thegator's Profile

So far, I'm liking these. Less mess, less to schlep.

http://www.dropps.com/index.asp

We live in Northern CT and, while there are usually a few unbearable days each summer, it has yet to seem worth the schlepping of the units down from the attic, the bugs that always seem to find their ways in through the cracks, the irritating metallic hum, the huge increase in the electric bill, or the disappointment that always seems to follow those crappy window units around. If we had (or could have) central air in our 107-year-old, ductless house, I'd never turn it off. The units aren't good enough to make it worth our while. I'd rather put some ugly old box fans in the windows and wrap a cold pack around my neck.

I used to ADORE fiddleheads, but will now never eat them again, as I had a harrowing food-poisoning experience with them after preparing them at home several springs ago.

Wanting to know where I'd gone wrong, I looked into the best way to prepare them to avoid food poisoning. When I made them and got very sick, I cleaned them meticulously, then blanched, then sauteed.

In the disease control community, apparently, that is generally considered to be FAR too little. They recommend boiling for 10-15 (depending on to whom you listen) or steaming for 15-20 minutes. Now, I've never tried the recommended method and probably never will, but I can't see how they're not just a pile of mush by the end of that 10-20 minute interaction with boiling water. On the other hand, I wouldn't wish that food poisoning experience I had on anyone, so I thought I'd share.

Talk. To. A. Lawyer. Please!

I'm an attorney, but mostly do criminal work and don't know enough about your specifics to give personalized advice. So, I cannot tell you what is legal here or not. But someone can. Please talk to a qualified professional.

Some folks may even help you gratis, like if you have a local landlord-tenants union/legal aid society. And most private attorneys (like a civil rights lawyer) will do an initial consult for free, to determine if there's something they can help you with.

In the US, both federal and (most, if not all) states' laws protect tenants on the basis of, among other things, familial status -- the same as they do with race, gender, etc. Now, most of those laws are subject to limitations (exceptions like: when the LL lives in the building him/herself, exceptions for smaller buildings, etc.) but those are exceptions, not the rule. It'd be worth finding out if your situation fits into one of those legal exceptions before you fork any more of your hard-earned dollars over.

My husband and I have been considering pulling up the (many, hideous) layers of linoleum from our kitchen floor. We're pretty sure that underneath, we'll find hardwood, but we don't know what kind of condition it will be in.

Our downstairs is basically two rooms, separated by a wall that bisects the house along its axis. That wall has two arches (one narrow, one wide) and no doors leading into the kitchen. The living room floor is recently refinished hardwood.

The question: would a painted kitchen floor look too odd next to the finished wood floor in the next room? I'm figuring the paint job I can do, but I'd probably have to call in the cavalry (ie a pro) if I wind up having to refinish the wood....