I think they do, but I think a lot of it is because they have so many more choices. The grocery stores we shopped at when I was a kid were about the size of the produce departments in many grocery stores now. And now the assumption is that fruits and veggies that were at best seasonal offerings during my childhood will be available every day of the year. And having access to more varied food is great, and it's understandable that people have expectations of being able to afford those choices.

I'm on the tail end of the Boomers, had my kids somewhat late, and feel the same way. There have been many threads on here bashing and trashing the Boomers, how we all had it so easy and are resting on our laurels and blah blah, while discussing the posters' own struggles with paying for kids' college while taking care of elders (or whatever other struggle) and I'm over here thinking "Hold on a minute, DH and I are Boomers and we're in exactly the same situation as you all who are feeling so self righteous bashing us." It makes no sense, and it's one of many reasons categorizing people into silly "generations" drives me batty. I think it's just another way to stereotype and divide people, and keep us arguing amongst ourselves.

Why would a linen or cotton (or pick any other fabric) blanket be itchier or fuzzier than a linen or cotton duvet cover? Assuming equal quality, of course. And as far as dust, why would a blanket collect dust more than a duvet cover of the same material? Plus I thought the premise here was ease of frequent washing? Why would dust be a factor if you're washing it once or more a week? Sure there are different weaves, and some blankets can be weird. But all of our blankets are butter soft and super cozy. So overall I'm not getting this train of thought. But again--you do what works for you. I'm not "arguing" that one is better than the other for all people. Just that different things work for different people and that people should do what works for them. Occasionally I like to publicize my differentness so others don't feel alone. 😉 (ETA: And apparently yesterday was my day for publication, since I said "ho hum" in one of the eclipse threads, too.)

No. And I have no desire to. If I were in the path of totality I doubt that I’d spend a dollar to buy glasses to look at it. It’s just my thing.

I think we’re sisters. My apparently very unpopular opinion is that eclipses are hugely overrated.

?? The point of the article seems to be that people are splurging on things like “fancy sodas and drinks,” not that essential groceries are being considered a splurge.

I'll readily concede that some duvet covers are lighter/less bulky to wash than some blankets. But I've seen some that are every bit as heavy and bulky as some blankets of the same size. But this is comparing apples and oranges. If you're going to wash the blanket frequently then there's no reason to use a top sheet, just as you probably don't use one with your duvets. The apples to apples comparison is no top sheet and a duvet to no top sheet and a blanket. So no tucking needed for either one, and just a quick shake to smooth out either one. Like I posted earlier, people should absolutely do their beds the way the want. But for me -- I just can't see any way that a duvet isn't more fussy than a blanket.

But if you use a washable blanket instead of the duvet you don't have to unstuff it, and then stuff it back in, and then shake it out. And the bed is just as easy to make. I too have never understood the love of duvets, except for people who live in very cold climates or can't afford/don't want to pay for keeping their house reasonably warm. If you need a heavy down duvet for warmth then sure using it and a cover makes sense. But otherwise--I don't get it. It's so much more hassle than a good blanket.

If you're on a laptop or desktop you should see an envelope icon in the upper right corner. Click on that. If you're on a phone you should see three bars in the upper right corner. Click on that and then click on the envelope icon. (That's how it works on my devices and browsers; I don't know if it's different with others.)

My excuse is dogs. 😉

I prefer grated extra sharp cheddar, but if I'm in a hurry or not feeling well (grits are one of my comfort foods) then I use a slice of Kraft American cheese.

A tow package can include a lot of things. Sometimes it's just a stronger or reinforcing bar, and sometimes it's that plus some engine, transmission and/or suspension modifications.

I like grams so much better than cups that I've done the conversion on most of my regular recipes where getting the ingredient amount accurate matters (like others, I eyeball a lot of things that won't make much difference if there's a little more or less than the recipe calls for). Not only is it more precise, but it's made for efficient lazy people. Weighing ingredients creates a lot less to clean up than using multiple measuring cups and spoons does.

If a recipe says "one cup parsley leaves, chopped" then I would measure out a cup and then chop (how tight I'd pack the cup would depend on the recipe). If a recipe says "one cup chopped parsley leaves" then I would chop and then measure. That's how I was taught to interpret recipes.

I think everyone gets to do their bed however they want. We do fitted bottom sheet, top sheet (tightly and neatly tucked in at the bottom) and two blankets that are easy peasy to wash. I need plenty of layering options 'cause menopause, and I need easily washable because I'm a bit of a clean freak and the doggos sleep with us.

Umm . . isn't that very common knowledge? I don't understand "used to." It's the way you make a bed. It's definitely how I taught my boys to do it.

I've never known it to. It works very well, but to me it seems to be just a little more abrasive than baking soda. The website says it's safe for ceramic. But maybe test in an inconspicuous place first, just to be safe?

I think each point on the Richter scale is 100 times stronger. So a 6.8 would be 200 times stronger than a 4.8. And I think the depth of the quake has a lot to do with it, too? So a 7.0 deep quake probably wouldn't cause as much damage as a 7.0 shallow one? But I'm far from an expert, so I could be wrong on both!

Huh. DH was in the 1989 World Series earthquake. I think it's also referred to as the Loma Prieta quake. It was 6.9. Everything was so disrupted it took him four days to be able to get a flight home. 57 people died and there were thousands injured. I'd call that big.

I don't read the OP (or anyone else) stating that. To me the question seems clearly to be "how can I repurpose them?" Ditto. My hands are pretty much wrecked by RA and OA. Lots of things are difficult and painful, and putting sheets on a bed is very near the top of that list.

I keep a few around for when we need to cover up a big item or put one down over the floor while we work on a project. If we use one for either of those things or something similar and the sheet is more than lightly dirty then it goes in the trash.

Since IIRC both of you have some chronic issues I'd go for the establishing care appointments, which I think will get you more time to go over things. IME physicals nowadays tend to be very cut-and-dried, and if you talk about anything beyond the very basic stuff you get charged extra anyway. Having more time to go over things is especially important if this provider is in a different network than any of the specialists either of you see. If they're in the same network and can see your electronic stuff then it's maybe not quite so important to have the extra time.

My first thought was per person because it's not fair to penalize singles. The use of the AirBnB includes more than beds, and two people are using twice as many of the resources (other than beds) than one person is. But hotel rooms are usually priced per room and assume double occupancy, so . . I don't know. If I were part of the group (a couple or a single) I'd be fine with either way.

I'm not surprised at all that more people haven't moved. Some lack the funds to do so. Some have deep family ties to the area. Some don't believe in climate change and think the worsening conditions over the past few years are just a blip. Some probably think it's less risky to stay where they are than to uproot their lives to move to another area they might hate. Others have enough savings to fund retirement in the area they're in, but not enough to move to a higher cost of living area. There are lots of valid (IMO) reasons people stay where they are. What I don't understand is why people continue to voluntarily move to high risk areas. The southeastern NC coast down through the Myrtle Beach, SC, area has seen record growth in the past few years. And that's an area that sees a lot of hurricanes and tropical storms and will be affected by rising sea levels. People continue to flock to Florida, Arizona and lots of other sunbelt areas. I guess there's a lot of "it won't happen to me (or in my lifetime)" thinking. I read an article a couple of months ago about the growth in the southeastern NC/northeastern SC coastal areas and one lady said something along the lines of "I just wanted a sunny place along the coast that I could afford. I never even thought about hurricanes." SMH

Black male cats are the best cats. ❤️