sararah, that's why this was the last possible cause I could think of; I'd never heard of regular lotion irritating like suntan lotion can after expiration. No date is printed on either the old or new bottle and I've never thought to look for one all the years I've used it. Because the purchase was timed close to the outbreak, I just *today* ceased using it to see if there's a difference -- last night the itching broke out at one point so badly I thought I'd never stop scratching my arms... and... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by skyper at 12:01 PM on July 5, 2008

dilettante, we were on the rocks/boulders in & out of the water; none of my swim companions has experienced the rash, and my boyfriend has been prone to chiggers before...
Still, a river known to be polluted on some levels -- yet never keeping people out of the water on a nice day -- could affect people differently.
posted to Ask Metafilter by skyper at 12:54 PM on July 5, 2008

There's loads of NBA basketball players with interesting first and last names. That's where I browsed for names when I got my dog in '99.
I named him for Avery Johnson of the San Antonio Spurs, now coach of Dallas Mavericks -- though not for size or resemblance, but because I admire Coach Johnson's spirited demeanor, and the name "Avery" had an old-timey feel, perfect for my shaggy mutt's old-man whiskery face.
Curious: how "big" can a pug grow to be,... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by skyper at 12:16 PM on May 28, 2008

Keeping track of things to look forward to helps me -- on a daily, monthly or seasonal basis.
With summer approaching, any music festivals, art walks, friends' housewarming parties/cookouts & other pre-planned gatherings I keep track of on the calendar.
I'm one of those who finds myself more content and alive *looking forward* to something than when it's over & in the past -- whereupon I experience slight post-event depression (or the crash-after-the-high, or... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by skyper at 11:26 AM on May 27, 2008

This is great; I'm so glad to have a nice new batch of recipes for mind-numbing drinks to help me weather the chore of sex with my S.O. (He found college "boring" too).
posted to Ask Metafilter by skyper at 5:00 AM on May 27, 2008

Could the place you visited have been Octoraro Creek, on the south branch of the Potomac?

I know for sure this was in West Virginia near the border with Virginia. It's the Potomac River, or a branch of it, meeting "Thorn Creek" -- which I located a reference to online, yet mostly when I Google these names I only get hunting pages with maps or water pollution sites. Nothing regarding the distinction where they meet as this man had indicated --... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by skyper at 10:22 AM on April 29, 2008

Wow, I had no idea what debacle actually meant until just now.

Imagine learning, as I did only recently, the correct way to pronounce it. (hint: does not rhyme with 'spectacle.')
posted to Ask Metafilter by skyper at 10:35 PM on April 17, 2008

worrying weakens the immune system and getting sick right now is the last thing anyone needs...because ultimately there's karma in everything...Worrying adds to the mass-misery in negativity.

I have a feeling if I stated this to the next homeless person I saw out on the street, or neighbor who was recently among the thousands laid-off from their jobs, or the single mom trying to cope with inflated prices for basic grocery staples -- I'd get my face... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by skyper at 10:38 AM on April 16, 2008

If you literally have hundreds, is there a grocery store or supermarket nearby that accepts them for recycling?
I've used them to stuff around items boxed for shipping... To give body to the inside of a Cat-in-the-Hat hat and make it stand up straight...
Back when I owned an actual cat, I filled up a zippered pillowcase with them because he seemed to enjoy the sound they made as he got comfortable on this "nest."
Or, if your neighborhood is full of... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by skyper at 9:26 PM on April 8, 2008

Two movies come to mind, though they are not set in the 80s but define 80s movies for me:

Stand By Me
and
Fandango, a lesser-known film about college grads coming of age during the Vietnam war. If you agree the 80s gave us Judd Nelson or Kevin Costner, do see this. (Good luck finding it.)
posted to Ask Metafilter by skyper at 5:44 PM on April 3, 2008

My boyfriend and I are in the same age bracket as you & your fiancee, which is what prompted me to reply. Our situation: no rush to marry, living 'day-to-day' approaching 3 years together and still quite enamored of each other.
However, he understands I would rather not have children -- much less can we afford any --and my age is approaching that time when it'll be pretty much impossible.
We're both young at heart and practically broke; yet, you must have a good... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by skyper at 12:40 PM on April 3, 2008 marked best answer

As a twist on the original question:

What about when a memory jogs a song into playing in your head, and you can't get it out for days, even long after you stopped thinking about the memory?
In fact, song-replaying-incessantly (regardless of whether a memory generated it) must have a name for it, maybe someone here knows.
Most important: how to get rid of the song, when you've tired of it by the 3rd or 4th day, but nothing seems to work -- not... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by skyper at 12:09 PM on April 3, 2008

Whoever invented the ham with pineapple on pizza combination, you rock.

My sister and I used to place Ritz crackers in the oven to heat up topped with giant marshmallows until they were both crunchy on the outside with top part gooey on the inside. Tasted especially good summers just home from the swimming pool.

Lots of salt/sugar blends here. I wondered if this was a male-dominated thread til I started remembering these snack deviations I crave... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by skyper at 9:29 PM on April 2, 2008

Salty/sweet combo snacks are very popular

No doubt, at least since peanut M&Ms were invented (or just plain ones added into homemade trail mix with nuts, sunflower seeds & craisins)

Was more intrigued with the consistency of salt/sweet in a thread otherwise rife with huge variety of the 'unlikely' combos. It made me think, whether or not justified, of a bachelor-type (did I just stereotype?) tendency for reaching into... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by skyper at 10:07 PM on April 2, 2008

Personally -

I've enjoyed Confessions of Max Tivoli, told from the perspective of a protagonist who ages backwards. It's set in San Francisco at the turn of the 20th century.

Also am fond of She Took My Arm As If She Loved Me by Herbert Gold. Same setting, non-historic, published during late 90s, but good details although emphasis is on the not-so-polished neighborhoods of S.F.

Enjoy!... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by skyper at 1:28 PM on March 21, 2008