivery was done, the situation could have drastically changed (the area flooded with kids changing classes, for example), but I had a windshield view of the new situation instead of a side-mirror view. But I still didn't do it much with our personal vehicle, until I had to jump-start a nosed-in vehicle once or twice. I realized that whole process is a
lot easier when the front end is easily accessible. Just recently, I mistakenly left the key in the ignition after doing something or other, and it drained the battery. No need to push it out into the street for a jump, because I had backed in.
In regards to parking I generally try to park in the back of parking lots and back in if possible. I like the vantage angle of being able to look out while pulling out as opposed to looking back. Generally that drivers any passengers I have up the wall since they have to walk a little further but I prefer the ease and peace of mind.
Funny some of you are mentioning being "night owls." Personally I can't stand being up at night and typically go to bed sometime between 9 PM to 10 PM. On the flip side I actually really enjoy getting up at 4-5 AM and having basically the whole of civilization to myself for a good hour or so before rush hour starts. I've found that all the best sports shows are on early in the morning (due to east coast oriented broadcast times) and its by far the best time to go do cardio exercise outside.
Quote from: kphoger on October 27, 2017, 01:52:00 PMI'm not "extremely reluctant", but I do back in whenever possible. I had already started doing it when I drove a box truck delivery route, and a lot of my customers were schools. I came to prefer driving slowly past my delivery point, scoping it out while I drove by, then backing up partially by mirrors and partially by memory. Then, after my delivery was done, the situation could have drastically changed (the area flooded with kids changing classes, for example), but I had a windshield view of the new situation instead of a side-mirror view. But I still didn't do it much with our personal vehicle, until I had to jump-start a nosed-in vehicle once or twice. I realized that whole process is a lot easier when the front end is easily accessible. Just recently, I mistakenly left the key in the ignition after doing something or other, and it drained the battery. No need to push it out into the street for a jump, because I had backed in.
Over the past couple of years I have worked to make it my default to back in. I've read nosing-in-versus-backing-in discussions on this forum, on Facebook comment threads, and in an AskReddit (https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/pnpri/for_those_of_you_who_back_into_parking_spaces_why/) discussion thread, and concluded it will lead me to better outcomes in terms of safety, wear, and fuel consumption, largely for the following reasons:
* Backing in is a safety requirement (to the extent that nosing in is grounds for disciplinary action) at a number of large employers.
* In 25 years of driving, I have been fortunate not to cause injury to other people or reportable damage to their vehicles, but the vast majority of my near misses and glancing contacts with other vehicles have been in parking lots, and of those most have begun with me attempting to back out while parked nose-in.
* When I am parked nose-out, I have better visibility and can simply watch and wait for a brief episode of parking-lot congestion to clear before I start my engine, put the car in gear, and move out. This reduces the temptation to start the engine and waste gas waiting, which then pushes me into accepting gaps I probably should reject, just to stop wasting gas.
* Backing in offers more opportunities for reducing tire scrub since it places the pivot point closer to the first part of the vehicle to enter the parking space, though it is still possible to waste vast amounts of tire rubber through bad technique.
There are many YouTube videos demonstrating techniques for backing in, and I have watched some of them. The approach I have found to work best is to drive past the space I intend to back into, checking that it is free with no pedestrians about to step into it, and then keep rolling forward until there is at least one stall width between the target space and my rear bumper. Then I back up by first turning my steering wheel toward the space, and as I begin to slide into it, straightening it out while the car is still moving so that the wheels are pointed straight ahead and the steering wheel is put back into the neutral position without having to be turned while the car is stationary. There is a definite convenience advantage to backing up toward the driver's side, but I try to practice backing up toward the passenger's side because not all spaces offer easy reversing entry from the driver's side.
It is still possible to get into accidents while backing in, and reversing too far toward a curb that is just a bit too high can be a recipe for crushing the tailpipe and muffler. Nevertheless, sightlines as well as a broad array of human factors considerations--some obvious, some subtle--still favor reversing over nosing-in in the vast majority of cases. I have noticed that the number of parking-lot near-misses I have has gone way, way down, which I consider a very good result in light of how the safety pyramid works.
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on October 27, 2017, 03:26:26 PMIn regards to parking I generally try to park in the back of parking lots and back in if possible. I like the vantage angle of being able to look out while pulling out as opposed to looking back. Generally that drivers any passengers I have up the wall since they have to walk a little further but I prefer the ease and peace of mind.
I will park at the foot of large parking lots that have stalls at an angle to try to force nose-in parking, as this maximizes my chances of being able to leave by driving through. I also prefer to park in the middle of a large block of empty stalls if stall width is narrow enough to prompt concern about door dings.
I typically back in at work. If I'm in a mad rush, I'll nose in to a close parking space.
I always made sure to back in as much as possible when I went to high school. Dropped the habit at college though, and the store I work at has angled parking spaces and 1-way aisles so no backing in there...
Quote from: J N Winkler on October 27, 2017, 04:20:03 PM
The approach I have found to work best is to drive past the space I intend to back into, checking that it is free with no pedestrians about to step into it, and then keep rolling forward until there is at least one stall width between the target space and my rear bumper. Then I back up by first turning my steering wheel toward the space, and as I begin to slide into it, straightening it out while the car is still moving so that the wheels are pointed straight ahead and the steering wheel is put back into the neutral position without having to be turned while the car is stationary. There is a definite convenience advantage to backing up toward the driver's side, but I try to practice backing up toward the passenger's side because not all spaces offer easy reversing entry from the driver's side.
I drove forklifts for a living in the early 2000s, so driving in a straight line in reverse became second nature to me. Driving a delivery truck later on gave me the ability to back up at a 90° turn using nothing but side mirrors, and even cued me in on techniques to avoid scraping a bumper if there is a dip that needs to be navigated during the process.
Using my driveway as an example, my practice is to drive right next to the foot of the driveway, then keep going a little bit while angling slightly away into the street. I then do most of the backing while only looking at the inside mirror–specifically checking that the curb corner stays in same spot of the mirror, which is a cue that my path is steady. When my rear wheel has reached the line, I cut the wheel more sharply and only then start checking the other mirror.
Backing up straight is a matter of keeping your distance equal between your boundaries. In a parking lot, those are the lines of the parking spot or the vehicles you're parking between. In a driveway, it is the edges of the lawn. Properly angled side mirrors are key.
I've long been told that leaving on electrical automotive accessories (radio, wipers, HVAC, exterior lights) can incrementally drain your battery upon each start-up. It's more initial draw on the cell, although if your charging system gets a rather continuous workout of 20 minutes or so, it's not a very big deal unless the battery is quite old. So I wouldn't say it's weird or strange to demand less of your car on startup.
Backing up depends on what my expectation is to put stuff in my trunk/hatch and how easy it is to get it out. Otherwise, I'll back into parking spaces, but not into my garage, unless I'm the only one home.
- Bills go in the wallet in order of denomination, facing the same direction.
- I like a clean airplane window, mostly for photography reasons, although staring at a mess three inches from my face is also annoying. So I keep a polishing cloth just for that.
- If I borrow something, I try to return it in better condition than I found it. Or at least...clean, wash, fill, polish, untangle, lube, or put it back in order, unless I clearly don't know what I'm doing with it.
Quote from: formulanone on October 27, 2017, 05:40:30 PM
- Bills go in the wallet in order of denomination, facing the same direction.
Yes! And I un-dog-ear them all before putting them in my wallet too. I get frustrated with polymer notes because it's harder to un-dog-ear them.
Downtown Crestview, FL has angle in parking against a curb so you have to blindly back out b/c usually the car parked next to you blocks your view of traffic. I follow a bit of advice they gave in truck driver training "dont back up anymore than necessary". If I'm in a parking lot with rows of nose to nose parking I'll find a spot that I can pull thrui to park.
Quote from: kphoger on October 27, 2017, 05:32:28 PMUsing my driveway as an example, my practice is to drive right next to the foot of the driveway, then keep going a little bit while angling slightly away into the street. I then do most of the backing while only looking at the inside mirror–specifically checking that the curb corner stays in same spot of the mirror, which is a cue that my path is steady. When my rear wheel has reached the line, I cut the wheel more sharply and only then start checking the other mirror.
Backing up straight is a matter of keeping your distance equal between your boundaries. In a parking lot, those are the lines of the parking spot or the vehicles you're parking between. In a driveway, it is the edges of the lawn. Properly angled side mirrors are key.
Thanks for this explanation of backing up using mirrors. I can see the logic of it with panel trucks that have essentially no rearward visibility except through side mirrors. My daily driver basically has three-box styling, albeit with rounding for drag coefficient reduction, so the decklid is low and I can generally back up simply by turning my head and looking back. However, the roadtrip car has wedge styling with a high decklid, so I find myself using the side mirrors much more with it.
Quote from: formulanone on October 27, 2017, 05:40:30 PMBacking up depends on what my expectation is to put stuff in my trunk/hatch and how easy it is to get it out. Otherwise, I'll back into parking spaces, but not into my garage, unless I'm the only one home.
Garages are another exception I didn't mention. I invariably nose in because it is safer and more convenient to have the electrical hookup and the open hood at the back of the garage.
This said, I reversed into a garage months ago to change the transmission fluid in my Saturn. The recipe for partial drainage of the torque converter I was trying called for an overnight drain, so I wanted the car in a garage I could close up, and the front of the car had to be near the garage door both for access from below and for easy cleanup of any spills. (I generally try to change fluids outdoors in the driveway, despite the greater vulnerability to wind scatter, because once I pretreat any drips or spills with neat dish soap rubbed in with a nylon brush and then rinsed off, I can count on rain to finish the job.)
The only time I don't back in, is when someone is up my arse, and I think they'll take any spot that I don't automatically nose into. Like parallel parking, backing in requires you to pull past the spot in question. Which is fine 95% of the time. But sometimes, there's someone right behind you. No matter how much signaling you do, there's a pretty good chance that they'll be right on your bumper when you need to go into reverse, or they're already taking the spot that you were going to reverse into. In these situations, I feel like nosing-in is better because it reduces the chance of someone stealing the spot. Basically, when it's busy, I just try to be predictable.
I've been a valet for over three years now, and have backed in everything from a Smart ForTwo (obviously easy), to a truck & trailer. I don't even have to think about backing in. All muscle memory at this point. If someone asked me what my tips would be, I'd be speechless. I have no idea what I do, but I know I'm good at it. Based on an average of 20 cars per workday @ 50 weeks per year, I've backed in well over ten thousand cars in the last few years.
Quote from: kphoger on October 27, 2017, 05:43:02 PM
Quote from: formulanone on October 27, 2017, 05:40:30 PM
- Bills go in the wallet in order of denomination, facing the same direction.
Yes! And I un-dog-ear them all before putting them in my wallet too. I get frustrated with polymer notes because it's harder to un-dog-ear them.
YES! Anyone who doesn't do these things is a savage and needs to be civilized. :)
Quote from: adventurernumber1 on October 26, 2017, 11:35:46 PM
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on October 26, 2017, 10:46:32 PM
I sometimes have to touch something multiple times in different ways or else I feel uncomfortable. Have no idea why this is or what causes it.
It's possible that what you're experiencing is Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (but I don't know for a fact). I actually have a severe form of this. OCD (the abbreviation for this) can cause you to do Ordering and Repeating rituals (also known as compulsions), among many other possible kinds of compulsions. With the ordering and repeating compulsions, you may have to do the same thing over and over again (which could include touching things such as a wall or a chair - or you press the Caps Lock key over and over again multiple times a minute when you're on the computer *cough*yup, that's me*cough*). If you don't do this, you may feel uncomfortable, or even experience debilitating anxiety. You may have to repeat stuff until it feels "just right" or "perfect" to stop, or once you have reached the "mandatory number" that the OCD says you "must get to." This is more common than you would think. Of course, I am no doctor, but I have rich personal experience with these kinds of things and tons of knowledge on mental health, so I felt obligated to let you know all of this. I might tell your parent(s) or someone close about this and get it checked out, in case it is in fact Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (which is somewhat likely considering the habits that you spoke of).
Wow. I probably have minor ocd. It is getting better though.
Minor OCD-like symptoms can also be a symptom of aspergers/autism.
Quote from: vdeane on October 28, 2017, 09:17:23 AM
Minor OCD-like symptoms can also be a symptom of aspergers/autism.
I have autism.
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on October 28, 2017, 09:26:06 PM
Quote from: vdeane on October 28, 2017, 09:17:23 AM
Minor OCD-like symptoms can also be a symptom of aspergers/autism.
I have autism.
Do you really, or are you just continuing to be a troll?
Quote from: MNHighwayMan on October 29, 2017, 02:54:07 AM
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on October 28, 2017, 09:26:06 PM
Quote from: vdeane on October 28, 2017, 09:17:23 AM
Minor OCD-like symptoms can also be a symptom of aspergers/autism.
I have autism.
Do you really, or are you just continuing to be a troll?
I know he's said that several times before on the forum (that he has autism), so it probably is true. At least in this case, he probably isn't trolling.
Plus the numerous times people have made some joke or point and had it sail right over his head.
There's also the 'sneaking-suspicion' self-diagnosis. As in, claiming you have OCD, or Autism, or whatever, even though a doctor hasn't confirmed it, but then blame every stupid thing you've said or done on the disorder. Very annoying.
Quote from: vdeane on October 29, 2017, 03:29:18 PM
Plus the numerous times people have made some joke or point and had it sail right over his head.
For one, he's 14 amongst the discussion of folks mostly aged 21-50. There's going to be a lot of things that he's not going to naturally get for a while. Think of a family gathering where the parents, relatives, and grandparents are talking about the past and the issues of the day; you're not going to understand most of it until you're a bit wiser. But now one can use Google or use Yahoo or use Bing instead of interrupting every discussion. Hell, I do it sometimes.
He's (still is?...not sure) homeschooled; that's a major chunk of social skills, verbal/visual cues, and social graces missing from one's life. Family can be very forgiving towards, accustomed to, or unaware of social miscues and behaviors, so not "getting things" also isn't terribly surprising.
Quote from: formulanone on October 30, 2017, 08:04:38 AM
Quote from: vdeane on October 29, 2017, 03:29:18 PM
Plus the numerous times people have made some joke or point and had it sail right over his head.
For one, he's 14 amongst the discussion of folks mostly aged 21-50. There's going to be a lot of things that he's not going to naturally get for a while. Think of a family gathering where the parents, relatives, and grandparents are talking about the past and the issues of the day; you're not going to understand most of it until you're a bit wiser. But now one can use Google or use Yahoo or use Bing instead of interrupting every discussion. Hell, I do it sometimes.
He's (still is?...not sure) homeschooled; that's a major chunk of social skills, verbal/visual cues, and social graces missing from one's life. Family can be very forgiving towards, accustomed to, or unaware of social miscues and behaviors, so not "getting things" also isn't terribly surprising.
I go to public school but I am kinda anti social.
Quote from: formulanone on October 30, 2017, 08:04:38 AM
He's (still is?...not sure) homeschooled; that's a major chunk of social skills, verbal/visual cues, and social graces missing from one's life. Family can be very forgiving towards, accustomed to, or unaware of social miscues and behaviors, so not "getting things" also isn't terribly surprising.
Sorry to jump in here, but my wife home-schools our children, and some of my best friends were home-schooled. You seem to be assuming that home-schooled children don't interact with anyone but their families, and that's simply not true in my experience. Between non-school sports, church activities, family friends and extended family members, and citywide home-school associations–home-schooled children are likely to have quite a bit more interaction with "the outside world" than you might imagine.
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on October 30, 2017, 04:44:51 PM
I go to public school but I am kinda anti social.
Just a piece of important psychological advice, I would
not go around saying that you are
antisocial. :no: :wow:
That word is not what you think it means.
This is an excerpt straight from my Psychology book:
People with Antisocial Personality Disorder have little regard for other people's feelings. They view the world as a hostile place where people need to look out for themselves. Not surprisingly, criminals seem to manifest a high incidence of antisocial personality disorder.Being
antisocial is commonly associated with hostility, and possibly even criminal activity.
Better words to describe what I know you
meant to say are words such as
introverted, awkward, shy, reserved, quiet, and more. All of the words
just mentioned actually describe me personally very well.
As confusing as it may be, antisocial =/= not social
(those words
do not mean the same thing)
Another word would be "asocial."
But: https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/antisocial
Quote1. Unwilling or unable to cooperate and associate normally with other people
Which has no connotations of being hostile.
Quote from: kphoger on October 30, 2017, 04:57:42 PM
Quote from: formulanone on October 30, 2017, 08:04:38 AM
He's (still is?...not sure) homeschooled; that's a major chunk of social skills, verbal/visual cues, and social graces missing from one's life. Family can be very forgiving towards, accustomed to, or unaware of social miscues and behaviors, so not "getting things" also isn't terribly surprising.
Sorry to jump in here, but my wife home-schools our children, and some of my best friends were home-schooled. You seem to be assuming that home-schooled children don't interact with anyone but their families, and that's simply not true in my experience. Between non-school sports, church activities, family friends and extended family members, and citywide home-school associations—home-schooled children are likely to have quite a bit more interaction with "the outside world" than you might imagine.
I didn’t say it’s not bad for some, but we have a few neighbors on our block which also homeschool, and they’re some of the most bitter folks we’ve lived near and seem to have raised some disrespectful children to boot. Perhaps they privately feel a bit aggrieved when my wife told them she’s a public school teacher. We try to be friendly, but get a lot of clannish attitudes from most members of the families (so have other neighbors’ experiences), but not everyone is the same. There’s probably other reasons...but it’s hard to get to know anti-social people that don’t give the standard wave hello/bye in return, or usually ignore a "hello" or "hi" greeting to re-break the ice after the first 10 days we'd met.
That’s not to say public and private schools are havens for everyone, either. Not everyone is going to cure cancer nor develop intellectual pursuits. Not everyone is for the occasionally rigid ideals and typically weak behavioral standards public schools use towards kids; they're only disciplined within the behavioral extremes, so it leaves a lot to be desired for handling troublemakers. But my experiences seem to be that a lot of folks whine about workloads and leave an extremely long leash on their kids in return.
Socially, it really depends on what kinds of experiences they get from other home-schooled children. If they're only with their parents much of the time, then they don't really get the same involvement (for better, worse, and indifferent) with kids their own ages. But if they are actively working, playing, learning, helping, et al with other kids their age, then it can be a wonderful thing. But I don't see that from my sample size. I've met some other home-school parents that seem to be a few pickles shy of a barrel, although
patience and persistence are probably the most needed commodities for educating anyone.
So, no...I don’t have the same ideals about homeschooling. For all I know, maybe they parents in question are not even educating them, which puts a pretty big hole in my argument. And frankly, if the neighbors don't operate a paper mill in the backyard, engage in germ warfare, or try to burn our house down...they're free to live their own lives without any of our intrusion (except if we accidentally throw the Frisbee over the fence again).
Quote from: kphoger on October 30, 2017, 04:57:42 PM
Quote from: formulanone on October 30, 2017, 08:04:38 AM
He's (still is?...not sure) homeschooled; that's a major chunk of social skills, verbal/visual cues, and social graces missing from one's life. Family can be very forgiving towards, accustomed to, or unaware of social miscues and behaviors, so not "getting things" also isn't terribly surprising.
Sorry to jump in here, but my wife home-schools our children, and some of my best friends were home-schooled. You seem to be assuming that home-schooled children don't interact with anyone but their families, and that's simply not true in my experience. Between non-school sports, church activities, family friends and extended family members, and citywide home-school associations–home-schooled children are likely to have quite a bit more interaction with "the outside world" than you might imagine.
Assuming that publicly- and privately-schooled children participate just as equally in extra-curricular activities, home-schooled children are still at a disadvantage, because they cannot make friends in the classroom. I participated in zero extra-curricular activities (minus Boy Scouts, but I never made friend's with anyone), and relied solely on my interactions in class and lunch to make friends. And that worked well; I made many long-lasting friendships with dozens of people that I continue to interact with today. Without school, I wouldn't have many friends outside of work.
Homeschooling is a tremendous risk. In my experience, I have seen failures run the gamut from smart kids that are quite intellectually capable and have some level of social skills, but ultimately do not "play nice with others" for various reasons and therefore risk being ostracized in a traditional workplace (i.e., the kid performs well academically all the way through college only to not be able to integrate with others in the subtle manner an office or other workplace demands), all the way down to the worst: The so-called "unschooling" trend which I have seen totally ruin a couple of kids. By the time they were teenagers, they knew shockingly and disturbingly little because the idea was that their own innate curiosity would guide them (parents were self-learners and brilliant nerds...they were unable to deal with kids that they felt did not share that characteristic).
Essentially, parents who homeschool trade the kid having to learn and cope with the diverse and more uncontrolled social environment of school for total control over curriculum. Kudos to those that pull it off, but I have doubts about the overall success rate given my observations.
I sometimes think that I would like homeschooling (especially in the morning) but I would miss a lot about school, including my only time to interact with peers my age.
For what it's worth, the two biggest advantages we've seen in home-schooling are as follows:
(1) Teaching style, schedule, and even curriculum can be selected and tweaked to serve each individual child's personality and learning style. Our two older sons are school aged at this time, and they have quite different intellects and ways of thinking. We waited about half a year longer to start our second son than we did to start our first son, because we knew he simply wasn't ready before that. When we did start, he thrived right off the bat. He is more imaginative but less analytical than our oldest son, so that helps choose what sorts of assignments will best engage him. One of the boys isn't very alert yet first thing in the morning, so we make sure the more challenging subjects are taught later in the day. Et cetera. This kind of thing does take some trial and error, but you learn what makes your own kids tick pretty quickly.
(2) Review actually happens. In public (or private) school, the exam is generally the end of the learning. You find out your score, if you're lucky you find out which ones you missed, but almost never do you find out why you got them wrong–let alone go back over the material again until you actually do get it. This realization was mind-altering for us. Our goal is for our children to learn–not just to measure how well they've learned and move on to something else. So, if one of them is struggling with a topic, we slow the pace down. This year, in fact, we did several topics all over again from the previous year, just because we knew the information needed to be cemented in their minds better, before starting the new material. If that means we need to cut into vacation time or go longer into the summer, then so be it.
I have perhaps an unhealthy obsession with Microsoft Excel. Not sure if that can qualify as a habit or not.
For example, I prepare road trip directions in Excel. I tried my hand at reworking the NYC subway map using Excel, which quickly got out of hand but I still think is doable. I recently sketched the floor plan for the Tabernacle as outlined in the book of Exodus, to scale, with one cell representing a square cubit (then realized I should have made one cell represent a square half-cubit). At work, I live inside Excel, using fun things like conditional formulas and formatting every day.
Quote from: kphoger on October 31, 2017, 03:15:28 PM
I have perhaps an unhealthy obsession with Microsoft Excel. Not sure if that can qualify as a habit or not.
For example, I prepare road trip directions in Excel. I tried my hand at reworking the NYC subway map using Excel, which quickly got out of hand but I still think is doable. I recently sketched the floor plan for the Tabernacle as outlined in the book of Exodus, to scale, with one cell representing a square cubit (then realized I should have made one cell represent a square half-cubit). At work, I live inside Excel, using fun things like conditional formulas and formatting every day.
When I reconstructed my kitchen and utility room area, I used Excel. I resized the cells to represent 1 square inch each. I went thru about 50 designs before I found one that I liked and that would work.
I've also had my entire house layout in Excel, which I used to mark the various switches and outlets, and what circuit breaker each one goes to. Due to the above renovations, I also got a new circuit breaker box, so I have to do that exercise again sometime.
Mega threadbump here because of something I saw today.
Quote from: J N Winkler on February 13, 2015, 01:28:16 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on February 13, 2015, 12:10:09 PMA toothpaste tube roller? Never heard of any such thing! I just did a Google search to see what one looks like. Strikes me as a waste of money.
Quote from: jeffandnicole on February 13, 2015, 12:23:22 PMWe had something like that. I think it came from a dollar store. At least I hope it did. Yes, it is a waste of money. And I don't even know why we had it because toothpaste squirting isn't an issue in my house.
There are actual rollers you can buy, as well as slit feeders which are run up the tube from behind to push unused toothpaste to the front. My father has tried both over the years. In theory the cost is amortized over time in reduced waste of toothpaste, but the counter edge is a more cost-efficient solution. And none of these solutions by themselves will get out the last bit of toothpaste that sits within the tube collar. There is usually at least five days' worth of toothbrushings in there (if you use a motorized toothbrush) and the only way I know of to get it out is to fold the back of the toothpaste tube and use it as a pusher. This improves finger strength too.
....
We were at Bed Bath & Beyond today to get towels and electric toothbrush heads (hey, the ubiquitous 20% off coupons are HUGE as to the latter). I saw this and immediately remembered this thread, although I had to search the forum to find it.
I hope this doesn't bring back traumatic memories for anyone. (I didn't buy one.)
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190310/be5dac1a40349a6aa229bcec2f3927b3.jpg)
Needing to touch every part of door handles, and always like slam the door shut. I do not get it.
Quote from: 1995hoo on March 09, 2019, 08:39:15 PM
Mega threadbump here because of something I saw today.
Quote from: J N Winkler on February 13, 2015, 01:28:16 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on February 13, 2015, 12:10:09 PMA toothpaste tube roller? Never heard of any such thing! I just did a Google search to see what one looks like. Strikes me as a waste of money.
Quote from: jeffandnicole on February 13, 2015, 12:23:22 PMWe had something like that. I think it came from a dollar store. At least I hope it did. Yes, it is a waste of money. And I don't even know why we had it because toothpaste squirting isn't an issue in my house.
There are actual rollers you can buy, as well as slit feeders which are run up the tube from behind to push unused toothpaste to the front.
We were at Bed Bath & Beyond today to get towels and electric toothbrush heads (hey, the ubiquitous 20% off coupons are HUGE as to the latter). I saw this and immediately remembered this thread, although I had to search the forum to find it.
I hope this doesn’t bring back traumatic memories for anyone. (I didn’t buy one.)
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190310/be5dac1a40349a6aa229bcec2f3927b3.jpg)
I see these in use at some auto repair shops where some types of sealant cost the dealer $50-100 for a single 6-8 ounce tube.
Quote from: 1995hoo on March 09, 2019, 08:39:15 PM
Mega threadbump here because of something I saw today.
Quote from: J N Winkler on February 13, 2015, 01:28:16 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on February 13, 2015, 12:10:09 PMA toothpaste tube roller? Never heard of any such thing! I just did a Google search to see what one looks like. Strikes me as a waste of money.
Quote from: jeffandnicole on February 13, 2015, 12:23:22 PMWe had something like that. I think it came from a dollar store. At least I hope it did. Yes, it is a waste of money. And I don't even know why we had it because toothpaste squirting isn't an issue in my house.
There are actual rollers you can buy, as well as slit feeders which are run up the tube from behind to push unused toothpaste to the front. My father has tried both over the years. In theory the cost is amortized over time in reduced waste of toothpaste, but the counter edge is a more cost-efficient solution. And none of these solutions by themselves will get out the last bit of toothpaste that sits within the tube collar. There is usually at least five days' worth of toothbrushings in there (if you use a motorized toothbrush) and the only way I know of to get it out is to fold the back of the toothpaste tube and use it as a pusher. This improves finger strength too.
....
We were at Bed Bath & Beyond today to get towels and electric toothbrush heads (hey, the ubiquitous 20% off coupons are HUGE as to the latter). I saw this and immediately remembered this thread, although I had to search the forum to find it.
I hope this doesn't bring back traumatic memories for anyone. (I didn't buy one.)
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190310/be5dac1a40349a6aa229bcec2f3927b3.jpg)
My dad used one in his later years. He had trouble squeezing the tube, and this helped him get toothpaste out.
Figured bumping is better than starting a new topic. Here are some of my quirks:
- I don't watch TV very much, maybe 30 minutes every month.
- I pull the hair off the roller bar of the vacuum cleaner and the lint out of the dryer lint trap with my hands, and I don't find it disgusting.
- I pop pimples.
- I annoy my youth group band friends by playing the amber alert sound on the electronic keyboard at church.
- I'm left-handed, but I play guitar right-handed.
Probably the strangest habit I have is... making roadgeek comments to people who have no idea what I'm talking about or don't care about what I'm talking about. I've confused many a friend for discussing Clearview versus Highway Gothic, interchange design, roundabout politics, why routes have specific numbers, etc.
But I'm sure most of you on this forum have already had such experiences yourselves. :spin:
^ I usually don't make road-related comments in everyday conversation unless it's related to a road trip or unless someone asks a question that I know the answer to. Otherwise, as you say, I'd just be saying stuff that people either don't know anything about or don't care about.
Being overly entertained by Kernals12 threads.
I only enjoy cereal without milk.
Quote from: formulanone on February 21, 2021, 03:06:06 PM
I only enjoy cereal without milk.
I don't mind
some milk, but too much is no good. Cereal is best when enjoyed crunchy.
Quote from: webny99 on February 21, 2021, 11:17:41 AM
^ I usually don't make road-related comments in everyday conversation unless it's related to a road trip or unless someone asks a question that I know the answer to. Otherwise, as you say, I'd just be saying stuff that people either don't know anything about or don't care about.
Admittedly though, being I'm in Wisconsin at university currently, I actually manage to get some decent discussion going about roundabouts since they're so darn common.
Quote from: formulanone on February 21, 2021, 03:06:06 PM
I only enjoy cereal without milk.
Yikes, bad take.
Quote from: formulanone on February 21, 2021, 03:06:06 PM
I only enjoy cereal without milk.
Agreed, especially sugary cereal like Frosted Flakes. The milk takes away the sugar flavor, plus as noted above it makes the cereal soggy.
Quote from: formulanone on February 21, 2021, 03:06:06 PM
I only enjoy cereal without milk.
I
*always* eat cereal dry. But if possible I have a big glass of milk to drink.
I guess I'm one of the few who gets dairy from other sources. Milk is something I rarely purchase, much less consume directly.
The only method I consume milk by is in cereal.
Related question: Is cereal with milk soup?
Quote from: CoreySamson on February 21, 2021, 06:34:11 PM
The only method I consume milk by is in cereal.
Same here.
Quote from: CoreySamson on February 21, 2021, 06:34:11 PM
Related question: Is cereal with milk soup?
Uh... no. It's just a bowl of cereal. If you call it a
bowl of cereal (and sometimes even if you don't), then it's automatically assumed that you're having milk with it.
I don't particularly enjoy eating "breakfast" foods, so my breakfast often consists of sandwiches, pizza, tacos, burgers, or pasta (not always last night's leftovers; often things I made or bought fresh that morning). Used to have meat and potatoes in a crock pot for breakfast when I was in high school. I should start doing that again.
Taco Bell starts lunch at 9 and I think Sonic does it all day, so those are often my morning go-tos on the road.
You people are strange.
Quote from: webny99 on February 21, 2021, 06:38:13 PM
Uh... no. It's just a bowl of cereal. If you call it a bowl of cereal (and sometimes even if you don't), then it's automatically assumed that you're having milk with it.
You know the old saying about when you assume.
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on February 21, 2021, 07:12:27 PM
I don't particularly enjoy eating "breakfast" foods, so my breakfast often consists of sandwiches, pizza, tacos, burgers, or pasta
Yeah, that is strange. I'm the opposite, I love almost all breakfast foods. A good home-cooked breakfast is one of the best meals you can get.
Quote from: 1995hoo on February 21, 2021, 08:14:36 PM
Quote from: webny99 on February 21, 2021, 06:38:13 PM
Uh... no. It's just a bowl of cereal. If you call it a bowl of cereal (and sometimes even if you don't), then it's automatically assumed that you're having milk with it.
You know the old saying about when you assume.
I do... but in this case, what other assumption could possibly be made? Surely if you were going to eat cereal dry (without milk), you wouldn't pour it into a bowl and eat it with a spoon. And surely if you were going to eat it with something other than milk, well, what would that possibly be? The first things that even come to mind are various milk substitutes like almond and soy milk.
Quote from: formulanone on February 21, 2021, 03:06:06 PM
I only enjoy cereal without milk.
On my Facebook page a few days ago, I asked if I'm the only person who eats Cheerios straight from a box like a snack. I was surprised at the number of people who do the same.
I don't like sugary cereals. I'll eat corn flakes, crisped rice, and the like only with milk. However, i will eat sugar puffs (or whatever they happen to be called) dry.
Quote from: webny99 on February 21, 2021, 08:51:12 PM
.... Surely if you were going to eat cereal dry (without milk), you wouldn't pour it into a bowl and eat it with a spoon. ....
That's what I do, although I don't eat cereal very often anyway.
Quote from: webny99 on February 21, 2021, 03:08:04 PM
Quote from: formulanone on February 21, 2021, 03:06:06 PM
I only enjoy cereal without milk.
I don't mind some milk, but too much is no good. Cereal is best when enjoyed crunchy.
(https://i.imgur.com/GZS2ItF.png)
I wipe my hands on shower curtains if there isn't any towels. Using tissue is gross.
Idk if this is strange, but when I take my contacts out I throw them on the floor.
Quote from: 1995hoo on February 21, 2021, 09:20:41 PM
Quote from: webny99 on February 21, 2021, 08:51:12 PM
.... Surely if you were going to eat cereal dry (without milk), you wouldn't pour it into a bowl and eat it with a spoon. ....
That's what I do, although I don't eat cereal very often anyway.
Yipes. Maybe we should poll this issue. I had no idea that was a thing.
Quote from: webny99 on February 21, 2021, 11:09:35 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on February 21, 2021, 09:20:41 PM
Quote from: webny99 on February 21, 2021, 08:51:12 PM
.... Surely if you were going to eat cereal dry (without milk), you wouldn't pour it into a bowl and eat it with a spoon. ....
That's what I do, although I don't eat cereal very often anyway.
Yipes. Maybe we should poll this issue. I had no idea that was a thing.
Gross. That's like eating chips or popcorn with a spoon.
Quote from: kenarmy on February 21, 2021, 11:52:21 PM
Quote from: webny99 on February 21, 2021, 11:09:35 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on February 21, 2021, 09:20:41 PM
Quote from: webny99 on February 21, 2021, 08:51:12 PM
.... Surely if you were going to eat cereal dry (without milk), you wouldn't pour it into a bowl and eat it with a spoon. ....
That's what I do, although I don't eat cereal very often anyway.
Yipes. Maybe we should poll this issue. I had no idea that was a thing.
Gross. That's like eating chips or popcorn with a spoon.
What do you expect someone to do? I'm not going to use my hands to scoop it up, especially if it's a sugary cereal like Frosted Flakes.
Quote from: webny99 on February 21, 2021, 08:51:12 PM
I do... but in this case, what other assumption could possibly be made? Surely if you were going to eat cereal dry (without milk), you wouldn't pour it into a bowl and eat it with a spoon. And surely if you were going to eat it with something other than milk, well, what would that possibly be? The first things that even come to mind are various milk substitutes like almond and soy milk.
cheerios are good with a well-sugared-and-creamed cup of coffee in them.
Quote from: 1995hoo on February 22, 2021, 07:50:21 AM
Quote from: kenarmy on February 21, 2021, 11:52:21 PM
Quote from: webny99 on February 21, 2021, 11:09:35 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on February 21, 2021, 09:20:41 PM
Quote from: webny99 on February 21, 2021, 08:51:12 PM
.... Surely if you were going to eat cereal dry (without milk), you wouldn't pour it into a bowl and eat it with a spoon. ....
That's what I do, although I don't eat cereal very often anyway.
Yipes. Maybe we should poll this issue. I had no idea that was a thing.
Gross. That's like eating chips or popcorn with a spoon.
What do you expect someone to do? I'm not going to use my hands to scoop it up, especially if it's a sugary cereal like Frosted Flakes.
Well idk then, pour it in your mouth or something :-D
Quote from: 1995hoo on February 22, 2021, 07:50:21 AM
Quote from: kenarmy on February 21, 2021, 11:52:21 PM
Quote from: webny99 on February 21, 2021, 11:09:35 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on February 21, 2021, 09:20:41 PM
Quote from: webny99 on February 21, 2021, 08:51:12 PM
.... Surely if you were going to eat cereal dry (without milk), you wouldn't pour it into a bowl and eat it with a spoon. ....
That's what I do, although I don't eat cereal very often anyway.
Yipes. Maybe we should poll this issue. I had no idea that was a thing.
Gross. That's like eating chips or popcorn with a spoon.
What do you expect someone to do? I'm not going to use my hands to scoop it up, especially if it's a sugary cereal like Frosted Flakes.
Travel mugs of cereal work for me, especially if driving involves getting up early.
Gosh. I have Asperger's so I have a few. In a car, I like read out the highway signs. I also have to sleep in total darkness with the door closed. My husband though has to have a small light on and the door open. So I sleep in the guest room/ my man cave with the dog most nights.
When I Play a video game I have a tic where I randomly hit pause
Quote from: webny99 on February 21, 2021, 03:08:04 PM
Cereal is best when enjoyed crunchy.
I prefer my cereal to be fairly soggy. The first thing I do when I sit down is to submerge all the cereal as well as I can, working in segments of the bowl if necessary.
Quote from: jakeroot on February 21, 2021, 05:21:58 PM
I guess I'm one of the few who gets dairy from other sources. Milk is something I rarely purchase, much less consume directly.
We go through 2.5 gallons of milk a week in our house, but that's because we have three children and a home daycare. The only milk I consume is (a) on my daily morning bowl of granola and (b) in my Sunday morning tea. Now, cheese, on the other hand... Well, cheese is my absolute favorite vegetable.
Quote from: CoreySamson on February 21, 2021, 06:34:11 PM
Related question: Is cereal with milk soup?
Imagine if you'd never seen a bowl of cereal before. Then someone hands you a bowl first thing in the morning.
What kind of crazy soup is this! you'd think to yourself. You'd think the host was insane, trying to feed that to you for breakfast.
Quote from: kenarmy on February 22, 2021, 08:25:55 AM
Quote from: 1995hoo on February 22, 2021, 07:50:21 AM
Quote from: kenarmy on February 21, 2021, 11:52:21 PM
Quote from: webny99 on February 21, 2021, 11:09:35 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on February 21, 2021, 09:20:41 PM
Quote from: webny99 on February 21, 2021, 08:51:12 PM
.... Surely if you were going to eat cereal dry (without milk), you wouldn't pour it into a bowl and eat it with a spoon. ....
That's what I do, although I don't eat cereal very often anyway.
Yipes. Maybe we should poll this issue. I had no idea that was a thing.
Gross. That's like eating chips or popcorn with a spoon.
What do you expect someone to do? I'm not going to use my hands to scoop it up, especially if it's a sugary cereal like Frosted Flakes.
Well idk then, pour it in your mouth or something :-D
My eldest son eats dry cereal in the morning–well, he used to before he switched to hot instant oatmeal recently. Anyway, he gets a paper towel, puts it on the table, and pours a huge mound of dry cereal on it. It's common for pieces to fall of the mound, land on the chair, land on the floor... Believe me, I wish he'd just use a bowl. Not a spoon, just a bowl.
Lactose tolerance is a strange habit, according to most of the world's population. Milk is good as an ingredient, but not by itself.
Quote from: kphoger on February 22, 2021, 03:19:06 PM
My eldest son eats dry cereal in the morning–well, he used to before he switched to hot instant oatmeal recently. Anyway, he gets a paper towel, puts it on the table, and pours a huge mound of dry cereal on it. It's common for pieces to fall of the mound, land on the chair, land on the floor... Believe me, I wish he'd just use a bowl. Not a spoon, just a bowl.
How old is he?
Quote from: kphoger on February 22, 2021, 03:19:06 PM
My eldest son eats dry cereal in the morning–well, he used to before he switched to hot instant oatmeal recently. Anyway, he gets a paper towel, puts it on the table, and pours a huge mound of dry cereal on it. It's common for pieces to fall of the mound, land on the chair, land on the floor... Believe me, I wish he'd just use a bowl. Not a spoon, just a bowl.
I do this as well even though I know it's probably smarter to get a bowl haha. It's just something about paper towels that I can't get out of a bowl.
Quote from: kphoger on February 22, 2021, 03:19:06 PM
Quote from: webny99 on February 21, 2021, 03:08:04 PM
Cereal is best when enjoyed crunchy.
I prefer my cereal to be fairly soggy. The first thing I do when I sit down is to submerge all the cereal as well as I can, working in segments of the bowl if necessary.
Quote from: jakeroot on February 21, 2021, 05:21:58 PM
I guess I'm one of the few who gets dairy from other sources. Milk is something I rarely purchase, much less consume directly.
We go through 2.5 gallons of milk a week in our house, but that's because we have three children and a home daycare. The only milk I consume is (a) on my daily morning bowl of granola and (b) in my Sunday morning tea. Now, cheese, on the other hand... Well, cheese is my absolute favorite vegetable.
Quote from: CoreySamson on February 21, 2021, 06:34:11 PM
Related question: Is cereal with milk soup?
Imagine if you'd never seen a bowl of cereal before. Then someone hands you a bowl first thing in the morning. What kind of crazy soup is this! you'd think to yourself. You'd think the host was insane, trying to feed that to you for breakfast.
Quote from: kenarmy on February 22, 2021, 08:25:55 AM
Quote from: 1995hoo on February 22, 2021, 07:50:21 AM
Quote from: kenarmy on February 21, 2021, 11:52:21 PM
Quote from: webny99 on February 21, 2021, 11:09:35 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on February 21, 2021, 09:20:41 PM
Quote from: webny99 on February 21, 2021, 08:51:12 PM
.... Surely if you were going to eat cereal dry (without milk), you wouldn't pour it into a bowl and eat it with a spoon. ....
That's what I do, although I don't eat cereal very often anyway.
Yipes. Maybe we should poll this issue. I had no idea that was a thing.
Gross. That's like eating chips or popcorn with a spoon.
What do you expect someone to do? I'm not going to use my hands to scoop it up, especially if it's a sugary cereal like Frosted Flakes.
Well idk then, pour it in your mouth or something :-D
My eldest son eats dry cereal in the morning–well, he used to before he switched to hot instant oatmeal recently. Anyway, he gets a paper towel, puts it on the table, and pours a huge mound of dry cereal on it. It's common for pieces to fall of the mound, land on the chair, land on the floor... Believe me, I wish he'd just use a bowl. Not a spoon, just a bowl.
We did something similar at an afterschool daycare program, for an afternoon snack, in the 70's. Loved the Froot Loops, not wild about others.
Quote from: kenarmy on February 22, 2021, 08:08:45 PM
It's just something about paper towels that I can't get out of a bowl.
Cellulose?
Quote from: OracleUsr on February 22, 2021, 11:58:35 PM
We did something similar at an afterschool daycare program, for an afternoon snack, in the 70's. Loved the Froot Loops, not wild about others.
You just quoted four different comments of mine at once, without removing any of them before posting. Which thing did you do at daycare?
Quote from: kphoger on February 23, 2021, 11:46:25 AM
Quote from: OracleUsr on February 22, 2021, 11:58:35 PM
We did something similar at an afterschool daycare program, for an afternoon snack ...
You just quoted four different comments of mine at once, without removing any of them before posting. ...
If you're on a mobile device, it can be very annoying to trim the quotes.
Personally, though, I like to trim as much as possible, so if it looks like the trimming could get messy and/or complicated and/or time consuming, I'll just wait until I have a chance to reply from the computer.
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on February 21, 2021, 07:12:27 PM
I don't particularly enjoy eating "breakfast" foods, so my breakfast often consists of sandwiches, pizza, tacos, burgers, or pasta (not always last night's leftovers; often things I made or bought fresh that morning). Used to have meat and potatoes in a crock pot for breakfast when I was in high school. I should start doing that again.
Taco Bell starts lunch at 9 and I think Sonic does it all day, so those are often my morning go-tos on the road.
So do you eat two lunches, or an early lunch and then dinner?
I generally eat cereal with milk, but sometimes I will munch on it straight out of the box, as H.B. mentions above, while watching TV. It's not that much weirder than snacking on potato chips.
I like milk enough to drink it straight and go through roughly 2 gallons a week.
I got in the habit of disliking breakfast foods whenever I worked graveyard shift. Nobody wants to get off a nine-hour shift and eat breakfast foods, but that's pretty much the only thing most restaurants had. Sonic, Whataburger, and Jack in the Box were the holy trifecta, because all three offered lunch items during breakfast hours.
Quote from: achilles765 on February 22, 2021, 10:10:05 AM
I also have to sleep in total darkness with the door closed.
I find weird sleep habits kind of interesting, so I guess it's fitting that I have a few of them.
-I
can fall asleep with the light on, but when it happens, it's usually an accident.
-I do like complete darkness, though, so I keep a towel draped over my alarm clock. (It's the only alarm I could find that's loud enough, but it's also very bright, even at minimum brightness.)
-I have two digital clocks, the one mentioned above, and a smaller, dimmer one that I can use to see the time. Both are always set on weekdays.
-I usually wear just boxer briefs to sleep, if anything. I've slept shirtless since I was about 12 or 13.
-When it's very quiet or completely silent, my ears start ringing, so I have a noisemaker.
Now I'm not sure how much of that stuff is actually strange, and how much of it is just stuff I assume is strange, because, well, how would I know? :biggrin:
Quote from: webny99 on February 25, 2021, 11:42:26 AM
I find weird sleep habits kind of interesting, so I guess it's fitting that I have a few of them.
-I can fall asleep with the light on, but when it happens, it's usually an accident.
-I do like complete darkness, though, so I keep a towel draped over my alarm clock. (It's the only alarm I could find that's loud enough, but it's also very bright, even at minimum brightness.)
-I have two digital clocks, the one mentioned above, and a smaller, dimmer one that I can use to see the time. Both are always set on weekdays.
-I usually wear just boxer briefs to sleep, if anything. I've slept shirtless since I was about 12 or 13.
-When it's very quiet or completely silent, my ears start ringing, so I have a noisemaker.
Now I'm not sure how much of that stuff is actually strange, and how much of it is just stuff I assume is strange, because, well, how would I know? :biggrin:
I think the highlighted ones are probably pretty common.
Also, not only do plenty of people have two clocks, but you can find people with two
alarm clocks–one to wake them up, then one later to make them get out of bed and walk across the room to shut it off.
Quote from: kphoger on February 25, 2021, 12:05:42 PM
Quote from: webny99 on February 25, 2021, 11:42:26 AM
I find weird sleep habits kind of interesting, so I guess it's fitting that I have a few of them.
-I can fall asleep with the light on, but when it happens, it's usually an accident. ...
-I usually wear just boxer briefs to sleep, if anything. I've slept shirtless since I was about 12 or 13. ...
Now I'm not sure how much of that stuff is actually strange, and how much of it is just stuff I assume is strange, because, well, how would I know? :biggrin:
I think the highlighted ones are probably pretty common.
That's fair. I think the second one pertains mostly to guys, not ladies. The guys on my dad's side of the family mostly wear T-shirts to bed, so I thought I was the oddball until I got older and decided maybe
they were. I'm still not sure, but I'd like to know.
Quote from: kphoger on February 25, 2021, 12:05:42 PM
Also, not only do plenty of people have two clocks, but you can find people with two alarm clocks–one to wake them up, then one later to make them get out of bed and walk across the room to shut it off.
Sorry, I should have clarified: they are both alarm clocks. I guess I
did say they're both set on weekdays... :-P
I set them both for the same time, so I'll be sure to wake up. I do have to get out of bed to turn one off, but the problem is, I often don't stay on my feet, and instead get back under the covers. Haven't mastered the psychology side of it just yet...
Quote from: kphoger on February 25, 2021, 12:05:42 PM
Quote from: webny99 on February 25, 2021, 11:42:26 AM
I find weird sleep habits kind of interesting, so I guess it's fitting that I have a few of them.
-I can fall asleep with the light on, but when it happens, it's usually an accident.
-I do like complete darkness, though, so I keep a towel draped over my alarm clock. (It's the only alarm I could find that's loud enough, but it's also very bright, even at minimum brightness.)
-I have two digital clocks, the one mentioned above, and a smaller, dimmer one that I can use to see the time. Both are always set on weekdays.
-I usually wear just boxer briefs to sleep, if anything. I've slept shirtless since I was about 12 or 13.
-When it's very quiet or completely silent, my ears start ringing, so I have a noisemaker.
Now I'm not sure how much of that stuff is actually strange, and how much of it is just stuff I assume is strange, because, well, how would I know? :biggrin:
I think the highlighted ones are probably pretty common.
Also, not only do plenty of people have two clocks, but you can find people with two alarm clocks–one to wake them up, then one later to make them get out of bed and walk across the room to shut it off.
Count me (as a teenager at least) for the needing to put an alarm clock across the room to ensure I wouldn't hit snooze a bunch of times.
I have a friend who puts his second alarm clock in the bathroom. That way, he has to actually leave the room in order to not wake up others in the house.
Whenever I throw an aluminum can away, I crush it in my hands first, so it looks like this:
(https://previews.123rf.com/images/jirkaejc/jirkaejc1003/jirkaejc100300282/6629656-photo-shot-of-crushed-beer-can.jpg)
One of my chores growing up was, every so often, to empty the aluminum recycling bin onto the garage floor, stand all of the cans up, stomp them flat, and put them all back in the bin. Even though we don't recycle at our house, I still feel the need to flatten the cans. I suppose it also comes from remembering the old slogan "reduce, reuse, recycle". I always assumed the "reduce" part meant "make your trash as physically small as possible", but it occurs to me as I type this that it might have actually meant "reduce the amount of stuff you throw away to begin with".
Also, when we receive a shipment in the mail, I flatten every piece of cardboard, pop every air pillow, take every piece out of every other piece–even if it takes a couple of minutes with a box knife–before throwing it away. Most people seem to just toss the whole box in the trash, thereby taking up half the can sometimes, but that drives me absolutely bonkers. (At least I know I'm not the only one on that count.) The way my wife does it is to stuff all the little bits down inside the half-opened box, such that I have to take them all out again if I want to flatten the box–pick your battles. I don't remember if I mentioned that on the "pet peeves" thread.
Quote from: kphoger on February 25, 2021, 01:50:40 PM
One of my chores growing up was, every so often, to empty the aluminum recycling bin onto the garage floor, stand all of the cans up, stomp them flat, and put them all back in the bin. Even though we don't recycle at our house, I still feel the need to flatten the cans. I suppose it also comes from remembering the old slogan "reduce, reuse, recycle". I always assumed the "reduce" part meant "make your trash as physically small as possible", but it occurs to me as I type this that it might have actually meant "reduce the amount of stuff you throw away to begin with".
You forgot the other "r":
resize.
Quote from: kphoger on February 25, 2021, 01:50:40 PM
I always assumed the "reduce" part meant "make your trash as physically small as possible", but it occurs to me as I type this that it might have actually meant "reduce the amount of stuff you throw away to begin with".
That is indeed what it meant. Also, it's been generally forgotten that "reduce, reuse, recycle" is listed in order of priority–reduce consumption so that fewer trees have to be cut down, oil has to be extracted, etc. to begin with; reuse things that you have already bought in order to further reduce consumption, then recycle everything that you couldn't get away from using. For example, with a plastic bag, first preference is to avoid using the bag at all (instead carrying it in your hands, or use a cloth bag instead); if you must use a plastic bag, reuse it (perhaps bring it back to the store and use it again, or use it as a trash bag instead of using a new purpose-made trash bag), and recycle.
Unfortunately reducing consumption and reusing stuff doesn't allow companies to vacuum money out of anyone's pocket, so the emphasis has been on recycling for much of the past 20 years when, really, it's the least effective of the three. Still important in conjunction with the other two, but the other two have way more of an impact.
Quote from: Scott5114 on February 25, 2021, 02:32:21 PM
or use a cloth bag instead
I've read from multiple sources that the total environmental toll of reusable cloth bags, from manufacturing through the end of its life, is much greater than that of single-use plastic bags. Like, you'd have to use a canvas bag thousands of times in order to break even. The last such report I heard about it was on NPR, and the commentator mentioned how ironic it was that they were in the process of giving away canvas bags as part of the pledge drive or whatever.
Quote from: Scott5114 on February 25, 2021, 02:32:21 PM
Unfortunately reducing consumption and reusing stuff doesn't allow companies to vacuum money out of anyone's pocket, so the emphasis has been on recycling for much of the past 20 years when, really, it's the least effective of the three. Still important in conjunction with the other two, but the other two have way more of an impact.
We are very much a one-and-done, throw-it-away society, aren't we?
A simple one for me was switching from a plastic shaving instrument to an old-fashioned double-edge
safety razor (https://www.executive-shaving.co.uk/pub/media/wysiwyg/34c-hd-merkur-de-safety-raz_2.jpg) several years ago. I occasionally use a
Gillette Slim (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f8/Vintage_Gillette_Slim_Adjustable_DE_Safety_Razor%2C_Twist-To-Open%2C_Made_In_USA%2C_Circa_1965_%28Date_Code_K-3%29_%2827256863339%29.jpg) I got from my dad, for example, that was the first razor he ever owned. Based on decoding the date stamp on it, the thing was manufactured in 1963 and still being used. The blades cost me about 10 to 20 cents each when purchased in bulk, I get five to ten uses out of each one, and they're recyclable wherever steel is accepted. I first looked into making the switch because of cost, but now I just can't stomach going back to the plastic junk I was using before.
Quote from: Bruce on February 22, 2021, 05:41:12 PM
Lactose tolerance is a strange habit, according to most of the world's population. Milk is good as an ingredient, but not by itself.
I have a vague memory of the US sending a whole bunch of infant formula to Somalia as part of a relief effort, only to find that it made babies sick because the majority of Somalia is lactose-intolerant.
Quote from: kphoger on February 25, 2021, 01:50:40 PM
Whenever I throw an aluminum can away, I crush it in my hands first, so it looks like this:
[img snipped]
That's not a thing in any state that does bottle and can returns, because the return machines don't accept crushed cans.
Quote from: kphoger on February 25, 2021, 02:52:52 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on February 25, 2021, 02:32:21 PM
or use a cloth bag instead
I've read from multiple sources that the total environmental toll of reusable cloth bags, from manufacturing through the end of its life, is much greater than that of single-use plastic bags. Like, you'd have to use a canvas bag thousands of times in order to break even. The last such report I heard about it was on NPR, and the commentator mentioned how ironic it was that they were in the process of giving away canvas bags as part of the pledge drive or whatever.
You could always use cardboard boxes. There's no rule that requires anyone to use bags and only bags at the grocery store.
Quote from: jakeroot on February 23, 2021, 07:39:09 PM
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on February 21, 2021, 07:12:27 PM
I don't particularly enjoy eating "breakfast" foods, so my breakfast often consists of sandwiches, pizza, tacos, burgers, or pasta (not always last night's leftovers; often things I made or bought fresh that morning). Used to have meat and potatoes in a crock pot for breakfast when I was in high school. I should start doing that again.
Taco Bell starts lunch at 9 and I think Sonic does it all day, so those are often my morning go-tos on the road.
So do you eat two lunches, or an early lunch and then dinner?
It depends on my schedule for that day. I'm a night owl and often don't get up until 10-11 and usually just have two meals, but I do work a morning every 2-3 weeks where I have to plan my breakfast a bit more either bringing food home the night before or getting up early enough to make something. I usually end up eating a more traditional three meals on those days.
Quote from: webny99 on February 25, 2021, 03:07:03 PM
return machines
Never used one of those.
When I have a large amount of recyclable material, I drop it off
here (https://goo.gl/maps/wFBLxALseMEpuEfC9). For cardboard boxes, I drive around
to the side (https://goo.gl/maps/ngBkvDGfRN1yMhGg9) and drop it off there.
Quote from: 1995hoo on February 25, 2021, 03:10:29 PM
You could always use cardboard boxes. There's no rule that requires anyone to use bags and only bags at the grocery store.
That's what I do at Aldi. I've been using the same three boxes for probably two years.
But, at Dillon's (Kroger), how would that work? We buy enough just at that one store every two weeks to fill at least five paper bags all the way to the top (a family of five plus a home daycare). How would the bagger do his or her job then, without bags?
Quote from: kphoger on February 25, 2021, 01:40:53 PM
I have a friend who puts his second alarm clock in the bathroom. That way, he has to actually leave the room in order to not wake up others in the house.
Smart if you sleep right near a bathroom...
Quote from: 1995hoo on February 25, 2021, 03:10:29 PM
You could always use cardboard boxes. There's no rule that requires anyone to use bags and only bags at the grocery store.
Pointing out the obvious here, but cardboard boxes are a lot more cumbersome to use and harder to store because they're not collapsible.
Quote from: kphoger on February 25, 2021, 03:15:40 PM
That's what I do at Aldi. I've been using the same three boxes for probably two years.
That's smart. For me, as a kid, part of going to Aldi's was finding the empty boxes on the shelves that we could take with us and use to load everything in. We never reused them, though.
Quote from: kphoger on February 25, 2021, 03:15:40 PM
Quote from: webny99 on February 25, 2021, 03:07:03 PM
return machines
Never used one of those.
Here's what they look like (https://www.google.com/search?q=bottle+and+can+return+machine&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS825US825&sxsrf=ALeKk01m2Ee8Odu7Tr3USB63b2CfLpARhg:1614284354592&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjogJbs7YXvAhVtS98KHV10CrwQ_AUoA3oECAMQBQ&biw=1366&bih=657#imgrc=iM3CFpOqE_zLjM), just in case you or anyone else was wondering. The opening at the bottom is where anything that's rejected goes. I haven't used one myself in ages, since we take ours to a return center now.
Quote from: kphoger on February 25, 2021, 02:52:52 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on February 25, 2021, 02:32:21 PM
or use a cloth bag instead
I've read from multiple sources that the total environmental toll of reusable cloth bags, from manufacturing through the end of its life, is much greater than that of single-use plastic bags. Like, you'd have to use a canvas bag thousands of times in order to break even. The last such report I heard about it was on NPR, and the commentator mentioned how ironic it was that they were in the process of giving away canvas bags as part of the pledge drive or whatever.
One of the problems with trying to do right by the environment is that you can play all sorts of fun accounting tricks to make anything appear more or less environmentally conscious. If you make a bag out of cotton, well, that's bad because think of all of the water it took to water that cotton field, and all of the native species that were displaced from the field the first time it was farmed. If it's made of wool, that's even worse, because you had to water and feed the sheep! A bag made of synthetic fabric probably uses more oil than a single-use plastic bag does.
I go for a common-sense approach here, and still use the cloth bags, because it means I don't have to do something with the plastic (or paper) bags afterward. My current fleet of bags was all given to me for free anyway through things like conventions, so I'd still have them even if I wasn't using them. I prefer them anyway because they're larger and stronger than store-provided bags, which reduces the number of trips it takes to bring the groceries in from the car. (Occasionally my wife will go to Walmart instead of Crest without the bags, since they live in my trunk. Walmart bagging policy infuriates me because it seems like they go out of their way to put one item by itself in a bag as much as possible.)
As individuals, we're playing around the margins, anyway. When I worked the off-track betting counter at a casino one of the clerks put together a spreadsheet estimating how much paper we used for the racing programs (booklets that list out the horses participating in each race, along with statistics about them, necessarily good for one day only). She calculated that in the four years we were open we had used 100,000 sheets of 8½ × 11" paper on programs alone (not even counting paper usage for race tickets and things like flyers and internal paperwork). I doubt I've used 100,000 sheets of paper in my
life, so even if I never touched a piece of paper again, I could never begin to have the opportunity to reduce environmental impact the way a business could.
Quote from: kphoger on February 25, 2021, 03:15:40 PM
But, at Dillon's (Kroger), how would that work? We buy enough just at that one store every two weeks to fill at least five paper bags all the way to the top (a family of five plus a home daycare). How would the bagger do his or her job then, without bags?
My standard procedure at Crest with my reusable bags is to place them on the belt before my food items. The cashier passes them down to the bagger, then starts scanning the items. The bagger knows what to do from there. (I would imagine cardboard boxes might take slightly more explanation due to the novelty but I doubt it would cause a problem.)
Quote from: webny99 on February 25, 2021, 03:17:44 PM
Quote from: kphoger on February 25, 2021, 01:40:53 PM
I have a friend who puts his second alarm clock in the bathroom. That way, he has to actually leave the room in order to not wake up others in the house.
Smart if you sleep right near a bathroom...
It's even smarter if you
don't. The point is that he has to get out of his bedroom and shut it off
before it sounds, or else it wakes his wife and/or kids up.
Quote from: webny99 on February 25, 2021, 03:24:11 PM
Aldi's
No such store.
I've also heard a brand new artificial Christmas tree has to be used for 20 Christmases before it reaches the environmental impact of one live tree.
Quote from: webny99 on February 25, 2021, 03:24:11 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on February 25, 2021, 03:10:29 PM
You could always use cardboard boxes. There's no rule that requires anyone to use bags and only bags at the grocery store.
Pointing out the obvious here, but cardboard boxes are a lot more cumbersome to use and harder to store because they're not collapsible.
Probably depends on how much storage space you have. My mom re-used the same cardboard boxes every week for years at Shoppers Food Warehouse (similar to Aldi, you packed your own groceries at that store, and they charged 3¢ per bag so most people used boxes or re-used bags–this was well before the "cloth bag" trend took hold).
Quote from: kphoger on February 25, 2021, 03:15:40 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on February 25, 2021, 03:10:29 PM
You could always use cardboard boxes. There's no rule that requires anyone to use bags and only bags at the grocery store.
That's what I do at Aldi. I've been using the same three boxes for probably two years.
But, at Dillon's (Kroger), how would that work? We buy enough just at that one store every two weeks to fill at least five paper bags all the way to the top (a family of five plus a home daycare). How would the bagger do his or her job then, without bags?
Probably the same way he does if you bring reusable bags: He has to look at the bags and your purchases and figure out how best to fit things in. Either way is better than the habit many cashiers (or bagboys) have of sticking one or two items per plastic bag such that your total purchase that would fit in two or three boxes or four reusable bags winds up in 20 plastic bags!
The ideal is if the store has an option of scanning as you go, so you scan the groceries and put them in bags or boxes right away arranged according to your own preference. Of course not all stores have that. Wegmans has it, but the app you use for it is not integrated with their other app that you can use to make your grocery list. I find the "grocery list app" more useful (it sorts everything according to what aisle it's in and then you check it off as you go), so I use that. If they could integrate the "scanner app" into that, so that you scan an item and it checks it off your list for you, I'd be all over that.
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on February 25, 2021, 03:29:25 PM
I've also heard a brand new artificial Christmas tree has to be used for 20 Christmases before it reaches the environmental impact of one live tree.
Did they factor in cats who drink all the water out of the tray under the real tree, and then the environmental toll of your house burning down because it turned into kindling for a short in the light string? :biggrin:
Quote from: Scott5114 on February 25, 2021, 03:27:06 PM
My current fleet of bags was all given to me for free anyway through things like conventions, so I'd still have them even if I wasn't using them.
Which, of course, is the best of both worlds: you haven't added to the waste at all (you didn't go out and acquire them), while still having a convenient way of hauling your stuff.
Quote from: Scott5114 on February 25, 2021, 03:27:06 PM
Walmart bagging policy infuriates me because it seems like they go out of their way to put one item by itself in a bag as much as possible.
Quote from: 1995hoo on February 25, 2021, 03:31:32 PM
Either way is better than the habit many cashiers (or bagboys) have of sticking one or two items per plastic bag such that your total purchase that would fit in two or three boxes or four reusable bags winds up in 20 plastic bags!
I'm noticing a trend here... And it drives me nuts too. Not just because it wastes bags, but also because I don't want to haul 22 bags in from the car.
Quote from: Scott5114 on February 25, 2021, 03:27:06 PM
The cashier passes them down to the bagger, then starts scanning the items. The bagger knows what to do from there. (I would imagine cardboard boxes might take slightly more explanation due to the novelty but I doubt it would cause a problem.)
Quote from: 1995hoo on February 25, 2021, 03:31:32 PM
He has to look ... and figure out how best to fit things in.
In theory, yes. In practice, they'd probably just toss stuff in there and then wonder what to do when they run out of room. Let's be honest, they can barely handle paper bags. It's pathetic enough that I choose my checkout lane based on who the bagger is, not based on how short the line is.
Quote from: 1995hoo on February 25, 2021, 03:31:32 PM
The ideal is if the store has an option of scanning as you go, so you scan the groceries and put them in bags or boxes right away arranged according to your own preference. Of course not all stores have that. Wegmans has it, but the app you use for it is not integrated with their other app that you can use to make your grocery list. I find the "grocery list app" more useful (it sorts everything according to what aisle it's in and then you check it off as you go), so I use that. If they could integrate the "scanner app" into that, so that you scan an item and it checks it off your list for you, I'd be all over that.
We've considered the scan-as-you-go thing for at least a year now, but we haven't actually jumped on it yet. My wife uses a grocery app that's similar to what you describe, but that's more or less a separate topic for us.
Quote from: kphoger on February 25, 2021, 03:28:21 PM
Quote from: webny99 on February 25, 2021, 03:17:44 PM
Quote from: kphoger on February 25, 2021, 01:40:53 PM
I have a friend who puts his second alarm clock in the bathroom. That way, he has to actually leave the room in order to not wake up others in the house.
Smart if you sleep right near a bathroom...
It's even smarter if you don't. The point is that he has to get out of his bedroom and shut it off before it sounds, or else it wakes his wife and/or kids up.
Oh, I see. Interesting idea. I'm always look for foolproof ways to get myself up, so I'm trying to game that one out, but I don't think I could make it work.
Quote from: kphoger on February 25, 2021, 03:42:28 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on February 25, 2021, 03:27:06 PM
The cashier passes them down to the bagger, then starts scanning the items. The bagger knows what to do from there. (I would imagine cardboard boxes might take slightly more explanation due to the novelty but I doubt it would cause a problem.)
Quote from: 1995hoo on February 25, 2021, 03:31:32 PM
He has to look ... and figure out how best to fit things in.
In theory, yes. In practice, they'd probably just toss stuff in there and then wonder what to do when they run out of room. Let's be honest, they can barely handle paper bags. It's pathetic enough that I choose my checkout lane based on who the bagger is, not based on how short the line is.
Crest must hire smarter baggers than Dillon's. Usually they manage to fit all the groceries in my bags without a problem. In the cases I haven't brought enough bags to cover the groceries (because I forgot to put them all back in the car, or because one still has stuff in it from a previous trip that I haven't bothered to put away yet),
then they ask if I want paper or plastic for the rest.
I also use a trick my mom taught me to ensure that I don't have conflict with the baggers–put the heaviest items on the belt first (so they are guaranteed to end up at the bottom of the bags), then frozen and refrigerated items (so they end up in the bags together and can keep each other cold, and also so you know what to put away first), then everything else, then finally the fragile things like produce and such last (so that it has no other place to end up but on top of the bags).
Quote from: Scott5114 on February 25, 2021, 04:01:48 PM
Quote from: kphoger on February 25, 2021, 03:42:28 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on February 25, 2021, 03:27:06 PM
The cashier passes them down to the bagger, then starts scanning the items. The bagger knows what to do from there. (I would imagine cardboard boxes might take slightly more explanation due to the novelty but I doubt it would cause a problem.)
Quote from: 1995hoo on February 25, 2021, 03:31:32 PM
He has to look ... and figure out how best to fit things in.
In theory, yes. In practice, they'd probably just toss stuff in there and then wonder what to do when they run out of room. Let's be honest, they can barely handle paper bags. It's pathetic enough that I choose my checkout lane based on who the bagger is, not based on how short the line is.
Crest must hire smarter baggers than Dillon's. Usually they manage to fit all the groceries in my bags without a problem. In the cases I haven't brought enough bags to cover the groceries (because I forgot to put them all back in the car, or because one still has stuff in it from a previous trip that I haven't bothered to put away yet), then they ask if I want paper or plastic for the rest.
I also use a trick my mom taught me to ensure that I don't have conflict with the baggers–put the heaviest items on the belt first (so they are guaranteed to end up at the bottom of the bags), then frozen and refrigerated items (so they end up in the bags together and can keep each other cold, and also so you know what to put away first), then everything else, then finally the fragile things like produce and such last (so that it has no other place to end up but on top of the bags).
I have a slightly different system: I put the insulated bags on the belt with the frozen and refrigerated items so they'll put those in the insulated bags, then I put most other stuff next, then eggs and chips next-to-last, and then wine or beer last (this because Wegmans cards everyone and it's easiest to leave that until the end, and the wine goes in a separate wine bag anyway).
Wegmans' cashiers and bagboys seem to do a pretty good job of sorting things into the different reusable bags. Some of them do sometimes put too much heavy stuff in one bag, but that's life; I can always rearrange at the car if needed. (Like everyone else, of course, I've come to recognize certain cashiers I know to be better than others and I will try to go to their lanes if the line isn't too long.)
I go to Dillons with three cloth reusable bags we ordered from Amazon. They are a cut above giveaway reusables in quality, with thicker fabric, so I spread them out on the front bottom of the cart to make a bed for produce to ride in without bruising. At checkout my biggest challenge is unloading this bed as soon as I gain access to the conveyor belt, so I can hold the bags up to get the bagger's attention. If there isn't someone ahead of me to slow the cashier and bagger down, I often wind up in a situation where the bagger starts with plastic and then has to unpack and re-bag with the reusables.
What's a bagger? I haven't seen one of those in years. (Not counting my wife who bags as I scan in the self-serve lane.)
In full service lines at Meijer, there is a carousel of plastic bag holders that the cashier fills as she (it's usually a she) scans.
Because of Covid, Meijer won't let us use our reuse fabric bags. They said we might be bring germs into the store.
Quote from: GaryV on February 25, 2021, 05:03:45 PM
Because of Covid, Meijer won't let us use our reuse fabric bags. They said we might be bring germs into the store.
Yeah, I seriously doubt most people clean their reusable bags nearly as often as they should–if at all.
Quote from: kphoger on February 25, 2021, 05:08:46 PM
Quote from: GaryV on February 25, 2021, 05:03:45 PM
Because of Covid, Meijer won't let us use our reuse fabric bags. They said we might be bring germs into the store.
Yeah, I seriously doubt most people clean their reusable bags nearly as often as they should–if at all.
Except it's been pretty well established that the virus doesn't live on surfaces for long. Certainly not as long as trips to the store, unless you go every day.
Quote from: GaryV on February 25, 2021, 05:15:54 PM
Quote from: kphoger on February 25, 2021, 05:08:46 PM
Quote from: GaryV on February 25, 2021, 05:03:45 PM
Because of Covid, Meijer won't let us use our reuse fabric bags. They said we might be bring germs into the store.
Yeah, I seriously doubt most people clean their reusable bags nearly as often as they should–if at all.
Except it's been pretty well established that the virus doesn't live on surfaces for long. Certainly not as long as trips to the store, unless you go every day.
Just wear a mask, wash your hands and stay away from other people.
Quote from: GaryV on February 25, 2021, 05:03:45 PM
What's a bagger? I haven't seen one of those in years. (Not counting my wife who bags as I scan in the self-serve lane.)
In full service lines at Meijer, there is a carousel of plastic bag holders that the cashier fills as she (it's usually a she) scans.
Because of Covid, Meijer won't let us use our reuse fabric bags. They said we might be bring germs into the store.
I only see baggers regularly at Albertsons (and thus Safeway & Vons as well) and the military commissaries. In the case of the former, it's random and sometimes still done by the cashier, but you get part-time staff helping out on occasion. In the case of the latter, it's a full blown industry where they help you to your car and you usually tip them. I haven't been to a commissary for a little bit, but I've not heard of this practice halting during COVID.
My local
Thriftway (https://www.thriftway.com/) store had banned reusable bags for a while, eliminating the paper bag fee to further incentivize it, but have started allowing them again but
only in the self checkout lines. This does make sense, and if you're like me and walk or ride a bike to the store, it makes a big difference as the paper bags are really only good for short trips.
Quote from: GaryV on February 25, 2021, 05:15:54 PM
Except it's been pretty well established that the virus doesn't live on surfaces for long. Certainly not as long as trips to the store, unless you go every day.
No, but...
1. If you unwittingly have COVID, then you could theoretically pass your own germs on to the bagger by way of the bag. Fairly unlikely, of course, but in the beginning of all this, businesses took a lot of steps that–even if they didn't make people
actually safer, at least made them
feel safer. It's the same reason, I suppose, my local Taco Bell puts the drive-through receipt in a plastic dish as a means of transfer rather than just handing it to me. Actual benefit? No. Perceived benefit? Probably.
2. Coronavirus isn't the only germ. I wonder how many food-borne grossness is in the bottom of a typical reusable grocery bag after four months of non-washing.
Quote from: J N Winkler on February 25, 2021, 04:29:01 PM
I go to Dillons with three cloth reusable bags we ordered from Amazon. They are a cut above giveaway reusables in quality, with thicker fabric, so I spread them out on the front bottom of the cart to make a bed for produce to ride in without bruising. At checkout my biggest challenge is unloading this bed as soon as I gain access to the conveyor belt, so I can hold the bags up to get the bagger's attention.
My usual strategy is to keep the produce in the fold-up child-seat area to keep it separated from the rest of the groceries. When I am ready to check out, I find an unobtrusive area where I'm not in the way, and fish out the bags before approaching the checkout lines.
Quote from: GaryV on February 25, 2021, 05:03:45 PM
Because of Covid, Meijer won't let us use our reuse fabric bags. They said we might be bring germs into the store.
At this point, if my store wouldn't allow reusable bags, I wouldn't allow them to sell me groceries.
Quote from: kphoger on February 25, 2021, 05:08:46 PM
Quote from: GaryV on February 25, 2021, 05:03:45 PM
Because of Covid, Meijer won't let us use our reuse fabric bags. They said we might be bring germs into the store.
Yeah, I seriously doubt most people clean their reusable bags nearly as often as they should–if at all.
Kroger allows me to use my own fabric bags, but I have to keep them off the conveyor belts and I have to bag the groceries myself. I'm fine with that.
Quote from: webny99 on February 25, 2021, 03:29:58 PM
Quote from: kphoger on February 25, 2021, 03:28:21 PM
Quote from: webny99 on February 25, 2021, 03:24:11 PM
Aldi's
No such store.
FTFY... :meh: :coffee:
There was a whole Twitter trend on this topic the other day. When Biden was in Michigan, he made reference to Meijers. Some were pointing out that the store is actually named "Meijer" while others were praising him for looking into the local vernacular and using it, since so many call it Meijers (or Meijer's, if you prefer) and talking about how people call it Krogers.
I still hear people refer to that big Arkansas-based retailer as Wal-Mart's. Its official name, of course, is now "Walmart" with no hyphen.
- I untie my shoes when I take them off because my dad told me a long time ago it was lazy.
- I NEVER step over brooms
- When my deodorant gets low, I take the thing out and rub it on my shirt.
- I listen to "Oh" by Ciara and Ludacris everyday.
- When I see strings on couch pillows, I pull it off and twist it with another string.
- Embarrassing but when the law and order theme comes on, I dance to it. (unless someone is watching)
I record the occasional demo of new features our team is developing for internal use. Most people just dive right in after a title page and narrate while they use the feature and record the screen. My demos always start with a title page and about 4 bars of custom music I compose in GarageBand (don't touch a real instrument for it) and it's almost always in odd meter (7/4, 11/8, etc.)
Quote from: kphoger on February 25, 2021, 05:49:52 PM
Quote from: GaryV on February 25, 2021, 05:15:54 PM
Except it's been pretty well established that the virus doesn't live on surfaces for long. Certainly not as long as trips to the store, unless you go every day.
No, but...
1. If you unwittingly have COVID, then you could theoretically pass your own germs on to the bagger by way of the bag. Fairly unlikely, of course, but in the beginning of all this, businesses took a lot of steps that–even if they didn't make people actually safer, at least made them feel safer. It's the same reason, I suppose, my local Taco Bell puts the drive-through receipt in a plastic dish as a means of transfer rather than just handing it to me. Actual benefit? No. Perceived benefit? Probably.
2. Coronavirus isn't the only germ. I wonder how many food-borne grossness is in the bottom of a typical reusable grocery bag after four months of non-washing.
!. We're using the self-checkout. No clerk or bagger.
2. Then why did they ever allow any reusable bags?
Quote from: Scott5114 on February 25, 2021, 06:19:31 PM
Quote from: GaryV on February 25, 2021, 05:03:45 PM
Because of Covid, Meijer won't let us use our reuse fabric bags. They said we might be bring germs into the store.
At this point, if my store wouldn't allow reusable bags, I wouldn't allow them to sell me groceries.
At this point, the store is much better than the other local option that is regularly slagged on neighborhood websites for not enforcing masks.
Edit: And by the way, it was originally called "Meijer's". Granted, they took off the apostrophe-s 3 decades ago, but memory lingers on.
Quote from: kenarmy on February 25, 2021, 08:40:37 PM
- I untie my shoes when I take them off because my dad told me a long time ago it was lazy.
This is the normal procedure for taking off shoes.
Quote from: GaryV on February 26, 2021, 08:01:08 AM
2. Then why did they ever allow any reusable bags?
I'm not saying that non-coronavirus germs
are actually a reason some stores still aren't allowing reusable bags. I'm just saying it might actually be a halfway decent reason for them not to.
In order of descending snarkiness, possible answers to "why did they ever allow" are (a) that left-wing shoppers would boycott them if they didn't, and they don't want to lose out on that revenue; (b) or they included it in their corporate responsibility report so their shareholders would feel warm and fuzzy inside; (c) or because, in the beginning, the people in charge hadn't realized reusable cloth bags are actually worse for the environment than disposable plastic bags, and they genuinely wanted to do the right thing.
But, at any rate, we all simply weren't as worried about
any germs back then as we are now. I wouldn't be surprised if businesses became more hygiene-concerned even if the coronavirus were completely eradicated. Who knows?
Does anyone have what I'll call step-symmetry habits? Let me explain...
If I'm walking along a sidewalk, and my right foot lands on more than one or two cracks in a row, I feel a slight urge to even things out by stepping on a crack with my left foot. The same goes for gradual inclines/declines with stair steps every so often: I prefer to step up or down with each foot roughly the same number of times. This is by no means a Monk-worthy compulsion, but it's a feeling nonetheless, and I'll often slightly adjust my stride to keep things more or less "even".
And, while I'm on the subject of feet... Even though I'm right-handed, I prefer to leap with my left foot first: jumping down from a platform, running hurdles, etc. It's my impression that most people prefer to lead with their dominant-side foot, but I'm the opposite. Landing on my right foot actually feels like landing on the "weak" foot, even though that's my dominant side.
Quote from: kphoger on February 26, 2021, 12:43:41 PM
In order of descending snarkiness, possible answers to "why did they ever allow" are (a) that left-wing shoppers would boycott them if they didn't, and they don't want to lose out on that revenue; (b) or they included it in their corporate responsibility report so their shareholders would feel warm and fuzzy inside; (c) or because, in the beginning, the people in charge hadn't realized reusable cloth bags are actually worse for the environment than disposable plastic bags, and they genuinely wanted to do the right thing.
Another may be (d) local legislation; plastic bag bans have meant that paper bags are the only option in some areas, and it may be harder to source the number of paper bags required to sufficiently replace plastic bags. So naturally the option became "just bring your own bag".
I think (c), even before, is a bit misleading. Cotton bags take a very long time to become "better" for the environment, but unless people throw them away after 170+ uses
[1] (https://plastic.education/reusable-vs-disposable-bags-whats-better-for-the-environment/), they'll still be better for the environment.
Polypropylene bags are pretty incredible.
Quote from: kphoger on February 26, 2021, 12:43:41 PM
Quote from: kenarmy on February 25, 2021, 08:40:37 PM
- I untie my shoes when I take them off because my dad told me a long time ago it was lazy.
This is the normal procedure for taking off shoes.
I wonder if the wording was backwards there. Wouldn't it be lazy
not to untie them?
I should know, because I've been accused of being lazy with my shoes. I simply treat tie-up shoes as better-looking slip-ons. Both my sneakers and my casual tie-ups that I wear every day stay tied up permanently unless they accidentally come untied.
Quote from: kphoger on February 26, 2021, 12:43:41 PM
Does anyone have what I'll call step-symmetry habits? Let me explain... ...
And, while I'm on the subject of feet... Even though I'm right-handed, I prefer to leap with my left foot first: jumping down from a platform, running hurdles, etc. It's my impression that most people prefer to lead with their dominant-side foot, but I'm the opposite. Landing on my right foot actually feels like landing on the "weak" foot, even though that's my dominant side.
This is not exactly related to what you're describing, but when eating, I always cut things with my knife in my right hand, and then swap (knife in the left hand) to eat. I thought this was normal until one of my peers in school pointed out that she did this as well, and everyone else said they have the knife in their right hand for both functions.
Quote from: kphoger on February 25, 2021, 01:50:40 PM
One of my chores growing up was, every so often, to empty the aluminum recycling bin onto the garage floor, stand all of the cans up, stomp them flat, and put them all back in the bin. Even though we don't recycle at our house, I still feel the need to flatten the cans. I suppose it also comes from remembering the old slogan "reduce, reuse, recycle". I always assumed the "reduce" part meant "make your trash as physically small as possible", but it occurs to me as I type this that it might have actually meant "reduce the amount of stuff you throw away to begin with".
My dad was an advocate of this philosophy. He lived alone after my Mom died, and would crush all his beer cans once a week - probably a dozen or so each week. He actually had a fatal heart attack while doing this weekly chore, so his body was found amid a sea of beer cans, some crushed, some not. My sisters and I think it was both funny and fitting, as anyone who knew my Dad would agree.
Quote from: webny99 on February 26, 2021, 01:59:06 PM
This is not exactly related to what you're describing, but when eating, I always cut things with my knife in my right hand, and then swap (knife in the left hand) to eat. I thought this was normal until one of my peers in school pointed out that she did this as well, and everyone else said they have the knife in their right hand for both functions.
What you describe (switching the utensils back and forth constantly) is considered normal by most Americans. American formal dining etiquette has you hold the fork in your right hand when you lift it to your mouth, whereas British and Australian etiquette is to keep it in your left hand. The American style is kind of inexplicable because it means constantly swapping the utensils throughout the meal unless you cut your food into pieces all at once, but that's also considered poor formal dining etiquette.
Quote from: webny99 on February 26, 2021, 01:59:06 PM
Quote from: kphoger on February 26, 2021, 12:43:41 PM
Quote from: kenarmy on February 25, 2021, 08:40:37 PM
- I untie my shoes when I take them off because my dad told me a long time ago it was lazy.
This is the normal procedure for taking off shoes.
I wonder if the wording was backwards there. Wouldn't it be lazy not to untie them?
I should know, because I've been accused of being lazy with my shoes. I simply treat tie-up shoes as better-looking slip-ons. Both my sneakers and my casual tie-ups that I wear every day stay tied up permanently unless they accidentally come untied.
Quote from: kphoger on February 26, 2021, 12:43:41 PM
Does anyone have what I'll call step-symmetry habits? Let me explain... ...
And, while I'm on the subject of feet... Even though I'm right-handed, I prefer to leap with my left foot first: jumping down from a platform, running hurdles, etc. It's my impression that most people prefer to lead with their dominant-side foot, but I'm the opposite. Landing on my right foot actually feels like landing on the "weak" foot, even though that's my dominant side.
Yeah, I had it worded backwards. I also prefer using my left foot for actions even though I'm right handed. But I almost never see people untie shoes when they take them off, unless the shoe is tight.
Quote from: 1995hoo on February 26, 2021, 02:05:31 PM
Quote from: webny99 on February 26, 2021, 01:59:06 PM
This is not exactly related to what you're describing, but when eating, I always cut things with my knife in my right hand, and then swap (knife in the left hand) to eat. I thought this was normal until one of my peers in school pointed out that she did this as well, and everyone else said they have the knife in their right hand for both functions.
What you describe (switching the utensils back and forth constantly) is considered normal by most Americans. American formal dining etiquette has you hold the fork in your right hand when you lift it to your mouth, whereas British and Australian etiquette is to keep it in your left hand. The American style is kind of inexplicable because it means constantly swapping the utensils throughout the meal unless you cut your food into pieces all at once, but that's also considered poor formal dining etiquette.
Yep. It's normal for Americans to not use a knife for anything except for cutting. But for us weirdos who use both fork and knife to eat already-cut-up food, it's normal-ish to keep the knife in the left hand. Normal practice in Europe is to eat with your left hand, cut with your right hand, and just keep them in those hands the whole time.
I've had conversations about this topic with various Europeans over the years.
I'm trying to picture abandoning my knife and using only a fork for eating, and... it isn't going well. It sounds pretty coarse and sloppy, which I guess does fit with a certain brand of Americanism, but I still have a hard time believe that most Americans don't use a knife to eat.
Quote from: webny99 on February 26, 2021, 03:23:07 PM
I'm trying to picture abandoning my knife and using only a fork for eating, and... it isn't going well. It sounds pretty coarse and sloppy, which I guess does fit with a certain brand of Americanism, but I still have a hard time believe that most Americans don't use a knife to eat.
Haven't you been to a restaurant where they don't even give you one?
Quote from: kphoger on February 26, 2021, 03:30:00 PM
Quote from: webny99 on February 26, 2021, 03:23:07 PM
I'm trying to picture abandoning my knife and using only a fork for eating, and... it isn't going well. It sounds pretty coarse and sloppy, which I guess does fit with a certain brand of Americanism, but I still have a hard time believe that most Americans don't use a knife to eat.
Haven't you been to a restaurant where they don't even give you one?
I don't think so, no. But then again, I never went to proper sit-down restaurants that much, and haven't at all in the past year or so.
Come to think of it, maybe there are some things that I usually eat without a knife. Cake would be one. I'm sure more will occur to me as I think about it.
Oftentimes I don't use my knife much, if at all, when I'm eating seafood. It flakes apart well enough that fork is sufficient.
I'm not sure any of my friends use a knife when they eat, other than for cutting.
To clarify: I'm not talking about cutting. I'm talking about just having it in your other hand. That is, when you're done cutting, do you still keep it in your hand? I hardly know anyone who does regularly. I figured I was the weirdo.
I'm right-handed, but I use a knife with my left for efficiency when eating. As a result sometimes I forget to put it down since I don't use my left hand to eat with a fork.
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on February 26, 2021, 04:24:46 PM
I'm right-handed, but I use a knife with my left for efficiency when eating. As a result sometimes I forget to put it down since I don't use my left hand to eat with a fork.
I'm the same way, except I'm left-handed so I cut with my right. Holding the fork with my dominant hand helps prevent the food I'm cutting from slipping around on the plate since my left is stronger.
Another reason for reusable bags:
(e) The store can SELL bags with their name/logo on them, and
(1) get free advertising
(2) show how environmentally conscious they are
(3) make a profit on them
There's also the matter of where to put the boxes if I were to use boxes at Dillon's. We get enough groceries to pretty much fill the entire cart. At Aldi, that's not the case, so there's room in the cart for my cooler and on the bottom tray for a box. At Dillon's, no such room in the cart.
I use paper bags at Dillon's. Yes, I know they're worse for the environment than plastic ones. I just really prefer taking four or five bags into the house rather than 61,350 bags.
Some restaurants give you a knife and fork set when you are first seated, then gives you a sharper knife when the entrée comes.
Quote from: kphoger on February 26, 2021, 04:05:30 PM
I'm not sure any of my friends use a knife when they eat, other than for cutting.
To clarify: I'm not talking about cutting. I'm talking about just having it in your other hand. That is, when you're done cutting, do you still keep it in your hand? I hardly know anyone who does regularly. I figured I was the weirdo.
I sometimes use the knife while eating, depending on what I'm eating. Rice or orzo, for example, is easier to get onto the fork if you use the knife to push it into place.
Quote from: kphoger on February 26, 2021, 04:55:30 PM
There's also the matter of where to put the boxes if I were to use boxes at Dillon's. We get enough groceries to pretty much fill the entire cart. At Aldi, that's not the case, so there's room in the cart for my cooler and on the bottom tray for a box. At Dillon's, no such room in the cart.
I use paper bags at Dillon's. Yes, I know they're worse for the environment than plastic ones. I just really prefer taking four or five bags into the house rather than 61,350 bags.
I always thought of paper > plastic in terms of environmental friendliness. Wood/paper is at least somewhat a renewable resource, and the bags biodegrade on a human time-scale.
Quote from: kphoger on February 26, 2021, 04:05:30 PM
I'm not sure any of my friends use a knife when they eat, other than for cutting.
To clarify: I'm not talking about cutting. I'm talking about just having it in your other hand. That is, when you're done cutting, do you still keep it in your hand? I hardly know anyone who does regularly. I figured I was the weirdo.
I eat with my left hand (I'm a righty for everything else) and if I'm using a knife at all I usually keep it in my right hand even when not using it. And I also use my knife to push food onto my fork. Miss Manners would be aghast.
Quote from: 1995hoo on February 26, 2021, 05:13:00 PM
I sometimes use the knife while eating, depending on what I'm eating. Rice or orzo, for example, is easier to get onto the fork if you use the knife to push it into place.
I feel that way about almost all food. The only exceptions are those foods that are so sticky, there's no problem–like macaroni and cheese.
Quote from: TravelingBethelite on February 26, 2021, 05:17:28 PM
Quote from: kphoger on February 26, 2021, 04:55:30 PM
There's also the matter of where to put the boxes if I were to use boxes at Dillon's. We get enough groceries to pretty much fill the entire cart. At Aldi, that's not the case, so there's room in the cart for my cooler and on the bottom tray for a box. At Dillon's, no such room in the cart.
I use paper bags at Dillon's. Yes, I know they're worse for the environment than plastic ones. I just really prefer taking four or five bags into the house rather than 61,350 bags.
I always thought of paper > plastic in terms of environmental friendliness. Wood/paper is at least somewhat a renewable resource, and the bags biodegrade on a human time-scale.
That's the way I grew up thinking about them too. But consider how thick a paper bag is compared to a plastic bag: they use a lot more total material. Plus, the manufacturing process isn't exactly nice to the environment.
Quote from: kphoger on February 26, 2021, 12:43:41 PM
Does anyone have what I'll call step-symmetry habits? Let me explain...
If I'm walking along a sidewalk, and my right foot lands on more than one or two cracks in a row, I feel a slight urge to even things out by stepping on a crack with my left foot. The same goes for gradual inclines/declines with stair steps every so often: I prefer to step up or down with each foot roughly the same number of times. This is by no means a Monk-worthy compulsion, but it's a feeling nonetheless, and I'll often slightly adjust my stride to keep things more or less "even".
And, while I'm on the subject of feet... Even though I'm right-handed, I prefer to leap with my left foot first: jumping down from a platform, running hurdles, etc. It's my impression that most people prefer to lead with their dominant-side foot, but I'm the opposite. Landing on my right foot actually feels like landing on the "weak" foot, even though that's my dominant side.
I tend to lead with my left foot, but that's because of habits left over from marching band, where you're required to do so.
It is possible for one's dominant hand and dominant foot to be on opposite sides of the body–they are not necessarily linked.
Quote from: frankenroad on February 26, 2021, 02:04:25 PM
Quote from: kphoger on February 25, 2021, 01:50:40 PM
One of my chores growing up was, every so often, to empty the aluminum recycling bin onto the garage floor, stand all of the cans up, stomp them flat, and put them all back in the bin. Even though we don't recycle at our house, I still feel the need to flatten the cans. I suppose it also comes from remembering the old slogan "reduce, reuse, recycle". I always assumed the "reduce" part meant "make your trash as physically small as possible", but it occurs to me as I type this that it might have actually meant "reduce the amount of stuff you throw away to begin with".
My dad was an advocate of this philosophy. He lived alone after my Mom died, and would crush all his beer cans once a week - probably a dozen or so each week.
I only crush cans when delivering them somewhere to sell for scrap aluminum (as that means I can fit more in the bag). The last time I had a fit of frugality, I had to spend hours crushing the cans (since my wife wouldn't do it, I had to crush all of hers and all of mine), but the thought of the reward of getting the money back kept me going. I finally found a place that would buy the aluminum–had to drive to Lexington, as the scrap yard in Norman said "their aluminum guy quit" (okaaaaay...)–and got paid a whopping $8 for a 50-pound bag of crushed cans.
Now I just throw them in the city recycling bin, uncrushed, and let the city have the $8. Whatever!
Quote from: kphoger on February 26, 2021, 06:10:37 PM
That's the way I grew up thinking about them too. But consider how thick a paper bag is compared to a plastic bag: they use a lot more total material. Plus, the manufacturing process isn't exactly nice to the environment.
I think in this case the biodegradability wins out over the reduced physical material usage. And you never hear of a dolphin or something getting strangled by a discarded paper bag.
If you deign to get into the politics of it, OPEC has no say over wood pulp, so that's another advantage to paper.
Quote from: Scott5114 on February 26, 2021, 07:13:58 PM
I tend to lead with my left foot, but that's because of habits left over from marching band, where you're required to do so.
Hmmmmmm...... now you've got me wondering if that's the case for me as well. I think I started marching band before I started track. Hmmmmmm...... No, I think it's more "natural" than that.
Quote from: kphoger on February 26, 2021, 04:05:30 PM
To clarify: I'm not talking about cutting. I'm talking about just having it in your other hand. That is, when you're done cutting, do you still keep it in your hand? I hardly know anyone who does regularly. I figured I was the weirdo.
I used to cut everything up and then eat. At which point the knife became superfluous. But over the last several years, I've transitioned to cutting as I eat. I'm a righty; I use my knife with my right hand, and my fork with my left hand. And the kicker: I only set my knife down to take a drink or use a napkin or something. Other than that, I keep my knife in my hand while I eat.
Wow, I had no idea I was surrounded by so many cultured, civilized people on this forum. Or so many uncultured, uncivilized swine in real life. :-D
I wouldn't consider myself a master of etiquette by any stretch. In fact, I've learned a bunch more about it from this thread, so it's been interesting. However, I do feel I've been reasonably well-taught. I learned only put on my fork what I could fit in my mouth, for example, and I guess I sort of learned over time that it's neater and more proper to use your knife as a tool instead of stabbing stuff with your fork.
On a slightly different note, "all joints on the table will be carved" was a saying I remember hearing more than once back in the day.
Quote from: kphoger on February 26, 2021, 12:43:41 PM
Quote from: GaryV on February 26, 2021, 08:01:08 AM
2. Then why did they ever allow any reusable bags?
I'm not saying that non-coronavirus germs are actually a reason some stores still aren't allowing reusable bags. I'm just saying it might actually be a halfway decent reason for them not to.
In order of descending snarkiness, possible answers to "why did they ever allow" are (a) that left-wing shoppers would boycott them if they didn't, and they don't want to lose out on that revenue; (b) or they included it in their corporate responsibility report so their shareholders would feel warm and fuzzy inside; (c) or because, in the beginning, the people in charge hadn't realized reusable cloth bags are actually worse for the environment than disposable plastic bags, and they genuinely wanted to do the right thing.
But, at any rate, we all simply weren't as worried about any germs back then as we are now. I wouldn't be surprised if businesses became more hygiene-concerned even if the coronavirus were completely eradicated. Who knows?
It's worth noting that reusable bags used to be the exclusive domain of shoppers who were specifically interested in using them, and obtaining, using, and maintaining reusable bags become a labor of love for them. Now that many places are banning plastic bags and these bags are starting to be used by people who have zero interest in dealing with bags beyond carrying their groceries home, it will be interesting to see if the hygiene issue becomes important.
Early during the pandemic, Hannaford banned all reusable bags in the store. In the spring, they changed the policy so that people could bring them in, but had to bag their groceries themselves. I have no idea what the policy is now (NY started enforcing its plastic bag ban in the fall), as I've used the self checkout ever since March and don't plan on switching back after the pandemic. One nice thing about reusable bags is that they're easy to pack once you develop a system for doing so, and it's nice to not have to constantly remind baggers that it's perfectly fine for a loaf of bread to sit on a carton of eggs. Plus the Hannaford baggers won't make sure to put the plastic bottom piece on my Wegmans bags on the bottom (even if I tell them to), since their own bags don't have that.
Quote
Does anyone have what I'll call step-symmetry habits? Let me explain...
If I'm walking along a sidewalk, and my right foot lands on more than one or two cracks in a row, I feel a slight urge to even things out by stepping on a crack with my left foot. The same goes for gradual inclines/declines with stair steps every so often: I prefer to step up or down with each foot roughly the same number of times. This is by no means a Monk-worthy compulsion, but it's a feeling nonetheless, and I'll often slightly adjust my stride to keep things more or less "even".
And, while I'm on the subject of feet... Even though I'm right-handed, I prefer to leap with my left foot first: jumping down from a platform, running hurdles, etc. It's my impression that most people prefer to lead with their dominant-side foot, but I'm the opposite. Landing on my right foot actually feels like landing on the "weak" foot, even though that's my dominant side.
Yes to both. The step symmetry issue is especially noticeable for me with detectable warnings, and annoyingly crosswalks tend to be sized such that I'll naturally hit the warnings on each side with the same foot unless I noticeably alter my stride.
Quote from: Scott5114 on February 26, 2021, 07:13:58 PM
I tend to lead with my left foot, but that's because of habits left over from marching band, where you're required to do so.
I concur! There's some leftover roll-stepping too sometimes.
One I've developed in the last year due to the lock down: When I take virtual trips on Street View, I almost always end in front of a Ronald McDonald House :bigass:. A notable exception to this was when I did I-70 in Utah, as there are none nearby I ended at the Love's near Grand Junction instead.
Quote from: JoePCool14 on February 27, 2021, 09:52:40 AM
Quote from: Scott5114 on February 26, 2021, 07:13:58 PM
I tend to lead with my left foot, but that's because of habits left over from marching band, where you're required to do so.
I concur! There's some leftover roll-stepping too sometimes.
Roll-stepping can sometimes be useful when you're carrying something like an overloaded plate or bowl and want to avoid spilling.
Quote from: TravelingBethelite on February 26, 2021, 05:17:28 PM
Quote from: kphoger on February 26, 2021, 04:55:30 PM
There's also the matter of where to put the boxes if I were to use boxes at Dillon's. We get enough groceries to pretty much fill the entire cart. At Aldi, that's not the case, so there's room in the cart for my cooler and on the bottom tray for a box. At Dillon's, no such room in the cart.
I use paper bags at Dillon's. Yes, I know they're worse for the environment than plastic ones. I just really prefer taking four or five bags into the house rather than 61,350 bags.
I always thought of paper > plastic in terms of environmental friendliness. Wood/paper is at least somewhat a renewable resource, and the bags biodegrade on a human time-scale.
Quote from: Scott5114 on February 26, 2021, 07:13:58 PM
Quote from: kphoger on February 26, 2021, 06:10:37 PM
That's the way I grew up thinking about them too. But consider how thick a paper bag is compared to a plastic bag: they use a lot more total material. Plus, the manufacturing process isn't exactly nice to the environment.
I think in this case the biodegradability wins out over the reduced physical material usage.
Frankly, I don't think that's a given. I don't simply assume that the biodegradability of paper bags makes them more environmentally friendly.
Quote from: National Geographic: Sustainable Shopping–Which Bag Is Best?
Manufacturing a paper bag takes about four times as much energy as it takes to produce a plastic bag, plus the chemicals and fertilizers used in producing paper bags create additional harm to the environment.
Studies have shown that, for a paper bag to neutralize its environmental impact compared to plastic, it would have to be used anywhere from three to 43 times. Since paper bags are the least durable of all the bagging options, it is unlikely that a person would get enough use out of any one bag to even out the environmental impact.
One study from the United Kingdom (UK) found that, regarding bag production, cotton bags have to be reused 131 times before they reduce their impact on climate change to the same extent as plastic bags. To have a comparable environmental footprint (which encompasses climate change as well as other environmental effects) to plastic bags, a cotton bag potentially has to be used thousands of times. Materials other than cotton, however, perform much better in sustainability metrics. Nonwoven polypropylene (PP) is another popular option. Made from a more durable kind of plastic, these bags need to be reused around eleven times to break even with the impact of conventional plastic.
link
What I've gleaned secondhand from various studies is that only a certain subset of reusable bag is actually better overall for the environment than conventional plastic bags. While I love a good canvas bag, and while I prefer to have my groceries put in paper bags than in plastic bags, I realize the environmental toll in producing them is much greater and may exceed their other environmental benefits.
It seems the leading argument against conventional plastic bags is that they are not biodegradable. That is to say, they degrade into microplastics. Well, we've already had a discussion about microplastics, which included the comment below:
Quote from: kalvado on February 08, 2021, 02:50:49 PM
I am trying to find serious publications on the subject of microplastics - and they are much less alarming. Problem exists, but the scale seems to be way smaller than whatever is sold to general public.
This goes back to what I said about accounting tricks and environmentalism–if your focus is on carbon footprint, you'll get one answer; if it's on other pollutants, it's another, if it's sustainability, it's another, and if it's waste, it's another. A flimsy reusable bag may have a negative impact on climate change, but if my focus is on reducing the amount of waste that goes to landfill, it's a better option. Even if current studies may say microplastics are not a cause for concern, someone may still object to creating them, either because it's possible that the science is not yet advanced enough to pick up the full effects (i.e. it may cause a problem later on down the road that we just can't see coming yet), or simply out of a moral belief that unnecessarily introducing synthetic materials to the native environment is a bad thing.
And it's also about the particulars that go into making an individual object. Making a paper bag, for instance, takes up a decent amount of energy, but if that energy is produced by solar or wind, then it doesn't really matter. Some wood pulp providers clear-cut virgin forests, others only take x% of the trees and replant new ones to replace what they cut.
As regards reusable bags, I would think 131 uses is easily within the realm of possibility for a good-quality cotton or canvas bag. Assuming you only go shopping once a week, that's roughly two and half years of use, which doesn't seem impossible. And I occasionally use my shopping bags for toting things around the house, which isn't something I typically do with disposable bags.
Quote from: Scott5114 on March 01, 2021, 05:33:06 PM
As regards reusable bags, I would think 131 uses is easily within the realm of possibility for a good-quality cotton or canvas bag. Assuming you only go shopping once a week, that's roughly two and half years of use, which doesn't seem impossible.
No, that doesn't seem outside the realm of possibility. I mean, I can easily envision someone
not getting 131 uses out of a bag, but I can just as easily envision someone
doing it–especially someone to whom the issue is important.
Quote from: Scott5114 on March 01, 2021, 05:33:06 PM
And I occasionally use my shopping bags for toting things around the house, which isn't something I typically do with disposable bags.
To me, the perfect answer would be to use bags you already own for general purposes. Unfortunately in this case, I only have a single canvas bag, and it's not all that big. But yes, the multiuse-iness of well-constructed cloth bags is a great side-benefit. Conventional plastic bags have a more limited array of secondhand uses.
To tie this side discussion back to the original topic...
One strange habit I have is to horde used cardboard boxes. I think it first started back when I moved every so often (during my single, apartment-dwelling days). I worked in warehouses back then, and getting similarly sized boxes for free was easy. Over time, I developed the habit of almost never throwing a cardboard box away that I thought had the remotest possibility of being reused sometime in the future.
It got so bad at one point that I took the second and third row of seats out of my Grand Caravan and filled all the way up with cardboard boxes from the basement, then drove to the recycling center.
This drives my wife nuts.
(I had started to horde used paper grocery sacks too, but I've gotten over it. For the most part. Maybe.)
Quote from: kphoger on March 01, 2021, 08:10:20 PM
No, that doesn't seem outside the realm of possibility. I mean, I can easily envision someone not getting 131 uses out of a bag, but I can just as easily envision someone doing it–especially someone to whom the issue is important.
For sure. I've had a few bags that I didn't get as much use out of as I would like, because the cats* decided they liked the bag better with lots of holes in the bottom of it. I've also had a few that the handles gave out on, and I threw them away rather than trying to sew them up or use the bag without the handles.
Quote
To me, the perfect answer would be to use bags you already own for general purposes. Unfortunately in this case, I only have a single canvas bag, and it's not all that big. But yes, the multiuse-iness of well-constructed cloth bags is a great side-benefit. Conventional plastic bags have a more limited array of secondhand uses.
Another thing that just occurred to me–you know what's an ethical, environmentally-friendly source for well-constructed cloth goods? Grandmas! I guarantee you if I ask my grandma (well, my wife's grandma, my actual grandma is more into painting than sewing) to make a bag, she'll put together something that will last until 2100. Probably made out of scraps from her quilting hobby. And she'd even let us pick the color.
If you don't have access to your own quilting grandma, someone you know probably has one you can slip a few bucks to. Or promise to play Scrabble or bunco with her. Grandmas are usually very flexible in terms of payment methods.
Quote from: kphoger on March 01, 2021, 08:13:46 PM
(I had started to horde used paper grocery sacks too, but I've gotten over it. For the most part. Maybe.)
I keep a few around for keeping glass recyclables around (Norman doesn't accept glass at the curb anymore, you have to take it to the recycling center). Dump the glass in the glass bin, then toss the paper bag into the paper bin. No muss, no fuss.
* I am saying this to be fair, because I have no proof, but we all know it was Freyja.
Quote from: Scott5114 on March 01, 2021, 08:27:19 PM
Another thing that just occurred to me–you know what's an ethical, environmentally-friendly source for well-constructed cloth goods? Grandmas! I guarantee you if I ask my grandma (well, my wife's grandma, my actual grandma is more into painting than sewing) to make a bag, she'll put together something that will last until 2100. Probably made out of scraps from her quilting hobby. And she'd even let us pick the color.
My wife quilts. Or at least she used to.
But a big advantage to heavier-duty canvas bags is the sturdy bottom.
You know it's a good thread when the current discussion is the least interesting part. That's not to say there's anything wrong with the current discussion, but I just finished reading this whole thread from end to end and it was very entertaining. Maybe even one of my favorites all-time.
I poop.
I chew on plastic bottle caps after I finish the bottle until it's ground up to a pulpy, plasticy mess. I've had this habit for probably like, 12 years. Somewhere around that. I wonder how much plastic I've inadvertently swallowed over the years.
Quote from: index on March 02, 2021, 06:33:07 AM
I chew on plastic bottle caps after I finish the bottle until it's ground up to a pulpy, plasticy mess. I've had this habit for probably like, 12 years. Somewhere around that. I wonder how much plastic I've inadvertently swallowed over the years.
18 minus 12 is 6, so you've been doing this since you were a 6 year-old?
Quote from: NE2 on March 02, 2021, 12:18:12 AM
I poop.
That's more of a hobby for you, though, isn't it? Or a passion? A calling?
Is this strange?
I eat the same thing for lunch every workday: a BBJ, a hard-boiled egg, and three duplex sandwich cookies. I've eaten sandwiches for lunch for more than 15 years–either lunchmeat and cheese or PBJ, and it's been PBJ for probably at least four years now. The only thing I change up is which kind of jam it is; when one jar runs out, I buy a different kind.
I also eat the same thing for breakfast every morning: a bowl of granola with milk, and a small glass of grapefruit juice.
(For suppers, though, I have a balanced diet of home-cooked meals.)
Quote from: kphoger on March 03, 2021, 02:13:19 PMIs this strange?
I eat the same thing for lunch every workday: a BBJ, a hard-boiled egg, and three duplex sandwich cookies. I've eaten sandwiches for lunch for more than 15 years–either lunchmeat and cheese or PBJ, and it's been PBJ for probably at least four years now. The only thing I change up is which kind of jam it is; when one jar runs out, I buy a different kind.
I also eat the same thing for breakfast every morning: a bowl of granola with milk, and a small glass of grapefruit juice.
I wouldn't say it's strange. My breakfast and lunch menus typically don't vary from day to day. For the former I eat hot oatmeal. For the latter I eat soup in the winter or salad in the summer, followed by washed unpeeled whole carrots. The soup is fifteen-bean soup six days out of every week, with a gap-filler soup (turnip, spinach, or split pea) on the seventh day. The salad includes, at minimum, green leaf lettuce, spring onions, and radishes, with cooked diced chicken as available.
I rely on this menu structure to clear two-thirds of the fiber RDA every day with two-thirds of the meals, while adhering to a five out of three rule for vegetables (five servings out of at least three different vegetables, none of which is potato). For fifteen-bean soup the vegetables are onion, tomato, and garlic, while for the gap-filler soups they are onion, celery, carrot, and whatever the headliner vegetable is.
Quote from: kphoger on March 03, 2021, 02:13:19 PM
Is this strange?
I eat the same thing for lunch every workday ...
Not exactly strange, but I couldn't do that, myself. Back when I was in high school I used to eat individual deep dish pizzas a lot (but not even every day, maybe 2-3 times per week) and now I'm so sick of them I can hardly stand them.
I'm not a big sandwich guy or a fan of cold lunches in general. A sub or salad is about the only thing I'd eat cold for lunch.
Quote from: webny99 on March 03, 2021, 02:44:20 PM
I'm not a big sandwich guy or a fan of cold lunches in general. A sub or salad is about the only thing I'd eat cold for lunch.
A sub IS a sandwich.
Do y'all have foods that change from being good to nasty more than once, and you don't know when it'll change? I used to religiously eat pb&j, but I randomly got tired of the jelly so I just started fixing peanut butter, and recently I've starting eating it with jelly again. Same with moon pies, I loved those so much but one day I just thought they were the nastiest thing ever.... until I started liking them again and recently I've begin to dislike them.
Quote from: kphoger on March 03, 2021, 02:13:19 PM
Is this strange?
I eat the same thing for lunch every workday:
Supreme court justice David Souter famously had the same lunch every day for his entire time on the court: a single apple and plain yogurt. (Justice Ginsberg seemed to think this was really gross.) After learning of that fact, I've actually tried it a few times (although I had flavored yogurt, usually vanilla or blueberry) and found it to be a surprisingly filling lunch.
Quote from: kenarmy on March 03, 2021, 08:04:22 PM
Do y'all have foods that change from being good to nasty more than once, and you don't know when it'll change?
A few foods that I used to love have been ruined for me after I recovered from covid. Peanut butter was once delicious, now it tastes wretched. Although I think I'm slowly starting to recover my sense of taste four months on, fortunately.
Quote from: hbelkins on March 03, 2021, 07:17:56 PM
Quote from: webny99 on March 03, 2021, 02:44:20 PM
I'm not a big sandwich guy or a fan of cold lunches in general. A sub or salad is about the only thing I'd eat cold for lunch.
A sub IS a sandwich.
Yes, it is a
type of sandwich. I guess buns, including sub buns, are usually OK. It's mostly cold sandwiches with plain bread that I take issue with. :meh:
Quote from: webny99 on March 03, 2021, 10:19:47 PM
plain bread
Isn't most bread made from wheat grown on a plain?
Quote from: Scott5114 on March 03, 2021, 10:59:16 PM
Quote from: webny99 on March 03, 2021, 10:19:47 PM
plain bread
Isn't most bread made from wheat grown on a plain?
And plains are flat, so I think this means buns should be called mountain bread.
(Also, some types of non-plain-grown bread are good. Pumpkin, for example.)
Quote from: webny99 on March 03, 2021, 11:28:31 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on March 03, 2021, 10:59:16 PM
Quote from: webny99 on March 03, 2021, 10:19:47 PM
plain bread
Isn't most bread made from wheat grown on a plain?
And plains are flat, so I think this means buns should be called mountain bread.
(Also, some types of non-plain-grown bread are good. Pumpkin, for example.)
Buns come from mountains?
Quote from: webny99 on March 03, 2021, 11:28:31 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on March 03, 2021, 10:59:16 PM
Quote from: webny99 on March 03, 2021, 10:19:47 PM
plain bread
Isn't most bread made from wheat grown on a plain?
And plains are flat, so I think this means buns should be called mountain bread.
(Also, some types of non-plain-grown bread are good. Pumpkin, for example.)
But what pumpkin? :D
Quote from: Rothman on March 04, 2021, 01:22:29 AM
Quote from: webny99 on March 03, 2021, 11:28:31 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on March 03, 2021, 10:59:16 PM
Quote from: webny99 on March 03, 2021, 10:19:47 PM
plain bread
Isn't most bread made from wheat grown on a plain?
And plains are flat, so I think this means buns should be called mountain bread.
(Also, some types of non-plain-grown bread are good. Pumpkin, for example.)
Buns come from mountains?
Not sure if he meant to refer to Buncombe County...nice Asheville, NC. ;)
Quote from: Scott5114 on March 03, 2021, 08:44:11 PM
A few foods that I used to love have been ruined for me after I recovered from covid. Peanut butter was once delicious, now it tastes wretched. Although I think I'm slowly starting to recover my sense of taste four months on, fortunately.
A good friend of ours still has wacky taste COVID side-effect fun. For her, it's only certain types of flavor. For example, she can never tell how salty something is. Other types of taste are back to normal.
Is it similar for you?
Quote from: Scott5114 on March 03, 2021, 08:44:11 PM
Quote from: kenarmy on March 03, 2021, 08:04:22 PM
Do y'all have foods that change from being good to nasty more than once, and you don't know when it'll change?
A few foods that I used to love have been ruined for me after I recovered from covid. Peanut butter was once delicious, now it tastes wretched. Although I think I'm slowly starting to recover my sense of taste four months on, fortunately.
I'm sorry to hear that. I had the virus back in the beginning of November (right around the election). I lost my sense of smell, though thankfully my taste was completely unaffected. Four months later now, and my smell is still practically non-existent. Really annoying when I'm trying to figure out when clothes need to be washed. Glad to hear I'm not alone with these long-term side effects. There's still hope!
Quote from: JoePCool14 on March 04, 2021, 10:07:43 AM
Quote from: Scott5114 on March 03, 2021, 08:44:11 PM
Quote from: kenarmy on March 03, 2021, 08:04:22 PM
Do y'all have foods that change from being good to nasty more than once, and you don't know when it'll change?
A few foods that I used to love have been ruined for me after I recovered from covid. Peanut butter was once delicious, now it tastes wretched. Although I think I'm slowly starting to recover my sense of taste four months on, fortunately.
I'm sorry to hear that. I had the virus back in the beginning of November (right around the election). I lost my sense of smell, though thankfully my taste was completely unaffected. Four months later now, and my smell is still practically non-existent. Really annoying when I'm trying to figure out when clothes need to be washed. Glad to hear I'm not alone with these long-term side effects. There's still hope!
Same here - I too had COVID in early November, and also lost my sense of smell while retaining taste (unlike my fiancée, who lost both smell & taste). While it has since returned for the most part, there are certain things that smell & taste different than they used to. For instance, honey-nut cheerios now taste slightly metallic to me, and my fiancée finds that scrambled eggs always taste burnt to her now.
But the big one is that my farts smell way different to me now than they ever did before :bigass:
Quote from: jmacswimmer on March 04, 2021, 10:20:22 AM
psssssst . . . . Unless you're specifically going for gender-neutral language,
fiancé is masculine and
fiancée is feminine. Not sure how your fiancée feels about being called a man.
Quote from: kphoger on March 04, 2021, 10:37:05 AM
Quote from: jmacswimmer on March 04, 2021, 10:20:22 AM
psssssst . . . . Unless you're specifically going for gender-neutral language, fiancé is masculine and fiancée is feminine. Not sure how your fiancée feels about being called a man.
Oops...I didn't even realize there was a difference, goes to show how much of an uncultured swine I am :pan:
Quote from: kenarmy on March 03, 2021, 08:04:22 PM
Do y'all have foods that change from being good to nasty more than once, and you don't know when it'll change? I used to religiously eat pb&j, but I randomly got tired of the jelly so I just started fixing peanut butter, and recently I've starting eating it with jelly again. Same with moon pies, I loved those so much but one day I just thought they were the nastiest thing ever.... until I started liking them again and recently I've begin to dislike them.
YES...and mine specifically was the opposite...I used to eat PB&J all the time and then I randomly got tired of the peanut butter. I haven't had a PB&J in at least 15 years now. I used to go heavy with spaghetti sauce but about 10 years it was too much and now I go very light with it.
Quote from: kphoger on March 04, 2021, 10:00:47 AM
Quote from: Scott5114 on March 03, 2021, 08:44:11 PM
A few foods that I used to love have been ruined for me after I recovered from covid. Peanut butter was once delicious, now it tastes wretched. Although I think I'm slowly starting to recover my sense of taste four months on, fortunately.
A good friend of ours still has wacky taste COVID side-effect fun. For her, it's only certain types of flavor. For example, she can never tell how salty something is. Other types of taste are back to normal.
Is it similar for you?
I've noticed that, in my case, fat is more highly affected than other macronutrients. I notice the most difference in peanut butter and fried foods, to the point that for a while there I stopped eating fried foods altogether. Fortunately, that seems to be slowly returning to normal, though in general everything still tastes blander than it used to.
It's especially interesting for her, because she cooks dinner for a family of five–without really being able to check how it tastes along the way. Every so often, she has to call someone else into the kitchen to taste-test the food.
Quote from: JoePCool14 on March 04, 2021, 10:07:43 AMFour months later now, and my smell is still practically non-existent. Really annoying when I'm trying to figure out when clothes need to be washed.
Why are you keeping your clean clothes and your dirty clothes together? Clean clothes should be folded and go in a closet or drawer. Dirty clothes go in a hamper, a basket, or on the floor.
I wake up late and forget to dress appropriately.
Quote from: hbelkins on March 04, 2021, 09:26:17 PM
Quote from: JoePCool14 on March 04, 2021, 10:07:43 AMFour months later now, and my smell is still practically non-existent. Really annoying when I'm trying to figure out when clothes need to be washed.
Why are you keeping your clean clothes and your dirty clothes together? Clean clothes should be folded and go in a closet or drawer. Dirty clothes go in a hamper, a basket, or on the floor.
Occasionally there's a case where a garment is not-quite-clean, not-quite-dirty. For example, say I put on a pair of shorts to go check the mail and wear them for an hour, then take a shower. Are the shorts dirty or not?
Quote from: Scott5114 on March 04, 2021, 09:53:20 PM
Occasionally there's a case where a garment is not-quite-clean, not-quite-dirty.
Yes, and the temporary staging area for those articles of clothing is... on the floor next to my bed. Some stuff has been there for days, some for weeks, some for probably months. The Lord only know how clean or dirty it was when I first put it down there.
Not clean enough to put back in the drawer/closet, not dirty enough to put in the basket. But also possibly the wrong season to wear it...
Yikes. If there's any ambiguity as to whether something is clean or dirty, I decide right then and there whether I'd wear it again or not and it goes either back in the drawer or in the laundry.
On the subject of smell, I certainly don't smell clothes to decide their status, but I do have a habit of smelling new foods before tasting them.
Quote from: webny99 on March 04, 2021, 10:34:25 PM
Yikes. If there's any ambiguity as to whether something is clean or dirty, I decide right then and there whether I'd wear it again or not and it goes either back in the drawer or in the laundry.
On the subject of smell, I certainly don't smell clothes to decide their status, but I do have a habit of smelling new foods before tasting them.
I don't put not-quite-dirty-yet clothes back in the drawer, because I assume everything in the drawer is straight from the laundry–meaning it's 100% clean. (By the way, for me, this pretty much only pertains to pants, because I wear them multiple days before putting them in the basket. If I switch pants after only a day or two, then the old ones aren't dirty enough for the laundry yet. But sometimes that pair is one I only rarely wear.)
Also.... Yeah, who decides clothing cleanliness by sniff test? Did you sweat in that shirt? then toss it in the basket. Did you spill on those pants? then toss them in the basket. Is that mark on your underw...............nevermind.
I will sniff clothes in the rare event that I don't remember how long I wore them or if I did anything particularly strenuous in them. Sometimes just going out to check the mail is enough to make them dirty. Sometimes I can wear them for a couple of hours at a time and they'll still be clean. It just depends. I normally don't sweat enough to notice when I am sweating.
This is more of an issue if you spend most of your time at home and thus don't have specific, set times when things have to happen. If you work a traditional shift job and put on clean clothes before work, then when you arrive home nine hours later your clothes are clearly dirty.
Quote from: kphoger on March 04, 2021, 10:39:42 PM
Quote from: webny99 on March 04, 2021, 10:34:25 PM
Yikes. If there's any ambiguity as to whether something is clean or dirty, I decide right then and there whether I'd wear it again or not and it goes either back in the drawer or in the laundry.
...
I don't put not-quite-dirty-yet clothes back in the drawer, because I assume everything in the drawer is straight from the laundry–meaning it's 100% clean.
I'm OK with mixing the 100% clean stuff with anything >50% clean. If it's clean enough to wear again, I can't think of any reason why it shouldn't have rights to the drawer.
Quote from: Scott5114 on March 04, 2021, 10:51:23 PM
If you work a traditional shift job and put on clean clothes before work, then when you arrive home nine hours later your clothes are clearly dirty.
Oh, there are plenty of people who wear the same stuff multiple days in a row without getting it washed. I'm not one of those people - I rotate through 3-4 outfits with a fresh one each day - but such people definitely exist.
I usually just throw my dirty clothes straight into the hamper after I wear them, without reusing (unless it's necessary, like wearing my thickest socks two days in a row a couple weeks ago to get through the coldpocalypse), and if there's any ambiguity as to whether it's clean, then I just put it in the hamper. I also put clothes straight from the store or Amazon straight in the hamper as well. I almost never wash my jackets, though.
Quote from: JoePCool14 on March 02, 2021, 09:09:24 AM
Quote from: index on March 02, 2021, 06:33:07 AM
I chew on plastic bottle caps after I finish the bottle until it's ground up to a pulpy, plasticy mess. I've had this habit for probably like, 12 years. Somewhere around that. I wonder how much plastic I've inadvertently swallowed over the years.
18 minus 12 is 6, so you've been doing this since you were a 6 year-old?
Yes.
Quote from: jmacswimmer on March 04, 2021, 10:20:22 AM
Quote from: JoePCool14 on March 04, 2021, 10:07:43 AM
Quote from: Scott5114 on March 03, 2021, 08:44:11 PM
Quote from: kenarmy on March 03, 2021, 08:04:22 PM
Do y'all have foods that change from being good to nasty more than once, and you don't know when it'll change?
A few foods that I used to love have been ruined for me after I recovered from covid. Peanut butter was once delicious, now it tastes wretched. Although I think I'm slowly starting to recover my sense of taste four months on, fortunately.
I'm sorry to hear that. I had the virus back in the beginning of November (right around the election). I lost my sense of smell, though thankfully my taste was completely unaffected. Four months later now, and my smell is still practically non-existent. Really annoying when I'm trying to figure out when clothes need to be washed. Glad to hear I'm not alone with these long-term side effects. There's still hope!
Same here - I too had COVID in early November, and also lost my sense of smell while retaining taste (unlike my fiancée, who lost both smell & taste). While it has since returned for the most part, there are certain things that smell & taste different than they used to. For instance, honey-nut cheerios now taste slightly metallic to me, and my fiancée finds that scrambled eggs always taste burnt to her now.
But the big one is that my farts smell way different to me now than they ever did before :bigass:
A few of my family members got COVID. My brother and sister-in-law during the time they had it, didn't lose their sense of smell, but according to them, everything smelled like onions and sweat and tasted like how sweat smells. I can imagine how fun that must've been.
Quote from: Scott5114 on March 04, 2021, 09:53:20 PM
Quote from: hbelkins on March 04, 2021, 09:26:17 PM
Quote from: JoePCool14 on March 04, 2021, 10:07:43 AMFour months later now, and my smell is still practically non-existent. Really annoying when I'm trying to figure out when clothes need to be washed.
Why are you keeping your clean clothes and your dirty clothes together? Clean clothes should be folded and go in a closet or drawer. Dirty clothes go in a hamper, a basket, or on the floor.
Occasionally there's a case where a garment is not-quite-clean, not-quite-dirty. For example, say I put on a pair of shorts to go check the mail and wear them for an hour, then take a shower. Are the shorts dirty or not?
Wait, are you saying you wear a pair of shorts–or, for that matter, a pair of jeans or other trousers–only once before washing them? If they got something on them I would understand that, but otherwise, these are exactly the sorts of things I wear more than once. Sweatshirts, too, since I wear either a t-shirt or an old collared short-sleeve shirt underneath. But socks, underwear, shirts worn without an undershirt (such as Polo-style), or dress shirts (because they wrinkle too much to wear again) all get worn more than once. I don't wear dress shirts all that often since I started telecommuting, though. I wear sweatshirts most days during the winter, sweaters less frequently.
Quote from: 1995hoo on March 05, 2021, 07:53:48 AM
Quote from: Scott5114 on March 04, 2021, 09:53:20 PM
Quote from: hbelkins on March 04, 2021, 09:26:17 PM
Quote from: JoePCool14 on March 04, 2021, 10:07:43 AMFour months later now, and my smell is still practically non-existent. Really annoying when I'm trying to figure out when clothes need to be washed.
Why are you keeping your clean clothes and your dirty clothes together? Clean clothes should be folded and go in a closet or drawer. Dirty clothes go in a hamper, a basket, or on the floor.
Occasionally there's a case where a garment is not-quite-clean, not-quite-dirty. For example, say I put on a pair of shorts to go check the mail and wear them for an hour, then take a shower. Are the shorts dirty or not?
Wait, are you saying you wear a pair of shorts–or, for that matter, a pair of jeans or other trousers–only once before washing them? If they got something on them I would understand that, but otherwise, these are exactly the sorts of things I wear more than once. Sweatshirts, too, since I wear either a t-shirt or an old collared short-sleeve shirt underneath. But socks, underwear, shirts worn without an undershirt (such as Polo-style), or dress shirts (because they wrinkle too much to wear again) all get worn more than once. I don't wear dress shirts all that often since I started telecommuting, though. I wear sweatshirts most days during the winter, sweaters less frequently.
\
My sweat level and my time spent outside determines whether I wash something again. But this usually doesn't apply to my sweatshirts and jackets.
Quote from: kenarmy on March 05, 2021, 09:13:38 AM
Quote from: 1995hoo on March 05, 2021, 07:53:48 AM
Quote from: Scott5114 on March 04, 2021, 09:53:20 PM
Quote from: hbelkins on March 04, 2021, 09:26:17 PM
Quote from: JoePCool14 on March 04, 2021, 10:07:43 AMFour months later now, and my smell is still practically non-existent. Really annoying when I'm trying to figure out when clothes need to be washed.
Why are you keeping your clean clothes and your dirty clothes together? Clean clothes should be folded and go in a closet or drawer. Dirty clothes go in a hamper, a basket, or on the floor.
Occasionally there's a case where a garment is not-quite-clean, not-quite-dirty. For example, say I put on a pair of shorts to go check the mail and wear them for an hour, then take a shower. Are the shorts dirty or not?
Wait, are you saying you wear a pair of shorts–or, for that matter, a pair of jeans or other trousers–only once before washing them? If they got something on them I would understand that, but otherwise, these are exactly the sorts of things I wear more than once. Sweatshirts, too, since I wear either a t-shirt or an old collared short-sleeve shirt underneath. But socks, underwear, shirts worn without an undershirt (such as Polo-style), or dress shirts (because they wrinkle too much to wear again) all get worn more than once. I don't wear dress shirts all that often since I started telecommuting, though. I wear sweatshirts most days during the winter, sweaters less frequently.
\
My sweat level and my time spent outside determines whether I wash something again. But this usually doesn't apply to my sweatshirts and jackets.
Sweat level does make sense and I should have noted that after something like golf, my shorts will go in the wash (not just due to sweat, but also due to sticking tees and golf balls in my pockets). Yard work, too. Given that the wind chill was 18° this morning, golf was not uppermost in my mind when I made my prior comment!
Quote from: webny99 on March 04, 2021, 11:08:02 PM
Quote from: kphoger on March 04, 2021, 10:39:42 PM
Quote from: webny99 on March 04, 2021, 10:34:25 PM
Yikes. If there's any ambiguity as to whether something is clean or dirty, I decide right then and there whether I'd wear it again or not and it goes either back in the drawer or in the laundry.
...
I don't put not-quite-dirty-yet clothes back in the drawer, because I assume everything in the drawer is straight from the laundry–meaning it's 100% clean.
I'm OK with mixing the 100% clean stuff with anything >50% clean. If it's clean enough to wear again, I can't think of any reason why it shouldn't have rights to the drawer.
If you put a 60%-clean shirt back in the drawer, then take it out two weeks later assuming it's 100% clean, then at the end of the day it's theoretically only 30% clean–but how can you keep track of that?
Another common reason for me is that I often wear two layers. Sometimes, the undershirt gets sweaty but the outer shirt is still pretty clean. Other times, I got something on the outer shirt but the undershirt is still pretty clean. In those cases, I toss one in the basket but wear the other for one more day. But, if that one more day isn't the
very next day, then I "stage" it somewhere on the floor, on a chair, on top of the bed...
Quote from: Scott5114 on March 04, 2021, 09:53:20 PM
Quote from: hbelkins on March 04, 2021, 09:26:17 PM
Quote from: JoePCool14 on March 04, 2021, 10:07:43 AMFour months later now, and my smell is still practically non-existent. Really annoying when I'm trying to figure out when clothes need to be washed.
Why are you keeping your clean clothes and your dirty clothes together? Clean clothes should be folded and go in a closet or drawer. Dirty clothes go in a hamper, a basket, or on the floor.
Occasionally there's a case where a garment is not-quite-clean, not-quite-dirty. For example, say I put on a pair of shorts to go check the mail and wear them for an hour, then take a shower. Are the shorts dirty or not?
This right here. Shorts I wear in my dorm, when it's 30 degrees outside, I'm not leaving with them on. If I'm not using them for exercise, then how long are they "good" for? Obviously for some types of clothes, it's clear-cut that after they're worn, they need to be washed.
It's tough for things like jackets where the amount of time they're worn and how dirty they get in that time is where it is most difficult. Needless to say, I've had to become very conservative as to deciding when to wash. But like I said, I'm at college and have to pay for laundry and also don't have an infinite supply of clothes.
Basically, I hate it. :spin:
Quote from: kphoger on March 05, 2021, 11:59:59 AM
Quote from: webny99 on March 04, 2021, 11:08:02 PM
I'm OK with mixing the 100% clean stuff with anything >50% clean. If it's clean enough to wear again, I can't think of any reason why it shouldn't have rights to the drawer.
If you put a 60%-clean shirt back in the drawer, then take it out two weeks later assuming it's 100% clean, then at the end of the day it's theoretically only 30% clean–but how can you keep track of that?
Two weeks later!? Not to get too far into the weeds, but I dress fairly simply and don't have a ton of clothes to begin with, so everything I wear gets turned over within a week and sometimes multiple times per week. I only have, at most, about five or six items for which this is even applicable, so it never occurred to me that "keeping track" might be necessary.
Quote from: kphoger on March 05, 2021, 11:59:59 AM
Another common reason for me is that I often wear two layers. Sometimes, the undershirt gets sweaty but the outer shirt is still pretty clean.
Perhaps this is another "strange habit" of mine: I don't like wearing undershirts and avoid them if at all possible. I do find they're necessary underneath white or otherwise very light-colored dress shirts, but that's about it, and even then I take pains to make sure the undershirt doesn't stick out above the top button. I never wear tank tops either, so maybe there's a trend here.
Quote from: webny99 on March 05, 2021, 12:22:39 PM
Two weeks later!? Not to get too far into the weeds, but I dress fairly simply and don't have a ton of clothes to begin with, so everything I wear gets turned over within a week and sometimes multiple times per week. I only have, at most, about five or six items for which this is even applicable, so it never occurred to me that "keeping track" might be necessary.
I'm 39 years old, and I couldn't tell you the last time I threw a shirt away. I mean, it has to be in threads before I do. So, any new shirt I get as a Christmas present, any new dress shirt I buy, they all just get added to the "inventory". Just yesterday, I wore a T-shirt under a dress shirt; I've had the dress shirt for probably two years, but I've had the T-shirt for probably 20 years or so. There are T-shirts down at the bottom of the drawer that probably haven't seen the light of day in six months. And yet I refuse to throw them away, because for some reason I feel like that's wasteful.
Quote from: webny99 on March 05, 2021, 12:22:39 PM
Perhaps this is another "strange habit" of mine: I don't like wearing undershirts and avoid them if at all possible. I do find they're necessary underneath white or otherwise very light-colored dress shirts, but that's about it, and even then I take pains to make sure the undershirt doesn't stick out above the top button. I never wear tank tops either, so maybe there's a trend here.
You have body fat. I don't. I need layers to keep me warm in the winter. Then, during the heat of summer, I use undershirts as a protective layer to soak up the sweat so it doesn't soak through the "main" shirt.
Quote from: kphoger on March 05, 2021, 12:49:00 PM
I'm 39 years old, and I couldn't tell you the last time I threw a shirt away. I mean, it has to be in threads before I do. So, any new shirt I get as a Christmas present, any new dress shirt I buy, they all just get added to the "inventory". Just yesterday, I wore a T-shirt under a dress shirt; I've had the dress shirt for probably two years, but I've had the T-shirt for probably 20 years or so. There are T-shirts down at the bottom of the drawer that probably haven't seen the light of day in six months. And yet I refuse to throw them away, because for some reason I feel like that's wasteful.
But do you actually wear all that stuff, though? I have plenty of old stuff in my closet, some of which is ripped or otherwise unfit to be worn, some of which no longer fits, and some of which I just don't like the style of and have either never worn or quit wearing. I'm also notoriously picky (nothing bright or bold, no black jeans, no shorts except for swim shorts, only certain types of patterned shirts), so the inventory of stuff I actually wear is maybe 20% of my total inventory.
Quote from: kphoger on March 05, 2021, 12:49:00 PM
You have body fat. I don't. I need layers to keep me warm in the winter. Then, during the heat of summer, I use undershirts as a protective layer to soak up the sweat so it doesn't soak through the "main" shirt.
That's fair. It's mostly just a matter of personal preference, and you are correct that I do have some body fat, which is no doubt a factor.
Quote from: kphoger on March 04, 2021, 10:39:42 PMAlso.... Yeah, who decides clothing cleanliness by sniff test? Did you sweat in that shirt? then toss it in the basket. Did you spill on those pants? then toss them in the basket. Is that mark on your underw...............nevermind.
Quote from: Scott5114 on March 04, 2021, 10:51:23 PM
I will sniff clothes in the rare event that I don't remember how long I wore them or if I did anything particularly strenuous in them. Sometimes just going out to check the mail is enough to make them dirty. Sometimes I can wear them for a couple of hours at a time and they'll still be clean. It just depends. I normally don't sweat enough to notice when I am sweating.
Socks (if worn all day) and underwear are pretty much the only things I wash after wearing for one day. Everything else gets the sniff test and visual inspection. Visible salt deposits around the armpits and at the small of the back, grime and yellow discoloration on the collar of a dress shirt after wearing with tie, etc. are all indications for washing.
The level of sweating is definitely the key variable for me. In the summers Kansas gets, it is absolutely possible to ruin a shirt due to dye shift just by taking a reasonably vigorous two-mile walk in the evening when relative humidity climbs to its daily maximum. Even a leather belt has enough dye to leave marks on clothing and furniture if you are sweating gallons. For this reason, I typically change into a separate set of clothes ("sweat suit," not to be confused with a sweatsuit) when I go out into the heat and humidity. It consists of pale beige khaki trousers without belt, a white cotton T-shirt (no dyes to shift), and a pale yellow polyester-blend button-up sportfisher's shirt (wears like iron). It is very helpful in keeping sweat off the clothing I wear indoors with A/C, though these do not last as long between washes in the summer as they do in the winter because indoor temperature and humidity are higher (78° F in summer, which for me represents an almost intolerable maximum, versus 72° F in winter).
Quote from: webny99 on March 05, 2021, 12:22:39 PMPerhaps this is another "strange habit" of mine: I don't like wearing undershirts and avoid them if at all possible. I do find they're necessary underneath white or otherwise very light-colored dress shirts, but that's about it, and even then I take pains to make sure the undershirt doesn't stick out above the top button. I never wear tank tops either, so maybe there's a trend here.
I am a big believer in wearing undershirts underneath dress shirts of whatever color, not just to meet dress expectations that are typically left unstated (most dress codes will not explicitly specify that undershirts be worn with button-up shirts, but doing so sends a signal that you know how to dress well) and to intercept sweat (https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/976/media/images/74319000/jpg/_74319076_tony-blair-sweat-stain.jpg), but also to help the outer shirt sit on the upper body in a pleasing way. I wear short-sleeved T-shirts instead of strap undershirts, pay a little extra for thicker fabric, aim for loose fit around the armpits (tight fit greatly increases apparent body odor, often to the extent that it filters through the outer shirt, and results in contact stains that won't wash out), and choose a V-neck instead of a round collar when wearing a dress shirt with the top button left undone.
As for whether the undershirt being visible beneath the outer shirt is a solecism, I think that depends on context. For smart casual dress I avoid it (hence the V-necks), but I think you really need a T-shirt to be visible underneath the flannel button-up (hence round collar) to pull off the lumbersexual (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lumberjack#Aesthetic) look.
Quote from: J N Winkler on March 05, 2021, 01:18:02 PM
I am a big believer in wearing undershirts underneath dress shirts of whatever color, not just to meet dress expectations that are typically left unstated (most dress codes will not explicitly specify that undershirts be worn with button-up shirts, but doing so sends a signal that you know how to dress well) and to intercept sweat (https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/976/media/images/74319000/jpg/_74319076_tony-blair-sweat-stain.jpg), but also to help the outer shirt sit on the upper body in a pleasing way. I wear short-sleeved T-shirts instead of strap undershirts, pay a little extra for thicker fabric, aim for loose fit around the armpits (tight fit greatly increases apparent body odor, often to the extent that it filters through the outer shirt, and results in contact stains that won't wash out), and choose a V-neck instead of a round collar when wearing a dress shirt with the top button left undone.
That's fair. Part of my preference not to wear an undershirt stems from trying to save as much time as possible in the morning, as I don't consider an everyday work setting formal enough for an undershirt to be worth the extra time. In a more formal setting, though, and especially under a white or light-colored shirt, undershirts are a must, not just as a sign that you know how to dress well, but also because such shirts are close to see-through in certain types of lighting.
I've never understood why some guys wear tank-top undershirts (or "strap" undershirts, as you call them). Leaving your armpits uncovered renders the undershirt useless for sweat absorption in the area where it's most important.
Quote from: J N Winkler on March 05, 2021, 01:18:02 PM
I think you really need a T-shirt to be visible underneath the flannel button-up (hence round collar) to pull off the lumbersexual (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lumberjack#Aesthetic) look.
Absolutely! I might even posit a reverse phrasing: having the flannel button-up on top of the T-shirt is the necessary part of the look. That is a context that didn't occur to me when posting my prior comment, and in fact, I'm quite amused just
thinking of myself with that look. I've never had a beard and never will, and can probably count on one hand the number of times I've worn a flannel shirt. It can look quite sharp, but it's not for me.
Quote from: webny99 on March 05, 2021, 02:44:03 PM
I've never understood why some guys wear tank-top undershirts (or "strap" undershirts, as you call them). Leaving your armpits uncovered renders the undershirt useless for sweat absorption in the area where it's most important.
I use deodorant on my armpits, but not on my back.
Quote from: webny99 on March 05, 2021, 02:44:03 PM
I've never understood why some guys wear tank-top undershirts (or "strap" undershirts, as you call them). Leaving your armpits uncovered renders the undershirt useless for sweat absorption in the area where it's most important.
Having the sleeves of a T-shirt crammed into the sleeves of a long-sleeved shirt can be pretty uncomfortable. Although you're right about the sweat absorption. I've tried both and they both kind of have their downsides.
Quote from: kphoger on March 05, 2021, 02:52:49 PM
I use deodorant on my armpits, but not on my back.
If you're saying the undershirt is more important for your back, I suppose I could buy that... if you're doing a lot of sweating...
Quote from: Scott5114 on March 05, 2021, 02:59:04 PM
Having the sleeves of a T-shirt crammed into the sleeves of a long-sleeved shirt can be pretty uncomfortable.
Come to think of it, of all my issues with undershirts, this has never been one. I've had some that I found uncomfortable in general, but it wasn't specific to the sleeves.
Quote from: webny99 on March 05, 2021, 03:39:54 PM
Quote from: kphoger on March 05, 2021, 02:52:49 PM
I use deodorant on my armpits, but not on my back.
If you're saying the undershirt is more important for your back, I suppose I could buy that... if you're doing a lot of sweating...
Just driving in the car in hot weather makes my back sweat, and I can't stand it sticking to both my skin and the car seat. (I also have one of those wooden bead things for the driver's seat.)
I guess I'm the strange one here because I wash everything if it's worn for more than a few hours, let alone the most of a day. I might wear jeans a second time if it was just for a few hours and if it was cool outside, or if I went to a public place (wash it anyway). Exceptions for a jackets/sweatshirts worn just 1-2 times a week, they'll get a second or third week before hitting the wash cycle. I know my own odoriferous limits nowadays, so I don't risk it.
I don't think getting more time out of clothing is strange, because laundry used to be a task and waiting around for a laundry machine outside your apartment/dorm room was a PITA, and so I'd wait it out as long as possible.
Regarding long-term durability: Pants seem to last less time than shirts, in my experience. Jeans and slacks might last 3-6 years, whereas I'll get 5-10 years on a shirt, on averages.
Quote from: Scott5114 on March 05, 2021, 02:59:04 PM
Quote from: webny99 on March 05, 2021, 02:44:03 PM
I've never understood why some guys wear tank-top undershirts (or "strap" undershirts, as you call them). Leaving your armpits uncovered renders the undershirt useless for sweat absorption in the area where it's most important.
Having the sleeves of a T-shirt crammed into the sleeves of a long-sleeved shirt can be pretty uncomfortable. Although you're right about the sweat absorption. I've tried both and they both kind of have their downsides.
The issue with doubling up shirts (as would be the case with a non-strapped undershirts) does remind me of the issue I have with boxers, which is that it feels like I'm wearing two pairs of pants. This is mainly a problem with the boxers with higher levels of polyester (maybe? the scratchy material), though, so I mainly use cotton-heavy boxers.
Quote from: formulanone on March 05, 2021, 04:25:20 PM
Regarding long-term durability: Pants seem to last less time than shirts, in my experience. Jeans and slacks might last 3-6 years, whereas I'll get 5-10 years on a shirt, on averages.
I wear holes in the seat of my jeans, and that's about impossible to mend. So a poorly constructed pair of jeans (Levi's 501, for example) lasts me about two years. I now by jeans based on the thickness of the denim, so they'll last me longer. I now buy Lee brand for that reason, as it's easy to shop online by what type of denim they're made of.
The comments about older clothes make me wonder what the oldest item of clothing you have is (I suppose this could be another thread). Of stuff I've bought, I have some shirts that date back to the 1980s, the oldest of them dating to 1986 (a rugby shirt that has my high school's name on it, although I was in junior high in 1986), and I do periodically wear most of them. The best thing I've done for clothing longevity is discontinuing my use of antiperspirant due to the aluminum content. The aluminum causes crusty pits.
Of other stuff, I have a short-sleeved sweatshirt (seriously) that my father bought when he was in law school sometime between 1968 and 1971, though I have not worn it in a long time, and I think I have some cashmere sweaters he bought between 1964 and 1968 and I definitely have the tie he wore in either his high school or college graduation photo (not sure which; he graduated from high school in 1964 and college in 1968). I was going to wear that tie to his funeral Mass in July 2019 except that when I put it on, it didn't quite look right to me, just a little too skinny. I used to wear it from time to time during high school and college.
I periodically donate old clothes I no longer wear, although for emotional reasons it's hard to give away anything that belonged to my dad or that he gave me. I suppose even though I think I've adjusted to his being gone, that must not entirely be true.
Quote from: 1995hoo on March 05, 2021, 08:49:46 PM
The comments about older clothes make me wonder what the oldest item of clothing you have is (I suppose this could be another thread).
I have a couple older shirts in my closet. But being 25, most of my stuff is pretty new.
Two of the oldest things, for sure, are my Flaming Moe's button-up shirt (dated 2002), and a blue Gino's East t-shirt from the early 2000s. Both were given to me from my father, as they would have been way too big for me at seven/eight years old.
Quote from: 1995hoo on March 05, 2021, 08:49:46 PM
The comments about older clothes make me wonder what the oldest item of clothing you have is (I suppose this could be another thread).
I've lost a good deal of weight in the past two years so I'm glad I've saved some old clothing. I have a few shirts and jackets that I bought in 1998-99 which still fit. Some of my long-sleeve clothing and jackets don't have as much mileage, so they last a good deal longer.
I have a leather jacket which belonged to my father, but I haven't fit into it in over 20 years. It dates from around 1985, and I plan on offering it to my son.
When I eat a Little Debbie Nutty Buddy bar, I always pull the wafers apart from one another and eat them individually.
^^ I thought I was the only one to do that.
Quote from: Big John on March 10, 2021, 05:54:32 PM
^^ I thought I was the only one to do that.
Must be messy.
Quote from: vtk on March 10, 2021, 05:52:25 PM
When I eat a Little Debbie Nutty Buddy bar, I always pull the wafers apart from one another and eat them individually.
Yup, same here. Sometimes I buy the Keebler Fudge Sticks and I do the exact same thing.
I do it with sandwich cookies.
Who doesn't? (That's not a strange habit)
Quote from: kphoger on March 11, 2021, 09:45:43 AM
I do it with sandwich cookies.
omg same, and I get called weird for doing it.
I wear shoes pretty much all the time, except to the shower and to sleep.
I can't even explain why, I just don't feel right not wearing them, even at home.
Another strange habit I have: when cleaning out dirt from under my nails, I use the pointy end of a mathematical compass to do it.
Oh, fingernails. I can't stand long fingernails. Mine are extremely short; the white part is almost invisible. On rare occasions when a longer fingernail would have been useful for something, I fleetingly consider growing them to a more normal length, but never for long enough to actually do it.
I'm attracted to pregnant women.
I try hard to avoid pooping outside my house.
I have no tolerance for fast food that is not fast. I will avoid chains and locations that take forever to cook simple food.
Quote from: texaskdog on May 25, 2021, 12:09:23 AM
I'm attracted to pregnant women.
Is that because they are all (for the most part) younger than you?
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on May 25, 2021, 12:10:46 AM
Quote from: texaskdog on May 25, 2021, 12:09:23 AM
I'm attracted to pregnant women.
Is that because they are all (for the most part) younger than you?
God, now that's funny!!!!!
Quote from: texaskdog on May 25, 2021, 12:12:30 AM
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on May 25, 2021, 12:10:46 AM
Quote from: texaskdog on May 25, 2021, 12:09:23 AM
I'm attracted to pregnant women.
Is that because they are all (for the most part) younger than you?
God, now that's funny!!!!!
Why else would you be attracted to them?
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on May 25, 2021, 12:12:53 AM
Quote from: texaskdog on May 25, 2021, 12:12:30 AM
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on May 25, 2021, 12:10:46 AM
Quote from: texaskdog on May 25, 2021, 12:09:23 AM
I'm attracted to pregnant women.
Is that because they are all (for the most part) younger than you?
God, now that's funny!!!!!
Why else would you be attracted to them?
Well then I would have just said I was attracted to younger women, duh
https://www.babygaga.com/7-reasons-why-men-like-pregnant-women/
Quote from: texaskdog on May 25, 2021, 12:16:20 AM
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on May 25, 2021, 12:12:53 AM
Quote from: texaskdog on May 25, 2021, 12:12:30 AM
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on May 25, 2021, 12:10:46 AM
Quote from: texaskdog on May 25, 2021, 12:09:23 AM
I'm attracted to pregnant women.
Is that because they are all (for the most part) younger than you?
God, now that's funny!!!!!
Why else would you be attracted to them?
Well then I would have just said I was attracted to younger women, duh
I'm not going to say what I was thinking.
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on May 25, 2021, 12:17:25 AM
Quote from: texaskdog on May 25, 2021, 12:16:20 AM
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on May 25, 2021, 12:12:53 AM
Quote from: texaskdog on May 25, 2021, 12:12:30 AM
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on May 25, 2021, 12:10:46 AM
Quote from: texaskdog on May 25, 2021, 12:09:23 AM
I'm attracted to pregnant women.
Is that because they are all (for the most part) younger than you?
God, now that's funny!!!!!
Why else would you be attracted to them?
Well then I would have just said I was attracted to younger women, duh
I'm not going to say what I was thinking.
You like to make your own?
Quote from: kphoger on October 30, 2017, 04:57:42 PM
Quote from: formulanone on October 30, 2017, 08:04:38 AM
He's (still is?...not sure) homeschooled; that's a major chunk of social skills, verbal/visual cues, and social graces missing from one's life. Family can be very forgiving towards, accustomed to, or unaware of social miscues and behaviors, so not "getting things" also isn't terribly surprising.
Sorry to jump in here, but my wife home-schools our children, and some of my best friends were home-schooled. You seem to be assuming that home-schooled children don't interact with anyone but their families, and that's simply not true in my experience. Between non-school sports, church activities, family friends and extended family members, and citywide home-school associations–home-schooled children are likely to have quite a bit more interaction with "the outside world" than you might imagine.
Don't ruin my stereotype
Quote from: formulanone on March 05, 2021, 04:25:20 PM
I guess I'm the strange one here because I wash everything if it's worn for more than a few hours, let alone the most of a day. I might wear jeans a second time if it was just for a few hours and if it was cool outside, or if I went to a public place (wash it anyway).
I also do this. I am really, really, really paranoid about smelling bad so I won't ever wear something twice without watching it, almost no matter what. Because of this I also shower for an absurdly long time, scrub myself totally down after I get out as well, and I carry a stick of deodorant with me at all times, usually during the summer I'll apply it like three times in a day while I'm out. If I even feel just a little bit sweaty I also physically distance myself from people. Maybe I'm irrational but I'd rather have the peace of mind of knowing almost for sure I don't stink and I'm not bothering other people with it.
Quote from: index on May 25, 2021, 01:01:08 AM
Quote from: formulanone on March 05, 2021, 04:25:20 PM
I guess I'm the strange one here because I wash everything if it's worn for more than a few hours, let alone the most of a day. I might wear jeans a second time if it was just for a few hours and if it was cool outside, or if I went to a public place (wash it anyway).
I also do this. I am really, really, really paranoid about smelling bad so I won't ever wear something twice without watching it, almost no matter what. Because of this I also shower for an absurdly long time, scrub myself totally down after I get out as well, and I carry a stick of deodorant with me at all times, usually during the summer I'll apply it like three times in a day while I'm out. If I even feel just a little bit sweaty I also physically distance myself from people. Maybe I'm irrational but I'd rather have the peace of mind of knowing almost for sure I don't stink and I'm not bothering other people with it.
i can appreciate this. i'm a large fella, and my tolerance for heat is very low (i feel hot if its over like 72) so i sweat a LOT.
Quote from: index on May 25, 2021, 01:01:08 AM
Quote from: formulanone on March 05, 2021, 04:25:20 PM
I guess I'm the strange one here because I wash everything if it's worn for more than a few hours, let alone the most of a day. I might wear jeans a second time if it was just for a few hours and if it was cool outside, or if I went to a public place (wash it anyway).
I also do this. I am really, really, really paranoid about smelling bad so I won't ever wear something twice without watching it, almost no matter what. Because of this I also shower for an absurdly long time, scrub myself totally down after I get out as well, and I carry a stick of deodorant with me at all times, usually during the summer I'll apply it like three times in a day while I'm out. If I even feel just a little bit sweaty I also physically distance myself from people. Maybe I'm irrational but I'd rather have the peace of mind of knowing almost for sure I don't stink and I'm not bothering other people with it.
"I didn't wash today. I wasn't dirty. If I'm not dirty, I don't wash. Some weeks I don't have to shower at all. I just groom my three basic areas: teeth, hair, and @$$hole. And to save time, I use the same brush."
― George Carlin, Brain Droppings
Quote from: texaskdog on May 25, 2021, 12:25:05 AM
Quote from: kphoger on October 30, 2017, 04:57:42 PM
Quote from: formulanone on October 30, 2017, 08:04:38 AM
He's (still is?...not sure) homeschooled; that's a major chunk of social skills, verbal/visual cues, and social graces missing from one's life. Family can be very forgiving towards, accustomed to, or unaware of social miscues and behaviors, so not "getting things" also isn't terribly surprising.
Sorry to jump in here, but my wife home-schools our children, and some of my best friends were home-schooled. You seem to be assuming that home-schooled children don't interact with anyone but their families, and that's simply not true in my experience. Between non-school sports, church activities, family friends and extended family members, and citywide home-school associations–home-schooled children are likely to have quite a bit more interaction with "the outside world" than you might imagine.
Don't ruin my stereotype
I would hate homeschooling.
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on May 25, 2021, 09:44:51 AM
Quote from: texaskdog on May 25, 2021, 12:25:05 AM
Quote from: kphoger on October 30, 2017, 04:57:42 PM
Quote from: formulanone on October 30, 2017, 08:04:38 AM
He's (still is?...not sure) homeschooled; that's a major chunk of social skills, verbal/visual cues, and social graces missing from one's life. Family can be very forgiving towards, accustomed to, or unaware of social miscues and behaviors, so not "getting things" also isn't terribly surprising.
Sorry to jump in here, but my wife home-schools our children, and some of my best friends were home-schooled. You seem to be assuming that home-schooled children don't interact with anyone but their families, and that's simply not true in my experience. Between non-school sports, church activities, family friends and extended family members, and citywide home-school associations–home-schooled children are likely to have quite a bit more interaction with "the outside world" than you might imagine.
Don't ruin my stereotype
I would hate homeschooling.
It's a mixed bag. I've known great homeschoolers and those that have been so horrible that friends were considering calling CPS (the thin gray line between unschooling and outright neglect).
Sort of like our public education system: You've got good schools and bad schools...
Quote from: Rothman on May 25, 2021, 10:00:49 AM
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on May 25, 2021, 09:44:51 AM
Quote from: texaskdog on May 25, 2021, 12:25:05 AM
Quote from: kphoger on October 30, 2017, 04:57:42 PM
Quote from: formulanone on October 30, 2017, 08:04:38 AM
He's (still is?...not sure) homeschooled; that's a major chunk of social skills, verbal/visual cues, and social graces missing from one's life. Family can be very forgiving towards, accustomed to, or unaware of social miscues and behaviors, so not "getting things" also isn't terribly surprising.
Sorry to jump in here, but my wife home-schools our children, and some of my best friends were home-schooled. You seem to be assuming that home-schooled children don't interact with anyone but their families, and that's simply not true in my experience. Between non-school sports, church activities, family friends and extended family members, and citywide home-school associations–home-schooled children are likely to have quite a bit more interaction with "the outside world" than you might imagine.
Don't ruin my stereotype
I would hate homeschooling.
It's a mixed bag. I've known great homeschoolers and those that have been so horrible that friends were considering calling CPS (the thin gray line between unschooling and outright neglect).
Sort of like our public education system: You've got good schools and bad schools...
Homeschooling allows nuts to teach their kids pseudo science and other fake education.
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on May 25, 2021, 03:21:59 PM
Quote from: Rothman on May 25, 2021, 10:00:49 AM
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on May 25, 2021, 09:44:51 AM
Quote from: texaskdog on May 25, 2021, 12:25:05 AM
Quote from: kphoger on October 30, 2017, 04:57:42 PM
Quote from: formulanone on October 30, 2017, 08:04:38 AM
He's (still is?...not sure) homeschooled; that's a major chunk of social skills, verbal/visual cues, and social graces missing from one's life. Family can be very forgiving towards, accustomed to, or unaware of social miscues and behaviors, so not "getting things" also isn't terribly surprising.
Sorry to jump in here, but my wife home-schools our children, and some of my best friends were home-schooled. You seem to be assuming that home-schooled children don't interact with anyone but their families, and that's simply not true in my experience. Between non-school sports, church activities, family friends and extended family members, and citywide home-school associations–home-schooled children are likely to have quite a bit more interaction with "the outside world" than you might imagine.
Don't ruin my stereotype
I would hate homeschooling.
It's a mixed bag. I've known great homeschoolers and those that have been so horrible that friends were considering calling CPS (the thin gray line between unschooling and outright neglect).
Sort of like our public education system: You've got good schools and bad schools...
Homeschooling allows nuts to teach their kids pseudo science and other fake education.
As opposed to the ones who do it at public schools?
Pseudo science? Fake education? I mean, I don't doubt that a tiny minority of parents teach stuff wrong, but the majority teach things right. Take me for an example. I scored a 1440 on my PSAT and a 1500 on my SAT (on a day when I was overly stressed about a drinking water crisis in my community, nonetheless), and I'm homeschooled. I believe John Stossel had a video recently about homeschooling during the pandemic, and students found learning via homeschool much more intuitive than learning at public school, because their parents could give them the attention they needed.
As for social skills, I'm not as awkward as you may think. I lead worship about every other week in my church youth group and play piano in my church's main service. I referee soccer games during the shoulder seasons where I have to be decisive and deal with coaches, players, and parents. I even once preached a 5-minute sermon in my youth group one night. Am I kinda awkward in certain scenarios? Yes. Do I struggle with certain subjects? Yes. But do I regret not going to public or private school for learning social connections or improving on my weaker subjects? No.
We're learning a new system at work. The only training that works for me is one on one with my supervisor. While I would have preferred to be home I was treated like trash by the kids in school and really only learned social skills after I turned 18, and joined Toastmasters at 25. And at home kids get all the oxygen they need.
I think of my parents as both being reasonably bright individuals, and they did a fantastic job at teaching me when I was younger (I went to kindergarten already knowing how to read and write), but as I got older they struggled to understand what was being taught to me in school, simply because it wasn't part of the curriculum in the 1960s and 70s when they went to school. (My mom was incredibly enthusiastic about helping me with math homework, to the point she was willing to outright do parts of it for me, just because she wanted to learn it herself.)
That experience gives me pause when I think of the competency of the average adult to do an acceptable job of homeschooling. I don't doubt that it's possible to get good results from, but I don't know if the majority of parents should be trusted to do it capably, especially when a bunch of people with actual teaching certificates fail at it with such regularity.
Quote from: CoreySamson on May 25, 2021, 03:41:53 PM
Pseudo science? Fake education? I mean, I don't doubt that a tiny minority of parents teach stuff wrong, but the majority teach things right. Take me for an example. I scored a 1440 on my PSAT and a 1500 on my SAT (on a day when I was overly stressed about a drinking water crisis in my community, nonetheless), and I'm homeschooled. I believe John Stossel had a video recently about homeschooling during the pandemic, and students found learning via homeschool much more intuitive than learning at public school, because their parents could give them the attention they needed.
As for social skills, I'm not as awkward as you may think. I lead worship about every other week in my church youth group and play piano in my church's main service. I referee soccer games during the shoulder seasons where I have to be decisive and deal with coaches, players, and parents. I even once preached a 5-minute sermon in my youth group one night. Am I kinda awkward in certain scenarios? Yes. Do I struggle with certain subjects? Yes. But do I regret not going to public or private school for learning social connections or improving on my weaker subjects? No.
Homeschooling should have strict requirements to make sure that the curriculum is worthy.
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on May 25, 2021, 06:10:19 PM
Quote from: CoreySamson on May 25, 2021, 03:41:53 PM
Pseudo science? Fake education? I mean, I don't doubt that a tiny minority of parents teach stuff wrong, but the majority teach things right. Take me for an example. I scored a 1440 on my PSAT and a 1500 on my SAT (on a day when I was overly stressed about a drinking water crisis in my community, nonetheless), and I'm homeschooled. I believe John Stossel had a video recently about homeschooling during the pandemic, and students found learning via homeschool much more intuitive than learning at public school, because their parents could give them the attention they needed.
As for social skills, I'm not as awkward as you may think. I lead worship about every other week in my church youth group and play piano in my church's main service. I referee soccer games during the shoulder seasons where I have to be decisive and deal with coaches, players, and parents. I even once preached a 5-minute sermon in my youth group one night. Am I kinda awkward in certain scenarios? Yes. Do I struggle with certain subjects? Yes. But do I regret not going to public or private school for learning social connections or improving on my weaker subjects? No.
Homeschooling should have strict requirements to make sure that the curriculum is worthy.
Therein lies the problem
Quote from: Scott5114 on May 25, 2021, 06:07:01 PM
I think of my parents as both being reasonably bright individuals, and they did a fantastic job at teaching me when I was younger (I went to kindergarten already knowing how to read and write), but as I got older they struggled to understand what was being taught to me in school, simply because it wasn't part of the curriculum in the 1960s and 70s when they went to school. (My mom was incredibly enthusiastic about helping me with math homework, to the point she was willing to outright do parts of it for me, just because she wanted to learn it herself.)
That experience gives me pause when I think of the competency of the average adult to do an acceptable job of homeschooling. I don't doubt that it's possible to get good results from, but I don't know if the majority of parents should be trusted to do it capably, especially when a bunch of people with actual teaching certificates fail at it with such regularity.
Homeschooling doesn't really work well for high school.
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on May 25, 2021, 06:44:23 PM
Homeschooling doesn't really work well for high school.
Says who? I'm homeschooled in high school and I'd say it works really well.
Quote from: CoreySamson on May 25, 2021, 09:38:38 PM
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on May 25, 2021, 06:44:23 PM
Homeschooling doesn't really work well for high school.
Says who? I'm homeschooled in high school and I'd say it works really well.
Homeschooled as in Zoom, or actually taught by a parent or tutor?
It also depends heavily on the student and teacher. It works better for some kids than others, and it can be complicated if a parent is the teacher for some of the reasons mentioned upthread.
Quote from: CoreySamson on May 25, 2021, 09:38:38 PM
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on May 25, 2021, 06:44:23 PM
Homeschooling doesn't really work well for high school.
Says who? I'm homeschooled in high school and I'd say it works really well.
Who homeschools you? What education do they have?
Quote from: webny99 on May 25, 2021, 09:58:51 PM
Quote from: CoreySamson on May 25, 2021, 09:38:38 PM
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on May 25, 2021, 06:44:23 PM
Homeschooling doesn't really work well for high school.
Says who? I'm homeschooled in high school and I'd say it works really well.
Homeschooled as in Zoom, or actually taught by a parent or tutor?
It also depends heavily on the student and teacher. It works better for some kids than others, and it can be complicated if a parent is the teacher for some of the reasons mentioned upthread.
Honestly, I'm 10% taught by my mom, 90% self-taught. Of course, a lot of that self-taught stuff is reading books. This year, I had
Hamlet, Crime and Punishment, Three Men in a Boat, Sherlock Holmes, Paradise Lost, Beowulf, the Iliad, and
Wuthering Heights, among tons of others. I also read tons of other books and novels in previous grades with my curriculum. And as I mentioned upthread, I scored a 1500 on my SAT (out of 1600, aka 99th percentile), so my math and writing skills are also competent.
I agree that homeschooling is not for everyone. Some people don't have the time (or the money), and it doesn't really work if the student is not used to doing their own work without having a teacher guide them.
While I think education is important, the school system sorely lacks things they need to be teaching. Public Speaking, budgeting, fixing a car, applying for jobs, etc. People rip on watching TV but I watch a lot of things that educate and read a lot of books. I choose to learn and learned little in school.
Quote from: CoreySamson on May 25, 2021, 10:14:25 PM
Quote from: webny99 on May 25, 2021, 09:58:51 PM
Quote from: CoreySamson on May 25, 2021, 09:38:38 PM
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on May 25, 2021, 06:44:23 PM
Homeschooling doesn't really work well for high school.
Says who? I'm homeschooled in high school and I'd say it works really well.
Homeschooled as in Zoom, or actually taught by a parent or tutor?
It also depends heavily on the student and teacher. It works better for some kids than others, and it can be complicated if a parent is the teacher for some of the reasons mentioned upthread.
Honestly, I'm 10% taught by my mom, 90% self-taught. Of course, a lot of that self-taught stuff is reading books. This year, I had Hamlet, Crime and Punishment, Three Men in a Boat, Sherlock Holmes, Paradise Lost, Beowulf, the Iliad, and Wuthering Heights, among tons of others. I also read tons of other books and novels in previous grades with my curriculum. And as I mentioned upthread, I scored a 1500 on my SAT (out of 1600, aka 99th percentile), so my math and writing skills are also competent.
I agree that homeschooling is not for everyone. Some people don't have the time (or the money), and it doesn't really work if the student is not used to doing their own work without having a teacher guide them.
Glad you learned how to take tests. It'll help you with the GED.
Quote from: Rothman on May 25, 2021, 11:10:05 PM
Quote from: CoreySamson on May 25, 2021, 10:14:25 PM
Quote from: webny99 on May 25, 2021, 09:58:51 PM
Quote from: CoreySamson on May 25, 2021, 09:38:38 PM
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on May 25, 2021, 06:44:23 PM
Homeschooling doesn't really work well for high school.
Says who? I'm homeschooled in high school and I'd say it works really well.
Homeschooled as in Zoom, or actually taught by a parent or tutor?
It also depends heavily on the student and teacher. It works better for some kids than others, and it can be complicated if a parent is the teacher for some of the reasons mentioned upthread.
Honestly, I'm 10% taught by my mom, 90% self-taught. Of course, a lot of that self-taught stuff is reading books. This year, I had Hamlet, Crime and Punishment, Three Men in a Boat, Sherlock Holmes, Paradise Lost, Beowulf, the Iliad, and Wuthering Heights, among tons of others. I also read tons of other books and novels in previous grades with my curriculum. And as I mentioned upthread, I scored a 1500 on my SAT (out of 1600, aka 99th percentile), so my math and writing skills are also competent.
I agree that homeschooling is not for everyone. Some people don't have the time (or the money), and it doesn't really work if the student is not used to doing their own work without having a teacher guide them.
Glad you learned how to take tests. It'll help you with the GED.
Do homeschooled kids need to take the GED test?
Homeschooling varies from place to place and kid to kid. There are indeed some parents who homeschool their kids so they don't learn about s*x or ev*l*tion, but there are a lot of other parents who just do a better job than the schools can.
Some middle and high schools allow parents to homeschool in some subjects and still send their kid to school for others - if you have a parent with a math or science degree, they'll probably do a better job of teaching math than some schools, but they can still send them to school for subjects that need particular facilities - science where there are labs, or art where there's a ceramics wheel and kiln, or drama where there are other students to perform with.
Parents can buy books and kits and follow their lessons if they want, or use them as a starting point. Some homeschoolers get together with other homeschoolers and hire a teacher for certain subjects, so with a small class and hand selected teacher they can do better. I've been some homeschooled kids with educated, dedicated parents come out of it far better off than public school students because their parent knows what they're capable of and when they're goofing off.
Quote from: texaskdog on May 25, 2021, 10:40:40 PM
While I think education is important, the school system sorely lacks things they need to be teaching. Public Speaking, budgeting, fixing a car, applying for jobs, etc. People rip on watching TV but I watch a lot of things that educate and read a lot of books. I choose to learn and learned little in school.
To me, those are not things schools should be teaching. Parents, in between working themselves, should be teaching those skills to their children. I should not be sent off at 18, 19, etc with no concept of budgeting just because I didn't take "BUDG 101".
The last one is a bit troubling, especially: schools should be about providing the knowledge and skills necessary to maintain and succeed at a job, not apply for a job.
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on May 26, 2021, 12:02:31 AM
Do homeschooled kids need to take the GED test?
No.
https://www.khanacademy.org/college-careers-more/college-admissions/applying-to-college/applying-as-a-homeschooler/a/whats-different-about-applying-to-college-as-a-homeschooler
Quote from: CoreySamson on May 26, 2021, 01:18:24 AM
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on May 26, 2021, 12:02:31 AM
Do homeschooled kids need to take the GED test?
No.
https://www.khanacademy.org/college-careers-more/college-admissions/applying-to-college/applying-as-a-homeschooler/a/whats-different-about-applying-to-college-as-a-homeschooler
Interesting link. Wonder if the statements said are truly supported. I can see a decent number of certain institutions that would be open to a handmade transcript from homeschooling (e.g., the likes of Hampshire College or Evergreen State), but I'd also see others raising an eyebrow at them and wanting formalization of the education.
Quote from: kkt on May 26, 2021, 12:09:57 AM
Homeschooling varies from place to place and kid to kid. There are indeed some parents who homeschool their kids so they don't learn about s*x or ev*l*tion, but there are a lot of other parents who just do a better job than the schools can.
Some middle and high schools allow parents to homeschool in some subjects and still send their kid to school for others - if you have a parent with a math or science degree, they'll probably do a better job of teaching math than some schools, but they can still send them to school for subjects that need particular facilities - science where there are labs, or art where there's a ceramics wheel and kiln, or drama where there are other students to perform with.
Parents can buy books and kits and follow their lessons if they want, or use them as a starting point. Some homeschoolers get together with other homeschoolers and hire a teacher for certain subjects, so with a small class and hand selected teacher they can do better. I've been some homeschooled kids with educated, dedicated parents come out of it far better off than public school students because their parent knows what they're capable of and when they're goofing off.
I do think some kids do do better with homeschooling.
Quote from: jakeroot on May 26, 2021, 01:11:40 AM
Quote from: texaskdog on May 25, 2021, 10:40:40 PM
While I think education is important, the school system sorely lacks things they need to be teaching. Public Speaking, budgeting, fixing a car, applying for jobs, etc. People rip on watching TV but I watch a lot of things that educate and read a lot of books. I choose to learn and learned little in school.
To me, those are not things schools should be teaching. Parents, in between working themselves, should be teaching those skills to their children. I should not be sent off at 18, 19, etc with no concept of budgeting just because I didn't take "BUDG 101".
The last one is a bit troubling, especially: schools should be about providing the knowledge and skills necessary to maintain and succeed at a job, not apply for a job.
Back in the day basic skills like home finance were part of home ec classes. Mine didn't really cover it–they mostly taught cooking, sewing, and abstinence-only sex ed.
I think a basic financial literacy class would probably serve the public better than one of the advanced calculus or trig classes. Cut one of those and make Finance mandatory to graduate instead. But of course it serves the big corporations better if nobody knows how interest works or how to avoid going into debt, so that's the real reason we don't teach that in school.
Applying for a job would be a kind of pointless class to teach. You can teach basic resume-writing skills as part of an English class, but the actual procedure for applying for jobs varies so much from company to company, and any more you don't even get an interview without your resume and/or cover letter scoring highly on whatever sort of algorithm the company uses to "grade" resumes. There's no good way to teach any of that.
Quote from: jakeroot on May 26, 2021, 01:11:40 AM
Quote from: texaskdog on May 25, 2021, 10:40:40 PM
While I think education is important, the school system sorely lacks things they need to be teaching. Public Speaking, budgeting, fixing a car, applying for jobs, etc. People rip on watching TV but I watch a lot of things that educate and read a lot of books. I choose to learn and learned little in school.
To me, those are not things schools should be teaching. Parents, in between working themselves, should be teaching those skills to their children. I should not be sent off at 18, 19, etc with no concept of budgeting just because I didn't take "BUDG 101".
The last one is a bit troubling, especially: schools should be about providing the knowledge and skills necessary to maintain and succeed at a job, not apply for a job.
Why shouldn't schools prepare kids for life in the world??? Why is driving a car something you have to learn after school when 98% of us do it? How about basic self defense? If parents can teach us those things they could also teach us other things. If school does not prepare us for life what's the point?
Quote from: Scott5114 on May 26, 2021, 08:42:29 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on May 26, 2021, 01:11:40 AM
Quote from: texaskdog on May 25, 2021, 10:40:40 PM
While I think education is important, the school system sorely lacks things they need to be teaching. Public Speaking, budgeting, fixing a car, applying for jobs, etc. People rip on watching TV but I watch a lot of things that educate and read a lot of books. I choose to learn and learned little in school.
To me, those are not things schools should be teaching. Parents, in between working themselves, should be teaching those skills to their children. I should not be sent off at 18, 19, etc with no concept of budgeting just because I didn't take "BUDG 101".
The last one is a bit troubling, especially: schools should be about providing the knowledge and skills necessary to maintain and succeed at a job, not apply for a job.
Back in the day basic skills like home finance were part of home ec classes. Mine didn't really cover it–they mostly taught cooking, sewing, and abstinence-only sex ed.
I think a basic financial literacy class would probably serve the public better than one of the advanced calculus or trig classes. Cut one of those and make Finance mandatory to graduate instead. But of course it serves the big corporations better if nobody knows how interest works or how to avoid going into debt, so that's the real reason we don't teach that in school.
Applying for a job would be a kind of pointless class to teach. You can teach basic resume-writing skills as part of an English class, but the actual procedure for applying for jobs varies so much from company to company, and any more you don't even get an interview without your resume and/or cover letter scoring highly on whatever sort of algorithm the company uses to "grade" resumes. There's no good way to teach any of that.
I'm 52 and still not good at writing a resume or even good places to start applying for jobs. I've fallen into every job I've ever had.
Quote from: texaskdog on May 26, 2021, 09:06:08 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on May 26, 2021, 01:11:40 AM
Quote from: texaskdog on May 25, 2021, 10:40:40 PM
While I think education is important, the school system sorely lacks things they need to be teaching. Public Speaking, budgeting, fixing a car, applying for jobs, etc. People rip on watching TV but I watch a lot of things that educate and read a lot of books. I choose to learn and learned little in school.
To me, those are not things schools should be teaching. Parents, in between working themselves, should be teaching those skills to their children. I should not be sent off at 18, 19, etc with no concept of budgeting just because I didn't take "BUDG 101".
The last one is a bit troubling, especially: schools should be about providing the knowledge and skills necessary to maintain and succeed at a job, not apply for a job.
Why shouldn't schools prepare kids for life in the world??? Why is driving a car something you have to learn after school when 98% of us do it? How about basic self defense? If parents can teach us those things they could also teach us other things. If school does not prepare us for life what's the point?
I was learning self-defense in gym class when covid shut the world down causing the unit to be cancelled.
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on May 26, 2021, 09:36:39 PM
Quote from: texaskdog on May 26, 2021, 09:06:08 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on May 26, 2021, 01:11:40 AM
Quote from: texaskdog on May 25, 2021, 10:40:40 PM
While I think education is important, the school system sorely lacks things they need to be teaching. Public Speaking, budgeting, fixing a car, applying for jobs, etc. People rip on watching TV but I watch a lot of things that educate and read a lot of books. I choose to learn and learned little in school.
To me, those are not things schools should be teaching. Parents, in between working themselves, should be teaching those skills to their children. I should not be sent off at 18, 19, etc with no concept of budgeting just because I didn't take "BUDG 101".
The last one is a bit troubling, especially: schools should be about providing the knowledge and skills necessary to maintain and succeed at a job, not apply for a job.
Why shouldn't schools prepare kids for life in the world??? Why is driving a car something you have to learn after school when 98% of us do it? How about basic self defense? If parents can teach us those things they could also teach us other things. If school does not prepare us for life what's the point?
I was learning self-defense in gym class when covid shut the world down causing the unit to be cancelled.
FEAR of Covid shut the world down :P
Quote from: texaskdog on May 26, 2021, 11:07:30 PM
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on May 26, 2021, 09:36:39 PM
Quote from: texaskdog on May 26, 2021, 09:06:08 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on May 26, 2021, 01:11:40 AM
Quote from: texaskdog on May 25, 2021, 10:40:40 PM
While I think education is important, the school system sorely lacks things they need to be teaching. Public Speaking, budgeting, fixing a car, applying for jobs, etc. People rip on watching TV but I watch a lot of things that educate and read a lot of books. I choose to learn and learned little in school.
To me, those are not things schools should be teaching. Parents, in between working themselves, should be teaching those skills to their children. I should not be sent off at 18, 19, etc with no concept of budgeting just because I didn't take "BUDG 101".
The last one is a bit troubling, especially: schools should be about providing the knowledge and skills necessary to maintain and succeed at a job, not apply for a job.
Why shouldn't schools prepare kids for life in the world??? Why is driving a car something you have to learn after school when 98% of us do it? How about basic self defense? If parents can teach us those things they could also teach us other things. If school does not prepare us for life what's the point?
I was learning self-defense in gym class when covid shut the world down causing the unit to be cancelled.
FEAR of Covid shut the world down :P
Didn't learn self defense against covid.
Quote from: texaskdog on May 26, 2021, 09:07:40 PM
I'm 52 and still not good at writing a resume or even good places to start applying for jobs. I've fallen into every job I've ever had.
A class probably wouldn't do you much good other than on the resume front. The places companies post jobs varies from industry to industry or even city to city as various job-posting websites add features and get more or less popular. If you know of a specific company you want to work at they usually have a Careers page on their website. If you just want to apply for everything that's available you'll have to check some combination of Monster, Indeed, ZipRecruiter, LinkedIn, or even Facebook to find everything. It's not like the old days when it's all on the classifieds job page.
Quote from: texaskdog on May 26, 2021, 09:06:08 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on May 26, 2021, 01:11:40 AM
Quote from: texaskdog on May 25, 2021, 10:40:40 PM
While I think education is important, the school system sorely lacks things they need to be teaching. Public Speaking, budgeting, fixing a car, applying for jobs, etc. People rip on watching TV but I watch a lot of things that educate and read a lot of books. I choose to learn and learned little in school.
To me, those are not things schools should be teaching. Parents, in between working themselves, should be teaching those skills to their children. I should not be sent off at 18, 19, etc with no concept of budgeting just because I didn't take "BUDG 101".
The last one is a bit troubling, especially: schools should be about providing the knowledge and skills necessary to maintain and succeed at a job, not apply for a job.
Why shouldn't schools prepare kids for life in the world??? Why is driving a car something you have to learn after school when 98% of us do it? How about basic self defense? If parents can teach us those things they could also teach us other things. If school does not prepare us for life what's the point?
I guess your view of "life in the world" is slightly different than my own. The way I see it, schools provide you with lots of knowledge in many different areas (human science courses included!) but the real world is not just fixing cars and defending one's self. Schools assist in teaching you what you want to do in life, and provide you with the knowledge and skills to go and work in an infinite number of fields, or even to continue into an undergrad, grad, or doctorate degree. School is not just teaching you basic life skills like car repair and budgeting. After all, those things are for people with jobs, and you need knowledge and skills to get a job, and a bunch of home-ec courses won't get you those things.
I'm not saying that courses like self-defense or car repair are worthless (they might come in handy but honestly, probably not, especially the latter given how unfriendly modern cars are to non-technicians), but I do think those are things that parents can teach their kids, and going to school should be about learning skills and developing knowledge that I don't think every parent possesses.
Quote from: Scott5114 on May 26, 2021, 08:42:29 PM
Back in the day basic skills like home finance were part of home ec classes. Mine didn't really cover it–they mostly taught cooking, sewing, and abstinence-only sex ed.
I think a basic financial literacy class would probably serve the public better than one of the advanced calculus or trig classes. Cut one of those and make Finance mandatory to graduate instead. But of course it serves the big corporations better if nobody knows how interest works or how to avoid going into debt, so that's the real reason we don't teach that in school.
Applying for a job would be a kind of pointless class to teach. You can teach basic resume-writing skills as part of an English class, but the actual procedure for applying for jobs varies so much from company to company, and any more you don't even get an interview without your resume and/or cover letter scoring highly on whatever sort of algorithm the company uses to "grade" resumes. There's no good way to teach any of that.
Hmm, abstinence-only sex ed is definitely not the way of the game around here! I learned quite a lot in 5th grade.
A basic finance course may not be useless, but could it possibly be stretched out over ten weeks or whatever? I just don't see how it can't be rolled into any other home-ec courses (three weeks sex ed, four weeks budgeting, two weeks defensive driving, etc). Advanced calc or trig usually isn't a requirement for graduation (the furthest I went was pre-calc), but I think basic geometry and algebra are quite helpful whether we realize it or not; physics is particularly important when it comes to maneuvering a vehicle!
Quote from: jakeroot on May 27, 2021, 03:33:03 AM
Quote from: texaskdog on May 26, 2021, 09:06:08 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on May 26, 2021, 01:11:40 AM
Quote from: texaskdog on May 25, 2021, 10:40:40 PM
While I think education is important, the school system sorely lacks things they need to be teaching. Public Speaking, budgeting, fixing a car, applying for jobs, etc. People rip on watching TV but I watch a lot of things that educate and read a lot of books. I choose to learn and learned little in school.
To me, those are not things schools should be teaching. Parents, in between working themselves, should be teaching those skills to their children. I should not be sent off at 18, 19, etc with no concept of budgeting just because I didn't take "BUDG 101".
The last one is a bit troubling, especially: schools should be about providing the knowledge and skills necessary to maintain and succeed at a job, not apply for a job.
Why shouldn't schools prepare kids for life in the world??? Why is driving a car something you have to learn after school when 98% of us do it? How about basic self defense? If parents can teach us those things they could also teach us other things. If school does not prepare us for life what's the point?
I guess your view of "life in the world" is slightly different than my own. The way I see it, schools provide you with lots of knowledge in many different areas (human science courses included!) but the real world is not just fixing cars and defending one's self. Schools assist in teaching you what you want to do in life, and provide you with the knowledge and skills to go and work in an infinite number of fields, or even to continue into an undergrad, grad, or doctorate degree. School is not just teaching you basic life skills like car repair and budgeting. After all, those things are for people with jobs, and you need knowledge and skills to get a job, and a bunch of home-ec courses won't get you those things.
I'm not saying that courses like self-defense or car repair are worthless (they might come in handy but honestly, probably not, especially the latter given how unfriendly modern cars are to non-technicians), but I do think those are things that parents can teach their kids, and going to school should be about learning skills and developing knowledge that I don't think every parent possesses.
Why does it have to be one or the other?
Why not both "knowledge of different areas" AND "real world skills"?
And what happens when parents don't teach their kids those things that you say they should? Because many don't. And that's not the kid's fault. They just get left to fend for themselves? Is it a bad thing to make sure it's covered somehow?
Quote from: jakeroot on May 27, 2021, 03:36:31 AM
Quote from: Scott5114 on May 26, 2021, 08:42:29 PM
Back in the day basic skills like home finance were part of home ec classes. Mine didn't really cover it–they mostly taught cooking, sewing, and abstinence-only sex ed.
I think a basic financial literacy class would probably serve the public better than one of the advanced calculus or trig classes. Cut one of those and make Finance mandatory to graduate instead. But of course it serves the big corporations better if nobody knows how interest works or how to avoid going into debt, so that's the real reason we don't teach that in school.
Applying for a job would be a kind of pointless class to teach. You can teach basic resume-writing skills as part of an English class, but the actual procedure for applying for jobs varies so much from company to company, and any more you don't even get an interview without your resume and/or cover letter scoring highly on whatever sort of algorithm the company uses to "grade" resumes. There's no good way to teach any of that.
Hmm, abstinence-only sex ed is definitely not the way of the game around here! I learned quite a lot in 5th grade.
A basic finance course may not be useless, but could it possibly be stretched out over ten weeks or whatever? I just don't see how it can't be rolled into any other home-ec courses (three weeks sex ed, four weeks budgeting, two weeks defensive driving, etc). Advanced calc or trig usually isn't a requirement for graduation (the furthest I went was pre-calc), but I think basic geometry and algebra are quite helpful whether we realize it or not; physics is particularly important when it comes to maneuvering a vehicle!
I had a condom demonstration in 9th grade.
Quote from: jemacedo9 on May 27, 2021, 08:08:11 AM
Quote from: jakeroot on May 27, 2021, 03:33:03 AM
Quote from: texaskdog on May 26, 2021, 09:06:08 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on May 26, 2021, 01:11:40 AM
Quote from: texaskdog on May 25, 2021, 10:40:40 PM
While I think education is important, the school system sorely lacks things they need to be teaching. Public Speaking, budgeting, fixing a car, applying for jobs, etc. People rip on watching TV but I watch a lot of things that educate and read a lot of books. I choose to learn and learned little in school.
To me, those are not things schools should be teaching. Parents, in between working themselves, should be teaching those skills to their children. I should not be sent off at 18, 19, etc with no concept of budgeting just because I didn't take "BUDG 101".
The last one is a bit troubling, especially: schools should be about providing the knowledge and skills necessary to maintain and succeed at a job, not apply for a job.
Why shouldn't schools prepare kids for life in the world??? Why is driving a car something you have to learn after school when 98% of us do it? How about basic self defense? If parents can teach us those things they could also teach us other things. If school does not prepare us for life what's the point?
I guess your view of "life in the world" is slightly different than my own. The way I see it, schools provide you with lots of knowledge in many different areas (human science courses included!) but the real world is not just fixing cars and defending one's self. Schools assist in teaching you what you want to do in life, and provide you with the knowledge and skills to go and work in an infinite number of fields, or even to continue into an undergrad, grad, or doctorate degree. School is not just teaching you basic life skills like car repair and budgeting. After all, those things are for people with jobs, and you need knowledge and skills to get a job, and a bunch of home-ec courses won't get you those things.
I'm not saying that courses like self-defense or car repair are worthless (they might come in handy but honestly, probably not, especially the latter given how unfriendly modern cars are to non-technicians), but I do think those are things that parents can teach their kids, and going to school should be about learning skills and developing knowledge that I don't think every parent possesses.
Why does it have to be one or the other?
Why not both "knowledge of different areas" AND "real world skills"?
And what happens when parents don't teach their kids those things that you say they should? Because many don't. And that's not the kid's fault. They just get left to fend for themselves? Is it a bad thing to make sure it's covered somehow?
I guess I'm not getting my point across quite well.
I don't view those things as mutually exclusive: knowledge of different areas
are real world skills in the sense that they provide you with the foundation to go and build on whichever piece of knowledge you found most interesting. Schools provide a wealth of knowledge across different areas to help provide a basic foundation of knowledge and skills to their students, so that they can go and take on the world in whatever manner they deem appropriate.
I think the issue we are seeing in this thread is general distaste for schools because schools didn't teach
them exactly how to do everything. Therefore, schools are just a money pit, swindling tax payers out of their hard-earned dollars and hypnotizing students to become mindless robots. I'm not saying schools, right now, are perfect. But they shouldn't become these trade academies focused entirely on basic life skills that most students should either innately know, or should be taught through seeing-and-doing just at home. If they aren't, they're quickly realize how important chequebook balancing is once they're living in a tent, I suspect.
Should home-ec courses remain? Sure, and if they don't teach something about the concept of money, that might be wise to consider as part of the curriculum. But don't tell me that we have to, say, replace a chemistry course with budgeting. Students take dozens of courses throughout their middle and high school years, and it doesn't need to all be about budgeting and car repair.
Quote from: jakeroot on May 27, 2021, 03:33:03 AM
Quote from: texaskdog on May 26, 2021, 09:06:08 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on May 26, 2021, 01:11:40 AM
Quote from: texaskdog on May 25, 2021, 10:40:40 PM
While I think education is important, the school system sorely lacks things they need to be teaching. Public Speaking, budgeting, fixing a car, applying for jobs, etc. People rip on watching TV but I watch a lot of things that educate and read a lot of books. I choose to learn and learned little in school.
To me, those are not things schools should be teaching. Parents, in between working themselves, should be teaching those skills to their children. I should not be sent off at 18, 19, etc with no concept of budgeting just because I didn't take "BUDG 101".
The last one is a bit troubling, especially: schools should be about providing the knowledge and skills necessary to maintain and succeed at a job, not apply for a job.
Why shouldn't schools prepare kids for life in the world??? Why is driving a car something you have to learn after school when 98% of us do it? How about basic self defense? If parents can teach us those things they could also teach us other things. If school does not prepare us for life what's the point?
I guess your view of "life in the world" is slightly different than my own. The way I see it, schools provide you with lots of knowledge in many different areas (human science courses included!) but the real world is not just fixing cars and defending one's self. Schools assist in teaching you what you want to do in life, and provide you with the knowledge and skills to go and work in an infinite number of fields, or even to continue into an undergrad, grad, or doctorate degree. School is not just teaching you basic life skills like car repair and budgeting. After all, those things are for people with jobs, and you need knowledge and skills to get a job, and a bunch of home-ec courses won't get you those things.
I'm not saying that courses like self-defense or car repair are worthless (they might come in handy but honestly, probably not, especially the latter given how unfriendly modern cars are to non-technicians), but I do think those are things that parents can teach their kids, and going to school should be about learning skills and developing knowledge that I don't think every parent possesses.
Parents can teach their kids math and history too. Using that argument, why go to school at all? Kids can be taught how to cook, why home ec? Kids can be told to go out and play, why phy ed?
Quote from: texaskdog on May 26, 2021, 09:06:08 PMWhy shouldn't schools prepare kids for life in the world??? Why is driving a car something you have to learn after school when 98% of us do it? How about basic self defense? If parents can teach us those things they could also teach us other things. If school does not prepare us for life what's the point?
Curriculum offerings at schools are often driven by budget considerations. For example, the Wichita public schools used to offer driver education and had partnerships with local auto dealerships to supply dual-control vehicles. But all of the teacher positions for this course were eliminated in a budget crunch in 2010, when the effects of the Great Recession hit Kansas.
I never took it, but when I was going to high school, people one or two years ahead of me reported taking a "Parent and Child" elective which went into detail on sex (including a rather graphic film that showed bleeding from a ruptured hymen), childbirth, how to care for an infant, and so on. For some of them, that information became relevant almost immediately when they started their families while still in their teens.
Quote from: jakeroot on May 27, 2021, 03:36:31 AMHmm, abstinence-only sex ed is definitely not the way of the game around here! I learned quite a lot in 5th grade.
There might be generational and cultural as well as regional dimensions to this--for example, I've not seen much about abstinence-only sex education, outside of families that rely heavily on James Dobson's Focus on the Family materials, since the Bush II administration.
Quote from: jakeroot on May 27, 2021, 03:36:31 AMA basic finance course may not be useless, but could it possibly be stretched out over ten weeks or whatever? I just don't see how it can't be rolled into any other home-ec courses (three weeks sex ed, four weeks budgeting, two weeks defensive driving, etc.).
As with any class, the length will depend on the scope of the material covered and the depth of the coverage. I would contend that a personal finance course is unlikely to make a difference in students' lives unless it focuses on risk management. That means it has to include elements of the following:
*
Law--Your financial obligations are determined partly by the legal framework in which you operate. Ideally, a high-school student should emerge with a basic understanding of contracts, personal bankruptcy (including which types of debt are considered non-dischargeable), divorce, and child support obligations, all of which have the potential in early adulthood to set a pattern for his or her financial life that persists for decades afterward.
*
Behavioral economics--Rational decision-making about money is about much more than computing dollar-and-cent amounts. A person should have a thorough understanding of the forms cognitive bias can take and how to counter it, as it will otherwise affect perception of the risks and rewards attaching to a particular set of options. At minimum, he or she should be able to see when myopic choice is in play and see through sales tactics.
Being an adult--or, as millennials and Generation Z call it, "adulting"--is partly about making difficult choices under imperfect information. For example, most of us have to judge whether we can achieve financial stability with a spouse or other life partner despite living in a society where it is considered grossly impolite to discuss money in an overt way (e.g., by asking "How much do you make?"). A high-school finance course will not solve all of the problems we face in interacting with late-stage capitalism, but it will at least give us a leg up in terms of assessing our choices with a clear eye.
Quote from: jakeroot on May 27, 2021, 01:04:27 PM
Quote from: jemacedo9 on May 27, 2021, 08:08:11 AM
Quote from: jakeroot on May 27, 2021, 03:33:03 AM
Quote from: texaskdog on May 26, 2021, 09:06:08 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on May 26, 2021, 01:11:40 AM
Quote from: texaskdog on May 25, 2021, 10:40:40 PM
While I think education is important, the school system sorely lacks things they need to be teaching. Public Speaking, budgeting, fixing a car, applying for jobs, etc. People rip on watching TV but I watch a lot of things that educate and read a lot of books. I choose to learn and learned little in school.
To me, those are not things schools should be teaching. Parents, in between working themselves, should be teaching those skills to their children. I should not be sent off at 18, 19, etc with no concept of budgeting just because I didn't take "BUDG 101".
The last one is a bit troubling, especially: schools should be about providing the knowledge and skills necessary to maintain and succeed at a job, not apply for a job.
Why shouldn't schools prepare kids for life in the world??? Why is driving a car something you have to learn after school when 98% of us do it? How about basic self defense? If parents can teach us those things they could also teach us other things. If school does not prepare us for life what's the point?
I guess your view of "life in the world" is slightly different than my own. The way I see it, schools provide you with lots of knowledge in many different areas (human science courses included!) but the real world is not just fixing cars and defending one's self. Schools assist in teaching you what you want to do in life, and provide you with the knowledge and skills to go and work in an infinite number of fields, or even to continue into an undergrad, grad, or doctorate degree. School is not just teaching you basic life skills like car repair and budgeting. After all, those things are for people with jobs, and you need knowledge and skills to get a job, and a bunch of home-ec courses won't get you those things.
I'm not saying that courses like self-defense or car repair are worthless (they might come in handy but honestly, probably not, especially the latter given how unfriendly modern cars are to non-technicians), but I do think those are things that parents can teach their kids, and going to school should be about learning skills and developing knowledge that I don't think every parent possesses.
Why does it have to be one or the other?
Why not both "knowledge of different areas" AND "real world skills"?
And what happens when parents don't teach their kids those things that you say they should? Because many don't. And that's not the kid's fault. They just get left to fend for themselves? Is it a bad thing to make sure it's covered somehow?
I guess I'm not getting my point across quite well.
I don't view those things as mutually exclusive: knowledge of different areas are real world skills in the sense that they provide you with the foundation to go and build on whichever piece of knowledge you found most interesting. Schools provide a wealth of knowledge across different areas to help provide a basic foundation of knowledge and skills to their students, so that they can go and take on the world in whatever manner they deem appropriate.
I think the issue we are seeing in this thread is general distaste for schools because schools didn't teach them exactly how to do everything. Therefore, schools are just a money pit, swindling tax payers out of their hard-earned dollars and hypnotizing students to become mindless robots. I'm not saying schools, right now, are perfect. But they shouldn't become these trade academies focused entirely on basic life skills that most students should either innately know, or should be taught through seeing-and-doing just at home. If they aren't, they're quickly realize how important chequebook balancing is once they're living in a tent, I suspect.
Should home-ec courses remain? Sure, and if they don't teach something about the concept of money, that might be wise to consider as part of the curriculum. But don't tell me that we have to, say, replace a chemistry course with budgeting. Students take dozens of courses throughout their middle and high school years, and it doesn't need to all be about budgeting and car repair.
We have a Personal Finance course at my high school but not everyone takes it.
Quote from: J N Winkler on May 27, 2021, 01:34:32 PM
* Behavioral economics--Rational decision-making about money is about much more than computing dollar-and-cent amounts. A person should have a thorough understanding of the forms cognitive bias can take and how to counter it, as it will otherwise affect perception of the risks and rewards attaching to a particular set of options. At minimum, he or she should be able to see when myopic choice is in play and see through sales tactics.
I think it would be rather constructive if schools taught an "anti-marketing" course in the context of a critical thinking or personal finance class. It was not until I was 29 and took a sales course that examined marketing from the business's perspective that I was able to really grasp how modern marketing works and what psychological tactics are put in play to try to separate a consumer from their money.
But of course, marketing is a multi-billion dollar industry, meaning there are powerful interests that would be livid if the state were to use its resources to inoculate the general public against its tactics.
I often put powdered parmesan cheese on some foods it usually doesn't belong on.
I trim my toenails with a box knife.
And none of you are surprised.
I set aside torn paper money until I can apply Scotch tape to it. The reason for this is two-fold–obviously, it helps keep the bill from getting any more torn while it's in my possession (which is admittedly unlikely while it's in my possession, as I keep all cash either in a bifold wallet or stored flat at home, and never fold or crease it). The second is that I learned while working in the cash cage at the casino that Scotch-brand tape specifically fluoresces under UV light, which means that it often pings the reject mechanism of higher-end cash-handling equipment such as the Glory Cash Recycler. Given that this type of equipment is near-exclusively used in banks, it makes it more likely that the bank will remove it from circulation and remit it to the Federal Reserve for destruction.
If a bill is too damaged or marked-up for tape alone to sort it, I will set it aside long-term until I have a few such bills in my possession, then bring them to the bank to exchange directly.
Quote from: Bruce on February 22, 2021, 05:41:12 PM
Lactose tolerance is a strange habit, according to most of the world's population. Milk is good as an ingredient, but not by itself.
I have never liked to drink milk by itself. Ever since I had a choice I dont drink milk. I dont mind it in recipes or ice
cream.I love ice cream! In fact I just ate 5 scoops of vanilla with Hersheys Chocolate Syrup
yum!.I bought a gallon of Almond/vanilla milk, I shopped hungry what can I say?. Ima try it ifs good I'll add it to my menu. I dont usually eat breakfast if I do its 2-4 scrammbled eggs eaten with a little bit of ketchup or steak sauce.
Quote from: Scott5114 on August 07, 2021, 05:05:23 PM
The reason for this is two-fold ... I keep all cash either in a bifold wallet or ...
I see what you did there.
-Drinking from a straw
-Using 3 or more napkins for a single meal
Quote from: webny99 on September 16, 2021, 03:32:27 PM
-Drinking from a straw
-Using 3 or more napkins for a single meal
What's strange about these? It's hard to drink out of a fast food cup while driving without a straw. For the second point, it depends on the meal. Using a bunch of napkins for eating relatively clean finger foods like nuggets and fries, sure. But if it's something messy like wings or BBQ, I'll go through a few napkins.
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on September 16, 2021, 03:54:46 PM
Quote from: webny99 on September 16, 2021, 03:32:27 PM
-Drinking from a straw
-Using 3 or more napkins for a single meal
What's strange about these? It's hard to drink out of a fast food cup while driving without a straw.
I was referring more to drinking from regular cups or my Yeti mug, not necessarily a fast food cup since of course those will have straws.
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on September 16, 2021, 03:54:46 PM
For the second point, it depends on the meal. Using a bunch of napkins for eating relatively clean finger foods like nuggets and fries, sure. But if it's something messy like wings or BBQ, I'll go through a few napkins.
My issue is that I tend to use a napkin once and then for some reason habitually scrunch it up to the point of being unusable, so if I need a napkin again I'll have to waste another one. Sometimes I'll waste five or more on food that doesn't seem particularly messy, which seems kind of strange in addition to being wasteful.
Came back to one of my favorite threads for a re-read and the below quote string struck me funny for some reason. I started to burst out laughing and had to quickly manufacture some throat-clearing noises so no one around got suspicious. :-D
Quote from: kenarmy on February 22, 2021, 08:25:55 AM
Quote from: 1995hoo on February 22, 2021, 07:50:21 AM
Quote from: kenarmy on February 21, 2021, 11:52:21 PM
Quote from: webny99 on February 21, 2021, 11:09:35 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on February 21, 2021, 09:20:41 PM
Quote from: webny99 on February 21, 2021, 08:51:12 PM
.... Surely if you were going to eat cereal dry (without milk), you wouldn't pour it into a bowl and eat it with a spoon. ....
That's what I do, although I don't eat cereal very often anyway.
Yipes. Maybe we should poll this issue. I had no idea that was a thing.
Gross. That's like eating chips or popcorn with a spoon.
What do you expect someone to do? I'm not going to use my hands to scoop it up, especially if it's a sugary cereal like Frosted Flakes.
Well idk then, pour it in your mouth or something :-D
Since I'm here, though, I do have another strange habit to contribute: when I use a tissue, I tend to stick it partially up my nose when blowing. I find it a little more effective, but it's probably not the best thing for my nose.
On that note, lately I have taken to eating cereal by hand out of the box, like one would do with a bag of chips or whatever, and having a glass of milk with it.
Neti pots (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nasal_irrigation) FTW.
I still don't see the problem. I seldom eat cereal, but when I do, I like Frosted Flakes. It's simply less messy to pour the cereal into a bowl and eat it with a spoon (regardless of whether one also puts milk in the bowl) than it is to eat it directly out of the box. More sanitary, too, if someone else might also consume the cereal that's in that box.
I always eat cereal dry, I don't like how soggy milk makes it.
Quote from: 1995hoo on June 06, 2022, 05:31:27 PM
I still don't see the problem. I seldom eat cereal, but when I do, I like Frosted Flakes. It's simply less messy to pour the cereal into a bowl and eat it with a spoon (regardless of whether one also puts milk in the bowl) than it is to eat it directly out of the box. More sanitary, too, if someone else might also consume the cereal that's in that box.
I actually don't have an issue with it - I was laughing at your part of the quote string too, not just kenarmy's - it had just never occurred to me to eat a full bowl of cereal dry. I've had dry cereal a few times, but usually as more of a snack and just eat it right out of the box (which you correctly note could be unsanitary).
I totally get that using a bowl is less messy - kenarmy will be horrified to learn I've actually eaten trail mix with a spoon a few times (
this kind (https://www.amazon.com/Southern-Grove-Sweet-Spicy-Cajun/dp/B07YZVY7S2)) because the powder/ seasoning(s) stick to your fingers terribly (worse than Cheetos or Doritos) and using a spoon saved me from washing my hands a bunch of times. I can't remember if it was this thread that inspired me to try it - it very well could have been. :-D
I would never eat chips with a spoon, though, because they're too big for that to be practical.
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on June 06, 2022, 05:33:45 PM
I always eat cereal dry, I don't like how soggy milk makes it.
I find if you use minimal milk and don't eat it too slow, it doesn't go soggy. Some kinds are also more prone to sogginess than others.
Quote from: webny99 on June 06, 2022, 06:11:33 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on June 06, 2022, 05:33:45 PM
I always eat cereal dry, I don't like how soggy milk makes it.
I find if you use minimal milk and don't eat it too slow, it doesn't go soggy. Some kinds are also more prone to sogginess than others.
I've never been able to find the right mix ratio myself. Usually I just have a little bit of cereal as a side item if I consume it during a meal. Really though, milk isn't usually something I go for unless it has chocolate.
Also, do cereal commercials still emphasize it as "part of a complete breakfast?" Even when I was a kid the giant amount of food pyramid largely grain based food seemed excessive. I would probably guess some of those "complete breakfasts" were easily pushing 1,200-1,400 calories.
I don't mind soggy cereal.
With one exception, I haven't had milk in my cereal for 40 years. I don't like it.
Dry cereal only...I don't like most mushy foods and milky cereal smells weird.
Man, this stuff must be excruciating to eat without milk:
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/37/Two_shredded_wheat.jpg)
Quote from: kphoger on June 07, 2022, 10:51:58 AM
Man, this stuff must be excruciating to eat without milk:
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/37/Two_shredded_wheat.jpg)
Compass rose
Quote from: formulanone on June 07, 2022, 10:46:16 AM
With one exception, I haven't had milk in my cereal for 40 years. I don't like it.
Dry cereal only...I don't like most mushy foods and milky cereal smells weird.
That is strange.
Quote from: formulanone on June 07, 2022, 10:46:16 AM
With one exception, I haven't had milk in my cereal for 40 years. I don't like it.
Dry cereal only...I don't like most mushy foods and milky cereal smells weird.
I'll die on this hill with you.
Quote from: Takumi on June 07, 2022, 04:06:21 PM
Quote from: formulanone on June 07, 2022, 10:46:16 AM
With one exception, I haven't had milk in my cereal for 40 years. I don't like it.
Dry cereal only...I don't like most mushy foods and milky cereal smells weird.
I'll die on this hill with you.
You are both strange.
Quote from: Rothman on June 07, 2022, 04:08:26 PM
Quote from: Takumi on June 07, 2022, 04:06:21 PM
Quote from: formulanone on June 07, 2022, 10:46:16 AM
With one exception, I haven't had milk in my cereal for 40 years. I don't like it.
Dry cereal only...I don't like most mushy foods and milky cereal smells weird.
I'll die on this hill with you.
You are both strange.
Who isn't in some way on this forum?
Quote from: Takumi on June 07, 2022, 04:46:16 PM
Quote from: Rothman on June 07, 2022, 04:08:26 PM
You are both strange.
Who isn't in some way on this forum?
I must assume that members who have not posted in this thread don't have any strange habits–that is, they are not strange.
Well, either that or their habits are so strange that they're embarrassed to say what they are...
Quote from: Rothman on June 07, 2022, 04:08:26 PM
Quote from: Takumi on June 07, 2022, 04:06:21 PM
Quote from: formulanone on June 07, 2022, 10:46:16 AM
With one exception, I haven't had milk in my cereal for 40 years. I don't like it.
Dry cereal only...I don't like most mushy foods and milky cereal smells weird.
I'll die on this hill with you.
You are both strange.
Wait until you hear why I tried milk in my cereal that one time...
Breakfast cereal with milk looks the scrapings of broken garbage disposal, tastes like moist sawdust, smells like damp cardboard; it's also messy and inconvenient. The whole thing looks like a bizarre morning ritual for children.
To many to list.
Quote from: formulanone on June 07, 2022, 05:21:36 PM
Quote from: Rothman on June 07, 2022, 04:08:26 PM
Quote from: Takumi on June 07, 2022, 04:06:21 PM
Quote from: formulanone on June 07, 2022, 10:46:16 AM
With one exception, I haven't had milk in my cereal for 40 years. I don't like it.
Dry cereal only...I don't like most mushy foods and milky cereal smells weird.
I'll die on this hill with you.
You are both strange.
Wait until you hear why I tried milk in my cereal that one time...
Breakfast cereal with milk looks the scrapings of broken garbage disposal, tastes like moist sawdust, smells like damp cardboard; it's also messy and inconvenient. The whole thing looks like a bizarre morning ritual for children.
Milk on cereal is nectar of the gods.
Quote from: kphoger on June 07, 2022, 05:02:09 PM
Quote from: Takumi on June 07, 2022, 04:46:16 PM
Quote from: Rothman on June 07, 2022, 04:08:26 PM
You are both strange.
Who isn't in some way on this forum?
I must assume that members who have not posted in this thread don't have any strange habits–that is, they are not strange.
Well, either that or their habits are so strange that they're embarrassed to say what they are...
Or what you consider to be a strange habit, the rest of us who haven't posted consider to be normal.
Quote from: formulanone on June 07, 2022, 05:21:36 PM
Breakfast cereal with milk ... looks like a bizarre morning ritual for children.
I've always thought that, if someone from a bygone era were zapped to modern-day America and saw a bowl of breakfast cereal and milk, he would think to himself,
What kind of crazy soup is THIS?(I eat granola with milk every morning.)
Quote from: kphoger on June 07, 2022, 08:59:02 PM
Quote from: formulanone on June 07, 2022, 05:21:36 PM
Breakfast cereal with milk ... looks like a bizarre morning ritual for children.
I've always thought that, if someone from a bygone era were zapped to modern-day America and saw a bowl of breakfast cereal and milk, he would think to himself, What kind of crazy soup is THIS?
(I eat granola with milk every morning.)
My mom used to make granola, though I never cared for it
Mentioned in another thread but it fits here too: always wearing shoes, even just around the house. Can't really explain why but I've never been able to get comfortable walking around in bare feet for any length of time. Even at the beach, if there's any rocks or pebbles, that's enough to warrant sandals or water shoes for me.
Quote from: Rothman on June 07, 2022, 06:00:31 PM
Quote from: formulanone on June 07, 2022, 05:21:36 PM
Quote from: Rothman on June 07, 2022, 04:08:26 PM
Quote from: Takumi on June 07, 2022, 04:06:21 PM
Quote from: formulanone on June 07, 2022, 10:46:16 AM
With one exception, I haven't had milk in my cereal for 40 years. I don't like it.
Dry cereal only...I don't like most mushy foods and milky cereal smells weird.
I'll die on this hill with you.
You are both strange.
Wait until you hear why I tried milk in my cereal that one time...
Breakfast cereal with milk looks the scrapings of broken garbage disposal, tastes like moist sawdust, smells like damp cardboard; it's also messy and inconvenient. The whole thing looks like a bizarre morning ritual for children.
Milk on cereal is nectar of the gods.
Milk on Cocoa Krispies looks like liquid poo thanks to the artificial dyes. I don't eat cereal anymore, but when I was young I also only ate it dry.
Quote from: webny99 on October 25, 2022, 12:01:04 PM
Mentioned in another thread but it fits here too: always wearing shoes, even just around the house. Can't really explain why but I've never been able to get comfortable walking around in bare feet for any length of time. Even at the beach, if there's any rocks or pebbles, that's enough to warrant sandals or water shoes for me.
I used to go barefoot around the house, assuming the weather is warm enough for it, but after we adopted a cat last November that habit came to an end because the cat litter granules get in her paws and wind up on the carpet around the house. I don't like the gritty sensation when I step on them, so now I wear something on my feet except when I'm in my home office (because the cat is not allowed in that room due to all the wires from the electronics). Even in my office, I will wear something on my feet (typically driving-soled shoes that I use as slippers) once the weather turns cold enough to require socks, this because I don't like wearing just socks because I feel like they wear out sooner if I do that.
Quote from: skluth on October 25, 2022, 12:18:33 PM
Quote from: Rothman on June 07, 2022, 06:00:31 PM
Quote from: formulanone on June 07, 2022, 05:21:36 PM
Quote from: Rothman on June 07, 2022, 04:08:26 PM
Quote from: Takumi on June 07, 2022, 04:06:21 PM
Quote from: formulanone on June 07, 2022, 10:46:16 AM
With one exception, I haven't had milk in my cereal for 40 years. I don't like it.
Dry cereal only...I don't like most mushy foods and milky cereal smells weird.
I'll die on this hill with you.
You are both strange.
Wait until you hear why I tried milk in my cereal that one time...
Breakfast cereal with milk looks the scrapings of broken garbage disposal, tastes like moist sawdust, smells like damp cardboard; it's also messy and inconvenient. The whole thing looks like a bizarre morning ritual for children.
Milk on cereal is nectar of the gods.
Milk on Cocoa Krispies looks like liquid poo thanks to the artificial dyes. I don't eat cereal anymore, but when I was young I also only ate it dry.
The strange crowd grows.
If I'm watching a video on YouTube or something, I have this need to press pause at the end of the video before it can reach the end roll. It has nothing to do with stopping it before it rolls into another video or anything - I want to feel like I had control of ending the video.
I clinch roads and counties.
Oh wait, that's like 95% of people here.
Quote from: Duke87 on February 11, 2015, 01:08:57 AM
Whenever I get in any car with anyone I immediately look at the gas gauge. If I see it is at 1/4 tank or lower I will nag the driver to stop and get gas.
Running out of gas is one of my worst nightmares, and seeing people let their gauge drift towards E without acting like something urgently needs to be done about it drives me batshit.
I should probably take that advice. I let my gas tank get down to 1/10th far too often. I have 15.5 Gallon Tank and a couple times recently getting gas I was able to put 14-14.8 gallons in! This is mainly because I have this OCD thing where I like to see how many miles I can get out of a full tank and trying to beat previous mileage. My record is currently 431 miles before pulling up to a pump and I still had a fifth or a sixth of a tank left.
Quote from: US 89 on January 29, 2023, 08:50:54 PM
I clinch roads and counties.
Oh wait, that's like 95% of people here.
I think the county part of it has happened by accident for me by proxy the process of clinching roads.
When I'm riding the subway and I need to stand, I put on a glove if I have one with me. God only knows who's touched that pole or railing and where that person's hands have been.
Quote from: 1995hoo on February 01, 2023, 07:05:30 AM
When I'm riding the subway and I need to stand, I put on a glove if I have one with me. God only knows who's touched that pole or railing and where that person's hands have been.
I don't know if that qualifies as a strange habit. I think that qualifies as being smart.
I set my tripodometer as the road becomes straight so I can measure exactly how long a long straight section is, and also measure the length of curves, so I know how sharp the are for the future. Don't worry, the button is in my field of view so it's not really distracted driving. It's more "road research".
Quote from: MultiMillionMiler on February 01, 2023, 11:09:26 AMI set my tripodometer as the road becomes straight so I can measure exactly how long a long straight section is, and also measure the length of curves, so I know how sharp the are for the future. Don't worry, the button is in my field of view so it's not really distracted driving. It's more "road research".
That sounds like a way to wear out the odometer reset button quickly. Have you considered just getting this information from construction plans sets? That would also give you the superelevation, which has a huge influence on how sharp curves feel.
Quote from: MultiMillionMiler on February 01, 2023, 11:09:26 AM
I set my tripodometer as the road becomes straight so I can measure exactly how long a long straight section is, and also measure the length of curves, so I know how sharp the are for the future. Don't worry, the button is in my field of view so it's not really distracted driving. It's more "road research".
I would say your fixation on grappling hooks on choppers to handle road problems is strange to say the least.
Quote from: MultiMillionMiler on February 01, 2023, 11:34:56 AMYeah, but I like my accuracy to a 10th of a mile. And what the manuals might consider straight, I may not. For me, a "straightaway" means I can't even perceive the slightest veering/deviation from an ideal straight line if I am paying attention to it. I also try not to change lanes if possible because that would add some distance to the line.
Then you really need to start getting into construction plans. Curves are surveyed to a precision of 1/100 of a foot--much better than 1/10 of a mile. And a curve will show up in the plans even if it is hard to see on the ground; the Thruway, for example, has curves with radii as high as 16 miles.
Quote from: J N Winkler on February 01, 2023, 11:40:08 AM
And a curve will show up in the plans even if it is hard to see on the ground; the Thruway, for example, has curves with radii as high as 16 miles.
Indeed, and I'm not sure how rare it is for curves to have radii of this size, but the gradual nature of curves on the Thruway in general is one of the reasons why it is (at least IMO) one of the highest quality roads in the country.
Quote from: webny99 on February 01, 2023, 11:24:27 PM
Quote from: J N Winkler on February 01, 2023, 11:40:08 AM
And a curve will show up in the plans even if it is hard to see on the ground; the Thruway, for example, has curves with radii as high as 16 miles.
Indeed, and I'm not sure how rare it is for curves to have radii of this size, but the gradual nature of curves on the Thruway in general is one of the reasons why it is (at least IMO) one of the highest quality roads in the country.
Really? Look at this curve near exit 15A:
Governor Thomas E. Dewey Thruway
https://maps.app.goo.gl/Z1TFqUu4kc48ZM7j6
I've hit this curve at 65-70 mph and you really feel those G forces. Maybe another location I should have my highway patrol and speed cameras. The rest of the thruway can go unlimited for all I care.
If you can't navigate that curve safely you should turn in your license.
Quote from: Scott5114 on February 01, 2023, 11:40:34 PM
If you can't navigate that curve safely you should turn in your license.
My car could handle it safely, but my point is locations like that are where the strict speed limit enforcement should be, not on wide straightaways like between exits 11 and 15 or along I-90 outside of the cities. When you start to feel a little pressure from making the turn at the speed limit, you know that there's no way it could handle any higher speeds, so the speed limit tolerance should be like 3-4 mph tops.
Would this stretch of I-84 be too much to comprehend?
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48128550218_bfd29a662c_b.jpg)
Curves are way too sharp, cars coming around the curve to the left (rightbound on the screen) are likely to skid right across the grass and crash into cars merging from where the yellow lines are. But because it's a 6 lane divided highway I'd compromise and allow a 50 mph speed limit around the curves with speed camera tolerance up to 53 mph (54 mph = ticket).
"Rightbound" is an interesting new directional term.
Quote from: MultiMillionMiler on February 02, 2023, 12:10:18 AM
Curves are way too sharp, cars coming around the curve to the left (rightbound on the screen) are likely to skid right across the grass and crash into cars merging from where the yellow lines are. But because it's a 6 lane divided highway I'd compromise and allow a 50 mph speed limit around the curves with speed camera tolerance up to 53 mph (54 mph = ticket).
Too bad, it's a 70 mph zone with a 65 mph truck speed. There is an advisory sign with 50 mph, but making that the limit would result in death threats.
Quote from: MultiMillionMiler on February 02, 2023, 12:20:37 AM
Quote from: Bruce on February 02, 2023, 12:17:44 AM
Quote from: MultiMillionMiler on February 02, 2023, 12:10:18 AM
Curves are way too sharp, cars coming around the curve to the left (rightbound on the screen) are likely to skid right across the grass and crash into cars merging from where the yellow lines are. But because it's a 6 lane divided highway I'd compromise and allow a 50 mph speed limit around the curves with speed camera tolerance up to 53 mph (54 mph = ticket).
Too bad, it's a 70 mph zone with a 65 mph truck speed. There is an advisory sign with 50 mph, but making that the limit would result in death threats.
Only around the curves, the straight stretch you could increase back up to 70+ mph, even if there's another curve coming in 1 mile. Only around the curves would you have to drop to 50 mph, and trucks should be limited to 45 mph around those NASCAR style curves.
Or you could stop being a wuss about it...
Drivers are more than capable of making safe and rational choices about how much to slow down around a corner.
The issue is, well, physics. Cars that are lower to the ground are going to take curves much better than cars with high centers of gravity. Ergo, taller vehicles have a much lower threshold for how much beyond the speed limit they could take a corner before flipping or losing control. But, that doesn't mean you punish every driver simply because there's some cars that have to go a little slower.
Still, even at high speeds, most cars will not lose control or flip on a curve. Nannying drivers with a curve-specific limit is unfair to the thousands of drivers that are being completely rational with their speeds.
Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on February 01, 2023, 10:04:50 AM
Quote from: 1995hoo on February 01, 2023, 07:05:30 AM
When I'm riding the subway and I need to stand, I put on a glove if I have one with me. God only knows who's touched that pole or railing and where that person's hands have been.
I don't know if that qualifies as a strange habit. I think that qualifies as being smart.
I agree, but it seems like almost nobody else does it.
Then you have mornings like yesterday where the 4 train was so crowded that I was jammed in by the door, nothing to hold onto, but it didn't matter because there was no way to fall over due to how crowded it was.
I wash my hands when coming inside after riding the light rail or bus and touching things.
- Keeping my chest hair trimmed in roughly the shape of a heart
(Probably TMI, but it does fit the subject!)
Quote from: kkt on February 04, 2023, 03:53:28 PM
I wash my hands when coming inside after riding the light rail or bus and touching things.
I usually do that as well, at least when coming home.
Quote from: kkt on February 04, 2023, 03:53:28 PM
I wash my hands when coming inside after riding the light rail or bus and touching things.
I have done that for years too. When I worked downtown and rode the Metro, washing my hands was usually the first thing I did when I arrived at the office. Nowadays the wider availability of hand sanitizer at building entrances makes it easier to do this first thing before even heading to the elevator, although I still prefer how my hands feel using soap and water to the way they feel after using hand sanitizer.
Quote from: kkt on February 04, 2023, 03:53:28 PM
I wash my hands when coming inside after riding the light rail or bus and touching things.
Due to COVID, a lot of people got into the habit of washing hands when coming home.
Quote from: Rothman on February 16, 2023, 02:00:42 PM
Quote from: kkt on February 04, 2023, 03:53:28 PM
I wash my hands when coming inside after riding the light rail or bus and touching things.
Due to COVID, a lot of people got into the habit of washing hands when coming home.
Even before COVID, I've always been a bit of a clean freak when it comes to my hands. I've always washed my hands after coming home from outside.
Strange habit: Responding to Souky posts.
Quote from: MultiMillionMiler on February 01, 2023, 11:38:01 PM
Really? Look at this curve near exit 15A:
Governor Thomas E. Dewey Thruway
https://maps.app.goo.gl/Z1TFqUu4kc48ZM7j6
I've hit this curve at 65-70 mph and you really feel those G forces. Maybe another location I should have my highway patrol and speed cameras. The rest of the thruway can go unlimited for all I care.
Try I-91 on for size. (https://goo.gl/maps/Zhkrz8WiSkZ2MCd87) Also 65 in case you were wondering.
Quote from: MultiMillionMiler on February 16, 2023, 05:46:27 PM
About the same but narrower. The point is speed limits should be strictly enforced around curves. On that thruway curve I was talking about, the speed limit should be 70 with speeding ticket by mail cameras that trigger once you exceed 73 mph.
Why? The laws of physics already give out tickets for excessive speeding around corners.
Quote from: MultiMillionMiler on February 16, 2023, 05:46:27 PM
About the same but narrower. The point is speed limits should be strictly enforced around curves. On that thruway curve I was talking about, the speed limit should be 70 with speeding ticket by mail cameras that trigger once you exceed 73 mph.
One of the joys of driving is that I can determine my own speed through a corner through personal judgment based on vehicular characteristics, alertness, traffic, and road conditions. It's understandable if not everyone feels the same way.
But I think you have the ideas for a system which seems more like a exaggerated racetrack; everyone can just blast off to 90-120 mph on the straight parts of road and then jam on the brakes for curves and corners. That's well and good if you're the only one on the road, but no two drivers seem to brake at the same time and most everyone has to obey the speed of the vehicle in front of them, and many folks have a terrible concept of keeping distance, let alone performing natural engine braking. I thought like this before I had a license and drove on real roads with other people; too many people have their own ideas of their personal comfort level, and that's a huge reason why the average speed of most roads seem a little slower than we'd like them to be. Theoretically, this
could efficiently and safely happen with driverless technology, but I'm not holding by breath on this any time soon.
Anyhow, this is for another thread. We have at least twenty others about speed limits and roads. :)
Call it anal and OCD, but on a roadtrip I have a specific ritual of turning off/closing things up in the car when we stop at the hotel at the end of the day, and same in reverse when we get rolling again the next day. Even more anal and OCD when the car will be sitting for an extended time, such as in the parking lot when we vacation on the cruise ship out of Baltimore. My wife just starts punching buttons and grabbing things, and that drives me nuts.
Quote from: wanderer2575 on February 17, 2023, 11:31:10 AM
Call it anal and OCD, but on a roadtrip I have a specific ritual of turning off/closing things up in the car when we stop at the hotel at the end of the day, and same in reverse when we get rolling again the next day. Even more anal and OCD when the car will be sitting for an extended time, such as in the parking lot when we vacation on the cruise ship out of Baltimore. My wife just starts punching buttons and grabbing things, and that drives me nuts.
Are you referring to things like the radio, AC, lights, mirrors, etc?
Quote from: jakeroot on February 19, 2023, 05:48:57 PM
Quote from: wanderer2575 on February 17, 2023, 11:31:10 AM
Call it anal and OCD, but on a roadtrip I have a specific ritual of turning off/closing things up in the car when we stop at the hotel at the end of the day, and same in reverse when we get rolling again the next day. Even more anal and OCD when the car will be sitting for an extended time, such as in the parking lot when we vacation on the cruise ship out of Baltimore. My wife just starts punching buttons and grabbing things, and that drives me nuts.
Are you referring to things like the radio, AC, lights, mirrors, etc?
Yep. Closing up the windows, turning off the climate control, positioning certain items, etc.
This has probably been mentioned multiple times here, but every single time I am at a rest stop/welcome center, I grab as much maps and books as I can carry. I currently have a basket full from NC, SC, FL and TN.
Quote from: Hunty2022 on November 20, 2023, 09:43:12 PM
This has probably been mentioned multiple times here, but every single time I am at a rest stop/welcome center, I grab as much maps and books as I can carry. I currently have a basket full from NC, SC, FL and TN.
That is certainly not considered strange here on AARoads. It is a sign of Roadgeekdom as to how big that basket gets over time (and how old the maps are).
Quote from: Dirt Roads on November 21, 2023, 09:33:11 AM
Quote from: Hunty2022 on November 20, 2023, 09:43:12 PM
This has probably been mentioned multiple times here, but every single time I am at a rest stop/welcome center, I grab as much maps and books as I can carry. I currently have a basket full from NC, SC, FL and TN.
Do you have a couple of filing cabinets full of them, organized by state?
That is certainly not considered strange here on AARoads. It is a sign of Roadgeekdom as to how big that basket gets over time (and how old the maps are).
Quote from: kkt on November 21, 2023, 11:35:37 AM
Do you have a couple of filing cabinets full of them, organized by state?
Not yet, the basket is actually quite small.
I just took them out to count how much I have.
FL: 6
GA: 4
MD: 4 (mostly from a hotel)
NC: 1
SC: 13
TN: 11
VA: 17 (mostly from a hotel)
TOTAL: 56
It's not exactly a "habit", but I have a tendency to be resistant to wearing coats and other "extra layers" at temperatures when others would consider them necessary, especially between 40-55 degrees. For example, today the sun came out for a change and the temperature was 48 degrees, so I went for a walk on my lunch hour with short sleeves and no coat. I blame it on my Scandinavian ancestry for humorous effect, but with a degree of seriousness (such as when a passerby commented "you must really like the cold" :D)
Quote from: formulanone on February 17, 2023, 11:26:16 AM
One of the joys of driving is that I can determine my own speed through a corner through personal judgment based on vehicular characteristics, alertness, traffic, and road conditions. It's understandable if not everyone feels the same way.
Certain curves around my area not good for speeding when it is wet out. They tend to have spinout accidents from people overdriving the conditions. You always hear those locations on the "every-ten-minute" traffic reports. (I had a near accident on one myself, when I felt my car drifting under me)
When I am approaching said curves in conditions like that, invariably I am ahead of someone who is going too fast for the conditions. I try to let those people pass me pre-curve, if possible.
Quote from: Rothman on February 16, 2023, 02:00:42 PM
Quote from: kkt on February 04, 2023, 03:53:28 PM
I wash my hands when coming inside after riding the light rail or bus and touching things.
Due to COVID, a lot of people got into the habit of washing hands when coming home.
Or more often than that. Anytime I put feed myself by hand, I try to wash my hands prior. Gotten colds too many times by being careless that way.
My mom called me out on this, and I never noticed myself doing this until she mentioned it.
When I drive over railroad tracks, I release the steering wheel for that tenth of a second that I'm actually crossing the tracks.
Exposing myself (i.e. having a maybe too close contact) to little known diseases :sombrero:.
N.b.: There's no risk in doing so when a disease is of genetic origin.
I sleep with a body pillow. To some people, that's a strange habit in itself.
What's more bizarre is that I can't always sleep with one; after a couple days, I cannot fall asleep with a body pillow, and have to go to bed with just a blanket and a head pillow for a couple days.
I also tend to use my firm pillows for way longer than their intended lifespan because they're "good enough", and damage any mattress I have over time because I sleep on my side.
Also, as we speak, I'm looking for brass instruments on eBay that I don't need and most likely won't buy... I do it for fun.
Quote from: Hobart on December 16, 2023, 03:35:02 PM
Also, as we speak, I'm looking for brass instruments on eBay that I don't need and most likely won't buy... I do it for fun.
I'm guilty of that as well :) Especially some of the lesser known brass instruments. Would absolutely love to have a cimbasso, but not at their typical price point.
Putting on my uniform hat before walking out the door for work, but then taking it off when I walk out of work and before I get home.
Quote from: epzik8 on December 16, 2023, 04:58:03 PM
Putting on my uniform hat before walking out the door for work, but then taking it off when I walk out of work and before I get home.
So you won't forget about putting it on.
Quote from: epzik8 on December 16, 2023, 04:58:03 PM
Putting on my uniform hat before walking out the door for work, but then taking it off when I walk out of work and before I get home.
I hope your uniform consists of an apron or such. Not a complete wardrobe. Could be embarrassing walking out without much on.
When driving on the Interstate here in Tennessee, I usually drive between 75 and 85, but I try to be the THIRD or FOURTH fastest car and NEVER the first or second fastest. Because state troopers in Tennessee sometimes hang out in twos, and I do not wish to be one of their top two. Other roads besides the Interstate I usually drive within 5 over of, although the Interstate I do speed a bit more on because 70 mph is too damn slow and the speed limit needs to be raised to 75 mph.
Regardless whether I go to bed at 11 pm or at 5 am, I can always wake up at 8 am. Without fail. No alarm needed. My biological clock knows what time 8 am is regardless whether it's daylight savings time or not. If I need more sleep (I frequently do, especially if I am up past 2 am), I take a nap around mid-afternoon to catch up.
I am prescribed Ativan for my PTSD and Panic Disorder. I have sometimes when taking my meds swallowed all my other meds but allowed my Ativan to dissolve sublingually under my tongue so it gets in my system faster.
Quote from: GaryV on December 16, 2023, 06:14:11 PM
Quote from: epzik8 on December 16, 2023, 04:58:03 PM
Putting on my uniform hat before walking out the door for work, but then taking it off when I walk out of work and before I get home.
I hope your uniform consists of an apron or such. Not a complete wardrobe. Could be embarrassing walking out without much on.
I think you missed the word "hat", which is doing some heavy lifting for the rest of the sentence... LOL!
Rotating a mouse pad orientation 90 degrees from "landscape" to "portrait".
Not sure why, but I'm always running out of room up-down rather than left-right, so I turn it wherever I need a mouse for long periods of time.
Quote from: webny99 on February 25, 2021, 11:42:26 AM
I find weird sleep habits kind of interesting, so I guess it's fitting that I have a few of them.
-I can fall asleep with the light on, but when it happens, it's usually an accident.
-I do like complete darkness, though, so I keep a towel draped over my alarm clock. (It's the only alarm I could find that's loud enough, but it's also very bright, even at minimum brightness.)
-I have two digital clocks, the one mentioned above, and a smaller, dimmer one that I can use to see the time. Both are always set on weekdays.
-I usually wear just boxer briefs to sleep, if anything. I've slept shirtless since I was about 12 or 13.
-When it's very quiet or completely silent, my ears start ringing, so I have a noisemaker.
Another one to add, I've realized that I can sleep fully clothed
or with covers/blankets, but not very well with both (I find it feels too claustrophobic). I guess that ties a few of the above points together.
Quote from: webny99 on March 08, 2024, 05:09:35 PM
I can sleep fully clothed or with covers/blankets, but not very well with both (I find it feels too claustrophobic).
Can't remember if I've mentioned this. I once had a co-worker who was really excited to get a set of flannel sheets for the bed one Christmas. But when she got into bed wearing her velvet nightgown, she found that the two fabrics were like Velcro together, and all the covers would come with her whenever she rolled over.
Quote from: kphoger on March 08, 2024, 05:58:24 PM
Quote from: webny99 on March 08, 2024, 05:09:35 PM
I can sleep fully clothed or with covers/blankets, but not very well with both (I find it feels too claustrophobic).
Can't remember if I've mentioned this. I once had a co-worker who was really excited to get a set of flannel sheets for the bed one Christmas. But when she got into bed wearing her velvet nightgown, she found that the two fabrics were like Velcro together, and all the covers would come with her whenever she rolled over.
That basically summarizes it. Though I've never experienced flannel/velvet, layers interacting in general does not lend itself well to comfort or movement during sleep.