Nthing Gary Taubes' book. I read it AFTER losing 60 pounds, and it kinda blew my mind. (I did a modified Hacker's Diet, used Physicsdiet.com for weight tracking, Daily Plate for calorie counting. Changed some of my food choices, but not all.) You really get a sense of how much we DON'T know about food, exercise, metabolism, etc.

Also nthing PT and/or water-based exercise. And who knows: maybe that blood work will tell you something useful. A good friend used to always... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by epersonae at 11:32 AM on August 19, 2008

I haven't had checks in 6 years. Occasionally it's a hassle with some of the items mentioned above, but not so much so that I've gotten more checks. Mainly it requires some planning to have your alternatives ready ahead of time.

In particular, for several years I was in a vanpool where the only way to pay was in person with a check, and the amount varied from month to month. For that, I tried to get a cashier's check as soon as I knew what the amount was. A few times, I... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by epersonae at 12:49 PM on August 13, 2008

"Direct Deposit. Setting that up without a voided check (or at least a photocopy of one) is next to impossible, unless the person you're working with is really flexible."

Not necessarily. What they really need is the account number and the routing number; those 2 items are easiest to find on a check, but that's not the only place for them.

Re printing your own checks: it's my understanding that banks scrutinize... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by epersonae at 12:21 PM on August 18, 2008

Having been in crazy non-profit situations, I say: get the hell out of Dodge ASAP, and don't worry about the raging. It will pass, all this will pass, and the toughness you've built up in this experience will serve you well in the future. You will need to be careful about what you say interviewing, esp if his org is well-known in the area, but I'm sure you know that already. :) Also, make sure there's somebody, an ex-staffer, a board member, or someone else who can vouch for your work.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by epersonae at 6:02 PM on August 16, 2008

Please share it with your son. My dad bought a bottle of port when I was born; he died when I was 8, and mom didn't find it until I was in my mid-20s. I kept waiting for "the right occasion" and then it fell from a shelf and was broken. After taking up the carpet in that room a couple years later, even the stain is gone. Share that special moment while you can.
posted to Ask Metafilter by epersonae at 5:20 PM on August 16, 2008

"sockpuppet account": IOW, you wanted to ask anon, but made up another acct instead? (I'm assuming to be able to ask followup questions?)

On a practical note, if there are particular institutions you're interested in working at, I'd go to their HR department's website. For everything other than background/training-type stuff, it should be in their policies, or even in job posts. Like jobs in any other industry, benefits vary quite a bit by institution, and... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by epersonae at 3:24 PM on August 14, 2008

Also, in my higher ed experience (community college, I'm not there anymore), it was a full-time "administrative exempt" (no overtime) job, year-round (August was...weird), IIRC no free classes, but I think non-exempt union staff could take classes for a nominal fee. Although we did get discounts on "continuing education" classes, so I took yoga at lunchtime for a while.

My work is the kind of thing that can be done in almost any kind of industry (web... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by epersonae at 3:32 PM on August 14, 2008 marked best answer

Also, since I bike-commute, I'd be happy to let her borrow our car, but it's a stick (which she doesn't do) or our truck, but it's a gas-guzzler. (I'm going to talk to mr. epersonae about those options anyway.)
posted to Ask Metafilter by epersonae at 4:09 PM on August 13, 2008

Well...last night I talked to my best friend in Seattle, mr. epersonae, mom, and sis. As much as the hive mind is advocating for learning stick & loaning her my car, consensus closer to home is for her to get a car. (Probably an inexpensive 90s era Honda.) Mr. epersonae reminds me that he does need the car sometimes, and my friend notes that Federal Way isn't exactly pedestrian-friendly even once she lives there.

But thank you anyhow. (I gave mdonley a best answer... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by epersonae at 9:23 AM on August 14, 2008

@fire&wings: alas, that would seem to be so. (I seem to remember spending days loading & reloading that thread.)
posted to MetaTalk by epersonae at 8:09 PM on August 13, 2008

I was looking for something similar on a more practical level (trying to help another online community) not too long ago.

* MeTa question looking for 2007 essay (I self-link because there's some other interesting stuff there, including a book reference)

* article by mathowie from 2001 (so, before the closing of new accounts, the $5 rule, etc. IIRC, I joined in part because of this article.)... [more]
posted to MetaTalk by epersonae at 2:41 PM on August 13, 2008

"There is an interesting comparison between Facebook and Metafilter though. This would have never have happened here"

Actually, when I came back to MeFi after a looooong absence (like, AskMe was invented in there someplace), and I no longer had the email address I signed up with, mathowie send me my password to my new email. (I'm assuming because it was pretty easy to figure out that I'm me online.)

I just did the facebook thing last... [more]
posted to MetaTalk by epersonae at 2:22 PM on August 13, 2008

Change of clothes & towel: yes! Plus a deodorant, and bring your stuff in a pannier instead of messenger bag or backpack. One also hears good things about baby wipes.

Dress cooler/lighter than you think you should. I'm often a little chilly in the morning when I get started and yet quite warm when I get to the office. (5 miles) Some of the "technical" fabrics can be quite helpful as well, especially shirts. Possibly a helmet with better venting? (I have... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by epersonae at 10:35 AM on August 12, 2008

I just started The Canon yesterday, and am totally loving it after only reading the preface! She obviously finds so much fun and joy in science that it's hard to NOT be carried along with it.

Also, it's been years, but I remember enjoying Unweaving the Rainbow by Dawkins to be quite good. Basically, finding awe and beauty in science, without the need for any sort of mysticism. Of course, Dawkins can be a little harsh for some folks, so YMMV.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by epersonae at 9:10 AM on August 8, 2008

the more regular you can make your feedback from your supervisor, the better IME. don't be shy about being insistent about it, either, and feel free to try different methods until you find something that works.

I swear, one reason that I had a good relationship with my last boss (in higher ed, btw) is because I was insistent about weekly(-ish) 1-on-1s and annual reviews. so I knew what he was concerned about, and he got to know my strengths & weaknesses. I was... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by epersonae at 9:04 AM on August 8, 2008

Just don't go as the queen of diamonds.

I disagree; you should totally go as the queen of diamonds. It'd be an extra layer of clever. :)

Also, I think the playing cards idea is the least obscure, which is probably a good thing. (I suck at Halloween costumes, mostly because my references are too obscure.)
posted to Ask Metafilter by epersonae at 2:45 PM on August 7, 2008

Procession of the Species! (I keep meaning to do that, but end up just going to the parade.)

Similarly, Arts Walk.

I'm not a visual arts person, so I don't know a whole lot else, but you might try looking/asking on OlyBlog. (I'm epersonae there, too.)

Welcome to our wacky little town. :)
posted to Ask Metafilter by epersonae at 2:03 PM on August 6, 2008

"In order to stick to the diet/weight loss/exercise regime, I have to admit I'm fat."

As Metroid Baby said, this may be part of your problem. Find the other reasons to remind yourself to stick to your life changes, the ways that make you happy or feel better.

My therapist gave me a very helpful analogy once for any sort of major positive change: she loved her daughter deeply and unconditionally before the kid knew... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by epersonae at 12:25 PM on August 6, 2008

I have an odd perspective which may or may not be useful: my younger sister put her daughter up for adoption 11 years ago. Sis was 20, not with the kid's father, and in a bad space in her life.

It was an open adoption, and the adoptive parents (an older couple, I would guess mid-40s at the time?) spent quite a bit of time with sis before the birth. They and I were with her when she gave birth.

They haven't been particularly close since then --... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by epersonae at 8:54 AM on July 31, 2008

OMG so very much yes. We went through the Badlands on our way back to Seattle area from Wisconsin, my farthest trip east by car. It was mind-blowing visually, and gives one a brand-new appreciation for the daring/insanity of the whole westward expansion thing.
posted to Ask Metafilter by epersonae at 8:43 AM on July 31, 2008

Just as a quick FYI about state colleges, it takes a year to get residency. And existing student loans generally go into suspended animation (I don't remember the technical term offhand) if you are a full-time student. It's definitely something to look into once you've been here for a while.

Anecdotally, I've noticed from one email list that I'm on that there seem to be more job openings than there were a couple of years ago.

Speaking of which,... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by epersonae at 3:43 PM on July 30, 2008

If you have a rental car for going to a day hike, go to Mt Rainier! I haven't been in a while, so I can't speak to particular trails, but in any case, it is the iconic mountain. Plus the drive itself can be lovely.

As far as hiking/camping w/out a car, I was curious enough that I did a bit of Googling & came up with a recent article from one of the local papers, and then came across a (fairly old) online guide to bus hiking. (Heck, I'm tempted to try it myself!)... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by epersonae at 12:57 PM on July 29, 2008

"I actually literally meant, how do I start the conversation?"

How about the next time you do planning for grocery shopping?
posted to Ask Metafilter by epersonae at 4:40 PM on July 25, 2008

"I dont know where a few of you guys went to "driving school" at but the left lane IS in fact the "fast" lane unless it is marked as a HOV lane and then you are correct."

In Washington State it is in fact the Passing Lane. Technically, unless you are passing, you're not supposed to drive in the far left lane at all. (Apparently this holds true in many but not all states.)

My informed-only-by-personal-experience... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by epersonae at 11:10 AM on July 23, 2008

BA in English, Creative writing emphasis, graduated in 1996. At the time I graduated, I was working at a children's museum as basically a jill-of-all-trades; I became an unofficial computer person because at the time I was the only employee not terrified of our computer. :) While I was there, I also did a bit of grantwriting and put together the newsletter.

Then I was an administrative assistant for a couple of years, where I spent a lot of time doing the "making it... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by epersonae at 6:42 AM on July 17, 2008

Definitely call BECU & First Tech and see what they have to say. (If anything else, it'll give you a good chance to check out their member service.)

As mentioned, most credit unions belong to one shared branching network or another, where you can do transaction in addition to the usual ATM withdrawal stuff. BECU and First Tech are both participants in CU Swirl; here's a map/list of all the locations in CA that are also in that network.

I've... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by epersonae at 2:46 PM on July 16, 2008 marked best answer

I highly recommend Campaign Monitor, both as a service and as a reference. They've got info on the legal/ethical stuff as well as the extra-special hell that is writing HTML/CSS for email. (I've also heard good things about MailChimp and Emma.)

I've used their service for a while now and am a really big fan; they do all that multi-part proper sending stuff, and the first time you send to a list with more than a handful of people, they check with you to make sure you got... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by epersonae at 11:41 AM on July 16, 2008

I sleep on a friend's aerobed when I stay overnight, and it is quite comfy.

But I'll also put in a good word on Ikea mattresses. I have an Ikea spring mattress, nothing fancy, but definitely comfortable, that I have (seriously!) owned for something like 8 years.

We just bought a 2nd one, IIRC the HÖGBO for $200US. Haven't slept on it yet (long story) but it was comfortable for a nap in the store.

I did a bunch of... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by epersonae at 11:04 AM on July 16, 2008

Have you tried Home Depot or similar? I don't know about cat6 outdoor, but I've been personally surprised at the wide variety of computer-type cabling available at my local home improvement big-box stores...when we needed a stupidly long ethernet cable, that's where we got the length we needed (x2 just for sure), and then I did the crimping etc.

Otherwise, maybe substitute "sell" for "give away" in your last idea, esp since you aren't having any luck... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by epersonae at 10:13 AM on July 16, 2008 marked best answer

What Leon said. SEO at that level of detail requires a pointy hat & bubbling cauldron IMHO, but making your titles look readable in a list of bookmarks is an excellent usability change!
posted to Ask Metafilter by epersonae at 10:08 AM on July 16, 2008

Hacker's Diet, while simplistic, is the bomb. Partially because he talks like the engineer nerd that he is. Michael Pollan's books might help you think about the social & ethical issues around food, if that helps any.

14 months ago I started thinking about my weight, and remembering how my dad died of a heart attack at 45. 45! I got sort of obsessive-nerd about it, but two aspects of my experience might help:

1) There are no forbidden foods.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by epersonae at 4:32 PM on July 14, 2008

Yes, definitely driving lessons -- the job I had when I was a little older than you are now paid for me to take them. I never did get my license while I was working there, but it was incredibly helpful.

Also, if you have a friend who is NOT your husband who is willing to drive around with you, enlist them. Spouses are notoriously difficult to learn to drive from, and a friend who is willing to be part of your adventure could make a big difference.

Good luck, and have fun!
posted to Ask Metafilter by epersonae at 4:15 PM on July 14, 2008

I went to Nordstrom's for a bra fitting after losing 50+ pounds, and had a GREAT experience getting the cutest most comfortable bra I've ever owned. The woman who did the fitting was very helpful; she measured, then went & picked a bunch of different style bras in my size. I tried them on, figured out what I liked & didn't like, and wrote down a few names (since I could only afford to buy one right then). It was awesome.
posted to Ask Metafilter by epersonae at 10:04 AM on July 11, 2008

I'd say go for new stuff; it's painful but worth it, both from the POV of having the right fit, and for the thrill of OMG, I'm a size what?!

Also, if you aren't at your goal, or aren't sure if you're quite there yet, don't hit the high quality stuff yet. Try thrift or consignment stores instead; you may be surprised at the quality. Plus, if your stuff is in good condition, you'll be passing something along for someone else.

Between April 08 and... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by epersonae at 10:27 AM on July 2, 2008

I learned how to ride a bicycle 4 years ago at age 29 on an Electra Townie, and it changed my life. :) It took me a while to figure out the whole shifting thing, especially since I don't drive stick either, so for the first month or so I just left it in a middle gearing that worked most of the time. Now I'm a shiftin' fool! :)

It's very much a library/post office/grocery kind of bike, although I also commuted with it for a while. (I now have a Kona Smoke 29 just for my... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by epersonae at 4:27 PM on June 30, 2008

Justinian makes some really good points about costs, and Forktine covers the weirdness of the political landscape.

You're going to be looking at balancing a LOT of basically opposing factors, so prioritizing will be important.

generally, IME (15 years in WA living in Tacoma & Olympia):

small town = little or no transit, may or may not be good for biking

liberal with amenities = expensive... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by epersonae at 1:40 PM on June 26, 2008

shoot. HTML formatting ate a paragraph.

Seattle/Portland, close suburbs = VERY expensive housing
posted to Ask Metafilter by epersonae at 1:42 PM on June 26, 2008

Not specific to your region, but I'd recommend looking to see if your local YMCA or community college (look for "extension" or "extended learning") offers a beginner's yoga class. I did a yoga class at the CC where I used to work. I started while I was still recovering from a knee injury, and the teacher was great about either avoiding or adjusting poses that I couldn't do.

The class was also a nice mix of retired ladies from the neighborhood and my... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by epersonae at 1:03 PM on June 26, 2008

echoing silkygreenbelly, if you get a new bottle, go with a small one even if it's more per pill -- also, when I got back into the multivitamin habit I went with kids' gummi vitamins, which are silly, but I TAKE them, which is more than I can say about the horsepills I had (and threw out) before that.
posted to Ask Metafilter by epersonae at 12:25 PM on June 26, 2008

After lots of go-arounds with knee pain after a bike injury in 2003, they finally figured out that I have arthritis in my knee, and some of your discomfort sounds somewhat familiar. (I'm actually a bit owie today I think due to a minor bump Saturday. Stupid weak truck door spring....) Especially the popping & discomfort with long stretches of sitting.

But like Derive, with that sort of severity I'd be thinking about going to the doc.

On the... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by epersonae at 1:46 PM on June 23, 2008

In the 6 years I've owned my house, it's never made financial sense to take the mortgage interest deduction. We just don't have enough else to make up the difference. So that's definitely something to take into consideration. (We also don't have kids, so that may be part of the Your Mileage that May Vary.)

If it were me? I'd put a good chunk (the max?) into 529s or something similar, to help the kids start out their adult lives w/out debt, and then put most of it into... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by epersonae at 10:51 AM on June 19, 2008

The "yard hydrant" was exactly what I was thinking of! But "free standing hose bibb" got some nifty results, particularly an outdoor shower. And if I ever get my rain barrels set up, I might look into that pitcher pump. :)
posted to Ask Metafilter by epersonae at 5:09 PM on June 18, 2008

For now, just be aware that day 4 is part of your body's regular thing. Distraction is good, more water is good. Making it an official "Special" day might not be a bad idea. And yes, definitely, be prepared to forgive yourself on day 5, pick up, and keep on going.

I did No-S briefly a long time ago, and while I didn't lose any weight, it was a useful experiment, mostly in portion sizes. (I've since lost 55 pounds using the Hacker's Diet as a general guideline...... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by epersonae at 10:03 AM on June 18, 2008

I don't have any of the volumes at hand, but I've always thought that Mary Oliver went well with glorious outside times, sometimes with a melancholy touch. (best of both worlds?) IIRC, American Primitive is the one I've read the most; it sort of follows the seasons over the course of the book. There's one about a bear & honey that you might enjoy, although the exact lines don't jump to mind. (I suck at memorizing poetry.)
posted to Ask Metafilter by epersonae at 9:37 AM on June 18, 2008

Ah, this is the one I was thinking of: "Honey at the Table".
posted to Ask Metafilter by epersonae at 9:43 AM on June 18, 2008

Also, in another month or two, August might be appropriate.

cramming
the black honey of summer
into my mouth

I can smell blackberries along the side of the trail already. :)
posted to Ask Metafilter by epersonae at 9:45 AM on June 18, 2008

In Olympia WA, where I live, there's a bit extra on the regular business license form specifically for home businesses. When I was president of my neighborhood association, I got a notice whenever a new home business got a license. (We also got all the notices for new buildings/developments and such.)

The particulars are all in the Municipal Code -- go to Chapter 18.04.060(L).
The purpose of the home occupation provisions is to allow for the use of... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by epersonae at 8:56 AM on June 12, 2008

I wrote a story for my employer's email newsletter about good passwords, and ended up incorporating it into the "Security" section of our website. Might be a little more than you're looking for, but it was quite popular when that edition went out. "Create & keep good passwords"

Maybe some Google power-user tips? I blew somebody's mind the other day with the "use Google as a calculator" trick. (An 1/8 of a cup is 2 tablespoons, BTW.)... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by epersonae at 3:54 PM on June 11, 2008

Don't know if it needs admin rights, but I've long been fond of HTML-Kit.
posted to Ask Metafilter by epersonae at 8:06 AM on June 11, 2008

in conjunction with miss tea: are these bipolar meds or ADD meds? 2 pretty different things.

also, I don't know much about ADD medication, but I do know quite a bit about mood disorder medication, and 3 months for a mood disorder med trial is not especially unusual. anti-depressants, for example, can take up to a month or more to get to full effectiveness. OTOH, that's usually also a "ramp-up" period, with gradually increasing dosages, and it doesn't sound... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by epersonae at 12:06 PM on June 10, 2008