Probably because when you were a baby you put everything in your mouth, so the data bank is large

Having random superb owls appear in my feed is very cheerful!

That’s all good! From experience, owning vs. renting doesn’t help much to make cleaning any more enjoyable, at least not after the first week. But at least if you decide you just can’t deal with some aspect, you can change it.

Four cats and your jobs, you guys are definitely doing this on Hard Mode!

Maybe you could figure out some sort of rewards system, like cleaning the home => delivery dinner. And of course if you notice something is clean and you didn’t do it, voice your joy!

I would like to say I use a heavy-duty dry swiffer on the floor (wood) every other day, but honestly maybe twice a week. It gets tons of dust and cat hair and it’s quiet and fast. I have an old fashioned feather duster that does a decent job on shelves of books and knickknacks without moving them, and fascinates the cat. I have a wet mop but don’t use it often. I put MERV13 filters in my HVAC, but I realized the suction was lifting the nearby ceiling tiles instead, so I taped them down.

Consider what contributes to dust in your home: I don’t go out much, and can’t track in mud, but I live over the garage in my apartment building, over a very busy street, and have sliding-glass balcony doors for windows, so a lot of my dust is tires and exhaust. Also pollen year-round because SoCal, and of course cat and myself shedding. Litterbox dust too, at least she’s not a big digger. I don’t have laundry machines in my unit but I imagine they’d make lint dust. You might not be able to change things that add grime, but it helps you feel less like it’s your fault.

When I worked in a china shop, we wiped down every item on every shelf with Windex (spray your paper towels, not what you’re cleaning) every day. But I was getting paid for that. It makes a huge difference, along with knowing someone else will notice.

The thing with gifts is to thank them for their intent, even if you tell them why you’re not going to keep the item.

If you don’t succeed in returning it, you might also consider giving it to someone with a movement disability, for whom the assistance might outweigh the privacy issue.

Most of the time I don’t get bothered by typing/autofill errors in others’ posts. (My own often get edited several times.)

But some bring out my inner schoolmarm. I try to restrict my corrections to times when the error is confusing, or if I have a mnemonic that might be helpful. I bear in mind that this is an informal forum, but someone might want to be able to get it right when it matters.

Since you won’t be offended, I’ll just point out that in English it’s usual to say “… someone points out a mistake to me.” (The rest is correct.)

Since I can’t afford to replace the tile our apartment came with, I got a set of vinyl floor mats and put rug gripper anti-skid pads underneath, the result being like anti-fatigue mats but not as tall, heavy, or ugly. They cover most of the areas I might possibly drop a dish and have already saved one casserole lid. They wipe clean and are easy to move to mop the tile. They won’t last forever but one day I’ll be able to do linoleum.

Also, nothing survives a drop to tile, ever. And you’re left trying to clean shards and sauce out of the grout. Fuck my tile.

My red and green this Christmas is fat sweet cherry tomatoes ripening in the sun on my balcony. I would love a little rain to ease the fire danger in the hills, but I had all the snow I need for life during college. It’s funny the snowy people who said they can’t even fathom green, if it weren’t white it would be brown, they’re right about their reality but you asked for a dream. I’m living the dream.

The other nice thing about being in Los Angeles at Christmas is that it’s quiet and there’s very little traffic, because so many people rushed off to visit the snow, either local skiing or far away.

Ask for the real Sudafed. The little red ones say 4-6 hours, but one lasts me all day and minimizes side effects. They work quickly enough that you don’t need to get ahead of your symptoms, you can wait until you feel you need more.

Generic Guaifenesin syrup, ask the pharmacist. It’s OTC but sometimes it’s behind the counter

While it might not solve this kid’s problem, that menu is missing a great American Thanksgiving side dish that’s been traditional since Thomas Jefferson’s enslaved chef James Hemings made it: macaroni and cheese!

Generally speaking, one runs for a place on the Board and the Board chooses their President. Who then needs to continue working with the other Board members. Ousting is not an option.

Getting on the Board is still a good way to get your pet peeves changed, though. Often it’s just a matter of focusing attention on it.

Some people are allergic to them, but I don’t know if there’s a Venn diagram overlap with your allergies

Can you do pink peppercorns? They’re a different kind of tree but might have the same chemical.

Otherwise, some of the most “chili” flavors come from cumin and Mexican oregano and garlic. Coriander is another, and you could add a little kick with allspice. Roasting your bell peppers whole until the skin gets partly charred will give you a faux chipotle flavor. You then discard the seeds and throw them in the blender or food processor so you aren’t eating big chunks of char. Onions of course and tomatoes (canned crushed is fine) and of course ground beef and some beans, I use a can of kidney beans, with the liquid, but use what you like. Often some corn flour or meal is added for thicker, you could crush a few chips or crumble a corn tortilla for that.

I’ve got this all out of order! Char peppers under the broiler first, take out and let cool. Saute your onions in a little olive or corn oil, add garlic and beef, get it browned, add spices, turn down the heat while you get the seeds out of the peppers and chop/puree them. Add them, the tomatoes and beans, taste and add salt, and check if you got all those haphazard spices in. (It’s not done, it needs to simmer awhile, but it’s cooked enough to be safe.) Simmer for… maybe 30 minutes? Or until you’re ready to eat it? If it seems runny, add the tortilla/chip “flour” to thicken it.

https://wafflegame.net/daily

Link for the lazy

I interpreted “I despise getting ready in the dark and getting home in the dark” as you hating both equally. As an adult, I agree I’d rather get up and drive to work in darkness to gain a little daytime after work. But I recall as a child being miserable going to school in darkness.

The difference between DST and ST isn’t going to help that. The daylight is shorter regardless.