Have you talked to the folks at Castle Accordion? There's also apparently an accordion store called Accordion Heaven in St. Paul.

For ukulele, you could try calling the Homestead Pickin' Parlor. They offer lessons in a wide variety of instruments, there may be someone there who gives lessons.
posted to Ask Metafilter by cabingirl at 11:58 AM on July 25, 2008

You could threaten to cancel your service. That will get the front-line representative to send you to a retention specialist who usually has a good set of promotion options to get you to stay. You could tell them that the only way you will stay is with the promotion you were promised. It might work. I used the technique once to get a promotion extended when I was told it was for a year and it expired after 6 months.
posted to Ask Metafilter by cabingirl at 4:12 PM on July 24, 2008

If you put it out for sign-ups, note the t-shirt brand, if possible. American Apparel fits way differently than Hanes.
posted to Ask Metafilter by cabingirl at 2:11 PM on July 24, 2008

If she's always calling you, then screening your calls and failing to return them can also help. You can stretch the period out to every two months this way without it being really obvious.

Would you consider not sending her a birthday card or email when it's her birthday? Because that tactic can eliminate one entire cycle of catching-up. But, it could also end things abruptly if she's the sort to take offense.
posted to Ask Metafilter by cabingirl at 12:07 PM on July 22, 2008

Drinking tons of water is good. Also, going to the bathroom near the end of the flight and washing your face, brushing teeth, applying makeup, etc. does wonders. I've used these no-rinse cleansing cloths before, I got a trial size in the tiny-product area of Target. I can't help with hair, mine is always a mess.
posted to Ask Metafilter by cabingirl at 9:57 AM on July 22, 2008

Note for teeth-brushing, bring water with you into the bathroom because the handwashing water isn't potable.
posted to Ask Metafilter by cabingirl at 9:58 AM on July 22, 2008

If the father-in-law live in MO now, he'll still have to apply for the duplicate title, but note the following (from this page):
Out-of-state residents may not apply for an Illinois duplicate title if they have purchased a vehicle without a title from an Illinois resident. The out-of-state purchaser must ask the Illinois owner to apply for the duplicate title.However, if a former Illinois resident was the last valid title holder of the vehicle, a duplicate title may be applied for.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by cabingirl at 9:49 AM on July 22, 2008 marked best answer

Sorry, you can't print out the application, it looks like you have to call or write and request one be mailed to you, from my link above.
posted to Ask Metafilter by cabingirl at 9:54 AM on July 22, 2008

I am a business process analyst. When a new version of the software I support is being developed, it's my job to understand what the users need it to do. I need to understand stuff like where the data is coming from, how the process hands off from person to person, what the ultimate output needs to look like, and who the users are. My counterpart in IT is a systems analyst who would come up with the actual changes needed to make the software do what I need.

You can do... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by cabingirl at 2:19 PM on July 21, 2008

Well, I worked as a contract employee for 4 years and then was hired on as an employee. At my company, contract employees can only apply for jobs that are posted externally. If they want to hire you, they have to go through the red tape of getting an external posting for them to even interview you. This can be very difficult if there's a hiring freeze, or a division shutting down so there's a glut of employees looking for other positions. So, at my company, you really have to impress them... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by cabingirl at 7:51 PM on July 20, 2008

Well, no matter what else you do, I think you need to find a sturdier solution for the cage, one that the cat is not going to knock over. Even if the cat grows out of actively trying to kill the bird, she may jump on top of the cage just for fun, and you'd have the same problem. Something like this would give the cat no access to the bird unless it was near a table or shelf, so it may solve both problems.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by cabingirl at 12:22 PM on July 18, 2008

If the strip is in a place where other plants won't look strange, I would say you should get rid of the grass and plant something that's wet-tolerant in its place. Here's one list of plants that might work, and here's another.
posted to Ask Metafilter by cabingirl at 3:09 PM on July 15, 2008

Jake Johannsen.
posted to Ask Metafilter by cabingirl at 5:26 PM on July 14, 2008

I would only sub in bacon grease if you're looking for an all-out bacon flavor. Otherwise, just adding the chopped bacon would give you some nice flavor and saltiness without overpowering.

But hey, you could try it both ways!
posted to Ask Metafilter by cabingirl at 1:29 PM on July 11, 2008

If you had luck with bamboo wool you might try Southwest Trading Company Bamboo. It's very smooth and drapey and I'd not heard of it being particularly sheddy.

But yea, Ravelry is the place to ask. I'm cabingirl over there too.
posted to Ask Metafilter by cabingirl at 10:25 AM on July 10, 2008

I don't understand the answers so far. Isn't it clear from the two example payments given by OP that the excess payment is already going to principal?

As cdmwebs said, yes. But I think you should still specify that you want it applied to principal. Maybe that's their default, but sometimes the default is to use the overpayment as credit towards a future payment, which is not the same thing. It's just good general advice to specify how you want it handled.
posted to Ask Metafilter by cabingirl at 5:36 PM on July 6, 2008

The square foot gardening guy says you can trellis winter squash (as well as zucchini and lots of other stuff).
posted to Ask Metafilter by cabingirl at 12:55 PM on July 3, 2008

I like knitting too, especially when I stopped trying to make scarves (too long and boring!) and started making things like hats and fingerless gloves and socks. Plus if you buy nice yarn you can make simple things that look like a million bucks.

You may also like weaving. I've never done it but people seem to enjoy it. Look for a local weaver's guild to find someone who can tell you about it.

I am also getting ready to try my hand at... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by cabingirl at 12:14 PM on June 30, 2008

Seconding Orinda. For our most recent move, we enlisted friends for box-carrying duty and used the movers only for furniture. It cut down significantly on the cost of the movers. Basically, you pay them for the time they spend, so everything you can do to be ready for them will make it go smoothly. In addition to labeling boxes with contents (or a number that corresponds to a spreadsheet) also label with the destination at the new place. It cuts down on "where does this go?"
posted to Ask Metafilter by cabingirl at 6:49 PM on June 28, 2008

I can understand her position. She wants to make this huge change in her life and doesn't want anything keeping her back from that. If you keep hounding her about it even though she's made her position clear, then you're not respecting her decision. I think you need to let it go.
posted to Ask Metafilter by cabingirl at 11:40 AM on June 28, 2008

Don't use baking powder. That actually has added acid (cream of tartar) so it won't help your cause. Use baking soda.
posted to Ask Metafilter by cabingirl at 5:46 AM on June 27, 2008

How about soaking it in a strong solution of baking soda and water? I've used that to soak off burned-on food from baking pans. After soaking for awhile the crud should come off with a minimum of scrubbing (hopefully!)
posted to Ask Metafilter by cabingirl at 11:53 AM on June 25, 2008

I doubt you'll find wool bedsheets, as washing them regularly would be a problem. If you don't like cotton, how do you feel about linen?
posted to Ask Metafilter by cabingirl at 6:55 AM on June 25, 2008

Seconding not that girl. Don't get a coffee press if you don't know how to use it and your guests don't, either. For drip coffee fans, French press is a bit weird and not hot enough. Any random electric coffee maker from Target should be acceptable to the majority of people, especially if you also spring for a little blade grinder and a decent bag of beans. If you provide the machine and the filters, your coffee-drinking guests should be able to make coffee to their liking.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by cabingirl at 2:12 PM on June 24, 2008

I honestly didn't expect that a light blonde would switch to almost black.

That happened a few times in my family, too. My mom famously went from blond and curly to dark brown and straight when she was about 13. She got in trouble at school for "dying" her hair, because it was all streaky for a time. (It was 1950 and catholic school, they were pretty strict.)

The same deal happened to my brother, but he was younger... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by cabingirl at 9:24 AM on June 24, 2008

I like chopped cabbage cooked with kielbasa and onions...brown everything in a bit of butter, then cover and simmer until the cabbage is soft. I wonder if you could sub the bok choy in that?
posted to Ask Metafilter by cabingirl at 7:43 PM on June 23, 2008

There are a few hostels, although not in University City. Will you have a car to get around?
posted to Ask Metafilter by cabingirl at 5:49 AM on June 23, 2008

"How much?"
X dollars per passenger, per flight segment.
"So X dollars?"
Well, no. That's per passenger, per flight segment. So if you're canceling round trip, that'x X times two.

Rendus, I'm totally with you on the majority of your post...but this one got me. Sometimes people just don't understand the terminology. My mom, who doesn't fly very often but is otherwise pretty savvy, would probably... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by cabingirl at 10:19 AM on June 21, 2008

One reason that Diet Coke isn't so good is because caffeine is generally considered a diuretic. Although, there has been some research lately that suggests it's not as bad as people think. Personally, I find that I do have to pee more frequently when I drink coffee than when I don't.

If you could get him to drink caffeine free Diet Coke instead, it would eliminate one factor that might make it less hydrating than water. But otherwise I don't really see the problem... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by cabingirl at 6:37 AM on June 19, 2008

Propel. It's Gatorade's sugar-free line.

Just to clarify, Propel is not sugar free. It contains sucrose syrup and 2g of sugar per serving. That's much less than in regular Gatorade, of course, but still not sugar-free. (I drink alot of it myself because I don't drink soda.)
posted to Ask Metafilter by cabingirl at 7:40 AM on June 19, 2008

I remember going to the Art Museum for fireworks every July 4 when I was in college. It was crowded but it was fun to watch the families with kids running around and stuff. Do they still do that?
posted to Ask Metafilter by cabingirl at 8:24 AM on June 17, 2008

Oh, and you could go on a tour of Eastern State Penitentiary. Plus the Mutter Museum, if you're into those kinds of things.
posted to Ask Metafilter by cabingirl at 8:27 AM on June 17, 2008

I've had ~10 root canals myself. Nthing the Sonicare and the twice-yearly visits. Most dentist offices can schedule you 6 months in advance, then send you a little card to remind you when it's time. Do your best to resist cancelling when the appointment comes up. I struggle with this but force myself to go and it's really not so bad.

When using the Sonicare, use it for the full two minutes it says in the instructions and really try to get it up under the gumline.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by cabingirl at 9:00 AM on June 16, 2008 marked best answer

Whatever you do, find a way to not pay yet. Once you've paid, the insurance company has no incentive to work with you.

I don't think that's true. See yclipse's response, which is also my understanding. The patient is ultimately responsible for all charges, so you do need to find a way to either start paying on the bills or to get a lawyer involved who will have to work something out with the office. Do not let it go any further without paying... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by cabingirl at 7:36 PM on June 15, 2008

Have a waffle on the street...a Liege waffle, that is. It isn't the big, puffy, covered in whipped cream concoction you'd think (athough you can get those too). It's a small, dense waffle filled with crunchy sugar crystals. Awesome.
posted to Ask Metafilter by cabingirl at 5:54 PM on June 12, 2008

If you can't find any plants, you could do some eggplants from seed, especially some of the asian (long skinny type) varieties. Some of them mature in 50-60 days.
posted to Ask Metafilter by cabingirl at 2:40 PM on June 11, 2008

I don't think it's particularly elegant, but people seem to enjoy cream cheese and sweet chili sauce, on crackers or toasts. You put the cream cheese on a plate then pour the chili sauce over it. You can also use jalapeno pepper jelly.
posted to Ask Metafilter by cabingirl at 11:18 AM on June 11, 2008

My boyfriend developed tendonitis a few weeks ago, while taking Levaquin. The thing about my boyfriend is that he refers to himself as being in "the 1%." He's taken many different medications in his life and he frequently suffers from unusual side effects. We didn't even know the tendon thing was a possible side effect until he complained about his foot to the doctor, so it wasn't a psychosomatic thing.

I am not trying to be crazily preachy, to quote... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by cabingirl at 9:15 PM on June 8, 2008

I have this robe from JC Penney. It's very soft (modal rayon). I have it in the ivory/black print, but that might be a tad see-thru for going outside. I have no idea if it meets your definition of cute, though. It's just a short robe, really.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by cabingirl at 8:52 PM on June 8, 2008

In coffee, specifically, I find that splenda alone just doesn't satisfy me. I use a combination of Splenda and sugar sometimes to give the mouthfeel of sugar with fewer calories. So instead of 3 packets of sugar, I'll use a splenda packet and one packet of sugar.

Along the lines of tomboko's cinnamon coffee suggestion, you could try something like MarketSpice tea. There's a ton of cinnamon in it and it tastes pretty sweet without adding anything to it. I am not... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by cabingirl at 9:52 AM on June 8, 2008

Posted too soon...I know it's the easiest thing to suggest but I don't think everyone can really adapt to black coffee, in the same way that not everyone enjoys dark chocolate, or red wine. I've done the no-sugar thing for extended periods of time, and chose to forego coffee rather than have to drink it straight. So the OP shouldn't feel bad if he/she doesn't like black coffee, is all I'm saying.
posted to Ask Metafilter by cabingirl at 9:59 AM on June 8, 2008

I've successfully run a small (probably ~5000 BTU) air conditioner on an "outdoor" extension cord, on the same circuit as my computer and monitor, without frying anything. It helps to have a good power strip like this one that isolates the channels.
posted to Ask Metafilter by cabingirl at 5:36 PM on June 5, 2008

I don't think so, at least not for me. If my hair is wet I can wind a curl to go in either direction, and it will stay that way when dry. Also, different sections of my hair have different degrees of curl.
posted to Ask Metafilter by cabingirl at 7:20 AM on June 5, 2008

if its found outside the firdge, its irradiated.

It's not irradiated, it's UHT. Just pointing that out due to some people's fears of irradiated foods.

I've found that the UHT stuff on the shelf is fine if you're not drinking it straight.
posted to Ask Metafilter by cabingirl at 8:08 AM on June 4, 2008

Have you tried this recipe? the writer says she got it from a Rick Bayless cookbook. It sounds pretty tasty to me...

This other recipe does call for dried beans. But I think you could start after the first part of step 2, the point at which you add the spices. Rinse the canned beans, add the spices, cover with water, and continue with the recipe. You'd have to experiment to see how long to boil them until they are "really soft" per the recipe.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by cabingirl at 6:34 PM on June 3, 2008

I'm surprised that you think ING is too easy to access. I use the savings account and since it takes 2-3 days to get the money back (no ATM card, etc) I find that's enough of a deterrant except in cases of extreme need.
posted to Ask Metafilter by cabingirl at 6:01 AM on June 3, 2008

If someone wants to play drums but they are having trouble coordinating the kick pedal, have someone else man just the kick pedal (with feet or hands). That's what we've done in the past, it gets another person involved and keeps the drummer from dragging down the whole group.
posted to Ask Metafilter by cabingirl at 7:52 PM on June 1, 2008

Mine does sometimes but only on one side. I assume it's the sacroiliac (SI) joint popping on that side. I've heard the same thing as Orb, which is that sometimes those joints are mobile and sometimes they aren't. I've also heard that modern chairs don't do a good job of supporting that area, which could explain why it's happening when you stand up after a long time.

It's fun to have a chiropractor do it, too.
posted to Ask Metafilter by cabingirl at 7:43 AM on May 29, 2008

Yes, I would name him Winston. Or Patrick Duffy.
posted to Ask Metafilter by cabingirl at 2:10 PM on May 28, 2008

90 euro (a touch under $100)

That's more like $140 these days.
posted to Ask Metafilter by cabingirl at 4:48 AM on May 28, 2008