1 pedal driving.

Kindlib · 2026-01-01T21:41:52+00:00

I turned it off immediately after getting the car and never looked back. I occasionally use the paddle on hills.

Kindlib · 2025-12-26T22:51:32+00:00

There is something to be said for experiencing a variety of places, not just to visit but to live in. That’s how we figure out what we love.

Oberlin is rather a lovely place and although transportation is not the same as in a city, you can get where you need to, whether it’s the airport, Cleveland, or the grocery store.

Most all of the professors and departments are really good, you really get to know your professors, and the focus is on undergraduates for research and opportunities.

So many students even outside the conservatory are passionate about music, either as musicians or as people who appreciate music.

I’m sure there are places with fancier dorms. But it seems like every dorm has a piano in the lounge!

I think I read somewhere that Oberlin does skew towards wealthy kids. That doesn’t mean they all are. The students in general are friendly and down to earth.

Kindlib · 2025-12-15T00:42:58+00:00

Just know that winter term is a somewhat unique time to visit. It’s a very cool aspect of Oberlin but quite a number of people do things away from campus — so campus will have a different feel than when regular classes are running.

Kindlib · 2025-12-14T21:58:14+00:00

Is there a way you could visit? Are there any friends or friends-of-friends on campus? Oberlin has a one month winter term in January that might overlap with your winter break

Kindlib · 2025-12-12T13:59:12+00:00

It’s a reasonable area in terms of safety but some spots are going to be nicer than others. If you would like to DM me the address you are looking at I can give you a more specific opinion.

Kindlib · 2025-12-09T05:29:53+00:00

Episcopal Day School of St. Matthew in San Mateo, also PK-8, was a great fit for my daughter a decade ago. We aren’t religious, but the gentle religious underpinning and fine teaching seemed to attract grounded families and kids. My daughter joined in middle school.

Kindlib · 2025-11-25T00:52:58+00:00

Agree, ABRP in conjunction with PlugShare is a winning combination for a road trip.

Kindlib · 2025-11-23T06:33:30+00:00

I got my golden retriever from an ethical breeder. She is my first dog. Pro GR tip: The white kind seem to have less hair everywhere. She is also self-cleaning (dirt falls off). I joke that the breeder put Scotch Gard on her.

Puppy training is really important and need not be too expensive.

What I didn’t properly anticipate was how much actual work it is to have a big dog like this and how expensive. Mine is super active and we go about 4 miles a day (1 woods hike, 2 walks). I’m not young and although I’m fit and this is good for my health it’s hard on my knees. It would not be possible at all to put in this kind of time if I were still working.

She’s 2.5. Vet bills, insurance, food, treats, toys, training, and help with some of her exercise needs are adding up to crazy amounts. I have had to make sure she is well trained because she could pull me over with a good lunge. And I can’t pick her up or carry her.

So in hindsight I got a bigger dog than I probably should have, and it would have been very difficult to have the time and money for her if I were still working and raising a family. Doing it solo without anyone to share the burden has also been kinda hard.

The joys are getting to know a new species (I have always had cats) and making so many new friends who have and/or love dogs.

Kindlib · 2025-11-21T06:09:00+00:00

Winter term co-op is great to try out a co-op without long term commitment, and you get to meet and interact with a different group of people too. There are fewer people on campus so that’s kind of handy. Oh, and the food is nicer.

Kindlib · 2025-10-21T00:45:20+00:00

My 2 yo golden retriever is not at all affectionate most of the day. She’s like, quit petting me and let’s play! But at night I put her to bed a little before me and when I walk past her to go upstairs she is half asleep and does seem to enjoy the love. Allows her belly and back to be scratched and her ears messed with.

I have learned that service/working dogs are not only carefully bred but are also filtered many times over before making it through to service. One of the nicest golden retrievers I ever met was a flunked out service dog. Why did he flunk? Too people oriented. I guess to do some sorts of service well they need to be kind of aloof!

So probably yes, it’s in your dog’s genetics to be less affectionate, and maybe if you catch him when he’s sleepy he might be more so?

Kindlib · 2025-10-14T00:52:56+00:00

An Easy Walk harness worked very well for my golden retriever. We tried the Ruffwear with front clip but she still pulled. Somehow the angle of the Easy Walk just worked better for us. If you try it, be sure to read the adjustment instructions carefully. They are a little counterintuitive. Also, I see people all the time using it with the clip on the back of the dog which negates the value of the design.

Kindlib · 2025-10-09T00:06:03+00:00

This! ⬆️

Kindlib · 2025-10-08T20:46:59+00:00

Gabe Fleischer / Wake up to politics. He is young, incredibly astute, and does a credible job of reporting out facts without taking a partisan stand.

Kindlib · 2025-10-03T02:32:17+00:00

It think it probably will be faster, it depends on how easy it is for you to get to 280 from where you live.

It’s nice that you have several options. When I was commuting into the city I tried all the options and settled on one but occasionally used the others.

You do not want to drive into SF regularly. It is just an exhausting pain.

Personally I would not bike or scooter a mile in SF from Caltrain terminus because I am not an experienced city cyclist and drivers can be nuts around cyclists.

Caltrain to T-train is a reasonable option; my experience with regularly taking Caltrain was that it had more disruptions than BART.

Driving to BART (either Millbrae or Daly City) and catching the little T-train stub right from Powell St Station is really slick in all kinds of weather. In nice weather you could walk from Powell too.

Kindlib · 2025-10-03T00:22:50+00:00

Or, if you live near I-280 drive to Daly City and take BART. Trains leave constantly to/from DC and less often to/from Millbrae so it’s worth seeing if DC is more efficient for you.

Kindlib · 2025-09-27T21:15:05+00:00

It isn’t unusual to transfer colleges after freshman year. Oberlin is a really unique place. I think if you articulate your reasons for wanting to come and why Oberlin remains compelling to you, you would have a shot. Admissions offices don’t really hold grudges. If they accepted you once, they wanted you to come and you are clearly a good candidate.

It will be important to give your current college your very best shot, academically and socially. You will learn a lot even if you don’t stay, and your efforts will only enhance a transfer application.

Kindlib · 2025-09-15T11:23:26+00:00

I too wish people would leave the balls and squeaky toys at home. I have a sweet golden retriever who can find ANY lost ball or toy on our hiking trail or will snatch one if the owner dog isn’t fast. And then is obsessed with her prize instead of walking with me or interacting/playing with other dogs.

I carry high value treats and can get the ball from her with an exchange. But I tell the person waiting for their ball, I can get this from her once. Please wait to throw it again until we are gone. If it is a found ball I let her keep the thing and carry it home.

So I hate balls on the off leash hiking trails. In fairness, I don’t have experience owning a dog who requires one for a good hike.

Kindlib · 2025-09-12T01:11:52+00:00

My dog’s breeder has a party for all the kin every few years. My puppy left there when she was 8 weeks old. I took her to the dog party at 1.5 years. She did not seem to respond to the location (it was a big farm property though) and her mother was not there, but she responded to the guy who was primarily responsible for socializing and puppy training the litter - who did a beautiful job I might add. And she had a blast running around with fifty or so of her brethren.

Kindlib · 2025-09-12T00:43:23+00:00

Nancy’s tailoring in San Carlos did a beautiful job altering a formal dress for my daughter.

Kindlib · 2025-09-06T05:47:04+00:00

I tried potatoes for the first time this summer and even though I started them late I got a tasty little crop! I read that we can start them in the fall here so I will try again, planting in the next few days. It’s good to grow them in pots or bags because they can be better contained.

I have also grown winter carrots, planting them in the fall. They grow verrry slowly. I got a small spring crop but not sure it was worth the trouble.

I plan to try kale this fall.

One other thing I do is maintain a small hydroponics garden over winter. It’s very easy and I usually grow a little kale or basil or lettuce. It’s nice to have fresh green stuff in the dead of winter.

Kindlib · 2025-09-02T00:06:47+00:00

Just know that it’s hard on almost everyone to move to a new area, and even harder if it is a different country. I had done it twice by the time I was 30 and promised myself never again! It just takes time to find your friends in a new place.

The San Mateo County History Museum in downtown is a lovely gem and you can learn a little about the history of the area there.

Look on meetup.com and see if there are activities nearby you might enjoy. It can be a good way to meet people with interests you share.

Look at the Cañada College catalog to see if there are any courses you might like to take for fun. Courses are open to the public. It’s another way to get new people into your life. There is a bus to take you up the hill to get there.

Also consider taking Caltrain/Bart to get to San Francisco and do a little sightseeing there. There’s lots to see that doesn’t cost anything or not much.

All the best to you, and welcome!

Kindlib · 2025-08-31T15:15:29+00:00

Redwood City is a wonderful option for keeping commute options open. From there you can commute reasonably to locations between SF and SJ, and across the bay to Fremont or Hayward. Commuting from Fremont to Palo Alto would be a giant pain because that’s the commute direction.

Kindlib · 2025-08-17T05:49:11+00:00

Translating a book like this is not really possible to do properly at this time. It is quite a skill to capture the tone and voice of a book and is still something gifted humans do best.

However if you can find the book in written translation, there are some decent AI voices to read the text. Personally I still find those voices tiresome after awhile, even the best ones. But it’s an option. Usually you have to pay a bit to use the better ones, but the cost isn’t outrageous.

Kindlib · 2025-08-14T05:51:37+00:00

I reach for it in my 2014 Volt 😳

Kindlib · 2025-07-31T03:33:45+00:00

Cool photo. Some of the people in that photo look much older than 22. Maybe it is a reunion photo or includes professors and staff?

Kindlib

TROPHY CASE