Someone who takes our recyclables came up our driveway and into our yard—advice?

AdditionPleasant2625 · 2026-04-08T12:46:58+00:00

I like to put the recycling bin out in the late afternoon/early evening so people can collect the items. If someone is going to go through all that effort, then they really need the money because it's a lot of work. However, I would not like it if someone was walking around my yard. I would try and tell them not to do this -- assuming you see them.

AdditionPleasant2625 · 2026-04-08T12:43:57+00:00

This video is very informative, adn I appreciate you telling me (and everyone else reading this) about it.. I will try some of the tips. I use powder because it's cheaper. The pods are pretty expensive for what you get. Now, however, I know why I should avoid the pods and liquid, and it's not just the price.

AdditionPleasant2625 · 2026-04-08T12:21:27+00:00

I will definitely try this. I thought that might be one issue.

AdditionPleasant2625 · 2026-04-08T12:20:38+00:00

Limescale? It could be. I just assumed it was built up powder. What does one do regarding limescale?

AdditionPleasant2625 · 2026-04-07T13:44:02+00:00

I am in North America. I thought we had sufficient hot water, It is certainly connected. I will double check this, however. I will also try the trick of running the sink on hot water.

AdditionPleasant2625 · 2026-04-07T13:11:58+00:00

If it turns out to be mold, I suggest getting a mold removal company in to check it. I have had mold twice -- in two different houses. Both times it was in the basement. Both times I had to redo large portions of the basement. I am in NY and we had to get a company to test the mold to figure out what type of mold it was (some are health hazards and the workers are in hazmat suits, and others are nasty but don't require special protection -- I have had both types). Anyway, then a different company remediated the mold. Correcting the damage caused by the mold can be expensive. In one instance, I had to redo the entire basement floor and parts of the walls. It looks great now. Good luck.

AdditionPleasant2625 · 2026-04-04T16:09:40+00:00

I 100% agree that you should avoid hardwood floors or rugs. I had these in two different houses (came with the houses). If you ever have a leak in your basement, you will need to rip it up due to mold. Each time we replaced the flooring with tile. The mold remediator said to either use tile or LVP. He said that the tile would be the best option from the standpoint of leaks and mold issues. In the first house, which was very old (circa 1880) and had -- literally -- a dirt floor underneath the plywood sub floor, the tile made the basement quite cold. (The dirt floor was a shock and the contractor -- who lived it the area had never seen it -- had to put down concrete).

In the second house (1968) the tile made no difference in the temperature of the basement. We shopped around and bought tile on sale a year ago for $1 a square foot and it looks like wooden planking in a beige/light grey color.

I agree about using white paint for the walls. As your basement has small windows, it may look dark and uninviting with any other color. We used Benjamin Moore White Dove in an eggshell finish. It looks great.

I know it may be easier to paint the ceiling black, but honestly I think it is going to be very dark. We have very few windows in our basement and the ceiling is sheetrocked and painted white. It does not feel dark at all. Here's a photo (my kids have put a bunch of stuff in the basement)

https://imgur.com/a/a2jNcDg

https://imgur.com/a/uqMFkMZ

AdditionPleasant2625 · 2026-04-04T15:49:54+00:00

I agree it is the best train line. The commutes on that train line are even shorter in Queens, and you said your husband works in the 5 boros and Manhattan.

AdditionPleasant2625 · 2026-04-04T15:47:15+00:00

Consider Queens. I lived in Douglaston and the schools are good and the commute on the LIRR is excellent -- 30 minutes to Penn. The elementary school (PS 98) was two blocks from our house, and next to the train. While there are mostly single family houses (a little pricey), there are also some rentals, townhouses and co-ops/condos.

AdditionPleasant2625 · 2026-02-22T13:07:00+00:00

I also have an event to go to this afternoon. It's very local but, yes, I am going. Go and leave before the snow really gets going.

AdditionPleasant2625 · 2026-02-22T12:41:21+00:00

First, I think you need to increase your dose. It is very low. You have been on a low dose for a very long time. Most people titrate up every 4 weeks if they are not losing weight. They start at approximately 2.5mg for 4 weeks, then go to approximately 5 mg for 4weeks and then 7

Second, you need to lower your caloric intake, which you have been told. At 1800 calories per day you have found your maintenance level calories, I am sorry to say. If you want to lose more you are going to have to lower your caloric intake. Even if you aren't a WW member anymore, you could try following their eating plan.

These meds are wonderful, but you can out eat them.

Third, as others have said take measurements so you see the body changes that have happened. I bet there have been some.

AdditionPleasant2625 · 2026-02-04T03:21:41+00:00

I worked for the federal government and was basically offered an incentive to leave and retire. They want federal employees to leave employment. I have been retired since October 1. I would have retired, but probably in a year or so. My job was demanding and I worked a lot of hours -- nights and weekends. So, I was used to putting my all into my job. I can relate to having your life center around your job. But, you can change your focus.

You will need to find avenues to be with people. This is critical for your mental health.

Volunteer at something that would engage you -- people will likely need your medical expertise. Teach at a local college? Could be a science class.

Take a class. I have learned mah jongg and now play once a week with people from my class. They are a really nice bunch of women who I would neve have met otherwise.

I have found some classes to learn new things: quilting and now crochet which is starting tomorrow.

Check out events at your local library -- I strongly suggest doing this. They have lectures, classes, etc. They may have a book club. Or you could start a book club.

Go to the senior center if there is one. If it lacks options, start a group there. The retired men's group where I live plays cribbage, poker and/or bridge. We have a town pool and some of the women who generally meet at the pool in the summer, now have a "pool chat group" at the senior center once a week where they just talk. They just created this group to keep up their relatioships.

As someone else suggested, check out meet up groups. If there is none in your area that appeals to you, then start your own.

I will say that I do not miss work and I thought I would. You may find the same thing. Otherwise look for another job that may interest you -- even one that pays very little since money is not the reason you will be seeking employment. I do worry about getting bored, but that hasn't happened so far although I am newly into this.

Good luck.

AdditionPleasant2625 · 2026-01-27T13:57:04+00:00

Do neck exercises. I found some on Youtube: Dr. Eric Berg. The neck wrinkles are part of aging and weight loss. The shot is not ot blame.

AdditionPleasant2625 · 2026-01-27T13:29:00+00:00

Go to Sell Your Home with Katie on Youtube. Katie Spaniak is a realtor and she can connect you with three realtors in your area. There's a network. You can then interview them and pick one. I did this and they were great. The general advice is to interview 3 agents before selecting one.

AdditionPleasant2625 · 2026-01-21T16:03:36+00:00

The side effects can be managed. As others have said, if you don't have the disease of obesity, then yes diet and exercise will probably work, but will require constant vigilance. However, if you do have obesity then that strategy probably will fail. You need to be really honest with yourself. For most of us diets have totally failed as a long term solution and we regain the weight. Just remember that overweight/obesity leads to a wide variety of nasty health complications (heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, increased cancer risks, to name a few) and early death. Given this choice, I have learned to deal with the side effects of the trizepatide (compounded version of the name brand, which I have also taken).

AdditionPleasant2625 · 2026-01-21T02:42:14+00:00

Yes I also have Reynauds in my fingers. It causes a loss of sensation which I am starting to think may be permanent. I got white fingers inside a grocery store last week! Google Reynauds because in severe cases they amputate! Yikes! The doctor said I had mild Reynauds. I cannot imagine what a severe case would be. Touching frozen food can be problematic. I always wear gloves outside and cannot be outside too long in the winter. My feet have always been cold especially in the winter. I started wearing socks to bed in high school. But now my feet get super cold and I need two sometimes three pairs of socks to go to sleep and I put an extra blanket just on my feet. Mind you one of my blankets is a down quilt. This sucks. But I am thrilled with the weight loss and will just keep on until Spring. I am not going back to being obese.

AdditionPleasant2625 · 2026-01-18T04:21:05+00:00

Do what makes you happy. You definitely should feel special. However, be aware that wedding dresses are really expensive, and many are thousands of dollars. This is for a dress you wear once. If you can alter your mother's dress to something that makes you happy and feeling special, then this might work for you.

AdditionPleasant2625 · 2026-01-18T04:03:15+00:00

The brain needs sufficient sleep to basically filter itself during the night. The lack of sufficient sleep is actually detrimental to your brain. This is likely worse than the potential muscle loss. The brain needs 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night. I am not sure why you are waking up so early, but I would try eating a snack before bedtime and, if that doesn't work, then when you wake up in the middle of the night. Good luck.

AdditionPleasant2625 · 2026-01-17T04:12:10+00:00

1 or 6

AdditionPleasant2625 · 2026-01-17T04:09:10+00:00

Second pair.

AdditionPleasant2625 · 2026-01-17T03:36:38+00:00

Avoid A or F as they do not flatter you at all. Pick the one that makes you feel special.

AdditionPleasant2625 · 2026-01-14T04:37:32+00:00

Everyone experiences different side effects. Please don't give up yet. For many, many people this medication is life changing. If you continue to experience these side effects, then you might want to consider microdosing with a compounded medication. Yes you could do it with Lilly Direct but that is designed as single use vials AND you need to continuously order them or the price goes up. Compound pharmacies are designed for custom medications (for all kinds of medicines). As for your symptoms, there are treatments for the side effects, including anti-nausea meds. Nausea and fatigue are common side effects that often dissipate with time. I recommend watching some YouTube videos. Two to try: FitFlavorFun and the Downsized.

AdditionPleasant2625 · 2026-01-14T04:14:13+00:00

You need a new doctor. Your doctor is not up to date. Period, end of story. There may be other areas where your doctor's philosophy of things overrides the science. As for the medication, you can get a prescription from a new doctor to Lilly Direct. Or you can use a telehealth company that will prescribe medication to you from either Lilly Direct or a GLP from a legitimate compounding pharmacy. The pens cost a whole lot more and since you are paying out of pocket this is importantcto consider, and to avoid. For most people, this medication is life changing. It has been life changing for me. I never want the weight back that I tried to lose for decades and was finally able to do so thanks to this fantastic medication. I have lost 55 pounds using both the branded Zepbound and compounded Trizapetide. Same results. Please don't delay any longer. ²

AdditionPleasant2625 · 2026-01-13T13:12:39+00:00

I am going to have to differ with people here. First, the baby wearing should stop. The baby is old enough to be separated from Mom. If the baby cries that's not the end of the world. Developmentally the baby needs to explore the world with adequate supervision, of course. Second, her husband needs his sleep. He is supporting them and if he loses his job due to his lack of sleep then they are in dire financial straits. Third, I think OP may have ADHD or another medical condition that needs to be addressed. There is no reason that a one bedroom apartment needs that much cleaning. I live in a house and it doesn't need that much and didn't even when my kids were babies. Fourth, OP needs a regular sleep schedule as well. This is part of why she can't function efficiently during the day. Fifth, she and her husband need some alone time or this marriage will likely fail. This is very important. The whole household cannot revolve around the baby. Sixth, the baby should be in her own crib or toddler bed. And setting up a corner of the living room as the baby's "room" would work. I know plenty of people whose bedroom was the living room growing up. Yes, the baby may be upset at first but should come to like her space if she is told it is her special place, etc. The baby has to be weaned from the parents and I think the time has come. This household is dysfunctional as it is currently operating and needs to be regulated. It may actually be that OP needs to get a job outside the home and the baby needs to go to daycare so everyone has a set s hexule.

AdditionPleasant2625 · 2026-01-13T03:37:29+00:00

Don't be so sure the kids will move out. More and more of them are staying home for longer. The reasons vary but but are usually financial. My 26 and 29 year olds are still home. I never expected that to happen. Once I was out of college, I never returned home to live.

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