Our daughter got braces on in March (just before the shutdown), and has had one follow-up appointment. They are being hypervigilent with precautions, and I'm not concerned at all.

Face shields are meant to be used with a mask, not in place of one. They will not protect you even a little bit from aerosols (you are still breathing in the air around you), nor will they protect others from your aerosols. They will keep droplets from flying into your eyes, or flying out of your mouth/nose.

For the baking powder/soda balls, sometimes I will just squish the baking powder into the measuring spoon with my thumb, allowing the un-balled powder to escape over the top of the spoon. But when it really matters, I'll sift my ingredients through a large wire strainer that rests across the top of my mixing bowl. I measure my ingredients into the strainer, then stir with a whisk or spoon, allowing the powders to mix and sift at the same time. Any little balls left get squished with my spoon, through the wire mesh. For biscuits, it's my understanding that it's all about the brand of flour. If possible, find the brands that people referenced in the above posts.

Well, since it will be an oral surgeon who does the extraction, make an appointment, and let that be your second opinion. I would never have a regular dentist do an extraction on a child or young person. It is a very traumatic procedure, and may make your daughter afraid of dentists forever after. (ETA: I wish I had taken my son to an oral surgeon for his extractions.)

I hate wearing a bra. In summer, I wear a sundress. I have one that is lined, and kind of gathered into a princess/baby doll front, that conceals the fact that I am not wearing a bra. In colder weather, I wear a loose fitting sweatshirt, sometimes with a t-shirt or tank underneath, and no bra. If we have no guests, I go braless no matter what I'm wearing, but if someone comes to the door, I'll throw a bra on before I answer.

PeterPan, I tried to PM you with details about all the exercises, but got an error message that says you can't receive messages. If you're interested, PM me your e-mail address, and I'll send the info to you.

I walked into Target, saw a beautiful, red Oster toaster, said, "Ooo! Red!" and bought it. That was almost 15 years ago. It still works, and I still like looking at it. I've always been happy with Oster toasters.

I went to the PT four times, with visits 7-10 days apart. The exercises were very specific, but here's a general description. (Equipment needed: 65cm exercise ball and a squishy 10-inch diameter ball). In addition to the following exercises, I did a whole bunch of Kegals throughout. There were three levels of exercises. The first week involved sitting on an exercise ball while squeezing a smaller ball between my knees, moving my pelvis forward/back, side-to-side, or rotating my pelvis round and round, first with both feet on the floor, then doing each movement with one foot off the floor (then again with the other foot), all while squeezing the smaller ball between my knees. I went through all the exercises twice, which took about 10 minutes. After doing the first level exercises daily for a week, I switched to a series of exercises lying on my back, again with the small ball between my knees, with my foot/feet on the wall, lifting my pelvis off the floor, and raising/lowering one foot, or raising/lowering my pelvis with one then the other foot raised off the wall. (again, there were specific motions/exercises/reps, plus more Kegals) Third week involved the same exercises as the second week, lying on my back with my feet up, except that, instead of having my feet against the wall, I had them on exercise ball. This was super challenging, so at first I had the ball pressed against the wall to keep it under control. Eventually, I was able to do most of the exercises with free ball. (I was also able to cough and sneeze without leaking, which was the goal)

Sit-ups put a lot of strain on your pelvic floor, as well as your lower back. I have no idea whether I can do a sit-up. I can sit up in bed, with my legs extended under the covers, so maybe that counts? But, really, I have problems with stress incontinence and have had problems with loosey-goosey v@ginal walls, so I don't want to add more strain in that area. I went to a physical therapist who specializes in the pelvic floor, and she highly recommended that I NOT do sit-ups or crunches. She gave me many other exercises that would strengthen my pelvic muscles and my core.

I feel the same way about linking my main bank account to my PayPal account. I got around it by opening a second checking account that I use only for PayPal. That way, I can get my money, and PayPal doesn't have any access to my other bank accounts. I keep the money in that account so that I have it when I wish to make a PayPal purchase, though I can easily transfer it to one of my other bank accounts if I need it.

Our order was recently extended to May 16th (at the earliest), but the pattern has been to add time in two week increments, so I predict it will soon be extended to May 30th (or at least through Memorial Day). I'm definitely seeing more and more evidence that people are fed up. I live in the mountains, and personally have had no trouble abiding with the stay-home order (I've mostly enjoyed it), but I'm currently leaning more toward the "enough already" group. I could be persuaded back toward supporting the lock-down if given more information from those in charge. Our (democrat) governor (New Mexico) just keeps tacking on two weeks at a time, saying to hold out for two more weeks, then two more weeks, then two more weeks, but never says exactly what we're waiting for, what the exit plan is, or what difference two more weeks is going to make. I don't understand why they can't give us some pegs on which to hang our hats, some benchmarks we can see with our own eyes, rather than just trying to keep the fear level up. I don't appreciate being kept in the dark. (I see from this thread that some government officials are being more transparent. I would appreciate the same for our state, given our sparse population, and arid environment. I feel like our government sees us as little children or "pretty little wives" who "shouldn't worry our pretty little heads", but just trust and let the experts take care of things. We're not children, and we're perfectly capable of understanding what is going on. I can look at this thing and see that we're looking at months, not weeks. The flatter the curve, the longer the duration. Simple math. Why do they keep saying "two more weeks", over and over again? If we're going to be closed all summer, then say so, so we can plan accordingly. If they don't see a safe way to open schools in the fall, then say so. (Our daughter is in private school, and we need to decide by May 15th whether to keep her enrolled, or pull her out to homeschool her. That decision is heavily weighted by whether she will being doing school online or in person). People are also more and more fed up with inconsistencies in what activities are considered "essential" verses what is really essentially safe. A mayor of a small town nearby (Grants, NM) is openly opposing the governor's shelter order, encouraging the small businesses in his town to open (with physical distancing procedures), and opening the town golf course. The town sheriff was shopping at the pawn shop (which is only allowing one customer in at a time, and is cleaning everything they touch when they leave). The mayor was directing the news camera to pan over the vast golf course, saying "You want social distancing? How's that for social distancing?" (20 people total on the course, the whole day). The state police brought a cease and desist order, but the mayor said he's gonna keep letting people play golf, even if he has to sue the state. He was asking the question, "Why is it dangerous to work at City Hall, but okay to work in Walmart?" Another thing happening that the government doesn't talk about is that the healthcare system (outside the ICU) is almost completely shut down. No one gets any health services unless they have COVID, or under extreme emergencies. Medical professionals are being furloughed. Doctors, dentists, and eye doctors' offices are all closed. Entire floors of hospitals are closed down. Only the most critical patients are getting any care at all. I know one person who was in extreme pain for two weeks, but was sent home from the ER twice before finally being allowed an MRI, which showed stones in her bile duct, as well as her gall bladder). Other people have had their needed surgeries and procedures postponed indefinitely (My FIL had cataract surgery scheduled in March - "elective" doesn't mean boob jobs). They say they don't want to "overwhelm" the healthcare system, but they're killing it instead. The doctors' offices were already so backed up in the US that they were scheduling out 4-6 months, or longer. When they open back up, they will be backed up for a year or more! Talk about overwhelmed! I haven't joined the "rebels" yet, but I'm actually leaning toward the "Bring it on" stage, honestly. With no vaccine, the only way out of this thing is natural immunity. Since it's a novel virus, the only way to get immunity is to get the virus and recover. The only way to build the herd immunity we need to protect society is for a whole lot of people to become immune. I actually believe my family had it back in December, but without a reliable, readily available antibody test, there's no way to know for sure. Here in NM, the vast majority (over 95%) of people who have gotten COVID-19 have recovered at home, with no hospitalization, and our numbers in general are relatively good. I think most people are just willing to take the risk. Let the high-risk people stay home. Let the healthy people with strong immune systems get it, recover, become immune, and build that herd immunity sooner, rather than later. Remember Chicken Pox parties? Back before there was the varicella vaccine, moms would make play dates with contagious chicken pox kids in order to expose their own kids to the virus. It was well known that everyone was going to get it eventually, and getting it young was much preferable to getting it as an adult, or even as a teen. Getting it on purpose gave some sense of control over the situation. I'm not a conspiracy theorist, but I am nervous about the level of government control this situation is creating. We have almost every business in the country in debt to the government (these are loans, not assistance). We have the healthcare system (which was already severely handicapped) essentially shut down. We have the populace in fear for their lives. And we potentially have a bankrupt government, going in debt and printing money. The government would like to control every aspect of the reopening. These things bother me way more than the virus itself, but I guess that's fodder for a different thread.

Filled up today at Sam's Club. With member discount, paid $1.21 / gal. (non-member price, $1.26) This is in Albuquerque, NM

We're not really following any of those extra sanitation procedures at home, except washing hands more thoroughly and often (I hope everyone is, but they're mostly grown-ups, so I don't police them). I don't see the point of cleaning things every time we touch them, since we're mostly just here all the time with each other, and rarely go anywhere. Dh goes to work, but he washes up and changes clothes immediately when he gets home. I don't know if he'll continue to do so after this is over. We carry Clorox wipes in the car to clean our hands after we've been anywhere. We'll probably continue that for awhile. I'm buying a lot less *stuff*, and I'll probably continue that trend. I'm really enjoying NOT having to get my dd to school every morning. I will be glad when she can drive herself. ETA: We live in the country, and I've only been to town three times in four weeks, so that may contribute to my lack of vigilance. When I do go to town, I feel dirty. If we lived in the city, I would probably be a lot more sanitary. Plus, I believe we already had the virus, back before it had a name. It ruined our Christmas. (Yes, I know they say it didn't come to the US until February, but they've said a lot of things that weren't true.)

Glitchy double post

My guess is that the press conferences are being held in a different space, a larger space that allows for social distancing between the reporters, so it's a different podium.

I have a whole bunch of Cutco, but I didn't buy it all at once. (Got some from my nephew, some from a family friend, some from a vendor at the state fair). They're all awesome. I love their guarantee. It really is a full lifetime warranty, and they honor it. When we moved my mom out of her house (after 50 years), we found two Cutco knives that she had received as a wedding present in 1952. One was very dull (after 60 years, that was no surprise). The other had the blade completely sheared off, apparently by someone using it as a pry bar (probably my brother). Anyway, I sent them to Cutco, along with a check for $7.00 to cover return shipping. They sent me two brand new knives that are the modern equivalent of the styles I sent in. No extra cost, just two brand new knives, even though one had been clearly abused. I love my Cutco. I love that I can put it in the dishwasher without them rusting or dulling or the handles getting loose. I love that they're always sharp, even after years of use. I love that, when they do get dull, I can send them to the factory for sharpening at no cost, except shipping charge. I love how they feel in my hand. The contoured handles are wonderful, and they're all well balanced. I love that the scissors easily come apart for cleaning. You just open them all the way, and they slip apart. They go in the dishwasher as well. (No worry about what grossness is hiding in the hinge) If I were only going to buy a few, these are my favorites: Scissors (they're awesome, and I think every kitchen should have scissors that can be sanitized, but they are very expensive) Chef knife (for chopping veggies) Table knives (they're serrated, so they work wonderfully for steak, but they have rounded tips, so they're safer at the table than steak knives) Cheese knife (so versatile. It's not just for cheese.) Small serrated utility knife (I can't remember what it's called) Wonderful for slicing tomatoes. Bread knife (super sharp, be careful) Fillet knife (wonderful for removing skin, bones, or fat from meat) Paring knife (fits well in the hand) Spreader (Has a flat, flexible blade that's serrated on one edge. I like how it rings when I pull it out of the knife block, and it's great for lots of light duty uses) I have several others, and they're all very good. They don't fit my cooking style, so I don't use them as often. ETA: Oh, School1777 reminded me about the Vegetable Peeler. How did I forget? (probably because I keep it a drawer, and I was only picturing my knife block in my head.) Yes. If I could only get one piece of Cutco, it would be the Vegetable Peeler. (I believe it's also the least expensive piece they sell, but I could be wrong about that)

I'm enjoying "My Dear Hamilton", a historical fiction based on source documents told from the perspective of Alexander Hamilton's wife, Elizabeth. If you like Julie Andrews, her two memoirs are fascinating (read by Julie). They're titled "Home", and "Home Work" I love anything by Jodi Picoult or Barbara Kingsolver. "Dodge & Twist" is a wonderful story about the artful Dodger and Oliver Twist meeting up as young adults (an Audible original, I think) Of course, all of the Harry Potter books are wonderful, as are the Tolkien books. We love the Inheritance series as well (dragons).

Soap (and detergent) work by breaking apart oil molecules and surrounding them, so they can be rinsed away. The virus cell is surrounded by a lipid (fat) layer, so given adequate time, soap will cause the virus cell to fall apart into a zillion pieces. If soap and water work better than alcohol wipes, and should be used if available for the surface you are cleaning. Sanitizers work in a pinch, if soap and water are not available. I would think that wipes that bubble or foam up, or better if they definitely contain soap, would work, given enough time to do their chemical thing on the lipid layer, but I don't have any wipes available to check whether they are soap or something else. If they're just basically water and lotion, they're not going to do anything.

My daughter is a freshman in a private 6-12 school. They have been closed since last Wednesday. The first couple days, not much happened except emails from each teacher, and from the school, letting us know that they were getting geared up for online school. On Monday, they opened up the campus so the students could come in at their scheduled time to get stuff. For school work, they're mostly just finishing up assignments and taking tests. For paper assignments, they could scan or photograph their completed work, and submit that. She took two tests that the teachers had typed into digital format. The school uses Canvas, and all the 8-12th grade students have laptops, so these tools were readily available to all the students. For the 6th and 7th graders, who don't necessarily have laptops, the school had Chromebooks for them to borrow for the duration. They picked those up Monday as well. Spring Break starts tomorrow. After that, they'll go full on-line, with lectures and Zoom classes, on a full-day schedule. They'll continue that for as long as needed. The Seniors are supposed to stop classes and begin their Senior Projects five weeks before the end of the school year, so April 10th is their last school day anyway. I'm not sure what they will do if they have internships or other projects that they can't get to. I guess they'll have to come up with other projects they can do in isolation. I hope they get to have their commencement. The public schools are closed as of last Thursday, but I don't know what they're doing. We're one of the poorest states in the US, so I know many families don't have internet access at home. I know the school system is providing lunches to those kids who rely on that (there are several schools here whose entire population qualifies for free lunch, and most of the schools have a substantial number of families in the same boat.) They're just handing them out in parking lots. I have no idea what, if anything, those schools are doing about academics.

Yesterday, I told my 14yodd about this story. I didn't even have to ask her what she thought of it. She just jumped in and said, "That's totally valid! I love that! That sounds like a perfect date! Kids don't have money to go on expensive dates, but walking around Target, then watching a movie in the parking lot sounds perfect. It shows that spending time together is what's most important, not expensive meals or movies or gifts. They're just hanging out together. It's private, but there's no pressure. Sounds like a perfect date for teenagers." This dd has never dated. I'm not even sure she's kissed anyone (I think she would tell me). But, she's quite aware of how things work in the world. She didn't jump into gutter thinking. She could totally see herself having this kind of date, and thought it would be wonderful. We don't need to just assume that kids are going to be ripping their clothes off each other if we turn our backs for a second.

Oh no! That would be enough for me to just stop buying groceries! LOL Oh, so we weren't weird. I'm thinking about it again, and maybe the car had better reception than any of the tuners we had in the house. And surround sound! Maybe that's why we did it (along with at least the kids in your neighborhood).

You reminded me of my teen years. I had two brothers and a best friend. We used to just all sit in the driveway, in the car (a 70s Mercury station wagon) and listen to the radio. Sometimes, my bff would actually lie across the roof of the car. We'd have all the windows open and the radio playing; I'd typically have my feet out the window, and we'd just chat. Simply, we couldn't afford gas to go anywhere, and we didn't have money for anyplace once we got there. Listening to the radio was free, and the car was comfortable, and it was "ours". A neighbor commented that it took him awhile to figure out what the heck we were doing in there... "Are they having car trouble? Are they having a meeting? Are they just listening to the radio?" I really have no idea why we did it, except that it was different than sitting in the house, maybe a bit more independent? Perhaps we were wishing we had someplace to go? Maybe we were just weird?" I don't know. But, yeah, your kids' idea of a fun time together sounds awesome to me. No need to be complicated.

LibraVox is a worldwide organization of volunteers who read books in the public domain. You can read a whole book or just a chapter here and there. There's a website that connects readers with books they're interested in reading. It's not a paid gig, but it would give you practice. libravox.org

I'm glad you're doing better. If it was a cyst, hopefully it was a one-time thing, and you won't have to go through that again. The only time I've had a pain like you describe, I believe it was my IUD (copper, t-shaped Paraguard). I think it must have turned or something. But it righted itself, pain disappeared, ultrasound didn't show any problems, and I kept it in for another 5 years or so with no problems. (I've since had it removed have never had another problem). Of course, you would know if you had an IUD! I'm just saying I can empathize with your off-the-charts, worse than unmedicated childbirth (I've had three), uterine pain. It was horrible and scary to lie there unable to move and hardly even breathe because of the pain. I'm glad you're better.

LarlaB, how are you doing? Is the pain subsided? Have you seen a doctor?