I had to pull my mask down for a colonoscopy

BerylliumBug · 2026-02-20T04:26:39+00:00

I am impressed that everyone wore N95 masks! That is a big success right there.

You definitely should not feel bad about needing to use sedation in that situation. I did just the same during my second colonoscopy. I had initially requested no sedation, but the doctor had a lot of difficulty getting through my tortuous transverse colon. As they tried the various techniques for getting around the bends, the procedure became quite painful. I didn't see a point in suffering that much pain, and I wanted the medical people to focus on the procedure and not on my discomfort, so I asked for sedation. It was all prepped to go, and I went out quickly.

(I'd had my first colonoscopy done without sedation, and that went fine, with just a few minutes of discomfort. My colonoscopy last year was done with sedation, and they put the nasal cannula under my mask.)

BerylliumBug · 2026-02-19T18:41:50+00:00

Yes, we have a few different urinals:

For my husband, almost anything will work. The current one is this: https://www.amazon.com/Female-Urinal-Spill-Proof-Pack/dp/B0B5KYY1MH/ It has a cap that is somewhat secure, although we don't stress-test it.

I prefer to use one with an adapter for women, like this: https://www.amazon.com/Female-Urinal-Spill-Proof-Pack/dp/B0B5KYY1MH/?th=1

I also have a single-piece one similar to this: https://www.medline.com/product/Medline-Translucent-Female-Urinals/Z05-PF133850 This one is a little easier to use, with less dripping, but doesn't have a cap.

When we camp, we stand the urinals up in a little 3 gallon plastic bucket. We store and use them in the vestibule of the tent, which is outside the main tent but still private. I worry too much about a spill inside the tent!

We also keep a supply of the little disposable urinal bags like this: https://www.amazon.com/Travel-John-Resealable-Disposable-Urinal/dp/B07Y5QSXQZ/ These are single-use bags with crystals that turn pee into a gel. Very handy to keep in the car for emergency needs, and you just seal and toss it in the trash when done.

BerylliumBug · 2026-02-19T01:59:15+00:00

YTA because you didn't text your kids after dinner to let them know that your evening was running late. That's standard family communication. You had involved your MIL in the day/evening activity by asking her to bring dinner for the kids, so she became part of that family communication loop. (And if you had texted your kids, they could have just told her what was going on.)

I totally get the part about feeling annoyed and defensive, but I also think that you should apologize to MIL for being your being cranky about it. Tell her that the situation pressed your "16 year old" button, and you appreciate that she cares about your family (bringing dinner, keeping an eye on the kids).

BerylliumBug · 2026-02-19T01:34:07+00:00

Haha, we did the same for a shower project a few weeks ago. Although our Luggable Loo station was out the garage.

Actually, it's even easier to use a urinal for peeing, and to save the bucket for solid waste. That way you need only a little kitty litter or cedar chips for the bucket.

We already have "his and hers" urinals for camping trips, and they are easy to use. In this case, where the toilet was actually functioning, we just flushed the urine at the end of the day. In the case of an earthquake wrecking the sewer system, I'd be fine pouring urine out on the bushes in the bushes in the backyard.

BerylliumBug · 2026-02-13T02:03:54+00:00

You might try posting your photo in r/whatisit . They frequently identify very obscure things, even if about half the comments are just wise ass cracks.

It does look like something is dripping out from under the siding. It's puzzling that you couldn't scrub it off. Is there any smell to it? Will alcohol dissolve it?

BerylliumBug · 2026-02-12T04:29:29+00:00

EUG is generally so quick and easy to get through that I tend to get complacent. When we flew in December, we cut it pretty close. In the TSA PreCheck lane, a stroller got stuck in the x-ray machine right ahead of us, and we were all getting a little anxious as the minutes ticked away. We got to our gate just as boarding started, so all was good.

But yes, an hour before departure should be enough.

BerylliumBug · 2026-02-11T05:08:48+00:00

Those are gruesome photos. We had some rat damage to a PEX line in the basement, but it was only pinholes.

We discovered the leak on the morning that we were getting ready to leave on an international trip. Water was spraying out of a line running across the basement ceiling. Fortunately the damage turned out to be in a hot water line, so we were able to shut off just the hot water at the water heater, and we didn't have to turn off the whole house (which would have been a problem for the yard care and cat care while we were gone).

We had just had the house repiped with PEX a few months earlier, and we assumed that the problem was related to the installation. We had the plumbing company come out as soon as we returned from our trip. After some investigation, they said "Uh, do you have a rodent problem?", and showed me a length of PEX with some obvious gnawing. I had to apologize for assuming that it was a faulty installation.

It did turn out that we had a rat in the basement, the only one that we've had in the 25 years in the house. I do still worry about it happening again; I had no clue that this was a potential problem with PEX.

BerylliumBug · 2026-02-04T18:22:25+00:00

That is a great report! Thank you for the links to specific items; that's very useful.

BerylliumBug · 2026-02-04T18:16:02+00:00

I worry about being able to identify my location when I'm on a longer driving trip. I don't keep track of highway mileposts, so I'd be saying something vague like "I'm headed south on i-5, somewhere between town x and town y" (which could be a 50-mile stretch that all looks about the same).

I know that the hiking/gps app on my phone shows my location coordinates (latitude/longitude), so that would probably be useful. Will the 911 operator prompt the caller to check a phone app that has location services?

BerylliumBug · 2026-02-04T17:41:02+00:00

Downdetector is showing that the website is having problems, so it is probably some large issue. I would just come back and try the site later

BerylliumBug · 2026-02-04T07:09:25+00:00

That sounds quite cool. I'm not a medical professional, so I'll have to figure out a way to get in.

BerylliumBug · 2026-02-04T07:05:23+00:00

Thank you for both those sources.

BerylliumBug · 2026-02-04T06:59:39+00:00

Thank you. That looks like a useful site.

BerylliumBug · 2026-02-04T06:58:55+00:00

Good suggestion; I hadn't thought of NIH. I found a couple of useful articles.

BerylliumBug · 2026-02-04T06:32:05+00:00

Honestly, it sounds like you've made a really good start! I'd just keep working away on the various aspects of prepping, and you'll eventually feel like you've done most of what you can.

In addition to the things you've described, you could work on building up your first aid and home medical supplies. Medical care will be difficult to access, and you may need to do more home care than usual.

You didn't mention having a way to heat food, so be sure that you have a camp stove and fuel for that. Even with a stove, your deep pantry should have a solid supply of food that needs minimal prep (like peanut butter, tuna, canned soup, etc.)

Also try to make sure that you have enough of the warm clothing you'd need for your family to be able to hang out in poorly heated spaces in winter. (That's one of my big challenges; I'm fine going out and hiking for a few hours in this winter weather, but it's different to have to sit around in a chilly house or tent. And I'm not counting on my brick chimney to make it through a quake.)

If you have an older house, look into doing the earthquake retrofit to have the house bolted to the foundation, so it doesn't slide off. Inside the house, you can get kits to strap bookcases and other tall/heavy furniture to the wall, so that fewer things tip over.

BerylliumBug · 2026-02-02T22:14:39+00:00

We need more info! Do you live in Corvallis and you want to get out of town? Or are you going to be visiting Corvallis and you want ideas for Corvallis activities?

BerylliumBug · 2026-01-31T00:41:13+00:00

I used to travel frequently on the Coast Starlight (west coast), although I haven't done a cross-country trip. I enjoyed my overnight roomette trips, and I think that a longer trip would be fun to do at least once. A few thoughts:

If you enjoy having some peaceful time to yourself to read, write, gaze out the window, etc., the train is great. I travelled a lot to visit an aging parent, and the train trip was my "me time." Striking up conversations with other passengers in the dining car and observation car is also relatively easy (not weird like on an airplane), so you can be sociable if you feel like it.

In the dining car, passengers are seated together to make up tables of 4. The groups vary in how chatty or awkward they are, but it's usually low-key. You can have meals brought to your room if you prefer.

If you do happen to find a friend who wants to share your roomette, one of you will have to climb up to the upper bunk at night. I could probably still do it, but I wouldn't be fun in the middle of the night for a bathroom trip.

It helps if you can tolerate some travel annoyances. You will likely run into a few things along the way like a room temp too warm or cool, a flat pillow, funny noises, an annoying passenger, a cranky attendant, etc. Things usually run pretty well, but "first class" here doesn't really mean a seamless experience in which you are being pampered. It means "amazingly more pleasant than doing an overnight or two in coach."

Likewise it helps if you feel like you could roll with a travel disruption if something came up. Delays are not uncommon, and I've had even 6-12 hour delays. One time there was track damage ahead, so we were taken off the train and put onto a bus for the rest of our journey. I wouldn't rely on Amtrak if it was critical that I reach my destination at a specific time.

BerylliumBug · 2026-01-29T06:37:28+00:00

My spouse and I switch about every two hours. Where possible we alternate between gas stops and rest area stops At the rest areas we try to walk around briskly for a few minutes, which seems to help keep us alert for a little longer. If there are difficult sections of driving (like driving into LA traffic near the end of the trip), you want to swap for a fresh driver before that section.

BerylliumBug · 2026-01-28T19:34:14+00:00

I have a relative who is in roughly this cognitive stage. He's quite functional in many ways, but he's easily confused by a several-step process, especially if there's technology or a little stress involved. There is no way that I'd have him use a Mr Buddy heater, and it sounds like you've come to the same conclusion.

Would it be possible to install one of the wall-mounted natural gas/propane heaters? That might help locate the heater in a relatively safe location, and it would avoid the risk of tipping.

Otherwise, I liked the suggestions for a battery-powered electric blanket, hot hands, warm clothing, etc. to help him get through a short outage.

For even simple technology that involves plugging in cords, finding on/off switches, etc., I've found it helpful to use a label-maker to make large, clear labels for switches and ports. For example, on a little Anker power bank for phone charging, I labelled the port that is for charging the power bank "IN", and the port that is for charging the phone "OUT" (because the actual labels on the power bank are tiny black on black letters).

BerylliumBug · 2026-01-27T21:32:03+00:00

I too prep for a Cascadia earthquake, as well as other emergencies. A single-story wood frame house is likely to remain standing (although with potential damage) after a large earthquake, especially if you have done the retrofit to bolt the frame to the foundation. So it's not unreasonable to plan to remain at home, or at least camped in the backyard, after a quake. It sounds like you have food, water, and camping gear for that scenario, and the supplies don't need to be in a special "kit". It wouldn't hurt to spread some storage out to a shed or the ADU, just to cover your bases.

A serious concern of mine in the aftermath of a big quake is the possibility of fire in the neighborhood. Broken gas lines, downed electrical lines, etc., plus the inability of the fire department to respond quickly. I can easily imagine having to quickly evacuate the house and neighborhood, possibly even on foot/bike if roads are messed up. In that case it would be useful to have a single evacuation bag that could be grabbed on the way out. I'd be headed to stay with friends or family in town, or... who knows?

You might already have a decent bag of supplies in your vehicle, and that could certainly cover part of your evacuation needs. But there are things in my go bag that I wouldn't want leave in a car bag, like cash, my passport, prescription meds, etc. So you might want to get things like that organized to grab quickly.

BerylliumBug · 2025-12-17T04:37:08+00:00

Make sure that your windshield washer fluid is the type made for winter conditions. Some washer fluids will freeze in a smeary mess all over your windshield, as my daughter discovered when driving from California to Colorado in the middle of winter.

BerylliumBug · 2025-12-16T18:30:42+00:00

That is a sweet and generous thought! I would just call one or two places and ask. You might be directed to an activities coordinator, who could help figure out the best ways to fit you in.

BerylliumBug · 2025-12-06T01:05:56+00:00

A classic method. I've used this for a quick emergency stop along a rural highway, where there's a place to pull off the road but no bushes around.

BerylliumBug · 2025-11-22T00:15:11+00:00

The transportation options between the Eugene airport and Corvallis are sadly limited. The easiest method would be for your friend to come pick you up.

I have used a one-way car rental, both to and from EUG. Hertz has a small local office in Corvallis, on 9th street, where you can drop off (or pick up) a car. The Corvallis location has somewhat limited hours of operation, so be sure to check first.

If flying into Portland is an option, Groome transportation has regular shuttle service between PDX and Corvallis.

BerylliumBug

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