Also me: QualifiedKitten@kbin.social

  • 2 Posts
  • 103 Comments
Joined 1 year ago
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Cake day: July 3rd, 2023

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  • My weight has bounced up and down a bit over the past few years, and while I’ve never been obese (just overweight), I very much notice how gaining weight begins to restrict my range of motion, so I think it is often a bit of a snowball effect. As you gain weight, moving gets harder, and when moving gets harder, you probably move less, making it even easier to keep putting on weight.

    Like you mentioned, I’ve also noticed that my pain levels often increase when I move less. I was very hesitant to run or do squats for a long time due to a family history of knee problems, but I have a strong suspicion now that those knee problems were likely made worse due to inactivity. I am still pretty cautious about any knee aches, but I found my knees became less achy as I worked to strengthen my leg muscles.

    I think car culture is also a major factor. I currently live in a location where I can comfortably function without a car. I do make an effort to exercise for the sole purpose of exercise, but even if I didn’t, daily life still forces me to get up and move around quite a bit. Not too long ago, I was visiting family and borrowed the car to run some errands. I had 2 stops that were less than a block apart, so I decided to walk, and I will never make that mistake again, because the way everything is designed there really encourages driving and punishes pedestrians.




  • I could be completely wrong, but my life experience so far suggests that the best way to get better at something is to put yourself into situations where you have to actually practice the skill. I’ve been fostering cats and kittens for a few years, and I think it has really pushed me to learn how to manage my emotions better.


  • Yep. The dry cycle also takes about twice as long, but supposedly it’s more gentle on fabrics. It’s a pretty nifty option for small spaces without a way to properly vent the dryer, but I can see why they’re not more popular. The machine came with the place, so I didn’t exactly choose it, but I hang dry most stuff anyway, and definitely prefer it over dealing with shared, coin operated machines.


  • Ooops. Millennial here and I often iron my bed sheets. I have a weird ventless washer/dryer combo thing, and no matter how quickly I pull my sheets out or what dryness level I set it to, they come out quite wrinkled. I don’t really mind if the main sheet is a bit wrinkly, but it drives me nuts when the top edge gets all folded, and then those folds become permanent creases.


  • I’ve used them in a few rentals. There’s a wide variety of options available that are just bulbs + an app, or bulbs & a hub + an app, so unless you have some unusual fixtures, they can be used anywhere.

    In fact, my last apartment had an unusual fixture: an overhead fixture that had hardwired LEDs in it, rather than any sort of swappable bulb, so I found a cheap overhead fixture that fit standard E26 bulbs, and just swapped the fixtures for the duration of my stay, then switched them back when I moved out. As long as you can ensure the power to the fixture is off at the breaker, it should be a pretty simple swap.


    • Smart lights throughout the house. Mine very gradually dim off in the evening, simulating sunset, which helps convince my body to crawl into bed. They also gradually dim on in the mornings, which helps ease me into being awake. When my routines are strong, I’m often up and out of bed before my alarm (and before sunrise).
    • Exercise. I find that working out first thing in the morning works best for me, but my friend does better with evening workouts. Consistency is much more important than time of day, but maybe don’t expect to fall asleep immediately after working out.
    • Sleep cycles. A typical sleep cycle is roughly 90 minutes, so aiming for a bedtime that gives you a multiple of 90 minutes total sleep time can make the waking up part easier. I used to use the Sleep ad Android app for my alarm because it could try to detect your sleep cycles and would wake you up early if it meant waking you up in the ideal sleep phase.
    • Don’t sleep in. I know it’s a real tough one, but if you can force yourself to get up on a consistent schedule, you’re more likely to be actually tired on schedule also. This one is especially challenging to stick to if you want to get up early on weekdays, but stay up late on weekends. Naps may help here, but it can take some practice to find what works.
    • Bed is for sleep (and sex) only. Don’t hang out in bed, and if you’re having a lot of trouble falling asleep, get out of bed for a while until you’re feeling more tired. This helps your brain form a stronger association where bed = sleep.
    • Avoid caffeine, alcohol, marijuana, etc., before bed. While some of these may help you fall asleep, they often result in lower quality sleep and may make it more likely that you wake up.
    • Limit fluid intake before bed so that you don’t wake up in the middle of the night to pee. *Routine. I think I kinda loosely touched on this in a few other points, but sticking to a consistent routine makes it so much easier to fall asleep and wake up.

    Oh, and if your responsibilities and/or latitude have you regularly trying to sleep during daylight hours, definitely get a sleep mask and/or some good blackout curtains so you can block out the light. Ear plugs may also be helpful if noise is an issue.







  • I still use Craigslist, but it does seem like fewer other people do. I’ve never really cared to get top dollar for whatever I list, I mostly just want to avoid tossing it in the garbage or hauling it to a donation drop off, and it’s worked well for that. I’m currently browsing for a few items, and it does feel cluttered with dealers, even when supposedly limiting it for sale by owner only.

    I tried Offer Up once a few years ago, and for some reason, it didn’t notify me of any responses, so by the time I thought to check it again, I had already sold the item through CL. I refuse to use any Meta products, so FB Marketplace effectively doesn’t exist to me.



  • I was actually looking this up the other day regarding ducks, and had trouble finding an actual answer. What’s the difference between a breeding male, a non breeding male, and a juvenile male? They each look different, but why? Can an individual bird/duck go through phases of each? Somebody please info dump! Links greatly appreciated too!