Electric wheelchair.
Pretty much been housebound since 2018. I can walk short distances, but large stores like a grocery store or a Home Depot were out of reach unless they had their own scooters available, which were often broken, or un-charged.
Malls were out entirely. City centers? Not a chance.
The wheelchair opened all that back up to me!
Tough comment to follow
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I would bet on it being a little bit (well, a lot) of ablism mixed with people wanting only answers that they personally can use. Which circles back on the ableism… people don’t want to believe that they could suddenly join this minority group at any time.
I had to be in a wheelchair for a year. The internalized shame from pervasive background ableism is horrible.
Thank you for warming my day, friend.
Replaced all my mismatched socks with 24 pair of identical.
Interesting. I went the opposite direction, and prefer it. Grasses greener type deal maybe
Depends on if you think socks are a fashion accessory or a utility.
Not sure it’s so binary. I don’t know the first thing about fashion, but I do like having different kinds of socks, even if no one else sees them.
I do this kinda like magical thinking thing where I think about how I want my day to go and pick socks/etc that go with that.
I know it’s not the most mentally healthy thing
Eh, it doesn’t sound destructive or interruptive to your day.
Manifesting isn’t just a new-age hippy thing. Ritual can put your brain in a certain space, and that can be a massive motivator for someone. Picking your socks to fit the theme isn’t all that different than telling yourself affirmations in the mirror.
It’s kinda like the “lucky shirt” concept. Sure, the shirt doesn’t really have some metaphysical power, but you’re putting yourself in the mindset of “Good things happen when I wear this”, and when you’re already in that frame of mind, the good things stand out even more.
That’s a great way to rephrase it. That’s exactly what that is: I know my choices don’t actually have any magical effects. Pretending like they do gives me the feeling of control, even though I know intellectually that I can only control myself.
I don’t see anything mentally unhealthy about what you do, sounds cool.
That’s fashion. You don’t have to be into the latest trend. Fashion is just how you express yourself in whatever way you like.
Yes, and at the same time I went with thin wool socks too. And I’m in Texas where it’s hot and humid too. Wool socks were a game changer, they don’t hold onto moisture like cotton and synthetics do.
Didn’t want to be a shill, but I got a bunch of medium thick wool socks from Darn Tough and sweaty wool socks are a lot nicer than sweaty cotton/poly socks.
I did this same thing and my life has been changed forever
Yes same, the darn touch T series have been my favorites with the best fit for my thin build. T4021 if I wear my boots, T4016 if I’m rocking tennies.
I tried smartwool and a few other Amazon and popular brands. Came back to darn tough each time.
I did recently get some Alpaca Wool socks and a sweater and they are a close second to the DT socks.
Then I discovered smartwool quarter zip long sleeve shirts, lightweight 150 weight wool, excellent t-shirt replacements
I did that and my wife got annoyed… then started wearing my socks. Now we buy more and just use athletic socks
She’s still got her colorful, playful ones that are a pain in the ass to match up.
Yep. We have grey and black.
Get ‘hiking’ socks, as opposed to ‘athletic’ - they last far longer.
Work socks as well.
They’re socks that go with construction boots. Basically the same as hiking socks but cheaper.
So great on laundry day
Ultimately trivial cost-wise and to install, but game-changer:
butt game changer.
That would have made my post so much butter.
I highly recommend one with a heated seat if you’ve got a reasonably accessible power outlet nearby. Just be aware that it will totally spoil you and make pooping away from home even less fun than it already is.
I’m an electrician in the PNW, and that plug will usually run you $750 to move one close to that spot, just for a price point.
What I was about to post, too. It’s ridiculous how much better something as simple as taking a shit can be.
Not specifically mine but definitely that of my wife: a company called Beurer in Germany makes this little tool with a small ceramic plate that you can heat. Press the hot thing against a mosquito bite and not only does the itch go away, the actual inflammation is diminished. For 20 euros one of the best impulse buys I ever did.
We’ve also put in an order for an electric bicycle which I think will lead to us leaving the car now often.
I looked up the bug bite thing. Im glad that someone paid attention to the way most proteins in bites/stings break down if heated. I bet it works pretty good
I doubt that you can get your skin hot enough to denature those proteins without damaging yourself. I’ve given myself a blister before trying.
it says it gets to 170F. thats hot enough to get shallow stuff like mosquito bites and most stings.
That temperature is dangerous, will burn you, and the mechanism of action for these things isn’t denaturation.
How hot does it need to be?
im not sure and it would vary from protein to protein but the thing says it gets up to 170F which is probably enough for a fair few
This is probably going to be life changing for my wife and daughter. They’re both super reactive to mosquito bites to the point of not wanting to be outside. Luckily, we live where there are only flies and moths so most of the time at home this is literally not a problem. However, when camping in the mountains it can be. Thanks for the tip!
My partner is also allergic to mosquito bites and he got a HeatIt and it was life-changing. He previously had to stay home and permanently ice his bites to not get blood poisoning and was in huge pain, but now since it’s always with him on his keychain, he can treat the stings right away before they get too bad and can go out and do pretty much everything now. He still needs to treat the stings regularly, but it’s so much more portable and accessible than the ice packs he used before.
Compared to the larger devices like BiteAway, it performs a bit worse and it’s a bit pricey and the durability is kinda shit, but the fact that it’s always on him and ready to use (as long as you bring your keys and phone), he can treat the bites right away on the go, which makes a huge difference in effectiveness.I get what you mean, but nearly everyone is allergic to mosquito bites. That’s why they itch.
You can achieve the same thing with a metal spoon dipped in hot water, like after stirring a fresh cup of tea. It should be hot enough to hurt but not to burn/damage your skin. I’ve been doing this trick for ages and it works every time :)
wife and daughter.
oh no
They
oh phew
You can also run a spoon under hot water for a more improv tool. Works great.
It’s the same principle, true enough. But this tool I think reaches higher temps which makes it more effective.
Using a hairdryer really helps do this en masse
Over many years, I’ve settled on hydrocortisone cream followed by an ice cube. Those little buggers love me.
I suffer from eczema pretty badly so I always have some sort of cortisol cream nearby. They clear up any bug bites quickly. Luckily, mosquitos prefer my wife’s blood over mine.
I just bought one of those as well. It works!
CPAP, so I can breathe while I sleep.
Pressure cooker, so I can make a delicious stews in 30 mins instead of hours.
Got any good recipes to share?
African ground nut stew is my favorite recipe. This set of instructions is for stovetop, for pressure cooker, I just throw it all but the peanut butter and hot sauce, which are to be stirred in after high pressure. 25 minutes on high pressure.
8-10 chicken thigh Large can of diced tomato Small can of tomato paste 1 large onion 2 medium carrot 2 stalks celery 8 mushrooms or 2 cans of sliced mushroom 1 or 1.5 cup stock chicken 2.5 tbsp peanut butter Hot sauce optional 3 clove garlic
instructions:
prep: dice the onion peel and chop the carrot/celery Clean and slice mushrooms mince garlic or one small spoon worth of pre minced cut chicken into small pieces to quickly cook or cut thigh in two or breast into three if you want bigger chunks
cooking: put olive oil in large fry pan on high add onion,carrot, and mushroom cook until onion is getting soft then add chicken and garlic keep everything moving around so the onion and mushrooms don’t burn when the chicken is half cooked (white on the outside 50% or so) then add both cans of tomatoes (paste and diced) and stock let simmer for 20-25 mins so the tomatoes break down and chicken finishes cooking, stirring every few minutes add peanut butter in 1/2 tbsp at a time to the pan and mix in with the liquids add salt and pepper approx for 2 more minutes making sure not to let the sauce burn on the bottom Add hot sauce to taste. serve over rice
This makes a good amount of leftovers too.
Custom molded ear plugs. I can play for hours and still hear the full spectrum of frequencies and no ringing.
More please, what brand did you go with? Cost?
I’m also interested. My work provides moulded ear plugs, but they definitely don’t let the same range of frequencies through.
I have molded plugs, the filters are etymotics. Cost was about 200$ at an audiologist that did the molding. You can get filters with varying levels of attenuation, I think mine are 20db and they recommend 25 for drummers.
I had etymotic musicians earplugs before, but they never worked that well. I couldn’t understand lyrics with them in, for instance. But I can with these.
Thanks! $200 sounds expensive but probably very worth it to save you from tinnitus or from going deaf.
Too late on the tinnitus, but at least it doesn’t seem to be getting worse. Lost count of how many concerts and even movies I’ve used them in by now.
Interestingly, a good pair of noise canceling in ear headphones. I have ADHD, and being able to block out the world to focus on what I need to do is a godsend.
Can you share which one you are using? I am looking for good ones.
It depends on if you’re on Android or Apple. The Bose Earbuds 2 and the Apple Airpods Pro 2 trade blows pretty well, both in noise canceling and sound quality. I personally prefer the sound stage of the Apple ones but if actually care about stuff like that, I pull out my cans.
Food, everyday.
Again? I just ate yesterday
Same.
Now kith 💋
Same
An e-bike. I used my regular bike for errands but the e-bike just made it so much easier to pedal in high winds or when I was hauling my trailer full of groceries. Plus it increased my range because I knew I could go farther in the same amount of time. I bought a class 1 e-bike so I always have to pedal, like a normal bike. Because I use it more, I think I actually get MORE exercise despite the assist. I really love it.
I live in a cycling-mad but very hilly place. They love it here. To give you an idea of the massive impact ebikes have had, the average cyclist age has jumped up twenty years in the last few years.
It’s not unusual to see octogenarians blasting up hills now. They’ve been absolutely revolutionary
Fr im B?
A lot of people make fun of me for having an ebike “it’s not proper cycling etc”, but they all want to ignore the fact that without it, I would be driving (as they are).
Yeah, it’s pretty BS. No one would ever make fun of someone driving a car for not being 100% human powered.
I will say that the only time I get a little uptight about ebikes is when I come across them on trails/paths that are designated for non-motorized traffic only. Somehow people think that motorized only means combustion engines.
While I wouldn’t recommend this avenue… A trip to the ER and a 2 week quarantine stay at the hospital. I had pancreatitis that was suspected to be caused by a contagious virus? Idk after I was placed in my room I wasn’t allowed visitors and I was pretty isolated aside from blood draws every 4 hours. Cliché but it allowed me to reflect on my life and identify faults in myself and devise ways to become a better.
Still working on a lot of things, but comparing myself to me 6 months ago, I feel amazing about my growth that I don’t think I could have otherwise achieved without this major life event. :)
God that sounds SO expensive (then again, maybe you don’t live in the US come to think of it).
I went to the ER for a simple second-degree burn on my hand. All they gave me was a bandaged-up hand, some ointment, and a crisp high-five (on my other hand).
Cost me $600 after insurance. And the sad part is I have decent insurance for my area.
Years ago when I was on Medicaid I spent about 2 weeks in the hospital. They took my appendix out and after looking at it and running some tests found out that I had some rare parasite. I was in excruciating pain at the time, throwing up blood a few times a day and just withering away. There was a pill that I was waiting to get that would’ve killed the parasites which could’ve been given to me after my 4th day there when they confirmed what I had. I spent the rest of the 2 weeks being doped up on morphine and an array of fluids until I couldn’t take it anymore and left the hospital ‘AMA’.
I went to a different hospital and got the medicine I needed almost immediately.
I did throw up again though when I got a ~$60k bill from my 2 week stay at the first hospital. Again they took out my appendix, ran some test, and pumped me with opiods for 2 weeks without treating my actual issue.
Yeah, that’s disgusting how you were treated (or, rather, not treated, I suppose).
Insurance is a fucking scam in the US, I tell you what.
A semi-professional portafilter espresso machine paired with a great grinder.
I can make coffee at home that’s better than what’s being served in most cafés and I can just have that for breakfast every morning. Felt like quite the quality of life improvement.
I don’t do the espresso machine, but the Baratzza Encore for my pour over or Aeropress has been one of my best food/beverage investments. Between that and a bag of different single origins beans a month almost makes getting up for work bearable! 😄
My style, exactly! But even my $20 grinder works wonders compared to pre-ground coffee. I’ve thought about updating that component but I make pretty good coffee as is.
After getting it, I didn’t notice the hugest difference at first as I was learning to dial it in, but the first time I went back to my fav preground it just tasted so flat and stale.
It’s given me access to do much great coffee now that I can get whatever I want, and being able to adjust grind to tweak the flavor even more has been great.
For me Bazzera Magica and Baratza Vario grinder some time back. Better coffee than most cafes.
You and me brother.
Which machine did you choose? I went for the Lelit Bianca, never regretted it.
got the breville bambino and its awesome. drip coffee maker has gone into the garage now, and every morning is coffee christmas.
Electric bike, 95 Ford Ranger, camping gear, garden cart, gardening supplies and plants, cat tree, ebook reader
Gym membership. Previously I was doing some working out on my own, but it’s nice to get out, and easier to bring friends along.
I did the typical thing: first week of January signed up to the YMCA and committed to a couch-to-5k, and have to admit I’m feeling a lot lot lot better.
Oh look at Mr./Ms. Fancypants over here who has friends.
…up until now, I actually thought that we were friends. I guess all those deep meaningful convos we had whilst playing Burnout2 and drinking diet Dr Pepper meant nothing to you…
It’s not you; it’s me. We’ve just…drifted apart! turns around, crying
you just burnout2’d a hole on my chest!
I’m sorry. We’ve both said some N0Sty things lately…
I can’t BEAR to hear it anymore!
(Wait, where’s a bear come in pun-wise with regards to cars? Lol.)
I imagine this tension must be exhausting to you…
Sorry I misspoke. I meant people who I fear socially so I try to stay in their good books
YMCA gang
A good shower head with better pressure and spray pattern. The one I got was Oxygenics, hopefully they are still good.
I went down a rabbit hole of shower head research recently and ended up with a Hammerhead. Been pretty happy with it.
A bidet, an ebike, a tongue scraper.
The first means no more clogged toilets, no toilet paper needed, and a fantastically clean ass always.
Also comes with side benefits like being able to eat the hottest foods imaginable, not getting hemorroids or healing those ones you may already have, being able to wipe your ass with two broken wrists (if you mountain bike or are old), not getting forever chemicals on your asshole, and having an ass that your SO won’t think is disgusting.
A commuter ebike, because it allows you to travel 1-45 miles stupidly easy, which saves a staggering amount of money on gas (uses pennies of electricity), parking fees, and wear and tear on your car. Side benefits include not being absolutely enraged in traffic, occasionally beating your own drive times in a car, and not having parking anxiety at popular destinations such as beaches, parks, downtown shopping, or ferries. Provides a decent amount of exercise as it basically becomes an exercise bike when the assist is turned off.
It also will allow you to get up hills without getting sweaty.
Tongue scraper- removes plaque from your tongue in cakes. Way better than mouthwash. Leaves your breath much fresher after meals. Works best at night, but also can remove bad morning breath. Get a small metal one. Dramatically changes your breath quality and makes your mouth feel cleaner. Great if you plan on doing some kissing.
Is a tongue scraper really that much better than brushing your tongue?
I have one and I’d say that depends.
I bought the tongue scraper because when I switched to an electric toothbrush (oral-b), I felt it was not cleaning my tongue as well. Before that, using a regular toothbrush, I had no issue keeping my tongue clean and never needed the scraper. I do still like the electric toothbrush better.
I used to use an electric toothbrush many years ago but heard it could cause receding gums so its storage. I like manual toothbrushes because you can buy the inexpensive ones and replace them frequently, electric heads are a little pricey to replace. Generally my tongue seems pretty clean but I’m going to get a cheapo tongue scraper and see if I notice any difference. Do you use one of the fancy copper ones or just the standard steel/plastic ones I’ve seen?
Funny, I got an electric toothbrush at the recommendation of my dentist specifically because of my receding gums, and I’ve been told they look better but I can’t say myself. I just like how much better my teeth feel after using it.
I just have a plastic tongue scraper. It’s already enough to scrape my tongue raw if I overdo it, I can’t imagine needing a metal one.
It works much better. Your tongue is like velcro, so a bristle brush doesn’t really get plaque out. The tongue scrapers depress the bumps and scrape everything clean.
(I have a cheap metal one so I can throw it in the dishwasher. Plaque can eventually kinda make it dirty, but the dishwasher cleans it right off without deforming it)
I got the chance to ride an ebike at a city event here and it was absolutely delightful, I hate riding a bike but this was like a dream of a bike ride, so comfortable and it actually moved forward so fast with less effort, I loved it. But I think it would be stolen so fast if I chained it anywhere. Like I could ride it to work (they let you park them inside) but not to grab groceries. And they cost as much as a small motorcycle or scooter.
They are really convenient for getting around the city! :)
I got a 12mm thick chain from Oxford and a kryptonite ulock and so far, I’ve been fine (I live in a high bike crime city).
It’s really about making your bike unappealing to steal because of how long it would take to cut through a beefy chain in two places and a Ulock in two places. It can be done, though. I also have a bike horn that sounds if someone moves the bike.
Aventon sells ebikes starting at $1,000, and Juiced Bikes go on sale for $1,150 (they are consumer direct unless you live in San Diego). Radpower and Lectric bikes aren’t too spendy, either. Ebikes are getting surprisingly affordable!
(My little electric commuter next to my traditional weekend mountain bike!)
You may or may not have a good answer to this, but why are so many ebikes fat tire bikes, and why did you pick one? A fat tire is going to have more inertia, so it will take more energy, but the ubiquity of them, even for commuting confuses me.
They are really good if your city has fucked up roads. Potholes, curbs, tram lines (or light rail) that are embedded in the road, even some older syle storm drains have slots wide enough to swallow bike tires that are over an inch wide. And the bike lanes are usually added to already worn roads or by storm drains, some old-style.
Fat tires are also great for sand and loose gravel, which is present in the city I live in. Fat tires are also significantly more stable at very low speeds, which is good around pedestrians (eg, rolling slowly through crowded boardwalks where there are no bike lanes- only stroads).
For an ebike, the rolling resistance is a relatively small tradeoff since the motor will overpower it. I don’t really have a problem even with it turned off, though, as leg power is fine too. I primarily use the motor for the ultra steep hills here. Because riding up a long 18%+ grade sucks. (And motor power for dangerous road situations where keeping up with cars is mandatory, such as neighborhood bridge crossings without any bike lanes)
