metaphase's Profile

Our landlord also said we could feel free to paint, but when we painted something other than the walls, they went seriously psycho. Three years of living with crazy people who hold bizarre grudges until kingdom come and a lost deposit later, all I can say is get it in writing.

I'd like to avoid repeating the natural childbirth wars here, but it bears mentioning that there have been clinical trials on the effectiveness of doulas. Doulas reduce the chance of c-section, as shown by several clinical trials.

A woman who has a c-section, in my opinion, is less healthy than a woman who does has a vaginal birth. She has an incision through her abdomen and uterus and has experienced blood loss and ongoing wound healing. So I think it is medically arguable that having only your partner rather than also having a doula at your birth results in a healthier mom.

Disclosure: I had a natural childbirth without a doula but with a midwife. (As an aside, I think it's true that birth stories tend to focus on the horrible. I had a fantastic birth, even if it was painful, and yes, it was empowering and awesome.)

meta

The crazy thing is that the purchase price plus reno costs generally aren't that much lower than the estimated resale values. Except that you have given up a year to years of your life to renovation. Design and decoration may be fun, but gut renovation is largely about stress.

And I bet they don't include the carrying cost of the mortgage while the property is uninhabitable during renovation.

Go and get a hacksaw, as others have said. They are under $10.

Anyone worried about that toddler clambering onto the surrounding wall and falling?

Does anyone know where I can get cheap (~$25) potted orchids in new york city?

I just moved from Boston, where trader joe's carried generic white orchids with blooms that lasted for months. I haven't seen any at the TJ here. It's a great way to get inexpensive long lasting flowers. I'm at a loss for where to get them here without shelling out lots.

Thanks!