mpheels's Profile

I have a lovely 100 ml Erlenmeyer that I rescued from the closet that last time we moved offices - it makes a great bud vase!

Hulling peas and peeling hard boiled eggs for little hands. As soon as I could hold a peeler safely, I was peeling carrots/potatoes/apples. My grandmother use to give me my own blob of biscuit dough to shape into whatever biscuit creation I wanted.

In my family, baby gates serve as dog containment devices. I'd love to have something more attractive than the almost 10 year old cosco gate in the living room.

I use an ice cream scoop as a giant melon baller.

The research consortium I work with gave away Built bags at our meeting a few years ago. I LOVE mine. It's solid burgundy with the consortium logo screen printed on one side, so not the prettiest bag. I love that it is stretchy, and easy to wash. I also have a lunch bag from the Lean Cuisine give away a few years ago (yeah, sometimes I have to settle for a frozen lasagna dinner). It's a great size, and the handle is long enough to fit over my shoulder.

My great aunt makes an amazing boiled chocolate icing, and I made it for the first time this weekend. In her version, you melt 1 stick of butter and 2 cups of sugar in 3/4 cup of milk, then slowly bring to a boil while stirring. Let boil for 1 minute, then remove from heat. Add 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips and 1 tsp vanilla, then beat until smooth and thickened (but not as thick as you think it should be). I makes enough for 4 thin layers (2 regular size 9-inch layers cut in half).

Interesting idea, but... Presumably these would have to be located near where people work, in which case, why not just live near your place of work? The real solution to parking problems in urban and suburban is to thoughtful design that encourages non-car transportation.

My employer has successfully discouraged parking at work for many people by charging stunningly high fees for parking passes, and paying for unlimited use of public transit by employees who don't bring cars to work. They will even pay for a cab ride home in an emergency. I happily pay an slightly higher rent so I can live on a transit live that takes me directly to work. I could live somewhere less expensive, but would lose any savings in parking fees and gas money.

If you need to dispose of a flag, contact your local American Legion, Veterans of Foreign War, or Boy Scout organization. Most offer flag disposal services on a regular basis, and if not they can usually point you in the right direction.

Another flag "rule" that gets violated a lot - Flags should only fly at half staff if the governor of your state has declared so for the entire state, or the president has declared it for the entire country. When flying a flag at half staff, raise it fully, then lower half way. The particular rule is on my mind b/c my state (NC) is flying flags at half staff today in memory of our National Guard airmen who died in Colorado over the weekend.

@Duane Hill - Yes, people survived in the South before air conditioning, well into the 20th century in fact. My mother was born in 1950, and didn't have a/c at home until she was a teenager. Yes, they used windows and fans, but the high ceiling/large window/front porch image is highly romanticized. For every house using Thomas Jefferson standards of air flow and cooling, there were dozens of tiny farm houses and cabins, many without any windows at all. Sleep on the front porch sounds like an easy, fun way to deal with heat, but it gets old after a few nights. Most of my family and friends have lived in the South without a/c for at least 2 years at some point in life. None would ever willingly live without it again. I went without for 2 years in college. Never again. It was miserable. It's damn near impossible to sleep when it's 95 degrees in your bedroom, no matter how many fans and open windows you have.

I have a heavy duty white noise machine. The type used in medical offices. We lived near an interstate when I was a kid, and my mom put a fan in the room to drown out the traffic noise. I've needed white noise ever since. After years of using fans, my parents gave me the real deal for Christmas.

I also have to have my feet covered. I can sleep completely exposed in 90+ degree heat, as long as my feet are covered.