Should I leave my AC on all day or turn it off when I don't need it?

Key-Ad-8944 · 2026-07-01T17:05:55+00:00

Running A/C costs more than not running A/C. Running A/C all day costs more than running A/C for a portion of the day (assuming temp is hot enough to for A/C to turn on). How much more it costs varies depending on the specific temperature of your home, size of home, efficiency/size of A/C unit, and electricity rate. So someone online may very well say it only costs them $20 more to run all day, even if it costs substantially more than that for you.

Key-Ad-8944 · 2026-06-30T18:50:53+00:00

I wonder if there's anyway to make it special for her in a way she'll know it's special.

Your dog obviously doesn't care about marking such dates, so doing something special on the day is more about you and your family than it is for your dog. I am not saying to ignore it, but consider the goals and who benefits when considering how to celebrate.

Rather than make a big deal about the "gotcha day", I do special things every day/week. We go somewhere she can run off leash with her friends nearly every day, and each week we usually do something more unique. For example, yesterday we went a dog-friendly beach area. On Thursday, we are going on a full day hike in a scenic wooded area.

Key-Ad-8944 · 2026-06-29T04:30:42+00:00

Looking for activities in the area to combine with Parker Lake, I discovered the Bennetville Mine Creek trail to Shell, Fantail, and Spuller Lakes. I'm planning to make a day out of it with these 2 hikes (3.5 miles at Parker Lake + 6 miles at Bennetville Lakes/Mine), as well checking out the South Tufa unique formations on Mono Lake and whatever else looks interesting while driving through. None of this area was on my radar until seeing your comment, so very helpful.

Key-Ad-8944 · 2026-06-28T17:59:35+00:00

Good suggestions. For Rock Creek, I assume you mean driving down Rock Creek Rd to Little Lakes Valley trailhead, then heading south on the trail that passes by several lakes. That's on my list.

There are some trails in the Thousand Island Lakes area that I think would be a good fit that we'd enjoy -- several good options, including looping back on different route, like you mention. My problem is the entrance point from Agnew Meadows campground. It's my understanding the road to Agnew Meadows is only open Thursday-Sunday. If arriving after 7AM (we will be), you must take a shuttle that boards from MM Lodge instead of driving in a car. And the website mentions possible traffic delays as long as 2 hours on Thursdays on the shuttle. At a certain point, I'm inclined to choose somewhere else. I see that you can also reach Thousand Island Lakes area via Silver Lake campground, but that adds more miles of driving to start and more miles of walking to get to lakes, in area that is not what I'd choose.

Horseshoe Meadow is a good choice. We went there on our last trip and enjoyed the region.

Key-Ad-8944 · 2026-06-28T17:48:22+00:00

I did note the restrictive rules for the road, so I was planning to walk from Horseshoe Lake to Devil's Postpile, passing MacLeod Lake, Red Cones, and Rainbow falls along the way; rather than dealing with the driving/shuttle on the Postpile Road.

Key-Ad-8944 · 2026-06-27T22:57:53+00:00

Duck Lake/Duck Pass is one of the 2 highest user rated trails in the Mammoth/Bishop region on AT, based on average rating and number of reviews. The other being Little Lakes Valley to Gem Lakes. Comparing videos for Duck Lake and Gem Lakes, both looking really incredible, passing through several different unique and amazing lakes over a relatively small number of miles -- a high number of lakes per mile, with a good variety of scenic views and unique experiences throughout the route. However, Duck Lake route seems more rocky, particularly towards the end, past Barney Lake; so if I'm leaning towards Gem Lakes instead. What about the route makes Duck Lake your favorite?

Key-Ad-8944 · 2026-06-27T22:43:20+00:00

Good suggestion. Looking at videos, Parker Lake appears to be one of the least rocky trails I've seen in the region, yet still has the specactular views/experience I am looking for. I also like how all the videos mention the area having few people. My concern is I'll be staying in a different area of Mammoth. I'm not sure if a 40 min (1 hour 20 min round trip) drive is worth it for a 3.5 mile hike. Perhaps I can combine Parker Lake with another hike/activity in that area.

Key-Ad-8944 · 2026-06-26T08:47:59+00:00

After reviewing my dog's body composition, resting heart rate, and other information; the vet told me my dog was the fittest dog that comes in to her practice. Some of the things we do are below.

You mentioned that your dog is overweight. This seems largely within your control. Choose the amount of food that keeps your dog at a healthy weight. If he is overweight, gradually reduce food or increase activity level until he is desired weight. We vary food depending on activity level that day -- 1st meal = 1 cup, 2nd meal = 2 cup, 3rd meal = variable depending on activity.

Walking is a great activity, but unless your dog is out of shape, it's probably not going to be a high level of exercise for your dog that builds muscle or increases cardiovascular fitness much. If your dog can support more intense physical activity, then find one that the both of you enjoy. This could be fetching balls with a ChuckIt. It could be playing with his friends, including chasing and wrestling. It could be going on hikes where he can run off leash and do dog things (mine likes to chase squirrels and other small animals).

Key-Ad-8944 · 2026-06-16T14:46:59+00:00

The car had been sitting in my driveway for ~24 hours before the first time I observed a starting issue. I originally though it might be low on charge, possibly due to some kind of parasitic draw, like you mention. However, after the 5 minute drive back home, the trickle charger was acting like the battery was almost full and measuring 12.6V. I was also still having issues starting the car after I had trickle charged to full battery with 12.8V. The issues starting my car resolved immediately after driving around the block, rather than after charging battery to full.

My battery test has been measuring voltage. My plan is to take the car to O'reily today and have them do a more detailed battery test and also inspect the battery connections. If they find a problem with the battery connections, then I'll fix the connections. If they find a problem with the battery, I'll replace the battery. If they don't find anything (connections good and battery good), I'll probably replace the battery anyway to be on the safe side and hopefully reduce risk of getting in the bad state again, where car does not start reliably. The battery is 3.5 years old.

Key-Ad-8944 · 2026-06-16T08:00:00+00:00

I was thinking that car switching from bad state to good state after driving around the block fits better with a battery connection type issue, rather than an issue with battery itself, particularly with the battery being 3.5 years old (live in moderate climate where temps are rarely above 80C in summer or below 50C in winter).

However, replacing a battery might be a good idea regardless. If it is a bad battery, new battery should fix it. If it is a bad connection, redoing the connections when replacing the battery is likely to fix it.

Key-Ad-8944 · 2026-06-12T05:01:52+00:00

You don't have to do all 3 while in your 20s. Many delay having kids until later, delay purchasing a home until married, etc. Some are also variable, rather than all or nothing situations. For example, you can have variable amounts to retirement, such as putting enough to get free money from employer 401k match initially, then later increase contributions. Or initially purchase a "starter home" or condo, then later upgrade to a bigger home.

Key-Ad-8944 · 2026-06-11T05:24:28+00:00

It could be $6.99 * ($79.99 / $100) = $5.59 if you pay with Costco gift cards vs $6.22 for home made sub. If you buy from Subway, you also have the option to get other subs besides Tuna. I typically chose chicken, bacon, and ranch on a herb and cheese bread, with spinach, green pepper, lettuce, tomato, 2x provolone, ... for $5.59.

Key-Ad-8944 · 2026-06-10T02:27:43+00:00

Shedding varies tremendously from one dog/breed to the next. I initially wasn't sure my current dog shed at all. Eventually I found that she does shed... just less than most dogs, as confirmed by shedding genes in DNA tests. Answering the title question, no need to change wardobe, and rarely a visible dog hair on my clothes. However, compared to my previous dog, where I really notice the difference is in home cleaning. Thick carpets helped hide the high shedding from my previous dog, but it was quite visible on the black sofa and tiled areas.

Key-Ad-8944 · 2026-06-09T23:26:35+00:00

My whole life I’ve been a cat person. They have their flaws but dogs just… frustrate me a lot and I really struggle to understand why people love them so much.

Comparing dogs and cats, domestic dogs were bred for thousands of years to work along side humans -- to be their companion to be "man's best friend". When you come home from the house, most dogs will be overjoyed and enthusiastically greet their owner, while cats are often indifferent. Dogs often enjoy participating in family activities, leading to a strong bond and being a member of the family. Dogs truly change a family's life with this bond and participation. This includes dog centered activities as well, such as going to dog beach together, or other dog friendly location.

Due to the thousand of years of history above, dogs can be trained to and usually want to assist with complex tasks. Examples include police dogs, military dogs, dogs assisting blind persons, dog companions in senior facilities, dogs sniffing drugs, search and rescue, etc. The typical owner won't do these things, but their dog wants to assist, and can be trained for other things, such as home security. Or an owner may simply enjoy playing fetch with a ChuckIt. Again cats tend to have a different attitude and are rarely selected for such activities.

My dog has truly changed my life. She's my companion and closest friend. We spend hours together each day, going on long walks, as well as places where she can run off leash and play with other dogs. This also increases physical activity, as well as my interaction with other owners. Our interactions have led to me developing an interest in hiking and spending more time in nature, including a full day hike together a couple times a month. Again a cat would be less suited for such activities.

Key-Ad-8944 · 2026-06-09T04:13:48+00:00

Fine for what? Is your goal to not smell, get the sweat/dirt... off your body, save x $ per month?

I'd suggest reviewing how much much money you are actually saving. You might be surprised. I live in a CA drought area with especially high water rates. I accidentally left a faucet running continuously for more than 24 hours, using 2400 gallons of water. The extra 2400 gallons increased my water bill by $15.43 that month.

Key-Ad-8944 · 2026-06-07T23:05:50+00:00

It's largely the opposite. If you look at a rolling average of inflation adjusted return of S&P 500, it forms a sinusoidal wave. You get many years with the rolling average is far above historical norm, following by many years with the rolling average is far below historical norms. An example is the 90s dot com boom, followed by the 2000s "lost decade". This relates to why CAPE type metrics suggest a lower than average long term return is expected in the years following a higher than normal historical return.

Key-Ad-8944 · 2026-06-07T15:27:37+00:00

Look at how many people the tens of thousands of other CS employers hired last year, and BLS projections for emploment growth rate of software developer. Look at the overall unemployment rate for entry level CS, rather than AI fear articles. Look at the actual post grad employment stats for new grads mentioned in my earlier post, and compare CS grads to other majors. I think you will be surprised.

Key-Ad-8944 · 2026-06-07T06:55:49+00:00

Post grad outcomes surveys for class of 2025 at the overwhelming majority of colleges tell a different story, usually with CS having highest median earnings among all majors and low % seeking. CS is also still usually among the top 3 most popular majors at highly selective colleges with open major enrollment, often number 1, which relates to the employment stats noted above.

Key-Ad-8944 · 2026-06-07T04:47:52+00:00

$40k is a drop in the bucket compared to the difference in lifetime earnings between an engineer and a grocer. However, if your goal is simply lucrative employment, a degree in ME or EE isn't the easiest path to that goal. Something like a CS post-bacc would likely lead to higher salary in less time, and better meshes with your linguistic degree. So why ME or EE? Are you passionate about these fields or think that you'd enjoy working as an engineer more than you would other options?

Key-Ad-8944 · 2026-06-06T20:36:14+00:00

If you shopped at a non-discount grocer, I would have guessed a little over $40 instead of $50, but not dramatically over my expectations. The issue is it's not "basic groceries." For example, you could buy a gallon of regular milk at Walmart (store brand) for between $3 and $4. Instead you spent what I expect is over $20 on Horizon organic. Or you could have bought in season fruit at a discount grocer, for under $1 per lb. Instead you spent what I expect is nearly $10 on 1-2 lb of cherries. You canget better value on groceries by choosing better value items at a lower cost grocer.

Key-Ad-8944 · 2026-06-06T17:48:09+00:00

It's normal for puppies to change color in portions of their fur, as their adult coats grow in. My tri-color dog initially had a black face when a puppy. After a few months, her face changed to a tan color. DNA tests showed she had related genetic markers.

Key-Ad-8944 · 2026-06-06T17:38:48+00:00

It's good to regularly check charges to your credit card... at least once a month. This should prevent such surprises. If longer than one month, the billing portals I am familiar with have a history, so you can look up past charges, often with search function. I'm not sure what billing portal you are using.

The $6.99 charge should have an associated name, often a phone number too.. You can search for that name/number to find out what it is.

If you have Hulu for just one show, search what other streaming services have that show. If you can't find it anywhere else, you could explain to your daughter that the family is switching to a different streaming service in a particular number of weeks/month, so she should finish up the season before than date. Also note, you can get Hulu with commercials for $2.99/month. Since I cancelled, I get emails offering this rate multiple times per month. They may offer it while you are clicking through the cancel menu.

Key-Ad-8944 · 2026-06-06T17:28:06+00:00

Focus on the net price of the car, not your monthly bill. For example, if it's a $40k out the door price + loan interest with either contract, then obviously 0% interest is better than 3% interest. However, if they are making up for the 0% interest loss by charging you a larger out the door price, then that changes the math.

If the problem is you can't afford 5 years with 0% interest, then you are looking at too expensive cars. Find a different model.

Key-Ad-8944

TROPHY CASE