Coffee Break: Quilted Luxe Gym Bag

98 Comments

1. Where’s a good warm weather place to travel with an infant? We’re having a baby in August, and we’d like to go someplace warm for about a week around next Thanksgiving/Christmas before parental leave ends. I’m thinking Bahamas, Puerto Rico, Mexico. My partner is fluent in Spanish and would enjoy speaking it. Any specific suggestions? Thanks!

   1. Puerto Rico or Riviera Maya (in Mexico about 45 min south of Cancun)! Both are easy flights, have great tourist infrastructure, but are also adjacent to cultural attractions if you get tired of the resort scene. And your partner would find plenty of people to speak Spanish with!

   2. We went to Turks and Caicos when my DD was an infant, and it was great! However, the typhoid vaccine is apparently something you’re supposed to have before traveling anywhere in the Caribbean, and my pediatrician flipped out at me for taking a child who was too young for it (you have to be 2 years old). I didn’t really think it would be an issue and I followed the strict Southeast Asia food rules (no raw unpeeled fruits and veggies, etc), but I was still a little nervous the whole time. If I did it again, I might just do south Florida so there wouldn’t be any worry about typhoid. Just FYI.

      1. I did not know that. I’ve been to a lot of places in the Caribbean and never got the typhoid vaccine.

         1. Yeah me too. But the CDC does recommend it. I’m not saying what I did was objectively unsafe, just that I might have had a more relaxing trip if I’d been somewhere where it wasn’t a concern.

            1. CDC also recommends the rabies vaccination for travelling to the Caribbean. So take it for what it’s worth.

            2. They recommend rabies only for “some” travelers – those who will be traveling in remote areas in contact with wildlife. Typhoid and Hep A are recommended for “most” travelers (eg., anyone who isn’t staying and eating exclusively in a fancy resort).

   3. also just remember that a baby less than 6 months cannot get a flu vaccine. i would generally recommend booking with Southwest and a refundable hotel so that if for some reason you decide you aren’t ready to travel with a baby, you have an easy way out. oh and if you travel internationally, the baby will still need a passport

      1. And both parents have to go to get the passport. Do yourself a kindness and book an appointment (vs waiting in a line).

         1. You can go just one parent if the other does a notarized doc that it’s okay (a very specific doc on the website & follow directions to a T). We’ve done that each time.

            1. +1. It is a specific doc, but it is very easy.

   4. I wanted to do this when I had my second kid around the same time last fall, and ended up not going anywhere. We got her a passport at two weeks old and everything. Your mileage may vary, but life with a newborn is exhausting. I thought it would be easier the second time around, plus my firstborn is 5 and so somewhat self-sufficient – no. Granted, we were trying to take a trip with a younger baby (2 months) – but ultimately we were too concerned about access to hospitals to go out of the country. With a baby that little, you have to go to the hospital for pretty much everything. It’s virus season, and RSV is no joke for all kids, but especially newborns. When it came to the time we would have been going on our trip, we were glad we didn’t have tickets etc. because we were just. so. tired. it would have been a huge lift just to get us all packed up to the airport.

      Obviously, people have babies in all sorts of places and are fine, and people travel all over to have the baby meet relatives. And part of our exhaustion was having to continue to parent the first kid while also taking care of the newborn and recovering physically from birth. You might be fine – the baby will be about four months, right? The change from 2-4 months is big. You also don’t know yet if you have a chill baby or a colicky baby who will scream the entire 3 hour flight, etc. But don’t put pressure on yourselves to take a trip just because you have the time off (that’s how we felt). There will be time for vacations later; you will have just had one of the most life-changing experiences ever and you might need some time to just chill at home and get used to being a family of three.

      1. All of this to say, I’d choose whatever is easiest for you to get to (short, direct flights) and requires the least amount of time to travel from the airport to your destination on the other end. Also consider asking grandparents, friends, or other relatives to travel with you. More power to you if you go – it’s very fun to travel with kids, even if it is a lot more work!

   5. Of course it depends on your baby and your physical recovery, but I think that’s a wonderful age to travel with a baby if they are good at sleeping on the go. We did a camping / road trip with our August baby in early November and it was awesome – she’d sleep in the carrier while we hiked or in the stroller at restaurants, so we were able to do much more then we can do with her as a toddler when she really needs to be in a bed to nap.

      As for a spot, I would recommend Miami! Good weather, lots of nice and relaxing hotels with pools and on or easy walk to the beach, and good restaurants

2. My partner and I have realized we need to get renter’s insurance – does anyone have it with a company they like? I got quotes from a few major insurance companies, and they all seem pretty similar. We don’t have a lot of valuables, but it seems stupid not to have it.

   1. Do you have car insurance? Sometimes it’s worth keeping all the policies together so you can get multi-policy discounts. We’ve had good luck with Travelers and Hanover in general over the years so I assume their renter’s customer service is also decent.
      Also, be sure to ask about riders for any high value items like jewelry or art.

   2. Honestly, it’s all the same, so if you have a car, it’s best to bundle the two insurance plans. If you don’t, go with the cheapest option.

      1. +1 but go with the cheapest among established companies. Lemonade and the other insurance startups/apps are cheap but notoriously awful at paying out.

         1. Oh yeah, fair point. I’d assumed OP had been looking at the established companies, but yeah, don’t go with a startup or some independent insurance agency.

            When I bought my car, the dealership insisted I insure it through this little agency next door. It was a name I didn’t recognize in a basement-level office. Maybe they were actually great, but I had a bad feeling about it and had planned to go through a big-name insurer. The dealer was really pushy about it though, which was weird.

            1. That person was probably a broker not an actual insurance provider. Brokers aren’t sketchy.

   3. Super easy to get from any insurance carrier. I did it online after looking around and comparing a few different providers.

3. If you had a month free to live somewhere else and work (part-time) remotely, where would you go?

   I’m 37 and a consultant. Single, no kids. I have two free months this fall. I will need to separate them out and come home in between for a few weeks for some personal stuff, but otherwise, I can be gone for a month at a time.

   My plans would be doing some remote consulting work, revamping my website, and hopefully meeting people, too. Kind of a mini-retirement (TM Tim Ferris).

   I’m leaning toward Latin America because I speak Spanish, my money will go farther, and it’s closer to home. Considering Mexico City or Buenos Aires. Anyone worked in either of those cities and have any thoughts to share on the coworking scene?

   1. I’ve only visited Mexico City and while I loved it SO much, the air quality issues were real and I would sadly hesitate to spend an entire month there for that reason.

   2. I would go to Costa Rica.

   3. There is a pretty large ex-pat community in Lima, and Miraflores is wonderful (excellent restaurants, warm, street art, etc.). There are a lot of language schools in Lima as well, so that may work well for a month. It is also easy and cheap to travel to other places in Peru from Lima, and there is definitely enough to do in Peru to take up a month.

   4. Personally I’d pick Colombia

      1. Yes, I was going to chime in to say the same. Medellin has a robust remote working/ex pat community, plus it is awesome. I would happily post up in Bogota as well.

      2. I third Colombia—I liked Bogota but Medellin has beautiful weather and a lot of options. I went for three weeks last year and took half day Spanish classes for a couple weeks to brush up and to meet some people—there were a lot of young backpackers but also an interesting mix of other/older folks who were traveling or working part time remotely etc.

   5. Definitely do Argentina! I loved the Iguazu falls.

   6. I love love love Buenos Aires and always vowed to move there if I didn’t make partner.

4. DH and I are planning a 3-day getaway in mid-September (first time just the two of us, no kids). We are considering Portland, OR, Seattle, WA, or Vancouver, BC. We are familiar with none of these. Which would you recommend, and why? Recommendations? Or other options?

   Criteria:
   – Short flight from our home in California
   – NOT any warmer than home (ideally no higher than mid-80s, though of course that can’t be guaranteed, as we are cold-weather people at heart)
   – Good walking city with good food (I want to stay in a hotel and eat out every meal and do no cooking, cleaning, or meal planning!)
   – We are outdoorsy but are also interested in museums, theater, movies, etc…and mostly want to relax and be spontaneous without kids…

   Thank you! And I know there have been many variations of this question over the years, but I can’t find any exactly on point…

   1. Have not done Vancouver, but I would choose Seattle.

      — Temperature– Seattle will probably be cold by then.
      — Walking– Seattle has much larger walkable areas than Portland. Portland has excellent public transportation, but we found that most places we wanted to go to were not walking distance from our hotel downtown (which was in business district and didn’t have much going on at night). We were able to get around without a car, but we were not able to just walk for miles and look in store windows. Portland also smelled awful– weed + very bad homeless problem. Seattle is just much bigger and much of the downtown area is walkable. You can walk close to the water, etc., and there are other neighborhoods that were walkable as well. It was also very clean.
      — Stuff to Do– I think Portland has better day trips, but you seem like you are looking for somewhere to stay for three days. For Portland, most of what you would do– traveling to the Columbia River Gorge, going to wineries, going to the coast, involves an hour drive each way. Seattle has a few wineries within the city as well as hiking in the city. But, I think you could also spend 3 days there no problem.

      1. I don’t think Seattle will be anywhere near “cold” in mid-September.

   2. I found Portland unpleasant. I wouldn’t seek it out as a vacation spot.

      1. Might you want to expand on that at all?

   3. So, I have not been to Seattle, but have been to Vancouver and Portland. While I actually really enjoyed my trip to Portland (the food, the coffee, the wineries, the Rose Garden), I would recommend Vancouver — it is much more of a world class city to me. It is shockingly beautiful, the food is fantastic, and just walking/biking around town or Stanley Park is a lot of fun. I was also there in September, and the weather was pleasant enough for lots of outdoor time, but not at all hot.

      I am sure Seattle would be fun, but you will not lose with Vancouver.

      1. I think you’re right and Vancouver is certainly more world class than Seattle.

   4. I live in Seattle! Sept here is beautiful- still warm ish during the day but really pretty, crisp evenings. Perfect mix of city life events and outdoors activities, awesome beer wine and coffee, etc. Of the three, either Vancouver or Seattle for sure!

   5. I would fly into Seattle, spend the day, then amtrak in the evening to Vancouver. The train follows the water at sunset and is amazing. The amtrak station in Vancouver is across the street from the train that goes downtown.

5. I financially support my mother. She cleans houses here and there, but her income is so low that she does not need to file a tax return. She recently received a small personal injury settlement. Can she contribute that amount ($3k) to a Roth IRA? The rules I’ve read say that you can’t contribute more than your AGI, but I can’t find anything about when someone’s income is so low that they don’t file a return.

   1. No, she can’t. It has to be earned income, which a settlement is not.

      1. She has earned income.

      2. But the housecleaning is.

   2. I’d file a tax return for her, including the earned income, and next January when you are sure of her total amount of earned income for the year…. put the equivalent $$ in a ROTH. Make sure she keeps track of her income somewhere….

      It is a large penalty if you put the money into a ROTH now and then oops…. in January realize she made way less than you put in. Filing the paper work to correct this and paying the penalties is a pain.

      Ask me how I know!

      1. And these days with credits back from health insurance if she is using Obamacare and other credits if you have sufficient earned income, she should probably be filing her taxes. She may get stuff back as credits, even if her income is low.

         I unfortunately have a few friends who have worked off the books for years and don’t file income tax properly and not only are shooting themselves in the foot for retirement but are missing out on earned income tax credits.

      2. I asked Dad who thinks if the mother is not really getting earned income, it is NOT right for her to says she has earned income just to put it into a ROTH IRA. Dad says there are alot of cleaneing ladies getting money off the books and do not pay SS Taxes now trying to get a ROTH in place before Sanders gets elected b/c Sanders does NOT want to take away people’s Roth’s, but he will increase taxes, and Roth’s are NOT subject to tax. Dad think’s it’s an organized scheme to avoid payment of any taxes by people who do not want to pay taxes. He pays alot of taxes and does not appreciate those who could but don’t pay. He also has this issue with locals who do the gardening (literal gardening, not s-x), who want cash rather then credit cards, b/c they do NOT want to have to declare income. FOOEY on all of them b/c we all pay our taxes for the work that we do.

6. If you’ve tried it, what’s been your experience with holistic or integrative medicine? Did it improve your overall health or help address any chronic illnesses (which is what I’m looking for). I’m looking into and it’s difficult to tell the alternative medicine quacks v. normal doctor with a different practice philosophy. I asked my PCP, who is very much a traditional internist, and she actually gave me a recommendation (and I trust her referrals) so figured it can’t hurt. The ones who look legitimate seem to be basically nutritionists that can prescribe medicine or doctors who focus on health optimization (often by working off of subclinical but not great test results).

   1. One of my best friends spent thousands of dollars seeing an “integrative doctor” for a chronic illness over a period of 6-7 years. She thinks certain things helped, but it was almost certainly a placebo effect. She’s since fallen out with said “doctor” since the “doctor” sent several email blasts about how her special supplements could cure cancer while best friend’s mother was dying of it. Moral of the story? Only do it if you don’t mind setting money on fire, if you’re going to be able to handle a lot of BS and offensive garbage, and if you are capable of doing your own research to avoid truly harmful “treatments.”

      1. Idk I think this might be a slightly pessimistic way of looking at it. There are holistic doctors that don’t sell stuff and embrace modern medicine without eschewing complementary treatments. I haven’t been to an integrative medicine doctor but my regular doctors embrace this kind of stuff without it being their full practice. They discourage supplements and encourage certain foods and fluid intake to get the same nutritional results and encourage lifestyle changes to manage symptoms to wean me off of the medicines that they themselves prescribed (these are board certified rhuematologist and internists). The key is probably to go to a doctor that embraces preventative care and lifestyle changes in conjunction with medicine for disease treatment instead of managing symptoms only – basically a good doctor.

      2. I am 100 percent with Anon at 3:57. Where is the science behind whatever is being recommended? I prefer my medical care evidence-based.

         1. Also, what are you hoping to achieve that lifestyle factors you already know about – exercise, diet, rest, don’t smoke, etc. – can’t address?

            1. I kind of see your point, but chronic illness can really change the recommendations. I ran into a load of trouble when I tried to eat healthy once; it turns out I need a lot of dietary cholesterol and salt!

            2. OP here – part of it is deeper dives than I can ordinarily get with PCP into the root cause of my issues. The recommended doctor would review my entire medical records from all my specialists extensively to try to see any wholes in diagnoses or treatments, order additional tests to pinpoint any nutritional or hormonal deficiencies (there is a certified dietician on staff) that may be contributing to my issues, and work to help me get my bloodwork into ideal numbers territory – which even my PCP admits would not be a bad idea. My PCP won’t prescribe me anything if my bloodwork is in the “acceptable” range, but does admit some of the numbers are borderline. This holistic doctor is affiliated with my specialists (same hospital system) and kind of acts like a quarterback to determine the root triggers of my chronic ailments (for me main concern is autoimmune disorders) and oversee my treatment across various specialties. The main thing I like is that the doctor focuses on “whole body health” and doesn’t sell anything or claim to be able cure anything, but, at least per the website, has a goal of strong preventative medicine and disease management via lifestyle support (which is why he has a dietician, counselor, physical therapist, on staff, as well as PAs and NPs). It also helps that he is accepted under my insurance.

               I know it sounds like I’m trying to convince myself, but I kind of want help in determining what type of doctor could legitimately just practice regular medicine with a different philosophy.

         2. There is definitely science behind certain alternative medicine treatments. I wouldn’t discount everything with such broad strokes.

   2. My mother had a lot of success with acupuncture.

   3. It’s not going to cure anything, but it might help with symptom management if there aren’t traditional options available to you. Is it just the placebo effect? Probably, but if it’s all you’ve got (and you’ve verified with your PCP that it won’t cause further issues), does that matter?

   4. I have found the “optimization” part helpful. I’ve only seen real MDs or DOs. My experience has been that they’re usually better for symptoms and quality of life than for figuring out what’s really wrong, but they can sometimes help gather clues when you’ve hit a wall with specialists.

      For example, a functional MD was willing to have me trial B12 shots when a university specialist had concluded my progressive neurological symptoms were “idiopathic” and untreatable, and another specialist was testing me for MS, which I was sure I didn’t have. He reached this decision after spending more time going over my chart and my family history than the specialist ever had.

      On the other hand, he didn’t run tests for the causes of B12 deficiency! After the B12 shots obviously helped, I had to start all over with a specialist who finally ran the tests which showed I have pernicious anemia antibodies which definitely explains the progressive neurological symptoms I was experiencing, and which also explains why I didn’t appear to be deficient on the usual deficiency test.

      So I sort of agree that all you really need is a good doctor, but sometimes all we can do is piece together a good doctor from what’s available. Maybe a humble NP who googles things would have been just as helpful, but my experience is that the most qualified specialists are not always the best at listening or taking time to piece together the many disparate symptoms that can appear in chronic illness (especially once you’ve started collecting autoimmune diseases). There is no autoimmune specialty, so we have to work with what we have.

      That’s my biggest example, but I have others (I benefited from gluten-free diet long before anyone ran the right tests to demonstrate why; I’m one of the thyroid patients who seems to benefit from LDN though I realize the research just hasn’t been done, etc.). I guess I think of it as “a way to feel better” in the meantime while waiting on specialists to get around to doing their jobs in a system that isn’t designed for chronic illness management.

      1. Thanks this is really helpful.

      2. Visiting a holistic doctor can just mean you pay for more time with the doctor, so diagnoses are more carefully considered and researched, and more attention is paid to lesser symptoms or discomforts. In addition to that, they often take the time to have a fantastic bedside manner, which I believe has been proven to impact health outcomes (could be placebo, or improved compliance with instructions, or whatever). All their treatments can still be rooted in modern medicine.
         I’d stay away from those that push homeopathy or supplements with unproven benefits. But if you have a rec from your GP you trust, it may be worth a shot.

   5. I have seen a naturopath on and off over the last few years and I really believe in it. For example, your blood sugar or thyroid levels etc. may be in the range of normal but slightly low and a traditional doctor won’t do anything about it but a naturopath may help so you feel better which is really the point I think.

      Mine listens carefully and pieces together symptoms that don’t seem related (bad dreams, fuzzy tongue, irregular periods etc.) and then will test to prove her theories or will suggest trying to eat certain ways etc. so you don’t end up taking a bunch of supplements but you’re doing things that are supportive of your health and your specifics symptoms.

      1. I forgot to mention that seeing a integrative or functional leaning doctor is the only way I’ve found help for some women’s health issues. I would love for there to be a lot of evidence based medicine that isn’t just different ways of saying “get on the pill,” but women’s health is not a research priority, and I needed to feel better now.

   6. Obviously I’m biased, as his daughter and employee, but I think sometimes its just a matter of finding the right doctor. My father is a D.O./Internist who has a more nuanced approach to medicine, and has found his niche working with people with difficult chronic illnesses and multiple conflicting issues. He is very much a real doctor and relies on using tests and traditional drugs when needed, but doesn’t limit himself to those options. Many of his patients can’t tolerate traditional medications because of their sensitivities, so he has to know alternatives. There may be a doctor in your area that has the same approach. If you’re curious, this is his website: https://www.johnsonmedicalassociates.com/

   7. FWIW, I haven’t seen one yet, but plan to do so when I’m done with chemo. My (top 5 nationally ranked) hospital has an integrative medicine practice, and all oncology patients automatically receive an offer of referral. I asked my oncologist, who is extremely evidenced based in nature, if he thought it would be worth it, and he said yes. He said his job is to cure my cancer and prevent it from coming back, but integrative medicine doctors can help me feel like myself again faster if that’s something I’m interested in. A lot of the evidence-based lifestyle/nutrition modifications that can help with a serious/chronic illness are not actually that obvious (it’s not as simple as eat more vegetables and exercise, as I’ve learned through personal experience) and I think working with an expert will help.

7. Design question for cabinet hardware:

   Shell-shaped metal pulls?
   Bar-shaped metal pulls (touching at the top)?
   3-sides of a rectangle long bar pulls (you can put your hand fingers through and wrap around)?

   I am thinking that 1 and 2 may get grubby inside. Prior kitchen had knobs only installed by prior owner.
   I think I still like knobs on small drawers and maybe cabinets, but this is for larger drawers with heavy cookwear in them or dishes.

   1. All I can say for number one is: hidden spiders.

   2. Shell shaped knobs seem like something that will age rapidly and poorly, in addition to being hard to clean.

   3. 3 sides of rectangle, imho. We have this on all kitchen cupboards and drawers, there’s something to be said for consistency.

   4. I vote for the 3 sides of rectangle plus plain round knobs for the drawers. Shell pulls sound very 80s.

   5. Three sides of a rectangle.

      No bars with bits that stick out on the ends to get caught on your clothes, no cupped things that can hide spiders (thanks to Anon for that new nightmare!!!).

8. Need some advice on career change/ transitions. I’ve been in a postdoc for the past two years. Its my second postdoc, the previous one was a year. I’ve been generally unhappy in this position, and stressed. Now that it’s coming to an end I’m looking for non academic jobs and doing informational interviews. One thing I’m struggling with is not falling into the pattern of applying for another postdoc position–for the current job I applied because I wasn’t sure what other jobs I could do and was afraid of being unemployed. At the same time I have seen postdoc positions that I do qualify for (these are postings from a list serv I subscribe to), it’s hard to ignore them knowing I still haven’t found something. I’m kind of bored with the work and subject in my current position. And hesitant to take another job doing the same thing. So I’m looking for tips on how to stay the course and tips on how I can increase my chances of getting a non academic job.

   1. applying for them increases your chances! For that, you need to work through what kind of work you want to do, what matters to you (choosing where to live, compensation, type of work). And as an academic, you also probably need to work through the notion that not pursuing an academic career equals failure.
      Instead of looking at that academic listserv, look at linkedin jobs for actual jobs. Get a feeling for what’s out there. Read blogs or visit career days where diverse career options are presented. Postdoc associations have some material on that. Reach out to people with PhDs and non-research jobs to chat.
      It’s not easy, but there is a whole world out there beyond active research!

   2. In terms of how to get a non-academic job, a lot depends on what your field is. There’s discussion about this in various places on the website for the Chronicle of Higher Education. In my field (humanities / social science) there are discipline-specific discussions of this issue online. The American Historical Association (not my field) is very active in promoting non-academic employment of historians.

   3. This is a late reply but here are my tipps:
      Use LinkedIn to connect to alumni from your school who work in the area that interests you. Make a long spreadsheet list of companies in your sector and try to find alumni from your institution who work or worked there. Ask the alumni for informational interviews.
      If your school has a career center, ask them for alumni lists, help with resume etc.

      Register your resume and profile on all career portals for the companies on your list, and sign up for job newsletters. Do not apply too many filters (and please don’t filter by job title – they don’t mean anything), just scan the newsletters daily.

      Look for professional or women’s organizations in your area of interest, and join them if affordable. (If you happen to be healthcare-adjacent, the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association is an example). Go to their events and connect to people, or consider volunteering to gain exposure.

      Devote at least 8 hours a week to your job search and all related activities.

      – Signed, a person who successfully transitioned out of academia after a long and arduous jobsearch.

9. The CDC today recommended that Americans prepare for covid-19 to disrupt life in the US.

   Has anyone seen any advice on what families should do to prepare? Here’s what I can think of:
   -usual emergency kit
   -have enough of a supply of medicines and necessary items that a temporary supply chain snag can be weathered
   -plan to stay home when sick/kids are sick
   -don’t buy face masks because there’s a shortage and they’re needed my medical professionals

   Anything else? Anyone seen any guidance for schools/daycares?

   1. No advice seen. I think it’s just common sense stuff and do whatever you’d do to prepare for the flu and not being able to get to the grocery store for a while. I do this every flu season, and for me this means:
      1) stocking up (i.e. get enough in case your whole family gets sick at once) on theraflu, decongestants, mucinex, and tylenol
      2) going to costco and getting some canned heat-up goods (beans and veggies) and grains in case you’re too low energy to cook, as well as some frozen dinners
      2) get some extra hand sanitizer and kleenex

   2. All of this is just common sense and the CDC meant “prepare” in the sense of “anticipate” not “take specific steps to prepare.”

   3. Here is a virologist who wrote a post on this topic: https://virologydownunder.com/so-you-think-youve-about-to-be-in-a-pandemic/

      1. Thanks, that’s really helpful.

      2. That was helpful and reminded me to refill my inhaler. It is getting low and I shouldn’t wait until the last minute like I normally do.

      3. “Ian is not drinking black coffee, no matter what.”
         I like Ian. This is a good piece!

   4. We have:
      -Purchased two weeks of non-perishable foods
      -Stocked up on medications for a longer period (in case of supply chain disruptions)
      -Stocked up on cleaning supplies
      -Developed a plan for caring for our parents, and encouraged them to be prepared
      -NOT purchased masks, gloves, or other medical PPE
      -Avoiding public transit when possible
      -Avoiding public gatherings (including church)
      -At work, I am now instructing my team to WFH when sick as a requirement
      -Are now practicing
      -Hand washing in and out of house, and before all meals
      -I work in an open office, so I hand sanitize after siting down at all meetings, and sitting down at my desk
      -Daily wipe down of desk/keyboard/mouse in the morning
      -Not touching faces

   5. A usual 72-hour emergency kit won’t do it for something seriously disruptive. We are stocking up and preparing such that if we were needing to stay in our homes for a month (due to self-quarantining or needing to stay away from seriously infected areas) we would be able to do it. Supply chains are going to be disrupted (that’s why the stock market is tanking) and certain foods, personal care products and medicines may become tough to get – either production will be impacted or distribution will be. Right now we’re just picking up a few extra nonperishable things from Costco and storing them in a closet but we also have emergency food supplies we can tap if we need to. We have water storage containers if it comes down to that. I went through our emergency kit and made sure we have enough baseline emergency medical supplies that we can handle most minor illnesses and injuries at home so we won’t have to go to the doctor/urgent care when they may be overwhelmed trying to help people who are sicker.

      I personally don’t think it will get that serious in the U.S. – it won’t be a doomsday scenario or anything – but I do think being prepared for disruption is a good idea. I look at it this way: I have money to put towards storing food and supplies and stocking up on medicine. Many people don’t. If things get really bad, I would like to not be a drain on my community’s resources so those resources can go to those folks who weren’t able to get prepared the way I was. I personally think it’s kind of irresponsible, if you have the wherewithal to prepare, not to do so and hope that it won’t get that bad or if it does, you’ll just rely on FEMA or the Red Cross or whatever. It doesn’t take that much to just ensure you have the basics in place.

      1. +1 – a Costco run for stuff you’ll consume eventually anyway (including soap, etc.), big water storage jugs you may need to have anyway (hurricane zone here), getting a few extra provisions whenever at the grocery store. Flu medicine replenished. That’s all I’m doing.

      2. I am trying not to sound mean, but I cannot imagine going through life like that….maybe it is because I live in a major city but food for a month seems like anxiety talking. Why would you need water storage? It’s the flu, not the zombie apocalypse.

         1. Taking care of yourself and trying to not be a burden on your community does not mean that someone has anxiety.

         2. The water storage containers are because we live in a natural-disaster prone area where we have had water shutoffs before that lasted for several days. Ditto gas shutoffs, ditto electric shutoffs, etc. so we also have a home generator because we’ve needed it in the past. All our food, supplies etc. has to get trucked in across distances so if trucking is disrupted, we are not anywhere near a port (and not that close to a rail line) and we’d be affected before people living in coastal areas would. I hate having to say this over and over to the princesses here who are living in their bubbles, but: not everyone lives in a major city or on the East or West coasts. Which I am really thankful about, especially now. I couldn’t imagine going through life living where you live; I would seriously rather die. I’m very thankful to live someplace where yes, maybe I do have to have think about disasters of all kinds but I also know I won’t be one of millions scrambling to get out or stay alive if something major happens in my city.

            And frankly, the denialism you are evidencing in your post seems like fear talking to me. It’s not succumbing to hysteria to prepare a little bit for some hardships that may be coming. Although to big city people I’m sure not being able to get your perfect-temperature soy latte with vanilla syrup and sprinkles is considered a “hardship.” I wish you all the luck in the world in surviving whatever happens, however minor; you probably need it.

            1. You would rather die than live in a major city on either coast?!

            2. Yeah, you lost me there at the end with the extremely inaccurate and very laughable stereotype of “big city people.”

            3. Lol, like I care if I “lost you.”

            4. I met my first dyed-in-the-wool preppers when I lived in DC. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

               And more reasonable ones, like my neighbor who always backed in to his parking space at our apartment complex. When bug-out time came, he’d be able to zip out while we were all backing into each other.

         3. Anonymity has never lived where water comes from a well and when the power goes out, water isn’t an option.

   6. I’m just here to point out that taking CDC recommendations and doing basic emergency preparedness doesn’t require having an anxiety disorder. In fact, it can be done with hope and optimism that it is never used. Then you just have extra toilet paper and soap! Yay!

      1. But is the CDC recommending anything at this point besides following good hygiene procedures? I haven’t seen any CDC recommendations to stockpile food or medicine.

         1. “So Americans need to do things like start making plans to care for their children should schools and day care centers close, she said. They should talk to their employers about how they could work from home. And they should find out whether there might be a way to get medical care remotely, such as through telemedicine, Messonnier said.” https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/02/25/809318447/health-officials-warn-americans-to-start-planning-for-spread-of-coronavirus-in-u

   7. I have a stash of energy bars (may pick up some more at Target), spare toilet paper, and my most important prescriptions. I honestly do not think I’ll need much more than that unless I catch it myself, in which case I’m likely to end up hospitalized because I’ve heard it interacts poorly with asthma.

10. Courtroom fashion question – going to a two-day hearing where I am the business representative of my firm. I have no official courtroom role – I’m there in case our counsel needs to run business decisions by me.

    Is a business suit required in this context, or is a sheath dress suitable? Federal court, suburb of major southern city.

    1. I would wear a suit, or at least a jacket over a dress.

       1. If you have a pant suit, I recommend that. It’s more comfortable if the courtroom is cold and if you have to sit on the courtroom benches for a long time. You don’t want to have to fix a dress/skirt that’s bunching.

          Also, bring a sedate paperback book. There could be time when you need to be separated from devices, but don’t have anything to do.

Comments are closed.