ByElizabeth Hours Updated
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Tuesday’s Workwear Report: Ribbed Merino Wool Skirt

A woman wearing a long, black skirt with a striped belt and espadrilles (torso cropped out)

Our daily workwear reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices.

In my neck of the woods, the weather has been gray, foggy, and cold for more days than I’d like to count. I still need to look like a professional, but all I want is to be cozy. This merino wool skirt from Ralph Lauren has a beautiful A-line silhouette, and if you add some tights and boots, you’ll be warm enough for even the chilliest January day.

The skirt is $298 and comes in sizes XXS–XXL. It also comes in a gray heather color, on sale for $199.99, lucky sizes only.

If you're looking for more affordable options, this Madewell skirt is available in lucky sizes at Nordstrom for $98; this skirt from Michael Michael Kors is $117 on sale. A plus-size option is this merino wool blend skirt at eShakti; it's available in sizes up to 6X.

This post contains affiliate links and Corporette® may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. For more details see here. Thank you so much for your support!

Sales of note for 12.5

Sales of note for 12.5

And some of our latest threadjacks here at Corporette (reader questions and commentary) — see more here!

Some of our latest threadjacks include:

294 Comments

  1. Why does the model wear those clunky shoes. We should focus on looking svelte if we expect to find husbands. That means 3 or 4 inch heels. Elizabeth, can you show us some nice pumps?

  2. My responsibilities at work have finally calmed down so I’m starting to tackle my list of “Things.” One of the first ones I want to tackle — printing / framing wedding photos. I would love recommendations for sites that will do high quality prints (I have the high res images) and frame — one stop shop. Thank you!

    1. Artifact Uprising! Pricey, but everything I’ve gotten from them has been excellent quality.

    2. Framebridge is the big one in this space, but I also like Keepsake. Keepsake also has better tabletop frame options, if that matters to you.

        1. +1 for Mpix! My wedding photog recommended them, very happy with the quality. Don’t pay full price, they always have a sale.

    4. At the risk of being extremely suburban basic I really liked Costco for this!

    5. For me, Artifact Uprising or Framebridge. AU has great albums, in my view, the best in the DIY class and fewer framing options but great quality. Framebridge has never disappointed me quality wise and I like their variety.

      1. +1 for artifact uprising if you like clean, simple, modern frames. Love, love the metal frames and the framed canvas.

  3. My midsize firm announced a new compensation plan this year – I’m an of counsel (senior associate) hoping to make income partner next year. For Reasons, it will likely hurt/decrease my compensation if I stay here. I’m considering moving to a bigger firm, even if I have to move down a notch in seniority. Is this crazy?

    Context – I do employment law (lots of covid advising) and some corporate work, but only ~15-20% is merger/purchase related.

    1. Move to a job that pays you more and doesn’t cut your seniority. At least aim for that!

      1. This. I found that my job opportunities opened up massively once I had the “P” after my name.

      2. This advice interests me! I got the sense that the market for associates is much hotter than it is for partners. Would love to hear more.

        1. If you start over at a new firm there is zero guarantee you will make partner. If you think you will make partner at your current firm, do that. Then lateral as a partner.

    3. Many firms decrease compensation the year you are up for partner and/or in your first years as income partner. Not only is income partner salary less, they will quietly not award bonuses those years no matter your hours, at least prior to COVID. It sucks, but they correctly assume that most people will not leave because of it. I’m not sure whether I would stay or go, but just be aware that you need to inquire carefully about this pitfall in places you are considering.

  4. My sister and I are planning a trip to Iceland in early April 2022. We are thinking about 4 to 5 days and would fly out of NYC. We are both vaxxed and boosted and conversant with Covid-19 requirements. She prefers a minibus or similar-type tour, and that’s fine with me. Any suggestions on tour groups or visiting Iceland generally? Any thoughts on Iceland Air? I would appreciate any input. Thanks!

    1. Iceland Air is kind of low budget. I believe they didn’t serve any food in coach even before the pandemic. If you’re on a tight budget it’s safe and ok, but if you can afford to fly another airline I would.

      I haven’t been to Iceland (other than layovers) in 20 years and didn’t do a group tour, so I’ll leave the travel recs to others buy it’s stunning and you’ll love it.

      1. Iceland Air is perfectly fine, they do serve snack boxes and things but you have to pay for them (as of May 2021). Personally, I wouldn’t pay more for another airline – coach is coach, and the flight really isn’t very long from NYC (I think it’s actually closer than the west coast).
        Re Iceland itself, it’s delightful. Stunning scenery, food is amazing (get the hot dogs in Reykjavik). We went last spring right as the country opened up, and the people were so nice and so excited to have tourists again. The volcano was pretty much the coolest thing I’ve ever seen, but it’s no longer erupting. Riding an Icelandic horse was also a highlight. We were mostly skiing in the north of the country, but did do the golden circle and Blue Lagoon our last day via a rental car. It was empty which was an amazing experience, but I think things are more back to normal now. I’d personally be more inclined to get a car and wander than do a group tour, and maybe spend a night or two outside of Reykjavik. The countryside is so stunning, maybe you can find a multiday tour if you’re not comfortable driving around?

    2. I’ve flown Icelandair a couple times (as a college student, if that influences your decision!) and it was great.

    3. I thought Iceland Air was fine. I don’t remember if they fed us but the flight wasn’t very long from the east coast – similar to flying to CA. I found the Reykjavik airport to be annoying because they do silent boarding. It’s full of confused tourists who aren’t sure if their flight is boarding or if it was delayed because there are no announcements. But, that will be the case no matter what airline you choose.

    4. Went to Iceland about 10 years ago and loved it! People were very friendly and nearly everyone speaks English. I did learn a few phrases in Icelandic just to be courteous but it wasn’t necessary. We stayed near the harbor in Reykjavik in an apartment and that was the way to go – it cut down on the cost of eating out because we could cook our own meals sometimes. Reykjavik is very walkable.

    5. I have flown Iceland Air in the last few years and echo that it’s perfectly fine. I also echo the annoyance at the silence at Reykjavik airport re boarding announcements. That said, I got pulled for a full on security check and they assured me my plane would not leave without me despite how late I would be as a result. I don’t have that confidence in US airports so that was a pleasant surprise!

      Also only flown through so no actual travel recs but you will have a blast!! Very jealous.

    6. I have been twice, most recently about 4 months before the pandemic. I love Iceland and have found it a very easy place to visit. Almost everyone speaks English fluently (literally something like 95% of the population speaks it, according to a poll that I saw) and signage is often dual-language as well. I don’t have specific tour company recommendations, because I rented a car and drove myself, but with 4-5 days you don’t actually have a ton of time so I’d focus on the big highlights. Everyone does the Golden Circle (which is a set of big natural highlights, like the Gulfoss waterfall and Geysir, the original geyser) and I do think it’s worth doing for your first trip. That’ll be most of a day.

      For city sights, no need to do any kind of city tour of Reykjavik – it’s small and easy to see on foot and there aren’t a ton of marquee sights. Of the things that are in Reykjavik, I do recommend visiting the Icelandic National Museum on your first day if possible – because there’s so much natural beauty, a lot of people just sort of skip the history of the country, but it’s fascinating and I felt I really benefitted from having that background. Also the Perlan Museum is touristy and gimmicky, but also a lot of fun – you could do the two museums on one day and also check out most of the city on foot.

      My top underappreciated sight is Videy, which is an island essentially in Reykjavik harbor. You get there by a 5-minute ferry ride from the old harbor. If you’re walkers, you can walk there along the seawall from downtown Reykjavik in about 25 minutes, or it’s an easy bus ride. A benefit of walking is that there’s some interesting art installations along the way. Videy has beautiful old buildings, lovely walking trails (it’s small so we’re not talking 5-mile hikes, but you can spend a solid hour to 90 minutes just exploring the walking paths) and some cool contemporary art installations. Also a nice little cafe where you can eat and wait for the ferry.

      Using public buses is super easy. You load money onto an app on your phone and use that to pay your fare. The drivers are very helpful and will call out your stop if you don’t quite know where you’re going.

      Honestly, my favorite thing was just taking my rental car outside the city and stopping every time I saw a sign indicating a point of interest – I spent a few nights staying way out along the south coast and saw so much cool stuff that way (glaciers, all kinds of waterfalls, random views of volcanoes, old churches) – but you could also probably find a two-day tour that would get you further into the countryside, and I’d recommend that if you’re not comfortable self-guiding.

      1. +1 to the Icelandic National Museum. We spent the better part of a day there, though we are always the people who take a really long time to make our way through interesting museums that deal with cultural history. Iceland has a fascinating history and we loved learning more about it.

    7. We have been twice, first for 4-5 days in Winter then for two weeks in summer. Mini bus tours are far better than the big coach companies just for time getting off and on. I’d do a day for the Golden Circle, a day for the South Coast tour plus a day with some time in Rejkavik and the rest in the Blue lagoon (yes it’s touristy but I loved it, best to pre book). If you can Jökulsárlón is amazing but we did do that on the longer trip not the shorter one. Lots of the small tour companies will do the day tours plus arrange transfers to the Blue Lagoon. Happy hours are a big think and really help reduce the costs of food and drink, there’s lots of apps that tell you what’s on at what place. Reykjavik itself isn’t huge so we felt we saw it well just in the evenings and an afternoon.

      1. Agree with all of this. Golden Circle is worth it. There are a ton of companies, look on Tripadvisor to see what’s currently well-reviewed. Blue Lagoon is also totally worth it. I went at sunrise the first time I was there (2 years ago this week) and at sunset the first time I was there (early August). Beautiful both times.

        I did a glacier hike when I was there in January which was incredible and since glaciers are dying, best to do that if you want to. I really got a sense of what global warming was doing to glaciers seeing where the glacier used to be and where it is now. I bet it’s still available in April even though it’s springtime.

        Perlan is touristy but the views are incredible and I liked the ice cave because I am a 10 year old at heart…

        Go to the top of Hallgrimskirkja- amazing views and it’s cheap.

        Reykjavik has great food halls. I went to two- one near Hallgrimskirkja (Hlemmur Matholl) and one in the old harbor (Grandi Mathol). Both had great food- I actually had pho at one of them that was surprisingly good. Make sure to try pizza- it’s a strangely popular item in Iceland. There are some great bookstores, too. I stayed in the old main square and spent a lot of time at the Penninn Eymundsson bookstore just up the street. there’s a good coffee shop on the top floor.

        The Settlement Exhibition was closed when I was there but I wish I’d been able to go.

        Also touristy but super cool is Flyover Iceland. Ridiculously touristy, really. But I enjoyed it immensely.

        1. Oh and Modern Mrs Darcy just did a list of Iceland books if you want to read Iceland-related books!

          I strongly recommend Burial Rites by Hannah Kent on audio and then reading all of the Alda Sigmundsdottir “Little Book of Icelanders” series but most of all the Little Book of Tourists in Iceland.

    8. I haven’t been but a fun plane reading recommendation is Miss Iceland by Audur Ava Olafsdottir

    9. I’m going to Iceland for a week soon too!! I’ve been told by people who were there recently to hold off on booking tours until you’re in the city. Go through one of the small shops. It’s less expensive, apparently. I’m also flying Iceland Air – got a great deal through Scott’s Cheap Flights.

      Here are the things we are looking forward to doing:
      – Food tour of Reykjavik
      – Maybe a Game of Thrones tour
      – Golden Circle
      – Museums
      – At least one Northern lights experience
      – Sky Lagoon

      Right now, we’re trying to figure out clothing as neither of us have really ever been outdoorsy people in cold weather. It’s the wind that kills you there, I’ve heard.

      Any clothing recs from y’all?

      1. Been to Iceland twice, both times in Jan-Mar, and it was all about layers. Do not under prepare, because my trip in March when we went by the waterfalls was the coldest I think I’ve ever been in my life.We did a glacier hike in January and it was three layers on top and three layers on the bottom. One wicking, one for warmth, and one for wind / water.

        As for tours, I’m not usually a tour person at all but the ones in Iceland are really excellent. Their infrastructure for American tourists is phenomenal. Their food also improved so much by the second trip on the tours. I actually came home craving Icelandic food!

      2. In addition to Golden Circle, highly recommend doing a South Coast tour — so beautiful! And yes, layers for sure!

      3. When I was there in January winds were 40mph one day. Layers for sure. I wore a thin base layer top and bottom, sweater, warm boots, and a winter coat. Bought an Icelandic wool hat at Perlan (although they’re available everywhere) which I wore nonstop pretty much the rest of the trip.

        Oh, if you’re going to buy Icelandic wool items don’t go to Icewear- there are local shops that are more authentic. I got a beautiful wool blanket at one of the stores near the old square. I also got some great christmas decorations at the Christmas store near there if that’s interesting!

    10. I went in September, and it was incredible. The country is so beautiful, even just traveling between sites was stunning. I would highly recommend getting the Binax proctored tests to take your test to get back into the US, because the testing locations are in Reykjavik and near the airport, and we found it easiest for our itinerary to be able to take our tests anywhere.

      Honestly, I would highly highly recommend not doing a tour. I spent a lot of time on the Tripadvisor forums before we went, and there were some horror stories about entire tours getting covid and having to quarantine. Plus, its one of the easiest places to travel by yourself I’ve ever been, especially if you stick to the south part of the Ring Road. If you do take a tour, you’ll probably hit most of the same tourist attractions I’m about to advise, but we liked traveling at our own pace and the peace of mind that came from being in our own car and away from other people.

      Here’s our itinerary, with some recs:
      Day 1 – Fly in from the east coast (Iceland Air is totally fine, not a ton of frills but perfectly reasonable), rent car, get earliest entrance to the Blue Lagoon (about a half hour away). I loved this, but people also recommend the Sky Lagoon in Reykjavik as more high-end. The Blue Lagoon definitely got more crowded as the morning went on, and was much nicer right at opening. Drive to Reykjavik, walk around. Highly recommend getting an early check in at your hotel and taking a short nap if you can’t sleep on planes, like me. We liked visiting the Handknitting Association of Iceland, the rye bread ice cream at Cafe Loki, and baked goods at Braud and Co. We brought peanut butter from the US, bought bread at Braud, and some apples and made sandwiches for lunches for the rest of the trip. Food is not cheap, so definitely bring your own snacks.
      Day 2 – Golden Circle. There are a ton of day tours for this, I’m sure any of them would be fine. If either of you watched Game of Thrones, do some quick googling on filming locations if you’re interested in matching them up with the places you see. I loved Thingvellir park especially. I saw a lot of tours at Friedheimar for lunch, which is a greenhouse where they grow most of Iceland’s tomatoes. Excellent soup. A tour would probably take you back to Reykjavik, or you can stay near Selfoss.
      Day 3 – Waterfalls day. I think we saw Urridafoss, Egissidufoss, Seljalandsfoss and Gljufrabui, and Skogafoss, as well as the black sand beaches near Vik. There’s a great coffee/hot chocolate place in a school bus in Vik called Skool Beans.
      Day 4 – This is a long day, but the best thing I did in Iceland – Vik to Jokusarlon lake and the glacier. Do a boat tour on the lake, see the ice on the beach, eat the best fish and chips ever from the food truck there. If you have enough time on your way back, Fjadrargljufur Canyon was a nice hike.
      Day 5 – Drive back to the airport and head home.

      If you decide on a tour, definitely try to do one that gets you to Jokusarlon. It’s such a great place to visit, have a great trip!

    12. Thanks all! This is super helpful. I had not considered the implications of someone else on the tour bus testing positive for Covid. I’m comfortable renting a car, and it’s good to hear driving in Iceland as an American is not complicated. Let me know if you have any recommendations for hotels in Reykjavik and the other sites. We are not strapped for cash–the reason I mentioned IcelandAir is because it looks like the only direct flights from NYC to Reykjavik in April are IcelandAir and JetBlue.

      Again, my thanks for all the input so far!

      1. We stayed at Kvosin on a recommendation from the Icelanders at the ski lodge and were very happy with it. Great location, nice rooms. IcelandAir is on par with JetBlue in terms of quality – not Ryanair, but not Emirates or Air NZ either. :)

      2. Driving is not complicated – I’d say you need to be comfortable with reversing in case you meet other cars by a narrow bridge, comfortable driving in rain and slight fog, and comfortable with wind. There aren’t really any trees, so the wind can catch a little. It’s not dramatic, and that’s it for local driving challenges apart from remembering to fill up your tank when you’re somewhere with a gas station.

        If you’re doing any self-catering: you can’t buy alcohol in grocery stores, you need to go to the state alcohol monopoly shops Vínbudin.

        Clothes: prepare for wind. You need an excellent windbreaker with a hood, hat, gloves, buff, wool socks, waterproof shoes, layers and layers.

        Bring at least one bathing suit. Definitely go to the Blue lagoon or similar, but also try other outdoor hot springs. (Only do springs you know are safe, though, don’t boil yourself by accident, the water can be literally at boiling point!)

      3. I stayed at CenterHotel Plaza both times I’ve been. It’s very near a bus pickup and drop off spot (which are limited to reduce traffic inside Reykjavik) and is centrally located for everything. The breakfast is better than any continental breakfast in the US and I recommend it.

        Oh and I keep forgetting to say- IcelandAir is fine. I upgraded to first class in the bid process they have when I was flying overnight and rode economy on the way back and both were totally fine.

  5. Low-stakes and hopefully fun questions here —help a coffee newbie out! What light or medium roasts do you recommend? What brands should I be exploring? I get very overwhelmed by coffee culture. I know about the big ones like Blue Bottle, Intelligentsia, etc, but am interested in checking out smaller brands.

    My coffee situation now: I make drip coffee at home and get the occasional latte or cappuccino when I’m out. I’m overwhelmed by at-home coffee culture. Should I be doing pour overs, Chemex, Moka pot?

    Also, do I need a grinder? It seems like the better brands only sell whole beans. I would prefer to buy ground only, but if that means I’m relegated to Starbucks blends only I’m willing to branch out.

    1. I usually buy from La Colombe and they mail me coffee, though they have it in local stores. If you go to a nicer grocery store they will probably have local roasters on the shelves. You don’t need to buy whole bean if you really don’t want to grind it – if you buy on La Colombe’s website you can specify your grind size.

      For making it, I use an Aeropress. It’s cheap, easy to clean, and makes good coffee.

      1. Second La Colombe. We generally buy there and occasionally mix it up with one or to other local roasters.

    2. I would characterize it more as a medium to dark roast, but Cafe Bustelo. I buy ground because it’s one less thing for me to have to do myself.

    3. I really love Counter Culture Fast Forward or Apollo. They sell it at Whole Foods. But any small local roaster near you will be able to help you find a roast you love. Most roasters and high end grocery stores will grind for you if you ask. They may also have a machine by the coffee selection.

      I have a (not expensive) burr grinder and a French press. It’s the right amount of effort/ritual/flavor for me. People can be exhausting about coffee prep. Watch a few YouTube videos of each method you’re interested in and see what feels like it fits with your lifestyle. None of it is terrible expensive so you can always change it up later. It’s supposed to be fun!

    4. My favorite way to make coffee is in a French press. I buy a bag of beans whole, about once a week, at a store that has a grinder. I think that is a good happy medium between the mess of an at-home grinder, and the sacrifice of flavor you make when buying pre-ground that has been sitting on a shelf for who knows how long.

      For finding new favorites, I would try out various places near you – get a cup here and there, and make notes of what you like.

      1. +1 to the French Press. I have a burr grinder (wirecutter recommendation) but it takes up counter space and I agree with Panda Bear that you’re not going to be sacrificing that much by getting it ground at the shop. I think you have to figure out what you like. For my two cents, I really like Oslo’s Thor Blend (https://oslocoffee.com/collections/coffee). Small local coffee shop, also available at some Whole Foods in NYC.

      2. I’m not a coffee person but bought a subscription for my husband. They grind it to the consistency necessary for the brewing method (in his case, aeropress) and ship it the same day, it’s there the next. Which seems like a good compromise.

    5. Great question! I was in your boat as well. My brother got me a chemex for my birthday and it’s really been a life-enhancer. I mostly work from home, so the time to make it is meditative. I’ve been buying beans from my local coffee shop which I ask them to grind. They are great resources on what beans to buy based on your taste as (like wine) it’s not just about roast but there are flavor profiles – smoky, chocolatey, floral, citrus, etc. A lot of classic brands, like Bustelo, are fantastic, too.

      I got a grinder for Christmas so I will grind at home now. I also warm up my oat milk in the microwave and use a hand frother (super cheap of Amaz*on) and it just completes the coffee experience for me :)

    6. If you want decent coffee at home, you really need a grinder. Pre-ground coffee has such a short shelf life for actually tasting decent. I started with a cheap little blade grinder, but burr grinders are a better investment. Most coffee people will say the single biggest upgrade you can make to your coffee routine at home is a decent burr grinder. I have the Baratza Encore, which is the most budget-friendly of the “good” automatic burr grinders when I was shopping around.

      As far as coffee brands go, I would recommend looking into local coffee roasters and choosing a place to buy the beans where you can get them relatively recently roasted. I have not been a fan of Intelligentsia or Blue Bottle coffee that has been sitting on the shelves of Wegmans for months before it was sold. Instead, I get a local-to-me coffee roaster and the beans have been roasted within the past couple weeks.

      I personally don’t do a lot of pour over for the sake of time. Instead, I have a high quality budget-friendly Bonavita drip coffee maker that makes great coffee conveniently.

      Most importantly, have fun and brew what you like!

      1. Co-sign everything about this comment. A grinder is, in my opinion, the single biggest difference maker for homemade coffee. Grinding right before you make the coffee will bring out the best flavor. I also have a Baratza Encore; it’s had five years of daily use and still going strong. If cost is a concern, I’d buy the grinder and then keep going with your usual set-up for a time while you try out new beans. I personally do use a pour over most of the time, but I enjoy the ritual and will fully grant it’s a fussy process.

        Ideally you want your beans roasted within a month of when you use them – higher end coffee will print the roasting date on the bag. I also prefer buying a bag from a local coffee shop, but I’ve had good luck buying beans from roasteries online.

        Enjoy! It sounds like there are loads of great cups of coffee in your future.

        1. Chuckling. We went camping and someone’s Pickd shopper got beans vs not-beans. BUT we had a mallet for driving in stakes and pulverized the bag and the coffee drinkers (not me) said it was not bad for the effort.

        2. As a semi-serious coffee person, I’ll just come right out and say that “I want to drink great coffee” and “I only want to buy pre-ground beans” are incompatible beliefs. We’ve been grinding our own beans for so long I don’t really remember what pre-ground coffee tastes like, but I know it’s not as good as what we grind ourselves at home. We use a high-end burr grinder and there’s not that much mess and also we can dial in the grind for whatever we’re brewing – pour-over, espresso, cold brew, drip, etc.

      2. Counterpoint to the Baratza Encore – we had one and hated it. Maybe we just got a dud, but it would spew ground coffee out of its container and make a mess on the countertop as it was grinding. Then it broke after about a year where it would only let out a trickle of ground coffee and no amount of cleaning or anything would fix it. We could have sent it back to the manufacturer, but we were so done with it at that point that we just got an Oxo grinder which has been amazing. Prettier on the counter, quieter, less messy, and still high quality grind.

    7. If you are making one cup at a time, pour-over is the easiest and least messy and tastes great. I find it simpler than using a drip coffeemaker. I’ve had the same cheap plastic Melitta pour-over cone since college; we still use it camping. People will insist that you need an electric kettle with a gooseneck spout, but if you are not a connoisseur with a super refined palate you may be perfectly happy with an ordinary stovetop teakettle.

      I like my Oxo conical burr grinder with built-in scale. It grinds the exact amount of beans you need by weight, so no measuring or weighing of beans or grounds is required. For best flavor, order beans from a company that roasts them immediately before shipping, and don’t order large quantities so they aren’t sitting around in the pantry losing flavor for a long time.

      If you want to make lattes or other espresso drinks at home, I recommend the Breville Bambino Plus. It’s somewhat more messy and time-consuming than pour-over, but has a tiny footprint and is much less intimidating than a manual espresso machine. I like Blue Bottle 17-Foot Ceiling for a lighter espresso flavor.

    8. Counter point – Unless there is a coffee inspector who goes door to door in your neighborhood and shames those who aren’t on the cutting edge of “at home coffee culture” on NextDoor, just do whatever you like. I make a “cold brew” by adding hot water to Gevalia Espresso Roast in a french press in the evening and drinking it over ice in the morning. I don’t give a flying f*ck if the coffee glitterati would approve – it tastes good and wakes me up. Point being you if you need less stress in your life don’t get caught up in complying with a “culture” that you leaves you “very overwhelmed”.

      1. Seriously. Coffee is NOT complicated. Get a bag of something you like, put it in the coffee maker, and be done with it.

      2. OP here and I totally agree—I’m not looking to impress anyone (believe me, if I were I would not be using a Hamilton Beach drip coffeemaker). I just don’t know where to start sometimes because there are so many options, between methods, roasts, processes, and so on. Appreciate all the tips here! Would love recs on brands as well if you’re particularly passionate about something you’re drinking lately.

      3. My favorite cold brew was to make Cafe Bustelo coffee, freeze large cocktail size ice cubes of it, and then let it slowly melt in a small amount of milk.

      4. I’m very fussy about tea, but totally not about coffee. I use an old little Mr. Coffee drip coffee maker. It makes 2 cups – I pour one cup, turn the pot off, then heat up the rest later in the microwave. One thing I will say, I think a cone shaped basket is better than flat, as sometimes with flat, the way the water drips through, it doesn’t get all the coffee wet.

        I buy ground coffee from Target, mostly because in March 2020, ordering from Target was the easiest way to get coffee. Their house brand is pretty good. They also have Lavazza, which is tasty, too.

      5. I agree with this. But also want to say, I have had people say to me “My coffee always tastes burnt/too strong/too weak/has off flavors/doesn’t taste as good as what I get at the local coffee shop” and sometimes it’s because, well, they’re doing it wrong. Using cheap pre-ground beans of dubious age will leave folks with not-great coffee. As will using cheap drip coffee makers with cheap filters, using the wrong grind of coffee in their espresso makers, etc. Absolutely agree that the OP should find something that works for her and just do that. When we wanted to drink better coffee, we started with a French press and that works really well and is dead cheap to boot. It’s genuinely hard to screw up, and a good French press costs maybe $30. Cold brew is also easy – we still make ours in a half-gallon mason jar with a jelly bag (no fancy brewer needed). Most people find one brewing method that nets them coffee they really enjoy drinking, and just go with that. But some people are interested in “coffee culture” and it’s not because there are coffee police roaming around criticizing people’s methods – it’s because it’s interesting, and a truly great cup of coffee (or espresso) is something some of us really enjoy.

      6. +1. “Serious coffee culture” is just a bit much. If someone likes instant or Keurig, what is it to anyone else?

    9. I only ask as someone who was once new to coffee myself – are you sure you like light/medium roasts? I ask because it took me longer than needed to realize that the bitter/acidic quality of coffee I didn’t like was related to lighter roasts and once I dabbled in some darker roasts realized I actually liked coffee.

      After that, explore a little online and see if you have a local coffee roaster. Many of them will happily explain coffee to you to end with a dedicated customer.

      Personally I go back and forth between french press and a super simple pour over set up. That said, I think if you are suing good coffee and cleaning your machine regularly drip coffee is very respectable coffee. I just limit myself to 2 cups a day and live alone.

      1. Interesting! Maybe not. Definitely don’t enjoy citrus undertones. I also don’t like bitterness. Some super dark roasts feel too intense to me, but to be honest I have mostly avoided them because I thought I didn’t like them.

        To be totally honest, I tend to enjoy basic diner coffee a lot more than I should admit, and I have no idea what that flavor profile is.

        Intrigued that Cafe Bustelo has come up a few times. I thought that was for espresso and not regular coffee! I’m going to try that one next.

        1. +1 on the roast recommendation, I strongly dislike blonde roasts as super bitter. Medium-dark is my favorite.

          Get a Bodum French press and a Hamilton Beach grinder (neither expensive) and then just buy small amounts of beans to test!

        2. For me, it’s not roast that makes the difference – it’s region. Acidity varies by coffee variety, which is heavily regional. I really dislike the type of acidity found in Ethiopian and Middle Eastern coffee, and prefer Central American and South American coffee, which tends to have lower acidity. Based on what you describe, I suspect you’d be in the same boat.

        3. If, by chance, your experience with dark roasts has been primarily Starbucks, ignore it. Starbucks is nasty and burnt.

          1. All of this. People think “dark roast” and bitter/burnt tastes are synonymous because of their Starbucks experiences. Starbucks burns their beans – it’s a casualty of mass production – and in most cases they aren’t using great beans to begin with. I would recommend people try a dark roast from a roaster like Stumptown, out of Portland, before deciding they don’t like dark roasts. I only drink dark-roast coffee because it is so much smoother and less bitter than lighter roasts.

    10. I’ve recommended this before here (as have others), but consider splurging on a Technivorm Moccamaster. It makes any coffee taste good.

      1. + 1. I also use brewing at home as an opportunity to brew medium roasts that aren’t bitter. I don’t like the snobby expensive brands that taste burnt.

      2. If OP wants easy and good (remembering that out of good, cheap and easy, you can only choose two), this would be the way to go. Our Moccamaster is a thing of beauty and we use it daily except for during the hottest part of summer. I believe anyone can make a great cup of coffee with a Moccamaster, with minimal knowledge and effort.

      3. Moccamaster is awesome. And easy. I’ve got a friend who messes around with a pour over and thermometers for water temperature and such, and she makes a wonderful cup of coffee. My moccamaster makes very nearly as good a cup without all the fussing around.

        1. And let me also recommend ordering from Sump Coffee. All the coffee culture quality and info without the coffee culture snobbery. Bricks and mortar in Nashville and St Louis and a good online store that ships out of St Louis.

      4. And let me also recommend ordering from Sump Coffee. All the coffee culture quality and info without the coffee culture snobbery. Bricks and mortar in Nashville and St Louis and a good online store that ships out of St Louis.

    11. My husband and I are casual but regular coffee drinkers. We got a subscription to Atlas coffee and have really enjoyed it. It lets us try new flavors we wouldn’t normally buy. When we run out for the month, we stick with our usual Colombian that we like.
      We do a traditional drip pot, and It’s just fine for us.

    12. Re: “checking out smaller brands” forget anything at the grocery store– go to your local bougie coffee shop and ask for a recommendation. If they only sell whole beans, ask if they’ll grind it for you (they most likely will). Don’t worry about learning everything right away! Basically everything in coffee culture comes down to personal preference, and after all, you probably have years of enjoying delicious coffee ahead of you and your tastes may evolve, as may your willingness to weigh or grind or pour over, etc.

    13. I started ordering from Trade Coffee. They offer subscription but you can also filter by a number of factors (including available in ground). They have all of the different brands from the smaller ones to more commercial third wave (like Joe’s coffee). I started with a subscription then i moved to bigger bags (2lb bags) to reduce frequency of shipping. I got a Bodum COld Brew French Press and make a batch for 3 days at a time (cold water over grounds and steep overnight). I find that cold brew yields better flavors than any hot brewing methods. Most of the time i just drink it cold all year long but even after microwaving it’s still better than hot brewed.

    14. I personally prefer a dark roast, but I have been happy with all of the Trader Joe’s coffees I’ve tried! I buy ground coffee because I’m lazy/don’t want another kitchen device, but you can also grind the beans in the store. I believe Whole Foods has the same set up? I recommend buying different sample sizes of flavors and figuring out what you like that way!

      I have a Keurig, so not a snob, but I use the reusable K Cup thing and fill with my own coffee. It tastes better to be than the prepacked cups.

    15. Recommend checking out your local coffee roasters. They typically are able to grind based on your machine. I order from Perc Coffee out of Savannah, GA and have them grind for my basic, not-fancy drip coffee maker. They have a solid selection of coffee varieties that are always available (recommend Colombia Perla de Inza for a tasty but pretty universally appealing brew) and then seasonal, usually pricier rotations of other varieties. I believe they all are fair trade. Highly recommend ordering from them or your local equivalent!

    16. In terms of equipment, I’d start with a good burr grinder and inexpensive coffee making equipment like an aero press and a single cup pour over cone filter like a Melitta.

      In terms of coffee, I’m partial to Peet’s.

      It’s a rabbit hole for sure. We went WAY down it and ended up roasting our own beans in a popcorn popper. We have a small pressurized portafilter espresso maker from Italy that we bought used. It’s the kind you can take apart and fix. It was all fun but a little overboard.

      The website coffee geek has everything you’re looking for.

    17. Love this question and all the answers! My husband and I have used almost every coffee making apparatus over the years and I’ve ranked them in order of least effort to most effort. But first:
      I agree that whole beans roasted locally or as recently as possible and a burr grinder at home makes the most difference no matter what method, so that should be your first investment.

      I love my Nespresso Mini Essensa so much I take it with me on long vacations. No mess, super fast, I recycle the pods with nespresso’s free shipping and bags. I make lattes but my husband will use it to make americanos to get more of a standard cup,of coffee (in under a minute).

      Drip coffeemakers

      French Press (caveat, we break the beakers a lot but you can buy them in grocery stores so easy to replace in a hurry)

      Chemex although I recommend getting the Bodum maker that is similar because you can put it in the dishwasher easily. Chemex filters can be difficult to find locally sometimes around here.

      Moka pots. I love my fancy Moka pots of different sizes which I bought on a trip to Italy and millions of Italians can’t be wrong. However, they are messier to fill and clean, and the rubber rims to create the seal do wear out over time. So now I only use them for special occasions or nostalgia.

      I had a conversation with an Italian living in the US about coffee roasts that promise notes of blueberry, caramel, etc. and we agreed that we like our coffee o taste like coffee, not other things! If that is your preference, then Cafe Bustelo, Illy for the Moka pot, or Lavazza (all available in my supermarkets at least) might be brands to try.

    18. I knew I wouldn’t make it through reading all those comments without thinking I needed something new in the coffee world – now I think I need a grinder. I was a coffee newbie right around the time I turned 30 – so familiar with the exploration. And also no idea if I’m doing it right or not but I do like to drink what I make so that’s right. :)

      I started with cold brew, since that was easiest and I like ready to go in the morning and I also prefer it cold. Now I have a Ninja coffee maker that I really like – I can’t find the model I have now, they all look fancier. It does have an options for scheduling and for a small batch (up to four cups) – both of those were key for me. Most recently (like the last two weeks) I’ve been brewing a full pot (12 cups) at the beginning of the week, letting it cool, then pouring it over ice ever morning and topping with creamer. Don’t ask me why I like cold coffee in January (in Wisconsin), this has been a pattern for years and I don’t understand myself at all, but there you go.

      I have a Nespresso frother that I got as a birthday present that I really like for when I’m having hot coffee at home. I only use it on the weekends.

      Vessel – I don’t like the way hot coffee tastes at all out of a travel mug. When I bring hot coffee to work, I transport it in my travel mug then pour it into an actual mug and add creamer to that. I have to drink cold coffee through a straw.

      Creamer – this is a big key part of my coffee – I love the Chobani extra creamy oat milk or Chobani vanilla oat milk. Froths super well, and it’s really good with some cinnamon or cardamon as well. But more than anything, I really love the Starbucks non-dairy creamers they’ve been releasing lately. The caramel macchiato oat/almond creamer is so good. I’m sure the sugar content is absolutely ridiculous. Both of those options froth really really well.

      Coffee grounds – I exclusively buy Cameron’s Coffee Jamaican Blend ground coffee right now. Idk why, I did it once when I didn’t know what I was doing because my MIL liked Cameron’s and I liked the teal bag and I liked the way it tastes. I know there’s probably better options, but being able to easily buy it in the grocery store right now is the amount of brain power I’m exerting on it.

      When I get that coffee grinder I now know I need, I can buy that in whole beans and see how it’s different. ;)

      Oh one more thing – in coffee shops, if they have lavender syrup, my all time favorite coffee drink is an oat milk lavender latte, iced or hot are both delicious.

    19. I drink my coffee black – no sweeteners, creamers, flavorings, milk – nothing but very hot coffee.
      I have found that the absolute highest impact on flavor to my taste I can get with coffee, is getting the right beans and roasts, since I don’t put in anything that will mask or complement the taste.

      I like light roasts, and I want beans that are described with tasting notes like caramel, toffee, nutty, or florals. I don’t want beans that are described with notes like chocolate, high acidity or red berries, I find those sour and dry and unpleasant (can’t stand a Mocha or a cherry or raspberry chocolate). My kind of beans, if it’s a specialty coffee, are often Colombian or Kenyan. I use the tasting notes as a purchasing guide because they tell me what the producer want to brag about and highlight.

      When I get ordinary, ground coffee at the grocery store, I get the “mild and round” coffees from 100 % Arabica beans. I most often use a French press or pour over, but don’t mind drip at all, as long as it gets super hot. I keep the ground coffee in its bag, with a tight clip so as little air gets in as possible. I do have a grinder, but very rarely bother.

      I often get compliments for my coffee, and there has been a few coffee snobs surprised. ;)

      The only US coffee available where I live is prepackaged Starbucks. For reference, I find the Starbucks so called mild veranda blend to be too dark for my tastes, and too chocolatey.

  6. My husband and I are considering visiting Morocco in April. I see that Ramadan runs from April 2-May 2. Will this throw a huge monkey wrench into our plans? I read that restaurants are still open for tourists in urban areas, less so for rural areas (but we probably would mostly be in urban areas). Has anyone visited a Muslim country as a tourist during Ramadan? Did it affect your ability to visit monuments, do activities, find meals? Thank you!

    1. Went to Egypt during Ramadan a long time ago (00’s) – it affected our ability to eat at more local places for lunch but otherwise it wasn’t an issue for tourist things like museums being open. It was kind of interesting in that we barely saw a guard that was awake – lots of them dozing in the shade on chairs all day.

    2. I was in Morocco during Ramadan a while back, and it did affect things a bit. I was there on a tour, so we didn’t have a problem finding a restaurant for lunch/sites or stores open, and so forth, since they did a good job taking that into account. Local restaurants may be closed (as opposed to places that cater to tourists), and other business may be closed or have reduced hours, but a trip is definitely doable.

      One thing to consider in planning is that people observing Ramadan will break fast after sundown, so I’d plan to eat later than that, to give them a chance to have their meal and refresh before having to work serving my meal.

      Another note- it is traditional ( as I understand- not an expert) for kids to get new clothes at some point during Ramadan- possibly on Eid, but I’m not precisely sure. There were a couple of times I saw groups of kids running around with beautiful new outfits on, and the girls with henna drawings on their hands. Moroccans don’t (or didn’t at the time) like to have their photo taken, but a few of the kids agreed to let me take their photos in their new finery.

      Have a wonderful time!

    3. I was in Morocco briefly during Ramadan and found it super awkward to be eating when the staff was clearly fasting. The streets were also fairly deserted. I was in Tarifa for one-day tour from Spain so that I could get my tourist visa stamp on return. Cannot speak to other areas. If you go in Ramadan consider spending several days with planned rest in the day and shifting your activity to the night — that’s when everyone is out!

    4. I was in Kosovo (but not in Pristina) during Ramadan a few years ago and it was hard to find places to eat in some neighborhoods/towns. But, it’s not like Kosovo is know for its tourism industry.

  7. After resisting it for a long time, I think I need to start taking anti-depressants. I feel like I should be able to fix these feelings through lifestyle changes and therapy but that hasn’t worked. I don’t like the idea of taking medication that affects my brain but I’m out of ideas. Has anyone been in this position before? Advice? Do people go to their PCP or a psychiatrist for this kind of medication? Any recommendations for a psychiatrist in the DC area, ideally one who takes insurance?

    2. I recommend doing the cheek swab genetic test to find which SSRIs will be most effective for you. It’s not a silver bullet but it’s helpful in selecting which medications to start trying.

      1. Never heard of this! I’m intrigued. Did you get it at your PCP, a psychiatrist, or elsewhere?

        1. My psychiatrist offered it. I think Genesight is the company? Again, it’s not 100% but anecdotally all the ones it said I’d react poorly to, I did.

          1. I started seeing a licensed psychiatric nurse for med management last year (it’s her entire practice). She helped me order the genesight test after poor results on a couple different SSRIs. Unfortunately there are only a few that will work for me (and of course they aren’t generic), but we’ve settled on one and it’s going well.
            I second everything Anon at 10:03 said.

    3. Your brain is an organ just like any other and lots of medications affect your brain, not just antidepressants. It should be easy to get your PCP to prescribe this for you, so I’d start with them. Also read the advice to the poster below- it’s really common to have side effects and it takes a few weeks for those to go away and to start feeling better. Be prepared for this and give it some time.

    4. It’s not much of an exaggeration to say that anti-depressants saved my life. Therapy did not cut it. I see a psychiatrist 3-4 times a year for the Rx.

    5. I get my meds from my family doctor, you don’t need a psychiatrist necessarily. Don’t feel ashamed or guilty for taking the right steps to help yourself. Meds can be life-changing (they were for me). Be prepared to try a few different ones before finding the right fit, and be prepared that the changes won’t be immediate so give them a fair shot.

    6. No recommendations but… good for you. I have been there and while I resisted being on the meds at first, it is for me at least the difference between being a functional adult and being angry/sad/demotivated for 80% of life. My only regret is how long I waited.

    7. I resisted antidepressants for a long time. A good friend of mine – a tough dude who you’d never expect would take antidepressants – was the one who told me to get over myself and try the meds. He told me – and this is what did it for me – is that it doesn’t hurt to TRY them – if I didn’t like them, I didn’t have to keep taking them, or maybe they wouldn’t work, but there was a chance they’d help and they’d make a difference – taking them was not some admission of a moral or mental failing – but they might help, so why not try them for a little while. For me, I was freaked out by the idea of taking a mental health med “forever;” my friend told me just to try it.

      Taking the meds has literally changed my life for the better. My life is brighter and better in every way. I tried to wean off a few times, but I realized eventually that my brain chemistry just isn’t quite right and I need a little help – nothing about therapy and exercise was ever going to fix it for me. (I also began to realize how much depression runs through my family, we just never ever speak about it.)

      Just go to your normal doc. At the time I first got mine, I just went to one of those quick doctors who do school physicals and such because I didn’t really have a PCP. Just tell them you’re not doing ok and you’ve done the lifestyle techniques and you need some help – they hear it allll the time.

      As an aside, I’ve found the genesight test hard to get. My current PCP has never heard of it, and he and the psychiatrist I saw before him seemed to prefer the old fashioned way of just trying different meds. Don’t let the availability of the genesight test discourage you.

      1. I feel annoyed just reading this because no one ever takes me seriously. When I told my PCP that I was not functioning well and would like to try an antidepressant he told me “no”. She said once you get on them they are very hard to get off. There are a lot of bad side effects- sluggishness, brain zaps, weight gain, etc…. She recommended I take calcium instead which did nothing, I ended up taking ST Johns Wort. I took it for a year and tapered myself off.

        1. halfway joking, but having a crying breakdown in the doctors office when she asked how I was doing was a fast way to land myself on antidepressants the first time. So if you haven’t tried that…

          I have since used telehealth psychiatrists through my insurance and had less issues.

          1. That’s how I got on meds the second time. Solidarity. I’ve come to accept, like the poster above, that my brain chemistry is just slightly off for modern life and a base dose of SSRI is worth it to feel great.

        2. A friend was told to get outside more. Messed them up on mental health treatment for years. I’m so glad the practice I went to is good about mental health (being located in the neighborhood of Amazon and a pile of other tech forms may have something to do with it…).

    8. I was in the same boat a few years ago, and similar to above, anti-depressants may have saved my life. My only regret is that I didn’t start taking them 15 years ago. Your PCP can prescribe them, do some research though so you’re informed about the options. My experience was that a psychiatrist was much better able to fine-tune my treatment than my PCP, so I would suggest seeing your PCP first as a starter treatment while searching for a psychiatrist.

    9. I’ve been in your shoes, and to a certain extent still am. I happen to have a family member that’s a pharmacist, and it really helped me for her to sit down with me and explain exactly how the drugs work regarding brain chemistry. It made it feel more like a true medical condition to me than an “I just can’t cope and it’s a me problem” situation. Any pharmacist or nurse/psychiatrist worth their salt will do this for you. I may be in the minority here, but changing from having a PCP prescribe to an actual psychiatrist nurse made a huge difference for me. They’re just so much more familiar with what is out there, and it took a lot of work to find something that worked for me.

    11. It always makes me sad when I read posts like yours, but your feelings about anti-depressants are so, so common. As a physician, who studies and treats people with brain disorders, I have to reinforce to you that you are actually hurting yourself… hurting your brain… by NOT treating your depression. Untreated depression becomes more resistant to treatment, the longer it festers. Untreated depression is associated with increased rates of dementia long term, and is really terrible for brain development /aging/plasticity. In addition, the associated whole body stress response is heightened with depression/anxiety, which causes numerous long term bad effects on everything from blood sugar to bone density.

      And to be depressed, of course… sucks. It colors every aspect of your life. It affects your eating, and sleeping. It darkens every relationship in your life. It eats away at your work life, and decreases your productivity, creativity, and cognitive skills.

      Well done for finally taking a big step to take care of yourself. It can be better.

      1. Just wanted to shout out that this is what got me to take getting on a good anti depressant seriously – that the longer I went on like this the harder it was for the house of cards of coping mechanisms I had built to keep up with my symptoms. I kept blaming myself and it took a psychiatrist saying every time you have a depressive episode it makes you more likely to have another one and harder for the non drug interventions to work for me to get past my ingrained notions of failure that I needed a drug to function.

      2. Your post literally just encouraged me to reach out to my therapist again, so thank you. I’ve tried anti-depressants in the past and am 3/3 having bad reactions but I am willing to try again to not feel this way.

    12. Talk to your PCP. I will say that when I went on Lexapro, I felt like it was giving me my brain back – like anxiety had changed my brain and Lexapro restored the real me. Good luck and go get ’em. This is not something you can just lifestyle-change to solve.

    13. One common side effect that not enough medical people seem to know about: lactose intolerance. Like within a couple of days, with a reaction about 10-15 minutes after ingesting some dairy. Be aware and good luck!

  8. Looking for anecdotes here: anyone had brain fog when starting a new ssri? I just started celexa yesterday and the past two days have felt groggy and like I can’t form sentences or coherent thoughts. I’m on the lowest dose. I take it before bed. Is this a pretty common side effect that goes away?
    I will ask my doctor if it persists through next week.

    1. A doctor prescribed it for anxiety a few years back, and I started with half a pill for the first two weeks and even then, I was really groggy. I hadn’t taken a SSRI before so wasn’t sure if that was normal.

    2. Yes. The first two weeks on a new SSRI are always tough for me. And then after two weeks, the symptoms go away and it’s like the clouds part and I can see the world as it actually is. It’s worth sticking with it through the initial adjustment period. Good luck!

    3. I haven’t taken Celexa, but, for me at least, this is extremely common when starting a new medication. Unless the side effects are medically risky or truly unbearable, I give any new medication at least 6 weeks before I decide to stop taking it. Most issues (fatigue, nausea, brain fog, etc.) get better by that point, but if there are still side effects that appear to outweigh the likely benefits, then you should consider switching to a different drug (this is especially true with SSRIs, where there are lots of options). I also usually stick with a low dose longer than doctors typically advise, as this seems to make side effects more manageable than jumping to a higher dose in just a week or two.

  9. Low stakes Tuesday morning ask: what your favorite foaming hand soaps? In the past, I have stocked up for the year from Bath and Bodyworks, mostly due to convenience, large selection, and sale prices. This year, I have tried to order 3x since Thanksgiving and never get a confirmation e-mail or any order sent despite putting in my cc info each time and it appearing to go through (not showing up on a statement either). It’s like they don’t want my money this year, which is completely fine. All this to say, I’m looking for a new source for foaming hand soaps. Any favorites to share?

    4. I buy neutrogena bath gel and decant some into my hand soap dispenser. Then I can use it to wash both hands and face .

    6. Michel Design Works. The bottles are so pretty. I get them at local boutiques that sell upscale kitchen/bath type things.

    7. Try Blueland! You get paper-wrapped tabs that you can drop into your dispenser filled with water. No plastic waste, minimal storage space, and all their scents are amazing!

  10. For those of you who’ve had break-through COVID since Thanksgiving, could you tell something was up? Or just stumbled upon it only b/c of test results? I’m a person who is really healthy and never gets fevers, but with pretty bad allergies, so I am hoping that if/when (likely when) I get it, there will be a sign or something to tip me off (home tests are impossible to find in my city and testing seems to require queueing up in a car line of several hours), so just knowing when to get in the queue would be good (or just isolate at that point).

    1. have not had it myself, but had several friends get surprise positives when doing “just in case” testing pre-holidays. A few others have described it as a longer cold than average.

    2. If home tests are not available in your city, I would look to order some online. You will probably have to check over multiple days, but I managed to find some online at walmart right after Christmas. It just look checking Walmart, Target, and CVS websites for a few days.

    3. We didn’t but our whole extended family (both sides) had it over the holidays. They’re all 3x vaccinated and all were quite sick with flu like symptoms including fevers. No one had to be hospitalized but I don’t think “mild” is actually that mild at least not based on our anecdotal experience.

      1. All that “mild” means is that you don’t end up in the hospital or dead. That doesn’t match my personal definition of “mild.”

        1. I think mild may be like the flu. I got the flu once and it knocked me (20ish) out for 2 weeks and I threw up so much that I was like 2 sizes smaller by the end of it. Not good.

          I had flu shots after that and (40s now) got a mild case from a kid with it and it still tired me out for about 2 weeks, but I could drag through work and just go to bed asap while taking care of kids, so pretty rough but much better. I can see why people die from the flu especially if they are old / live alone / sickly.

          1. Jealous here. I’m one stomach flu away from my goal weight.

          2. It was situational weight loss only. A friend got an intestinal parasite and that seemed to have done the trick longer term. She does not recomend it though (and had to go to some out-of-the-way spot in Russia to pick it up).

          3. Emily, we are already irrelevant! No one remembers the impact we made on the color blue.

          4. It’s not just blue, it’s not turquoise, it’s not lapis, it’s actually cerulean.

        2. I had a “mild” case, ie not hospitalized and no supplemental oxyge, in December 2020 and it was about as sick as I would want to be and not be under direct medical supervision and care. I understand the medical definition of “mild” but wish there was nomenclature that matched up more with common sense expectations.

    4. Amazon has home tests you can order, they say shopping is 2-3 weeks but ours came in a week. Get a pile of those.

        1. Heh — I keep asking my Walgreens when their truck comes in and with COVID, their truck comes when it comes. Are the Amazon ones sketchy? I ordered Binax ones back in the fall and see a bunch of other brands, some are probably legit.

          3. No, the Amazon ones aren’t sketchy. Just get the prime now/buy from them and not a third party seller and it’s fine.

      2. You can also order directly from iHealth. Took less than a week to receive them via mail. Order several kits now just in case.

        1. Done — thanks for sharing. I was wanting to have some and just getting all “sold out online” messages.

      3. Walgreen’s is out of all tests for online sales at the moment, same for Meijer. iHealth’s website says it is taking 10 days to ship (plus the shipping time). Amazon says iiHealth tests “normally” ship wihtin 15 days. :/ I took a chance that iHealth was just managing expectations and ordered from there.

    5. For me, the first few days of the breakthrough were ‘is it or isn’t it?’ with fairly allergy-like symptoms. I tested negative, but family members tested positive. Then the exhaustion hit, and the body aches and the bad cold symptoms. So the first few days felt like it was allergies, but then it became obvious. We were lucky in that we we able to test and isolate immediately.

    6. Nothing specific that would help tell me this is COVID vs a normal cold, unfortunately. And my husband and I both rapid tested negative for almost a full week before being positive (despite having symptoms). I’ve heard from a couple people anecdotally that throwing up is a new symptom with omicron, which I haven’t experienced but sharing as an additional data point.

    7. I had it over Christmas. It very much felt like a cold, and I was obviously under the weather – super tired, coughing, scratchy/sore throat, a little feverish. My energizer bunny husband – who developed a cough but insisted it was “winter allergies” (it was not) – never really had cold symptoms, though he did slow down for two days and nap on the couch (big for him).

      1. Is there any test to see if you have had it recently? I remember they used to test for antibodies (for blood donations and research), but with getting vaccinated would that even tell you if you’ve had it recently? DH and I were noticeably more gunky and napped a bit b/w our kids (nothing different noticeable for them) going on xmas break and NYE. We just stayed at home and had no local relatives anyway, so maybe it is in the past for us. No meaningful opportunity to test in our area over the holidays, so perhaps we will never know.

    8. I had a slightly itchy throat, which then developed into a mild cough, at which point I got tested and was positive. Fully vaxxed. It lasted about 4 days, with 24 hours of fever.

      1. About the same. I had very minor cold symptoms as did my husband. Started in the throat, stuffy nose, congestion. Totally gone in a week. Our house guest was the same but had a chesty cough which she always gets any time she is sick. Four unvaccinated kids and they were all asymptomatic (though in hindsight, there were signs that my eldest was dragging her butt somewhat)

        1. Also, we weren’t boosted and last shot was early July. (I .not eligible for the booster until this month).

    9. I had the sniffles and that was it. Only tested bc my kid (too young to be vaxxed) had it. He had high fever and was extremely sleepy, with a mild cough.

    10. I’m on day 10 of quarantine! Day 1 I woke up with a slight cough and it was so minor I didn’t think much of it. The next morning it worsened and my throat hurt. I tested with an at home at lunch and was shocked it was positive. However, my symptoms got much worse as the day went on, that if I had not tested earlier, I would have tested eventually that day.
      DH tested randomly after I got my positive and eventually got a positive but if I wasn’t sick, he wouldn’t have known.
      My caveat is that I have 20 at home tests provided from my company, so I never felt like I was “wasting” an at home for a minor cough when I originally tested but by the next day I definitely had symptoms, so I knew.

    11. Stumbled upon it because of test results, pretty sure I found out after my quarantine period was up because rapids were negative and only PCR was positive. No symptoms whatsoever. Triple vaxxed.

    12. I threw up a few times (and thought it was just a random stomach bug) but the next day, I had a persistent sore throat and tested positive. Symptoms then migrated from sore throat to cough/runny nose/headache/fatigue. I was down for the count for about 3 days, but never considered going to the hospital so I guess the vaccines worked! Sharing because I think the nausea/vomiting is a relatively underreported early Covid symptom.

    13. Can’t speak from personal experience but anecdotally everyone I know who’s had symptomatic omicron said their main symptom was a sore throat, so that’s what I’m most on the lookout for.

    14. 3x vaxxed break-through infection here. Tickle in my throat for a few days, slight urge to cough. Then the cold symptoms set in: stuffy nose, head fog, etc. I tested negative on antigens until my nose started running; then I got an immediate, dark positive. It has felt like a bad cold, but not the worst cold I’ve ever had. Grateful for vaccine protection!

  11. For those of you who camp (West-coasters, probably), do you have a solar phone charger that you like? It seems like the beef with them is that they are just slow to recharge solarly, but can be good to have. I have a non-solar battery bank but it weighs a ton. I think that the idea is that you hang them on your backpack while you’re trecking and then find a sunny campsite spot to put them in while at camp.

    1. Turn your phone off or put it on airplane mode and forget about it. You’re camping. Enjoy the time unplugged.

      1. +1 I have a battery pack that weighs a few ounces, but even on week long back packing trips I haven’t needed to charge my phone because I only keep it on for 10-20 minutes a day.

        1. For me, taking pictures on an older phone, especially using any sort of GPS, drains the battery. YMMV, but I’d rather be safe than sorry.

          1. They still make disposable film cameras. I always keep a few around for two reasons – documenting damage after natural disasters (I’m in a hurricane prone area) and backpacking.

        2. I mean not everyone enjoys unplugging? I don’t. Even if I’m hiking, I want to take photos and I’d be uncomfortable being completely unreachable. YMMV.

          2. Agree this. I don’t always want to be unplugged. DH and I have done several hiking vacations and we usually have our phones on us like regular. We’re even both in PM/sales/on call type positions, a ton of work contacts have our cell numbers, but we just let calls go to voicemail that have a vacation message. I do delete my email app. I prefer to have the GPS/phone available for safety reasons, and of course for pictures. There is no world in which I personally am going to start using disposable film cameras vs. my iPhone camera.

            I’m actually pretty good about deliberately unplugging when I need to – which generally is in the midst of busy weeks for an hour (or weekend day) at a time. That’s when unplugging really does me more benefit. Also practicing unplugging every night when I’m feeling overwhelmed (like no phone after 7pm) is really effective for me.

            To the OP actual question – I suppose it depends on how long you’re going and how long your phone battery lasts. I have a small lightweight battery bank – bigger than a lipstick battery bank but that wouldn’t be a pain to haul around (maybe a pound?) that would charge my phone several times. I would attempt to use battery banks before I tried any solar option.

      3. Agreed with the above, but also – get a lipstick battery. It’s a small and light battery bank that will be sufficient to let you do one full recharge in case of emergency. I use them for ultraendurance bike races, and they’re much more portable than the standard big external batteries – about the size of a foundation stick.

    2. I have a solar charger and take it any time I go on a trip – camping, sailing, kayaking, by car or other. For me, it’s a safety issue. Even if you turn off the phone or put it on airplane, if you’re lost or in an emergency situation, you may not have good cell service in many parts of the west – especially in the wilderness. Turning on the phone for an emergency may drain the battery and I’m in the better safe than sorry camp: It’s like insurance – I’d rather not need it but it’s there if I do. I just have a Yelomin solar charger off amazon. I also have a combo solar charger, flashlight and am/fm radio that is the size of a grande latte cup and also has a hand crank: with usb ports, it will charge anything. We don’t take that backpacking but do camping or sailing.

  12. This is just to vent that my parents “have a bad cold” and refuse to get a covid test and are being extremely passive aggressive that I’m “so sensitive” by telling them that they should be isolating and that having my sister over for tea for 45 minutes inside their unventilated living room is not actually isolating. Sigh. At least they’re vaccinated.

    1. People are so frustrating! I would quietly make sure your sister knows, then avoid all of them for a couple of weeks.

      My mother refuses to get a booster for some unknown reason. I’ve washed my hands of it. My ability to care has greatly diminished.

    2. Ugh, my MILs are currently doing the same. I know colds still exist, but they’re in London, I feel like it’s 50/50. Then my MIL is grumpy we won’t set a date for her to come and visit.

    3. same boat with my in-laws! however since we are going to see them this weekend, said we weren’t coming unless they tested and could we help them make CVS appointments near them? (It required some repeat checking / refreshing for cancellations, which they do not have the tech persistence for.) Miraculously that cleared the objections.

    4. Does vaccinated status really matter now? I thought that Omicron didn’t care. Maybe for if you just rest at home vs it is horrible vs horrible in the hospital?

      I got my kid a booster but I honestly don’t think it will stop us from all getting it now that schools are open. [So I’d never not get it, but I don’t think it will help with this. Maybe prior variants or what was out in 2020.]

      1. Vaccinations absolutely matter because they mean less serious illness and fewer hospitalizations.

        1. That’s good — I wasn’t sure if that was known yet with omicron (vs OG COVID). I remember reading that you couldn’t assume omicron was more mild b/c SA’s population skews younger and the UK’s skews more vaxxed than the US.

      3. My 83-year-old MIL died of COVID in April 2020. My 87-year-old FIL, vaxxed and boosted and not in great health, experienced breakthrough COVID over the holidays as “just a cold.” I’m crediting the vaccine with that.

        I do agree that we’re all getting omicron it thanks to schools with poor masking and poor ventilation and a ridiculous insistence on in-person “learning” (read: cramming students into classrooms to do worksheets while their teachers are out with COVID). I am hoping that vaxx + booster reduces the chances of long COVID, but it’s too soon to tell.

        1. Do you have kids? I feel like I would so much rather my vaccinated kids be in person, even with the risk.

          1. I have a fully vaxxed child who just got boosted this weekend. What they are doing in person is pedagogically worthless, so I’d rather have her home not catching COVID for a few weeks.

          2. My kids have been vaxxed and they’d rather be in person. Zoom school was worthless and just being with peers with a zoom teacher is much better for them than being at home. Homework is posted so that kids who are out can stay caught up, but I agree that in-person school is imperative after we lost 1.5 years of it.

          3. We’re in a pandemic. “Learning to live” with the virus might mean we take a 2-3 week break from school every so often — it’s ridiculous that we’re not doing that now. I’d much prefer that to having my kids get juvenile diabetes (that’s the latest from the CDC, kids with covid are more at risk for diabetes), Long Covid, or the Miis-c illness or whatever.

      4. I’m in a red state. The difference between the vaccinated people I know with covid and the unvaccinated is dramatic.

        1. Could you elaborate? I am fully vaxxed but have a sinus condition, so a lot of COVID symptoms are present for me since 2017 or so. I have one home test (just ordered some that may be in herein 10 days) and my concern is that I don’t recognize COVID symptoms as such. I work with someone who is unvaxxed and pregnant (and we’re essential workers); she has to test weekly, but weekly testing seems to not be the right frequency (but also maybe is ambitious given local demand).

          I’d love to be an NBA player who is just tested daily or whatever.

          1. The vaccinated people I know with recent COVID range from no symptoms to cold/flu-level sickness. The unvaccinated people I know were horrifically sick. One person is probably going to die this week (finally was persuaded to go to the hospital after a week of not eating, drinking, or urinating).

            Wear a mask around your unvaxxed coworker, but there really isn’t anything else you can do.

      5. Boosted will (God willing) likely net you a mild Omicron case. Don’t skip the boosters.

      3. Of course they have to isolate if they’re sick. Omg this is why we are in a pandemic. What is wrong with you?

    7. Your parents are probably like mine: scared of the positive result. It’s illogical. My vaxxed and boosted parents are scared to test because then they “would have to tell people” and “would have to stay home.” I’ve been trying to gently encourage the testing and explaining that the worst case scenario is they are armed with information and need to keep home for 5 days or so. No biggie. But, like I said, it’s not rational.

      1. This makes as little sense to me as Schroedinger’s cat. The cat inside the box can only be either alive or dead, one or the other, and refusing to open the box does not make it simultaneously both alive and dead. Similarly, a positive test does not give you COVID, and refusing to test does not keep you from having it.

        1. …but if you don’t test positive, you can just pretend you don’t have COVID and go about your life as normal! If you test positive, you’ll have to quarantine, so best not to know!

          Sorry – I’m just cynical because a friend also did this and … you can guess what happened.

      2. My parents are super blue bubble people and there is a sort of weird psychological thing going on where because they view getting COVID as the result of moral failing (i.e., something that only happens to Trump-loving, vaccine-denying, anti-maskers), they are resistant to getting tested because of the social stigma associated with telling people they’re infected. When we got COVID back in November, they were so fixated on figuring out where it came from (Nobody knows! Everyone at my kid’s preschool tested negative and that’s the only place we go!) and they were very secretive about telling their friends or even my brother (?) that we were sick. I really did get the sense that it was not just because they were scared of getting it but because the idea that anyone could get sick, even their Biden-voting, mask-wearing, triple-vaccinated daughter, was so challenging to their worldview.

        Now, that being said, when they have symptoms they don’t go anywhere at all. But they also don’t get tested.

        1. I think omicron is going to dispel that attitude quickly. Pretty much everyone has had it within the past 2 weeks or is going to get it within the next 2 weeks, regardless of vaccination, masking, staying home, and other precautions. We are as COVID-cautious as they come but are assuming our kid will bring it home from school within the week.

          1. We definitely felt shame when we had breakthrough infections at Thanksgiving…

      3. BUT there are now the pills that have to be taken in a specific window if you’re positive — so the timeline does kind of matter. (But then: tests are hard to find and it’s hard to time the tests correctly.)

  13. We are considering taking a trip to New Orleans in late February, assuming case numbers there are not out of control at that time (we have both had the booster shoot, will wear masks and eat outside). Any recommendations on where to stay and things to do?

    I would also be ok with recommendations on other places to go. Somewhere where the temp will at least be in the 60s and there are lots of things to do.

    1. As someone in NOLA, this is a crazy time to visit (Mardi Gras season) – restaurants will be packed and traffic will be crazy. April is perfect ;)

      1. This. I used to live there and the week after was often still recovery mode. Maedi Gras is March 1st this year, so I’d wait until mid-March and know that parades start two weeks before, and shut things down, etc.
        I have the Chloe NOLA as the next place I plan to stay there. I also love the Soniat House in the quarter for a very old vibe.
        For food, I’d recommend doing something old guard (if you’re a lawyer, Galatoires on a Friday afternoon, or Commanders or Arnauds), something neighborhood, and something buzzy and new. I’d need current locals to recommend those.
        Sleep late, wander, Magazine street, Royal street, and Maple street are my faves.

    2. I’m not sure how practical the outdoor eating plan is- I don’t think there’s a lot of outdoor seating at restaurants there. Also, the bars and music are indoors, other than street performers, so if you go to New Orleans, I’d be prepared to be inside with other people.

      Antoine’s for dinner
      Frenchman Street for music
      Catch a jazz set at Preservation Hall (totally worth it- but book ahead, it gets sold out)
      Cemetery tour (I have no particular company in mind, but it is an interesting part of local history/culture)
      Presbytère museum- part of the LA State museum has great exhibits on Mardi Gras (if you aren’t there during the festival, you can still see costumes . . . ) and Hurricane Katrina.
      WWII Museum- it is fairly new, and an absolute showplace. You can get a ticket and walk around, or get an additional ticket for a guided tour of the main exhibition, where they take you through different phases/fronts of the war.

    3. Who are you planning to travel with, and what are your interests? I’m assuming no kids on this trip.
      – The WWII Museum is truly excellent.
      – Several of the French Quarter home tours (Gallier House, Hermann-Grima House, Beauregard-Keyes House) are worthwhile if you’re into that sort of thing. Further up Esplanade, the Degas House, where Degas once stayed and painted while visiting family, offers tours.
      – City Park is gorgeous, and the Sculpture Garden and Botanical Garden are well worth your time. It’s also possible to rent kayaks, paddle boats, and bicycles in City Park.
      – If you’re interested in live music, check out Bacchanal, where you can listen to live music and drink wine outdoors.
      – Spend half a day, at least, strolling through the Garden District and down Magazine St.
      – Take the ferry across the river to Algiers and eat at one of the cute restaurants on Algiers Point.
      – For more niche interests, New Orleans has a Southern Food & Beverage Museum and a Pharmacy Museum, an art experience called Jamnola, the Sazerac House.
      – If you’re looking to get out of New Orleans a bit, spring is an excellent time of year, in terms of weather, for an airboat swamp tour.
      – The Whitney Plantation offers tours that focus on the lives of enslaved people. (This is one of the sites Clint Smith visited and discusses in How the Word is Passed.) The Laura Plantation nearby discusses both the French Creole plantation owners and the realities of slavery with an honest look at history. I cannot endorse the Oak Alley Plantation.
      – A few good outdoor dining options: Bayona (French Quarter), Cafe Amelie (Quarter), Mopho (near City Park), Elysian Bar (Marigny).
      – A couple good outdoor drinking options: Cane and Table (Quarter), Hot Tin Roof Bar (Garden District), Rosie’s on the Roof (Warehouse District), Claret (Garden District), Pat O’Briens (Quarter, and a caveat that their famous hurricanes are not actually good, but their patio is a classic for a reason).

  14. Is anyone who’s good at online shopping able to help? Looking for a metal colander with a long handle – the original was a much loved paderno “world cuisine colander with long handle” that has since died and my much-loved great aunt had requested help finding a replacement. Needs to be metal with holes, not a mesh strainer (why I do not know) and to be from a store that is in Canada or that ships to Canada. I am at a loss! Thank you!

  15. can someone please explain the collusion law suit against the top colleges regarding financial aid in laymen’s terms?

      1. thank you. this was a great explanation. though to be honest, i can’t decide how i feel (legal issues aside) about letting in certain students with special connections. even though i myself do not fit anywhere in that category and neither do my kids, i attended one of the universities named in the suit and i benefited from some of the speakers and funding that were able to come to campus. it seems like one possible result from the suit, is if the universities want to be able keep allowing in those students with the special connections, is to stop collaborating with one another in determining financial aid, which also seems like it could be harmful to students (such as myself) who needed financial aid.

        1. I think I feel the same way you do? I have no special connections (just going to any college at all was a big deal in my family). But I feel like one of the reasons the SLAC I attended was such a desirable place to be was because the college cultivated such a strong and unique sense of community, and I would guess that legacy admissions were part of the multigenerational sense of community there (including speakers and funding and internships, etc.). But my school wasn’t a big Ivy League university either, so maybe that’s an entirely different ball game.

        2. I think it’s worth reading an earlier piece in his anti-trust series: https://mattstoller.substack.com/p/break-up-the-ivy-league-cartel

          For the record I (obviously) went to one of the named defendants, and had no personal connections (my mom was a special ed aide who passed away before I finished high school and my dad was AWOL). I’m sympathetic to the idea that there may be some benefit to allowing legacy or connected admissions for the benefit of the institution. But I don’t think the system right now serves anyone except the folks managing the endowments and their kids.

    2. College admissions, tuition, and financial aid are totally a cartel scam. It’s probably too much to hope that this lawsuit will have any sort of impact by the time my daughter applies to college in two years, but that would sure be nice.

      1. Agreed.

        It’s not like Harvard (et al.) are taking their $ and expanding the campus and facilities to expand their mission (the way any other nonprofit would if they had funding). But they are just doing a clever shell game to get the $ out of people who have plenty and wring it out of the lucky admittees without that sort of family wealth (I get stabby when “financial aid” = loans, but often it does).

        And when they drop standardized tests, who do you think that lets them waive in? I think it lets admissions people bring in their favored applicants without anything being discoverable in litigation. Some of the info re Dartmouth admissions attempts noted in an article linked on the shared one seems to have come from a hack.

        1. Yeah, I do not understand why people think dropping standardized tests is so great. I can’t help but feel like there are working-class kids whose best advantage in college admissions was a crazy-good SAT score who are now going to be at even more of a disadvantage. Doesn’t it just further privilege applicants who are able to do a million unpaid internships/intensive extracurriculars/pricey overseas volunteer trips/etc.?

          1. +1 to “little Sunny is volunteering in Kenya this summer”

            It kills me b/c applying is such a crapshoot that middle-class people with bright kids (or even LMC people) know that they need to apply to a ton of schools to get in anywhere. And applying takes time and unless you get a waiver, is expensive. And they act like they’ll fairly evaluate you, but it’s clear that there are different yardsticks for different people (isn’t that fraud? fraud-ish?).

            I think it is totally a cartel b/c the schools have no interest in increasing slots and can charge whatever they want. Some will cross-subsidize the few needy students, but they could have just paid for those needy students from their endowments, so it’s not like they need to do that to keep the doors open and the light bill paid.

          2. Dropping test scores also further advantages applicants whose parents have the connections and resources to hire admissions consultants to help them craft essays that tell a compelling story. And applicants whose guidance counselors have relationships with college admissions officers. And applicants from high schools with grade inflation…

          3. This is what I keep having to explain to my bright middle-class daughter. Smart girls from the suburbs with straight As and an amazing art portfolio and perfect pitch and the highest score on the math team are a dime a dozen. If she wants to go to an elite school she needs to hold a patent or publish a scientific article. (Fun fact: the only supplemental material permitted on the Cal Tech application is articles authored or co-authored by the applicant.) Or go back in time and be born to different parents who are either wealthy enough to write a check for $1M or clerked for a Supreme Court justice, preferably both. Or convince us to move to the middle of nowhere so she can increase the school’s geographic representation. Or maybe learn fencing, rapidly.

          4. Test optional is not test blind, though. A kid who went to a crappy high school and has amazing SAT scores can still submit them and have them considered. Whereas in the California system, they’re going truly test blind, I gather, in order to make sure that Asians don’t dominate admissions. Hmph.

      2. It makes me understand why Varsity Blues happened (but it’s a crime when parents do it and OK when schools provide dedicated contacts for rich / connected people and their kids).

        1. The sin of Varsity Blues was always that the parents came in “through the side door”, not through the backdoor like has been done for generations.

    1. I have the Cuisinart Airfryer Toaster Oven. I use it literally every day – it’s so much easier when I just need to feed one person. It does take a little practice to get used to the different settings and what temps work for what you’re trying to do. But I enjoy it, and I love that I can save a little counter space by consolidating.

      1. I have this one and would recommend it. I find that it cooks faster than expected, either based on recipes or directions for things like chicken nuggets out of the freezer, but once you get past that learning phase it really is great. My only complaint is the basket is annoying to clean.

      1. +1. My family of 3 hasn’t had an oven since September (we ordered one, but it’s back-ordered). We’ve used our Breville Smart Oven Pro 2-3 times daily, for all our toaster/air fryer/roasting/baking needs, and it’s great.

    1. THANK YOU! I get that merino is temperature-regulating, but espadrilles and wool don’t go together! Espadrilles are summer shoes! I can’t do bare legs in winter. I can’t do fashion any more. [Screams into void.]

    4. Maybe the pandemic has affected stylists as well and they no longer know how to dress to go outside their living rooms.

    5. I always assume that stylists are cycling through a whole bunch of items in one photo shoot and aren’t bothering to have the model change shoes each time they put on a different pair of pants or skirt.

      I have no idea if this is how it actually works.

      1. I live in the South and teenagers wear summer shoes with winter clothes sometimes, especially for dress-up, but grown-ups do not. I don’t remember its being any different when I lived in SoCal–has that changed?

  18. i posted the other week asking for mattress recs bc we don’t like our current Helix mattress because it wakes me up every time DH moves. I like something on the firmer side. people wrote back with some suggestions, but now I can’t find the post. Do you mind re-sharing?

    1. Your bed/frame may be part of the problem, just FYI. I great mattress on a wobbly frame will still move when anyone sleeping on the bed moves.

      That said, we have a Saatva mattress, whatever is the firmest model (I can’t recall.) It’s fine from a movement standpoint (as in, I don’t feel DH’s movement) but it’s honestly not as firm as I would prefer.

      1. That’s so funny — we have a Saatva, too, and I’m super happy with it from a motion-transfer standpoint, but I found it a little too firm until I put a memory-foam topper on it!

    2. I love my Avocado mattress. DH keeps vampire hours sometimes, and I used to wake up when he got into bed hours after me, but don’t since we got the mattress and a Thuma bed frame. We have the hybrid with attached pillowtop, which is still fairly firm. Bonus that it’s really breathable, since perimenopause is messing with my sleeping temperature.

  19. Had a weird experience seeing a new doctor at a private practice I had never been to before yesterday and not sure how I feel about it. When going over my medical history the doctor clearly had access to my prescriptions, or at least my prescriptions over the last year. For example, the tretinoin my dermatologist prescribed me, the antibiotics my plastic surgeon prescribed post-rhinoplasty, the anti-nausea meds an urgent care prescribed me during a bad stomach flu. On the one hand, I likely would not have thought or remembered to mention the above because they were from a year ago, but on the other hand, sort of invasive? Anyway, does anyone know how my doctor had access to this info? Google has given me no answers.

    1. IME doctors’ offices appear to pull this info from insurance records and from health system records. I am all for data privacy, but it does seem much safer for the doctor to have access to your full medical history and especially your prescription records. There are so many problems with overprescribing of medication and with prescribing of medications that don’t play well together.

      1. It’s good in theory… I think it could use a lot of work in practice! The technicians who go over my electronic records with me don’t seem to have access to enter doses or meds that aren’t pre-existing options in their system. So if my med or dosage isn’t in there, they just fudge it with something that they consider “close enough.”

        Then my real records get mixed up with a bunch of nonsense. It all looks the same to me in the patient portal; hopefully it looks different to my doc?

        My chart in general also has a lot of “sounds alike” errors including symptoms and diagnoses, I think probably from speech to text record keeping?

        Basically, I just hope no one believes a lot of the stuff I see in there!

    2. Prescription info is in a registry available to all pharmacies. It’s to keep people from getting multiple prescriptions of controlled medications.

      1. In my state this is only true for controlled substances. We don’t have access to other health systems’ prescriptions to a patient unless they happen to be in the same EMR that we have.

    5. If you are in MA, and opted in, this info is shared via MassHighway. Other states may have similar.

      There are big “universal Patient record” initiatives going on around the country.

    6. Yeah this is your electronic medical record. It’s good for the doctor to have all of this information. If they didn’t have it electronically, it would have been good for you to have the record and bring it from doctor to doctor. People often forget or minimize past problems or medications that would have an impact

    8. Assume he had access to the electronic medical record used by those other doctors. MyChart and MyPortfolio are the two systems most in use. The EMR is the future, and the entire point of it is to allow doctors to review a patients medical history.

    9. Former hospital and medical practice administrator here: Your medical record information gets entered into whatever electronic record system the doctor/hospital/etc uses. If you gave permission to share that information with other providers of care by signing a release (which was probably part of all the registration paperwork when you were seen for the first time), then your information goes to your insurance company as well as to the health information exchange in your area. This exchange receives and sends information to other providers of care, which is how your information got to your current doctor. Most people do not read all the fine print on the forms they sign and are not aware that they are giving permission to release all their information to other providers when they sign the forms. You can revoke that release at any time. Having all the current information is a benefit to the person providing the care as it is gives level of detail that most people cannot recall (specific doses of meds, how long you’ve had the med). It’s also very helpful in coordinating with other care providers.

    10. What? You went to a doctor! Of course she/he needs access to all your prescription history. That’s not invasive, that is good medical practice – if you need new medications, they need to reconcile to make sure there are no interactions, etc etc.

    11. You sign away all of this when you agree to be treated by your doctor and when you agree to have your insurance pay.

      In any case, electronic medical records are here to stay and are a very smart way to prevent tragedy (drug allergies, known conditions, etc)

      I work in a related field affected by the opioid epidemic and there’s an electronic prescription registry that has been very effective at preventing addicts from getting overlapping prescriptions through doctor shopping.

    12. If your doctor uses Epic, there is a feature that allows healthcare providers to share patient records. You can opt out in MyChart (the patient-facing side of Epic), but honestly, you shouldn’t. You really want your health care providers to know your allergies, and whether they are prescribing drugs that interact with each other. In an emergency situation, this feature can save lives. All organizations able to see your information are covered by HIPAA, so your record is secure and only accessed on an as-needed basis.

  20. I started ordering from Trade Coffee. They offer subscription but you can also filter by a number of factors (including available in ground). They have all of the different brands from the smaller ones to more commercial third wave (like Joe’s coffee). I started with a subscription then i moved to bigger bags (2lb bags) to reduce frequency of shipping. I got a Bodum COld Brew French Press and make a batch for 3 days at a time (cold water over grounds and steep overnight). I find that cold brew yields better flavors than any hot brewing methods. Most of the time i just drink it cold all year long but even after microwaving it’s still better than hot brewed.

  21. This week has been a whirlwind at my semi-new job, full of tracking down prior inconsistencies and not-technically-but-really-errors that made my role confusing (because training only covers doing things the right way). Is it weird that I get more calm and confident as things increasingly descend into chaos? This no longer feels like a lofty unattainable role; every company is a mess.

    1. I’m similar. I get stressed if the high achievement bar is just out of my reach. The higher it goes away from me (whether by my own doing, or more likely at work, by inconsistencies and external factors), the less stressed I feel about achieving it. Then the bar is just “do as well as I can, and try to improve what I can for the next person” which is attainable with much less stress.

    2. Not weird! I find the “ok, yikes, here’s where I add value…” a key part of settling into a position. Congrats on your new role!

  22. It’s the new year and I’m sure a lot of us are trying to Do The Thing, so I’m here to crow about one I just did: My 95-year-old dad has a Jitterbug cell phone, and for quite some time I’ve been getting notices that it needs to be upgraded or he’ll lose his service. And because I have a horrific aversion to all things elder care, I’ve been putting it off. Lo and behold, I called this morning and the arrangements are made. Yay!!

    And I’m sitting here thinking, “that was so much easier than the past two months of worrying about it. WHY do I always get sucked into worrying about not doing The Thing, when doing The Thing is so much easier???”

    1. I totally agree with your statement! I also Did The Thing, and it was honestly easy once I got started. I had just been delaying it, as I didn’t have all the data needed for it, so it now has a bunch of fake data and I have a meeting about that tomorrow. And as soon as I finished it, I managed to finish off all the rest of my to-do list, as it was just a huge blocker that was impeding all other work (due to stress about the lack of data).

      Full disclosure: I wore a ball gown to do it, as I’m WFH due to Omicron and I hadn’t worn full-on white tie in a while. (I was just hoping that nobody would suddenly ask if I was free for a quick meeting, but it was worth it).

      1. Next The Thing needing to be Done: all the documentation for a cursed AI model I built recently, and adapting it so that it can “bring added value” to the business and be something relevant to the company, despite having done it all outside of work hours in the name of practice…

        See also: organising technical training for a varied bunch of non-technical folks, when I have a deadline of tomorrow to choose the day and I’ve been told contradicting things about which topic.

        Also: some of the people attending are from HR, so I have to use “team” or “folks”, instead of “guys”. And I’ll have to sort out the hair, as they won’t appreciate the developer “my hair counteracts my blazer” do.

    2. + 1. I just sat on hold for 26 minutes with my insurance carrier to check on something. I am certain I spent more than 26 minutes dreading it.

  23. Anyone have Key West recommendations? This would be a May trip with mom and sisters to celebrate a big bday. We were considering maybe the Margaritaville (my mom has had good experiences with their other hotels) – anyone have thoughts or recommendations? thanks in advance!

    1. The Curry Mansion Inn is beautiful and very comfortable. Bed and Breakfast, drinks at 5. Just lovely.

      Mallory Square for sunset (and street performers)

      The Shipwreck Museum was odd and fun- totally worth a trip.

    2. Oohhh!!! Do you prefer a large hotel/resort experience or a small B&B?

      1. my mom is turning 70 and definitely slowing down a bit, so resort is I think optimal because it lets us all stay put but have lots of options – thanks.

    3. We liked the Southernmost Beach Resort — reasonably priced, easy walking distance to the main drag of bars and restaurants but not super loud (except the roosters!)
      You should also definitely do a sunset cruise! A number of companies do them and they vary from relaxed sail to full party boat, but definitely worthwhile

    4. It’s been awhile, but we enjoyed staying at Southernmost hotel on the beach. It’s on the quieter side of the island and by art galleries. Louie’s backyard for dinner was out favorite experience. We also loved the chocolate key lime pie on a stick and the New York pasta garden – great patio. Have a wonderful time!

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