Flashbacks to that fucking Netflix documentary, Don’t Fuck with Cats.

Fuck.

👋

I’m bad about remembering.

Then again, I suspect I somehow may have ended up with the good gene as I have incredibly dry ear wax. On top of that I typically use antiperspirant instead of deodorant anyway, because I dislike feeling wet.

Straight water doesn’t make me sick, but unless I’m already pretty thirsty (working hard/exercising outside in summer) and it’s full of ice, I find drinking water unpleasant.

I’ll drink water when I have to, but I’ll drink flavored/calorie free drinks because I enjoy them, thus staying far more hydrated.

“go to self checkout or wait forever.”

On the unfortunate days I have to stop at the store when myself and everyone else are getting off of work, I’ve seen the lines at self checkout as long or longer than the registers.

I’m use a self checkout if 1) there are empty checkouts and 2) I only have enough items that I can carry. Sure - then I’m getting in and out. But if I’m pushing a cart, I’m going to a cashier.

As a woman of an age dealing with unfortunate hormonal fluctuations, I’m holding myself to this. It’s almost frustrating in the way it’s paying off.

I’ve been riding the cycle of shitty sleep leading to excess caffeine, leading to shittier sleep even taking melatonin, leading to even more poor diet choices. I suffered through a day where I denied myself afternoon caffeine (stopping at noon, where previously I thought 3pm was close enough) and had a sucky day. But I slept slightly better that night. Holding myself to this, each night’s sleep has been slightly better, and I feel like I’m making smarter decisions again.

It’s still too early to say if it’ll be a long term solution, but this last week I’ve started taking small doses of l-theanine. It’s the stuff in tea that’s supposed to help you relax. I found 200mg chewable tablets that I break into 1/4-1/3 pieces. I take a little in the morning and some before bed, and am overall feeling more relaxed. I’ve slept beautifully the last few nights without melatonin, but with my track record I want to see that hold a good month before guiding the l-theanine all the credit.

That’s just focus. They caught him in his third minute of restaurant.

Yeah, if the take away is that we need to cut out all fats, salt and sugar, then we’re missing out on basic nutritional needs. Our bodies REQUIRE fat, salt, and sugar to function properly and for overall health, just in reasonable amounts.

Video, pause, screenshot?

I have my cat’s moist food breakfast set in a timed feeder to open an hour before I wake up, then his “robot” feeder spits dry food at him throughout the day.

Now I only get bitched at for pets 🥰.

Is my one life really more important than multiple other peoples?

I’m not saying your life is more important than multiple others, I’m pointing out the risk you’re asking others to take. If the person you’re asking to take that risk has responsibility to their own family, children, possibly elder family members, then we’re still discussing impacting the lives of multiple people on both sides of the fence.

I agree that testing like this is shit, but until that’s changed or at least somehow improved, then “just lie about it” is an unrealistic expectation.

Ok, would you be willing to gamble your career and freedom on her word that she tested dirty because of eating a salad?

Because your name would be on the paperwork and one of the first individuals pulled in if something questionable happens a year from now and they start auditing. That’s what you’re suggesting other people do with their lives.

Plenty have been fighting for it, but there’s an uphill battle against “but that’s socialism and socialism is evil!” and those that personally benefit financially who stand in the way.

Huh?

“Why does one of the parties fight against people voting?”

In general, high voter turn out leans left.

And each state determines the rules for voting. I’m in Illinois, so when I register I’m assigned a polling place. When I go there to vote, I give them my name (no need for ID) they find it in a book, I sign a thing and they give me a ballot and tear off a receipt that I keep. I’m in a traditionally Democratic/blue State.

Republican/Red states tend to do what they can to make voting harder, like frequent purging of voter registration (and not notifying people that they’re not registered anymore) or making it nearly impossible to vote by mail, then require voting in person and limiting the number of places you can vote to the point people stand in line for hours. Oh yeah, then make it illegal to offer people waiting in line a bottle of water.

I’ve worn contacts for almost 40 years, but got tired of using readers these last several years to be able to, you know, read. After unsuccessfully trying multivocal contacts, I got progressive glasses. My vision? GREAT? The 3 weeks it took to get my brain used to moving my head more and my eyes just right (especially while driving) so that seeing the right part of my prescription wasn’t swinging all over the place and making me nauseous? Fucking hell. That was absolute torture. It’s worth it on the other side at least.

I do kinda miss contacts. I may get a second opinion for my prescription and try again.

Therein lies part of the problem. A large number of those places that disguise themselves as legitimate clinics are actually covers for human trafficking.

Depending on where you are, becoming a massage therapist can take a couple years and cost thousands of dollars, require exams, and licensing. Legitimate massage therapists aren’t going to risk throwing everything away for a couple extra bucks for a handy. If sex work was legal, people wouldn’t have to masquerade as much behind legitimate business.

As for massage being snake oil, I guess it depends on what the person is claiming it’s going to do. Like I said, I’ve been doing this almost 20 years now, and have worked in health clubs (mostly doing sports/injury recovery/rehab stuff), education (teaching massage, anatomy, physiology, pathology), and now working hospice the last several years. Massage can be great for pain relief, relaxation, and general comfort. For some people with circulatory issues like lymphedema, massage can help reduce the fluid settling in their extremities. Unfortunately historically there’s a lot of questionable and downright bullshit practices that have been attached to massage, but massage on it’s own? If you like to be touched, it can be a good thing.

For the love of God can’t we just make sex work legal, take the shame out of it, and STOP associating it with massage? PLEASE?!?

I’ve been a massage therapist for almost 20 years now and have got the point where the sex jokes hit with about the same impact as asking the cashier if something is free if the item doesn’t scan at the register. I work in hospice, and not 3 weeks ago I had a patient’s brother in law giggle and ask me if I gave his sister in law a happy ending. My inside voice said “no, sorry, she’s still breathing so she has to keep dealing with you” while my outside voice pretended not to hear the comment.

“after coming from out of town to stay with their grandmother.”

I’m assuming this means this was the grandmother’s house they were staying at?

I work in hospice and and it’s not uncommon for a family member to have multiple cameras set up in an elderly loved ones house for safety reasons. Maybe she wants to remain independent, but is a fall risk. We’ve had patients refuse in home caregivers, but allow family to put in cameras to watch for falls.

I love that they call it smokeless. Sure it is, as long as you never cook anything in it! All you need is a drop of grease or juice from your food to drip on the element and it smoked. Mine had an aluminum reflector/liner in the bottom that stained like a bitch. I stopped using it because it was too much of a headache to keep clean.

Thank God the judicial system is perfect, free from prejudice, and never anything but unquestionably fair!