There are a couple brands of floor adhesive remover on the market. I picked up a jug of stuff by 3M in the flooring department of Home Depot and it worked great for removing the gunk from my wood floors.
posted to Ask Metafilter by pluckysparrow at 4:03 PM on October 6, 2008

Edie Sedgwick, duh.
posted to Ask Metafilter by pluckysparrow at 7:07 AM on October 5, 2008

A cup of coffee or tea after a meal is always nice.
posted to Ask Metafilter by pluckysparrow at 8:45 PM on September 28, 2008

I like to quietly think about what people in the room I'd want on my team if we ever had to be in a street fight/bar-room brawl/cage fighting match.
posted to Ask Metafilter by pluckysparrow at 8:51 PM on September 23, 2008

The Pettigrew House museum in Sioux Falls is pretty cool, with lots of great design details. I don't know if they allow photos though, so you might want to ask first. In any case, it is worth checking out. The Pettigrew House is in a neighborhood with lots of old, interesting houses.

I don't know about good breakfast places, but there are at least three Ethiopian restaurants in Sioux Falls!
posted to Ask Metafilter by pluckysparrow at 8:10 AM on September 21, 2008

If you want this quilt to last more than 10 years, I'd advise not using adhesives or most plastics. You could use the shisha technique and either a cotton or poly/cotton blend thread OR drill a hole through each coin. As noted above, the weight of the coins is going to pull on the fabric, so you'll want to make sure they are well supported.
posted to Ask Metafilter by pluckysparrow at 8:51 PM on September 20, 2008

Since the Caravan package doesn't include airfare and the $1000 all inclusive seems to be per person, it looks like you'd be spending at least $3000 total for your vacation package. For that price, you could have a very nice vacation in Costa Rica or Puerto Rico without having to be part of a group.
posted to Ask Metafilter by pluckysparrow at 12:06 PM on September 20, 2008

Kakuzo Okakura relays an anecdote similar to this in "The Book of Tea."

"Rikiu was watching his son Shoan as he swept and watered the garden path. 'Not clean enough,' said Rikiu, when Shoan had finished his task, and bade him try again. After a weary hour the son turned to Rikiu: 'Father, there is nothing more to be done. The steps have been washed for the third time, the stone lanterns and the trees are well sprinkled with water, moss and lichens are... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by pluckysparrow at 6:16 PM on September 18, 2008

Why not find a job somewhere interesting and exotic and move there for awhile? Once you get married, start a family and own property, doing something like this can become very complicated. You are in a position to travel light and have some adventures!
posted to Ask Metafilter by pluckysparrow at 9:46 PM on September 17, 2008

Make your own granola, salad dressing, jam, bread and cookies.
posted to Ask Metafilter by pluckysparrow at 5:57 PM on September 15, 2008

As a vegetarian, I can reassure you that this situation happens allllll the frickin' time. I have sent back countless meals at restaurants because the waitstaff claimed an item was meatless.

Your co-worker probably noticed the huge chunks of bacon and didn't actually eat the beans.

I wouldn't want to know. It wasn't your fault and there's nothing that can be done about it.

The caterer company does need to be notified... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by pluckysparrow at 6:51 PM on September 13, 2008

Ed Hardy and Sailor Jerry tattoo t-shirts and accessories.
Hooded sweatshirts with all-over printed motifs.
Wearing skirts and dresses over pants.
Pastel colored terrycloth Juicy Couture sweat suits worn in public.
Flip flops worn in public, with or without the annoying shuffling walk.
Ironic or faux vintage t-shirts from American Eagle or Target.
Jeans with too long hems that drag on the ground and become all straggly.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by pluckysparrow at 6:42 PM on September 11, 2008

My wild guess is Joan Jett. She was in a band called the Runaways in 1979.
posted to Ask Metafilter by pluckysparrow at 9:43 PM on September 9, 2008

I live in a different state than you, but sold vintage clothes on ebay as my main source of income for awhile and followed all the proper procedures for running a small, home-based business. Trust me, when it comes tax time, you will wish that you had charged your in-state customers sales tax. By not charging your customers sales tax, you are screwing yourself because the taxes on an operation like this are typically beastly, especially if you are moderately successful! Don't let this... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by pluckysparrow at 9:54 PM on September 7, 2008

Where you take your items depends on what you have. Call the places first and ask them what they are buying or taking for consignment.

If you've got a lot of nice designer stuff or high quality department store things, a consignment shop would be a good bet. The one I take my clothes to requires that the clothing be on a hanger, clean, ironed and in season. They look everything over very carefully for flaws and sometimes won't take stuff they think might not sell for... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by pluckysparrow at 9:43 PM on September 6, 2008

You know how everyone always blames the media (fashion magazines & TV) for giving women low self esteem about their bodies? Well, that's not entirely true anymore. A lot of men (especially younger ones) have become quite critical about women's bodies and have developed a certain unattainable expectation of what is attractive and ideal. If you ever go to any of the gossip websites where photos of starlets in bikinis are posted, and happen to see any reader comments, you may note that there's... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by pluckysparrow at 7:32 PM on September 5, 2008

Try Alma or Fairplay, both are a short drive from Breckenridge and have much cheaper housing and are scenically very beautiful. The disadvantage is that the drive can be crazy if you are an inexperienced winter driver and there's not a lot going on for bars, grocery stores, restaurants. Frisco and Silverthorne are ideal if you want to live close to stuff, but they are going to be a little more expensive and harder to find housing. There are lots of big condos in both towns, so be sure to check... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by pluckysparrow at 6:49 AM on September 5, 2008

Some routine purchases can add up like crazy. Haircuts and color, beauty products, new clothes, shoes and practical stuff for around the house can be pretty expensive without people realizing it. Massages, facials, pedicures and things can be pretty easy to justify on a regular basis! I'm seriously frugal and was just at the mall yesterday and was shocked at what stuff cost. A container of anti-aging face moisturizer: $85. A pair of practical, well made shoes: $150. A simple sweater: $125.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by pluckysparrow at 4:03 PM on September 1, 2008

Persistent contempt from a partner is a sign that a relationship is sinking. You don't have to put up with this. It sounds like your relationship is becoming emotionally abusive and is definitely making you miserable. Relationships do take work, it's true, but he has to be doing his share. This means getting help if he's depressed. It also means not treating you like shit.
posted to Ask Metafilter by pluckysparrow at 10:35 PM on August 31, 2008

Prune back some of the leaves and stems so that the fruits get exposed to more sunlight. If it's getting cold at night, you can always cover your plants with a sheet and take it off in the morning. You might have selected a Roma variety that takes longer to grow. It's also possible that you have a critter (squirrels are the worse) who is stealing tomatoes off your plant.
posted to Ask Metafilter by pluckysparrow at 12:17 PM on August 31, 2008

Oh this is a complicated topic ...

As a person who smoked daily, multiple times a day for 10+ years and then quit, pretty much entirely...I can say that the biggest and most surprising difference to me was that I had developed this base of friends with whom our favorite shared activity was getting high and when I quit smoking pot, I lost that group of friends. Since I've quit smoking, I do notice that my short term memory is kind of shot. I can't remember passwords, my... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by pluckysparrow at 9:58 PM on August 30, 2008

I bought a very large (11'x16') Persian rug from a dealer on ebay a few years ago. I think I paid around $150 for the rug and $100 for shipping. I am satisfied with the rug and it looks great. I needed to cover the floor of a room occupied by small dogs and clumsy people who regularly spill their coffee and wine. I'd say the quality of the rug I got is sort of average. It's wool and colorful and pretty, but now that I know a little more about Persian rugs and have seen nicer rugs in other... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by pluckysparrow at 9:20 PM on August 26, 2008

Don't take this the wrong way, but I'm going to take a wild guess that the grass in your yard isn't actually a fine, green, velvety turf that just happens to not get trimmed with precision. I'm betting that your "grass" is similar to that of my lovely, but really laid-back neighbors and in fact consists of a generous portion of noxious weeds that are creeping into their yard. My neighbors lawn is covered with creeping ivy, creeping jenny, milk weed, english ivy, crab grass and other... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by pluckysparrow at 6:20 PM on August 25, 2008

You might want to try incorporating some cardio and light weigh-lifting exercise into your weekly routine. Exercise until you get sweaty 3-5 times a week. Light weight-training is realy good for burning fat.

I wonder if your body thinks it is being starved and is hoarding the calories you consume? Try eating smaller nutrient dense meals throughout the day.

As for what you are eating, are you making the Panini yourself or at a restaurant? That... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by pluckysparrow at 6:26 PM on August 20, 2008

I used to live in Boulder. It is a crazy expensive town to live in and hard to find affordable housing (renting or buying) in the city. Jobs in most fields are scarce and don't pay enough balance the costs of housing. You know in most cities, when you go to the grocery stores, the cashiers and baggers are high school and college kids? In Boulder, it is mostly middle aged people working these jobs.

There are a lot of trustafarians in Boulder (rich hippie kids with... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by pluckysparrow at 7:28 PM on August 19, 2008 marked best answer

It would be worth your money to pay a home inspector to come in and give you an assessment of what really needs to be done to the house to make it livable. Hire someone who is completely independent of your agent. This can help give you legitimate bargaining power. When I bought my house, the inspection person was able to tell me that some of the electrical and plumbing in the house needed immediate upgrading, but that other problems were merely cosmetic and could be fixed later.
posted to Ask Metafilter by pluckysparrow at 9:19 AM on August 17, 2008

I have a very similar situation with my mom. I find that trying to address issues from the past with her is kind of like picking at a scab and does absolutely no good. But yeah, it takes a lot of work and self-discipline to build a relationship with a parent you've had a dysfunctional relationship with in the past.

There's nothing she can do about the way she behaved in the past. As an adult, you can set up boundaries to help build a healthier relationship with your... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by pluckysparrow at 10:29 AM on August 16, 2008

I used to work at a University in several admin staff type positions in academic units.

- I worked full time. I did work some overtime and was required to travel overnight for work once in awhile.
- My school offered $1 a credit hour tuition, even for graduate level classes.
- I completed 25% of my grad school degree this way. I took classes during my lunch break, in the evenings and online. It was a challenge to fit classes into my work... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by pluckysparrow at 9:50 PM on August 14, 2008 marked best answer

Also voting for ignoring. The Westboro crackpots kinda like it when you engage them in debate or show that they make you mad. Also, something that is very important to keep in mind about Westboro: a lot of the Phelps family are lawyers and are a litigious bunch. They seem to seek out opportunities to sue people, which works out pretty well for them financially.
posted to Ask Metafilter by pluckysparrow at 8:56 PM on August 14, 2008

It kind of depends on what you keep the thermostat set at and how big the apartment is. In the winter, we keep our heat at 64 during the day and turn it down to 62 at night. We think this is normal and are fine with wearing layers of clothing indoors when it is cold, but to a lot of people that is crazy cold and they set their thermostat at least to 70, which leads to a heating bill that is easily at least $50 higher.
posted to Ask Metafilter by pluckysparrow at 7:44 PM on August 11, 2008

You could do what I did...work your butt off, save as much money as possible, quit your job, sell most of your worldly possessions and go live somewhere else (ie. another country) for awhile. Even better if you can combine this period of soul searching with a volunteer opportunity. Figure out what you love and what you want to do with the rest of your life. You might surprise yourself.
posted to Ask Metafilter by pluckysparrow at 4:48 PM on August 9, 2008

Back in the olden days, when I was a waitron, I'd periodically deal with really mean customers. People who would denigrate, belittle, verbally abuse or shout at me. If I had a chance in the kitchen, I'd pick up the top of their hamburger bun, lick it, take it out and serve it with a big smile on my face. Alternately, I would lick their dill pickle spear.

A customer had to be truly awful to me specifically to deserve this treatment though. It is shocking how mean... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by pluckysparrow at 10:10 PM on August 8, 2008

If the employee is given the option to stay and work for a few additional weeks, it's a good precaution to back up any electronic files that work on their hard-drive and on your office's server. I worked with a lady once, who was laid off from her previous job due to budget cuts. She confided to me that she was so angry that she spent her last two weeks methodically deleting important documents from the server and her computer.
posted to Ask Metafilter by pluckysparrow at 2:43 PM on August 8, 2008

A rice cooker.
posted to Ask Metafilter by pluckysparrow at 4:07 PM on August 4, 2008

Fingertips have a lot of very sensitive nerve endings. Fingernails protect these nerve endings.
posted to Ask Metafilter by pluckysparrow at 9:15 AM on August 3, 2008

I think there could be a few different things going on. The other women might feel threatened by your physical appearance. I've seen groups of women behave awfully to other women they perceive as more attractive. You might be dealing with women who are worried you are going to steal the spotlight somehow.

You could also be unintentionally physically expressing the way you are feeling. I know a woman who says other women are mean to her and she has a hard time making... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by pluckysparrow at 9:14 PM on July 30, 2008

In many programs, if you aren't getting along with your adviser or they aren't giving you the feedback you want, you can simply switch to a new adviser.

If your program was completely dysfunctional and you feel like you were treated unfairly due to gender, ethnicity or race, you might have a case.
posted to Ask Metafilter by pluckysparrow at 8:57 PM on July 29, 2008

Being in an abusive relationship can taint a person's self-esteem for years. As a woman with a similarly troubled past and a former proclivity for abusive men, I can confirm that therapy helped me move on with my life and to help me fully appreciate the very sweet, gentle man (now my husband) who has patiently stood by me. He still wants to punch some of my ex's in the face, so I guess that is not an unusual response!
posted to Ask Metafilter by pluckysparrow at 9:57 PM on July 17, 2008

In my explorations, I've found that these rooms tend to be used for storing obsolete junk that nobody feels motivated or comfortable enough to discard: boxes of files, old computer parts, shelves of 3 ring binders filled with documents, office supplies from the 1970s and 80s, manuals, textbooks, encyclopedias, and educational vhs tapes.

Now that I work in a situation where I am in a room in a public building that requires keys and fingerprint scan access...I fully... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by pluckysparrow at 9:13 PM on July 17, 2008

In my experience with this sort of thing, I felt thoughtful, sad and like I wanted to honor my friend's life by doing something positive with mine. I wasn't shocked. I was only surprised he hadn't successfully killed himself years before. I didn't even cry, which felt weird. We all have different ways of mourning.

I hope that your friend found the peace he was looking for.
posted to Ask Metafilter by pluckysparrow at 9:34 PM on July 15, 2008 marked best answer

I'd hack that dress shirt by sewing large metal snaps underneath the buttons so they could snap closed instead of button. Minimal sewing required. You could probably hire a seamstress or tailor to do all your dress shirts in one go, for a reasonable cost.
posted to Ask Metafilter by pluckysparrow at 9:12 PM on July 14, 2008

A deck of cards is great for entertaining yourself (solitaire) or playing a card game with a companion. I like traveling with a small backpack water filtration pump so that I can purify my own water and not leave a bunch of empty water bottles in the country hosting me. A small headlamp style flashlight has come in handy more than I expected during my travels. Clothes that dry fast and don't make you look like an boy/girl scout. A pair of sandal type shoes that you can hose off if they get... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by pluckysparrow at 8:10 PM on July 10, 2008

Depending on where you work, freelancing on the side may be considered a conflict of interest. You may want to check. I do know conservators who pick up projects on the side, and who even have permission to use the labs at their day jobs for projects, so what you have in mind is totally reasonable. Depending on how much formal conservation training you have, you might need to be careful on how you represent yourself and the types of services you offer.

The big thing... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by pluckysparrow at 9:30 PM on July 9, 2008

Devil in the White City
In Cold Blood
posted to Ask Metafilter by pluckysparrow at 7:11 PM on July 7, 2008

I've taken the Amtrak overnight between different destinations across the US. On some trips there was definitely a "party" or bar like atmosphere if you left your seat and went to the smoking lounge or wandered through other cars. Lots of people bring their own alcohol onto the train and I've seen people get a little rowdy and try to start fights or pass out in the bathroom. The coach seating isn't that great for sleeping, but it can be done.
posted to Ask Metafilter by pluckysparrow at 6:34 PM on July 5, 2008

I had similar symptoms once and it was diagnosed as pityriasis rosea, which is annoying, but harmless and goes away on its own. If you have something like eczema or pityriasis rosea, the lotion may be irritating it and making it itch more.
posted to Ask Metafilter by pluckysparrow at 6:12 PM on July 5, 2008

I love my local used book store because of the individual attention they give customers. I regularly bring in books to trade for store credit. If I decide to come back and shop later, they'll keep track of the credit for me. If I don't come in for awhile, one of the staff will call me and say, "hi, just reminding you, you have $25 in credit to spend with us!"

If I want a book and it isn't in stock, this bookstore will make a note of it and when they get it in,... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by pluckysparrow at 10:33 AM on July 4, 2008

As a previous poster noted, there are some very retro and midwestern recipes that use mayonnaise, including quite a few desert items. I personally think this is an appalling food abuse, but the old people in tornado alley really dig stuff like jell-o salad with mayo mixed in; diced apples, raisins & celery tossed in mayo, fruit salads with mayo dressing...the list goes on.

My 1940 edition of the Household Searchlight Recipe Book includes a whole slew of mayonnaise... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by pluckysparrow at 6:08 PM on July 3, 2008

It is common in today's job market for people to have gaps in between employment. Sometimes people just can't find a job, sometimes they take a 4 month break to visit another country or sometimes they take some time off to be with a seriously ill family member. I wouldn't even go into detail indicating you had an emergency or crisis. Just say you took a break in between jobs to spend some time with your family. The specifics of your leave of absence are not the business of the person... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by pluckysparrow at 5:47 PM on July 3, 2008

You're going to have to tell your boyfriend that it bugs you when he checks out other women and comments on their attractiveness. Definitely do not turn the tables and start commenting on every hot guy you see...playing games like that will not help your relationship.

If you want more affection, you need to communicate and also to initiate affection yourself. If it bothers you that your boyfriend seems fixated on your appearance, just tell him so. He probably thinks... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by pluckysparrow at 2:42 PM on July 3, 2008