Arglebargle's Profile

krikkit:: by all means, if the burn is black, or you see muscle or bones. it's an emergency. Or if the blistered area is large (larger than a handprint, or crosses over a major joint, like a wrist, ankle, or knee). But a blistered finger never killed anyone. Keep it clean, don't pop blisters, and tinfoil works! (p.s. I'm an ER nurse.)

Those Knorr/Lipton noodle side dishes that are dry in a packet and you add them to boiling water and butter. I will often get two packs (butter and/or chicken flavor) and make them with twice as much butter and then eat the whole thing. My husband does not understand this.

Also: Oscar Meyer wieners--the kind with cheese injected in them. Microwaved for 30 seconds and eaten on a Strohmann's potato roll. I'm getting chest pain just thinking about it.

I don't really consider bagged salads or precut carrots to be an indulgence--look,if it's gonna help me eat healthier (and it often does), I'll do it. There are some weeks when I just don't have the time or energy to prep veggies and salads for our family of three. And those grapefruit cups? I'm running out NOW to Costco to see if they're still there! I love grapefruit and so does everyone else but no one but me cuts it up.

We have four double Expedits (I know, lotsa vinyl...) for our records and they work great! Three are upright, and one is on its side as a room dividing console. We love them.

I've been in both situations. Once when my downstairs neighbors were chefs who would come in at 3 am and chain-smoke and drink and talk loudly with their buddies (and I worked at 7am). I left a nice note asking them to not smoke under my bedroom as everything in there would STINK of smoke, and they agreed. The noise was another thing,but I used a noise machine and earplugs and that was that.

I've been the noisy neighbor too, but always introduce myself and ask to be notified I'd things are too bad. Our two large dogs (and my husband and stepdaughter) are STOMPERS. We put down rugs and took shoes off, and checked in frequently with the neighbors to make sure everything is OK. Once we moved to our own house, we had a rehearsal studio in the basement. After the cops coming a couple of times, I put notes in every neighbor's mailbox asking them to call or email or come over to let us know exactly what it is that they're hearing, and how loud. It helped us direct our soundproofing efforts. Now the music can be heard slightly outside the house, but we don't play past ten PM (the legal cutoff time). It's always better to be proactive in these situations.

I second the Kosher salt! I have a beautifully seasoned cast iron pan that is almost nonstick and I cook EVERYTHING in it, from sweet to savory. When the cooking is done, I pour about a quarter to a half-cup of kosher salt in and spread it around and leave it until all the other cleanup is done. The salt soaks up excess grease. Then I add enough hot water to form a paste and scrub with a scrubby sponge to remove any stuck-on bits. Then rinse with hot water. If water isn't beading off it, I dry it carefully and spray it with a little Pam, inside and out, wiping with a paper towel, or I spread some shortening or lard on it. The metal should feel pleasantly slick, not greasy.

Uh, my husband and I are selling our beautiful 2-bedroom Brooklyn co-op for under $300,000! High ceilings, exposed brick, and >700 sf in a great elevator building. Also, our maintenance is under $800/month. And in a lovely, accessible neighborhood, too. See, it's possible!