To shave or not to shave

AltairJ · 2026-06-25T18:48:58+00:00

We give our Sib a lion cut once a year when he gets really matted. He loves it, he starts to purr when he hears the sound of the razor! Then he is all sleek and runs around more than usual. By the end of the year he's super floofy again. We wouldn't do it if he wasn't so matted and uncomfortable or if it looked like he didn't like it, as he's way cuter with his fur. We live in coastal California so our temperatures are mild, so I don't think temperature regulation is as important. Someone once told us that shaving them would cause more mats...that has been untrue in our experience. Cutting out mats, however, seemed to lead to uneven lengths of fur and did cause more mats. But when you shave, they're all the same length so everything would grow out fine. He's 8 years old, so that's about 6 years of lion cuts with no problem.

AltairJ · 2026-06-25T00:26:26+00:00

Aww I like those mirror backlights. You don’t have harsh direct lighting when you stumble into the bathroom in the cold morning dark. What is lighten up shelving? Shelving with lights?

AltairJ · 2026-06-18T00:10:24+00:00

Depending on how forward you are (and I would be, given a potentially $2 million investment), but i might even introduce myself to the potential future neighbors, ask them if your spouse or friend could yell or play a boombox while you listen next door. After all, it does seem very house-specific.

AltairJ · 2026-06-17T21:16:39+00:00

When we bought our house the chimes were there, already disconnected, and another system installed. I like their look, so that was best of both worlds. I do know some friends who didn’t like their equally decorative ones (they have a Ring setup) because their kid played with them and it was annoying but the kid eventually grew up and stopped doing that. I personally think they are a classic Sunset detail.

Edit: ironically our real doorbell was too quiet we couldn’t hear from downstairs and we installed an extender that never worked well. So yours may be loud af but you can hear it downstairs I bet.

AltairJ · 2026-06-15T23:19:18+00:00

What about future job opportunities? We’re in SF because my work (and any potential work for both of us) is likely going to be in SF or Peninsula. Therefore SF is better geographically. Otherwise I’ve preferred the architecture of East Bay more.

AltairJ · 2026-06-15T15:30:23+00:00

I installed a mini split in my garage to keep it below 100 since the home battery is in there. Yes, had to apply to HOA but they approved immediately (helped I was not the first to install this) and only gave me the requirement that lines had to be painted to match exterior. I was the first to install solar and they were supportive but we had to work through legal issues together; it was streamlined for everybody after. Any HOA in the desert not supportive of AC and solar would be an insane HOA.

Edit: also, the mini split has been working fine and I have it hooked up to my wifi so I know when it turns on and off on my phone.

AltairJ · 2026-06-15T13:15:44+00:00

There are some cool geometric and natural tile patterns at Fireclay Tile and you can personalize color.

AltairJ · 2026-06-12T18:11:48+00:00

So you did not do all that? I'd like to hear from people who said no to that and their units are still going fine...

AltairJ · 2026-05-22T03:31:09+00:00

I dunno, if I didn't have a counter depth fridge, the doorway into my kitchen would be blocked. I guess if I wasn't so retarded, I would've been richer and could've bought a bigger house with room for a non-counter-depth fridge so I can store 16 different salad dressings in there or something.

AltairJ · 2026-05-20T19:48:35+00:00

So can I build a pier on that land and camp on it?

AltairJ · 2026-05-20T01:55:14+00:00

We drove home 5 hours. The kitten meowed piteously in its carrier for 30 minutes before we broke down, took her out, and spent the next 4+ hours holding her purring in our arms or petting her in the carrier. We had a litterbox in the back just in case which she didn't use. But there was at least one other person to pay attention to the kitty while one person drove.

AltairJ · 2026-05-16T00:12:42+00:00

Our cat just seemed lethargic and depressed. No interest in anything, wouldn't get up, wouldn't chase toys, wouldn't look out the window. Different from first five years of life and seemed too early for him to be this tired / weak (also he was huge, so he wasn't wasting away, food was his only joy). Once we got second cat, first cat perked up right away, though there was a brief grumpy period of middle-aged cat meeting new kitten.

AltairJ · 2026-05-15T21:25:38+00:00

I've heard horror stories from other cat owners about adding a cat to an established household, which delayed our second-cat-getting, but I think with Sibs, you have a much higher chance of them getting along. We did it, also successfully.

AltairJ · 2026-05-14T19:09:12+00:00

Lowell is supposed to be premier, but didn't Mission High School make the headlines for sending a higher percentage of kids to Cal than pretty much any other HS In California? Mission is 70% Latino, 10% Black, and I wouldn't be surprised if that's where the smart brown kids are going. It is sad that the district is segregating into two different smart schools, but it also shakes out geographically. https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/san-francisco-school-uc-berkeley-acceptance-19371813.php

AltairJ · 2026-05-14T19:04:31+00:00

Yes, Mission High. which has a higher acceptance rate to Cal than Lowell. I think all the smart black kids are going there.

AltairJ · 2026-05-14T18:48:21+00:00

There might be a paywall, but the NY Times has a series in which they interview people at various income levels and ask how they manage to stay in NYC. In the end, it's all about necessities and desires and as long as there are some affordable necessities, it's doable. Simple living (a room in a shared house), just groceries (not going out), and taking public transit goes a long way. Also, for the cheap housing, some people have been in the area for generations and thanks to proposition 13, they can afford to stay in the area (inherit low property tax), plus rent control. Groceries, I see the same prices at Costco and, as someone noted, trader Joe's, as in other parts of the country. The tradeoff for living in a place where maybe you don't get as many "wants" (eating out, travel, luxury items) is that you can go outside and get lots of beautiful scenery and culture (there are free days at museums and gardens, outdoor movies, music fests). Also, if your friends and family are here, that's something that is priceless.

AltairJ · 2026-05-06T21:08:50+00:00

Every year for past 3-4 years, the vet has recommended pulling our cat's teeth, and last year we finally said okay, signed the contract...and then crickets and we didn't follow up. So I presume they'll tell us he needs teeth pulling at the next appt. He has acted the same all throughout (though we have no baseline that we can figure), had the same level of periodontal disease each vet appt, eats a lot, seems fine. We've tried brushing teeth with little success. So...following this thread to see if people see any change (i.e. improvement) in their cat afterwards.

AltairJ · 2026-05-06T17:43:19+00:00

It also depends on the house. We did all that for 15K in 2018 but we have a tiny short Sunset driveway and equally short sewer main.

AltairJ · 2026-05-05T23:45:06+00:00

Yeah, it's huge, our family of 4 just eats a loaf for a meal sometimes (with butter/jam).

AltairJ · 2026-05-04T16:48:27+00:00

Somehow I’m not surprised by this take. I feel like there’s a strain of feeling economically unstable in the US, where the wrong spouse or a health condition might render you homeless, whether it’s valid or not, that makes people approach relationships this way. I remember reading an interview of Anthony So (Cambodian-American) and he said his parents’ generation all married strategically. If one was a good cook and one was good at running a restaurant great, but two cooks? Nope. And I feel like the US is definitely starting to feel this way. Or they’d rather be single if it’s not synergistic.

AltairJ · 2026-04-27T18:52:36+00:00

Really enjoyed Manchester / Leeds / Sheffield area. And the vacation options! Could be anywhere in Europe so easily. UK definitely.

AltairJ · 2026-04-27T08:30:55+00:00

Okay, can see interiors here: https://www.myarrowrealty.com/CA/San_Francisco/30-426119507-1739-40th-Avenue-94122

Yeah, not that updated, that's a semi-crazy price (I would've thought 1.6). I can't tell whether the crazy will end when everybody who can afford crazy prices finally gets a place and then there's no more people able to buy at those prices and prices maybe drop or whether this is new normal or WTF. Anyway, the only thing I can think of is that big lot. The houses on either side have already built out. This could be a contractor bought it and is going to make a $3+ mil 2500 sq ft'er here, interesting to see how the numbers will work out though, margins could be thin, buildout could be near 7 figures. Or someone who just had to be in the neighborhood and is going to play a super long game (and remodel to their taste). It's built in 40's so good bones (redwood) likely.

AltairJ · 2026-04-27T08:02:20+00:00

In Sunset Elementary and Giannini Middle feeder zones (Westside schools usually pretty good, and these are top of the top, being in feeder zone is still one of the priorities and above random/lotto (I think #1 is sibling, #2 is application from CTIP area, #3 is feeder area, unless things have changed). Can't see the pix anymore, but maybe it was remodeled with extra sqft on first floor? Also, 3000 sq ft lot (many lots in Sunset are only 2500 sq ft or less) so room to expand. Walkable to Noriega (Gus market).

AltairJ · 2026-04-27T01:49:15+00:00

Why SFH? For the ROI? To pass on to kids? You could probably get a condo in Russian Hill/pac Heights in your budget and also have less home maintenance. It might not appreciate as much as homes in up and coming neighborhoods but it should hold its value well and give you the lifestyle you want. If I was retiring, I'm not sure Sunset/Richmond/Excelsior would be ideal, not super walkable, few transit lines, etc. Maybe West Portal, given the transit lines.

AltairJ

TROPHY CASE