That is the way we had birthday parties too, and they are the best. Invite the whole family not just the kid. Nobody HAS to drink, and I didn’t because hosting, but it’s more hospitable to have adult beverages available. Often a “fancy drinks” area for the kids too, with colorful non alcoholic drinks and garnishes for them to create their own drinks.

So, so much better than a house full of kids all the same age. Kids running around in packs, adults chilling.

Fair enough. I just talk to a lot of women, all are aghast no matter their race. Men are less so, though many are disappointed, they are more blase.

What the fuck? Where? Not where I am.

Often my hair is in a ponytail and it does make it impossible to drive comfortably. Like I have to leave my hair down and windows up to drive comfortably.

Right but inflation will eat at that. If they have a million in 40 years it won’t be worth a million of today’s dollars.

Better to leave your phone at home (or better, in the pocket of someone who lives in your house and takes the same daily path as you do) if you are doing something that’s currently illegal. Or in any situation where you are doing something legal that the cops are likely to break up.

The juror going home thing is terrifying but I don’t think the government would be after you for fulfilling your civic duty.

Use cornstarch for velveting, and not much, and don’t rinse. I wouldn’t use baking soda to tenderize either, acids are the way to go, or just cooking it for the time it needs.

What were you making that called for baking soda?

Slow cooker, on the back porch, if making a batch of them. Otherwise just low & slow in the skillet. A comment farther up says ‘many recipes call for sugar’ but I have never seen that. The onions that make your eyes water when you cut them, and a little salt & olive oil.

Ha! Yes once we were working extra days for an audit - I try to work in the office only and leave my laptop there, had worked Monday though Saturday, long hours, took Sunday off, the boss of my boss yelled at my boss (who was a devout Christian) because I left my laptop at the office. He told me and I looked him straight in the eye and said “I don’t work on Sundays” and he absolutely backed me up.

But now that upper management have families, in general the flexibility does run in both directions. Most consider it a benefit to be able to work remotely, I’m sort of an outlier in that way (because the office is so close to my home, the space there is a benefit to me).

But yeah pretty close - people are working today until the power goes out.

Yes, “off with pay” is the appropriate work status. My work is actually pretty flexible with us, I just hate working from home now because I have to drag everything out and set it up somewhere, particularly bad for a storm because everything from outside is also stuffed in the house.

Here they close the office and say to work remotely from wherever you are. Which strikes me as worse. Like, if my power goes out or home floods I am not going to take my laptop and find a co-working space at a shelter. If it’s bad enough we shouldn’t drive it’s likely bad enough we shouldn’t work.

One of our coworkers was off this week to be married yesterday. I guess it will be a good story someday.

I hesitate to say this out loud, but mid-50s and nothing hurts yet, except the migraines I’ve gotten since teenage years.

Knees last if you take care of them. Back lasts if you take care of it and are lucky, and don’t get fat, and are lucky, and don’t work a physical job, and are lucky.

Stretch. Exercise. Don’t overeat.

It’s gambling, so the house always wins, except it’s worse with insurance because you could only win by losing.

Health insurance would make sense if it was cheap. My parents used to have “major medical” plan, indemnity vs very high bills, not healthcare just literal insurance. But it was cheap.

Now I have the High Deductible with HSA plan, same thing except it comes with some free preventative care. But it’s expensive! What the fuck!

Hello, world!

I have a compost but the disposal is a fantastic addition to my life. Some rice in the sink? No problem. Broth, compost, disposal. Sometimes trash. Obviously divert as much as you can, but the garbage disposal in the sink is wonderful.

I trained (for lack of a better word) my husband to wash the cast iron without wrecking the finish. He used to leave it soaking, I didn’t freak out but told him that was bad for them and he could just toss them into the oven dirty if needed and I’d deal with them (like you, I am the cook not the clean) but then he’d want to make eggs or something and the pan would be dirty so he asked how to. I got a chainmail scrubber and he loves doing it now because he loves the chainmail scrubber. Like - I will sometimes use soap on mine because I can judge the finish but he will not put soap now, will only scrape and has begun to love the pans too, after so many years he realizes because they never wear out just get better.

I did have to reset a couple of mine once, burn off the seasoning and sand them and restore and yes they looked like this picture. It was terrifying but they got great again. Such durable goods they are!

Are you a Domstation? Then yes, the substation wants you to fuck with it.

Otherwise, no. Just look around you, participate in society.

Well then, what are we waiting for? Let’s go visit Alpha Centauri!

Constantokra? Could you have a word with my okra plants? They have not flowered yet, are flourishing in the heat but no okra. I planted fewer because in years past we couldn’t keep up with them, but this year they hesitate? We want constant okra.