Okay, I took one for the team and invested the time to find my washer's manual. This is what it says about the different water temperature settings: Tap Cold: This is the temperature from your faucet. Cold: Warm water may be added to assist in soil removal and to help dissolve detergents. Cool: Warm water is added to assist in soil removal and to help dissolve detergents. Cool is slightly warmer than cold. Warm: Some cold water will be added, so this will be cooler than what your previous washer provided. Hot: Some cold water is added to save energy. This will be cooler than your hot water setting. And that's all decidedly unhelpful, really. How much better would it be if there was a heating element and we knew exact water temperatures? But there's that energy efficiency thing again.

I think it's sort of a product of aging and changing family dynamics mixed with other factors. As we age we just get tired of doing some things. Worn out, burnt out. And I look back over the years and can see I've given up some hobbies because I got tired of them, or replaced them with other things I found to be more enjoyable or interesting or that fit my current life stage better. And I don't see that cycle changing. It's hard to predict now what I might find tedious or still enjoyable and interesting in another few years, or what new and different things might interest me.

My washing machine, a one year old HE top loading Maytag, has these water temperature options: Tap cold Cold Cool Warm Hot Tap cold here right now would be (to me) almost lukewarm. In the winter it would definitely be downright chilly.

It's impossible for me to say accurately w/o something in the picture for size context. However, the veggie serving looks very skimpy to me. Again, can't say w/o size context but I'd guess I typically eat at least three times the veggies that appear to be in your picture, and would likely have some fruit for dessert. FWIW, I'm 4'10" and not overweight. But--a portion on one plate means nothing. I have no idea how much you eat for other meals or snacks, or if you're going to have a ginormous piece of cake or pie for dessert, etc. And it's rude to comment on anyone's food intake. Period. (But I also think it's weird to post pictures of ones food, but that's none of my business, either!)

My guess, or at least one of them, is that too many Americans use way too much detergent. Front loaders really need just a tiny bit. And if you're used to using a regular water hog top loader it's hard to wrap your mind around using such a tiny amount. Too much detergent hampers cleaning and causes all sorts of other problems (like build up of gunk in the machine). And unfortunately the detergent manufacturers don't do anything to discourage overuse--their directions are usually not very clear, and caps aren't well marked. If you don't do independent research, or at the very least read the machine instructions, it's really easy to use much more detergent than necessary and create all sorts of issues. Years ago I started using one of those two tablespoon shot glass measuring cups for detergent. I never use more than two tablespoons of detergent, even in the largest and dirtiest loads. I've never had a machine that didn't clean well. But it' also very possible, maybe likely, that the machines over there are made better.

We have to scrub our outside garbage can a few times a year, especially during the summer. The heat/humidity here combined with what seems to be unavoidable garbage can gunk leads to maggots and odors and all around nastiness if we don't. Our method is to fill it about one-third or so full of water, add in a few large glugs of PineSol or similar cleaner, take an old broom and swish it around. Let it stand awhile, then dump it out. flip it upside down and let it air dry. I've cleaned garbage cans all my life and have never had any degradation of the cans. The flipping it upside down is the hardest part for me. The thing is bigger than I am!

That's what I did when we had medium/large dogs. You can get an inexpensive new crib mattress for not much more than a good quality dog bed, and the inexpensive crib mattress will be much better quality. Sheets are cheap, and super easy to remove and wash. And being vinyl/waterproof the mattress itself doesn't get smelly.

But I think maybe it's a whole different world nowadays, since almost everyone walks around 24/7 with a camera (cell phone) permanently attached.

I don't keep up with celebs, so I don't know any of the particulars. But my general feeling is that if one is any sort of celebrity by choice then being photographed and asked for autographs comes with the territory. It's pretty much a job requirement, and one that the person certainly should have been aware of before pursuing/accepting a place in the spotlight. Also, as far as I'm aware no one has a right to privacy in a public space (that's here in the U.S.). But I've also never understood the allure of getting a photo or autograph of a celebrity. I just don't get the appeal. It's as if people think having a photo or autograph of someone famous increases their own importance? It kind of screams "low self esteem" to me.

A bag of frozen peas makes the best ice pack. And I say that based on very recent experience--I lost a tooth last week due to a horrendously painful abscess. That bag of peas was invaluable.

Our dentist absolutely insists on a milkshake or smoothie on the way home. And ice packs and Motrin on a regular schedule for several days. And more milkshakes and smoothies. Her big thing is keeping the swelling down. She says that is the key to avoiding issues. I hope it goes smoothly!

Your Columbia must be a different style than the one I have, because I really don't think the one I have could possibly be any thinner.

We mainly use insulated tumblers and mugs to avoid the need for coasters.

I have Columbia and LL Bean. The LL Bean fit me better but I do NOT like the fabric. It's almost canvas like--stiff and crinkly. The Columbia is light, breezy and soft. But I had to size way up to get a loose fit. Like I normally wear a small and thought a medium would be loose enough, but had to go all the way to a large.

I doubt that the short lifespan of most appliances has much, if anything, to do with energy efficiency. I suspect it's all to do with greed.

If you want long lasting you may want to look into percale. They aren't as soft as sateen, but they last a LOT longer. They do get softer over time. When you think of your grandma's sheets--those were most likely percale. There's probably a high likelihood that those 25 yo sheets you have are percale. I may get either these or these as my next sheets.

You mean OTC and first aid stuff? Ours lives in a plastic bin under the sink in the half bath, except small bottles of Tylenol and Motrin live in a decorative holder on the kitchen counter. DH's prescriptions live in an upper kitchen cabinet. Mine are in multiple places that probably wouldn't make sense to anyone else but works for me. We don't have any young kids in the house, so thankfully don't have to worry about that.

I have two bins in my fridge that have humidity controls. I keep one set on low and one on high, and store produce in the appropriate one. And I try to make sure we eat the most delicate stuff first.

Depends on time of day and on how humid and windy it is, but in general I'd say morning lows in the upper 20's to low 30's would have us reaching for a warmer jacket. If the low is above the mid-30's and it's not very windy or damp then I'm thinking more about layering a couple of lighter weight jackets, or a heavier long sleeved shirt and a light jacket. I'm in NC, but not up in the higher elevations where winters are much colder and wind chill is often a huge factor.

That sounds a little extreme to me. Have you had a checkup recently? If not, you might want to consider at least having some blood work done, just in case there's an underlying problem. I'm a lot older than you, and the only time I've had that extreme of a problem with falling asleep was in the few months before I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism. Of course it's different if you're suffering from insomnia at night, or really truly burning the candle on both ends. But if you're sleeping reasonably well and anywhere close to seven hours a night and still getting that sleepy during the day I'd look for a reason other than "pushing 40."

One of our former cats was acting really lethargic and just all around out of sorts once, so I took him into the vet. He was one of those very dog like, totally love bug, easy going cats who pretty much adored any kind of human petting or handling. So she was a bit puzzled when she went to take his temperature and he yowled, almost like a scream. She poked around and found a very swollen area on the back of his thigh, very near his rear end. It was an abscess that needed shaving, draining and antibiotics. Our only guess was that our other cat had scratched him.

Tooth abscess would be one possibility. Or an abscess from something else--like if you have another cat that scratched him. Probably a good thing you're getting him in so quickly.

Dog hair isn't a problem here currently (the pooch sheds less than I do). When we had shedding dogs I either used a stick vac or a Swiffer. For mopping I like the O'Cedar spin mop better than any other I've ever used.

I wouldn't worry, but I do think you're doing the right thing to get it checked out. Lots of things can cause period wonkiness during the peri-menopause years, and a certain amount of weirdness isn't unusual at all. But when it's enough that you're noticing fatigue you need to get it checked out and figure out how to stop it. Not to mention that the non-stop bleeding is a huge quality of life issue that nobody should have to put up with. Mine was caused by a large fibroid.

I've certainly encountered this problem since being diagnosed with RA. There's no denying that restricting food intake for weight loss takes a lot of mental energy and reduces physical energy. Even watching things very closely for maintenance can do it. And on top of the fatigue of RA I just haven't been able to deal with that. The "cost" isn't worth it to me at this point. I've gained a couple of pounds since being diagnosed last year (I know that doesn't sound like much, but I'm only 4'10" so it's not insignificant). I don't like it, but I'm okay with it because it's a conscious decision I made and not due to out-of-control eating. I simply can't restrict myself to the maintenance level I used to and maintain any quality of life now. There are always choices to be made, and sometimes neither choice is good. But that's life.