What about a rechargeable, dimmable booklight? No installation needed, and they're less than $12 on Amazon. The charge in mine lasts for days and days.

I get tired of having to use small bills all the time. When I was a kid, $20 was a lot of money - our whole family could eat out on that! Now, it pays for 1.25 people at an inexpensive sit down restaurant, at the very most. I wish $50 and $100 bills were more the norm like the euro bills are in Europe, and I don't know why they aren't.

Praying for peace and the right resolution.

Can you go along with her plan, but ask the mechanic to delay picking up the car and fixing it? It is possible that the DMV won't have appointments in time, if you can put it off a little. Or is the renewal too long away? There are so many risks if she leaves - having to move, the risk of hurting herself or someone else, the financial cost... If you can't delay her long enough you're going to have to tell her that you are calling the DMV.

I would think that having clothes that smell like cat urine would do the trick. IME it doesn't come out with one wash, or even two! Does she know her dad would want to get rid of the cat if he knows? That seems like a logical consequence to me.

I would ask them if I can bring lunch. If they'd rather cook, I think offering to bring it would give them the opportunity to say they'd rather cook. Or bring ingredients already prepped and cook there. They'd probably appreciate if there are leftovers. What have you done in the past regarding meals?

I have only used Barkeeper's Friend - hasn't scratched yet. 🙂 (Eta: I only use the powder BF. I didn't like the liquid as much.)

Those of you with high #'s, how much vitamin D do you take per day?

I'm sorry, Carrie. Renal failure is pretty serious. If you want to see your step-dad again, you might want to find out more information. But it stinks that you have to wait for other people to give you updates.

To me it sounds like a conversation I might have with Mary in heaven. And I agree with ktgrok: They told you, but did you really get it? If so, she and Joseph must have been out of their minds terrified when they thought they had lost God in Jerusalem when He was 12.

It might smell funky when you open it, but if it still has a horribly strong smell after 30 second or so, then I would think twice.

Never quit trying

Your two-year-old's method is the same as mine, so you shouldn't have any trouble. I'd make sure the milk is good and warm.

I am so glad to know about this! It's perfect for my people.

It would have helped, but I'm not sure about "neutralizing." I've used this trick with over-salted soup.

When we were in this situation, the bills added up fast. It was always one more thing, then another, and another. We thought the cat had cancer, but it could have been a more minor problem. I wish I had asked the vet questions like what will this test tell you, what if the results are cancer, and what if we don't do the test but treat the cat for the most likely problem... In the end, it felt like a big scam. We spent tons of money and still needed to put the cat down, all within a week, and I wished I had been smarter. Sometimes vets treat our pets as if they're children, but they're not. Animals don't want to suffer, but they don't fear death, and I think it can even be kinder to put them down than to run all kinds of tests. I'm sorry for you!

You are right. I think racism is a heart problem that every human has, and we bring it with us wherever we go.

Anti-discrimination, or anti-affirmative action? There was a measure on the ballot to require affirmative action again (except in universities since the supreme court stopped that), but it didn't pass.

Actually, I recently listened to a Rough Translation podcast about discrimination due to caste in Silicon Valley among Indians. An employee at a large company, Cisco Systems, complained about his manager discriminating against him because he was from the dalit caste, but HR wouldn't do anything, even when one manager revealed to the department or team the employee's caste, because they didn't have a category for this type of discrimination/didn't understand it. People on the podcast told about their managers trying to figure out their caste by asking where they were from in India or patting their shoulders to check for clothing that brahmin wear or asking if they are vegetarian. This episode is called "How to be an Anti-Casteist" from September 30th.

Praying!

I couldn't cook without my Cuisinart food processor. This year I'm asking for a subscription to the NY Times Food website. It costs $40, and they send emails around 2x a week with really interesting recipes.

I just finished Lisa Jewell's Then She was Gone. It was sooo good, and it's on the list of buy 2/get 3.

Where did you see this deal? I can't see it, probably because I'm too excited. 🙂

A trick I have successfully used is to lay down a thick layer of towels on the wet spots, then stack a pile of heavy books, and leave it for a day or so. The stains always wick up, and that's why they reappear when they get wet. The towels will soak up the stain, though you may have to go through the process a few times.

Praying!