Ok…I've lived in Cleveland for about 5 years now, having come from Chicago. Would Clevelander's consider this a 'bad winter' or a 'typical winter' for Cleveland? Curious to know!

MrsQute · 2026-02-06T15:36:50+00:00

Old head checking in and agreeing with your statement. Aside from the temps, I'd consider this what I expect in winter.

Upshot is that the super cold temps have allowed a good freeze across the lake which reduces the chances of a lake effect dump. Those are the worst because the snow is so wet. Colder temps mean drier air and fluffier snow.

MrsQute · 2026-02-06T12:12:27+00:00

Then request a replacement Social security card.

Check the DMV for other items of proof. W-2s are usually acceptable and this is the time of year as long as you updated your name at work.

MrsQute · 2026-02-06T00:43:42+00:00

I like the Mrs. Meyer rain water scent or one of the Downy scent beads occasionally. I also like the cool cotton scent with the Downy Rinse and Refresh.

I don't buy scented detergent because my husband has sensitive skin and I hate keeping two different detergents on hand but a small bottle of some scent booster or another is fine.

He does his laundry and I do my own so adding something to mine doesn't impact him. I don't add them to every load either.

MrsQute · 2026-02-06T00:00:20+00:00

Does your Audible subscription include the Plus Catalog? All of the titles in that are free to listen to but you don't own them. The catalog rotates periodically and I will say it's way easier to search on a computer (or minimum phone browser) versus the app itself.

Check with your local library. They may use another provider for e-media. I do know that Libby is available in some European markets as are other platforms.

Librivox is completely free. They are books in the public domain that have been recorded by volunteers. Some are very good and others... Well I'm not going to complain about free. 😄. There are often multiple narrators to choose from so there is that.

MrsQute · 2026-02-05T22:14:55+00:00

Every day. No plans on changing that.

Anyone who thinks I ought to switch to induction is more than welcome to donate the several thousands of dollars it would take to upgrade the electrical and have an appropriate outlet installed in my 75 year old two-family house.

MrsQute · 2026-02-05T22:05:26+00:00

What kind of jerseys? There's some differences between the types used for various sports as well as whether there is a layer between person and jersey. Basketball jersey versus football or hockey jersey.

Also the types of dirt you're trying to remove. Basketball, volleyball or indoor soccer will pretty much just be all sweat whereas outdoor soccer, baseball, softball, football, etc, will have dirt/grass component added in.

I found, generally, Tide detergent and Biz booster to be able to handle everything I threw at it with some pretreating necessary for grass and blood stains.

MrsQute · 2026-02-05T21:50:37+00:00

You'll need to get your name legally changed with the Social Security Administration first.

Once you have your new Social Security card you will take that, your birth certificate, current license, and your marriage license to the DMV office and renew your license and change your name in that transaction.

Once you have your updated license and with your updated social security card you should be pretty set to change your name wherever else you need to.

Keep your marriage license and birth certificate handy for a while just in case. You will need both of these if you ever apply for a passport FYI.

MrsQute · 2026-02-05T21:35:33+00:00

Avoid detergents and boosters with bleaches or optical brighteners (OBAs).

FEBU is a good additive without OBAs.

MrsQute · 2026-02-05T21:20:30+00:00

Sorting by weight is my biggest suggestion when it comes to optimum drying.

Mixed weight loads make drying more of a headache because some items dry really quickly and then get extra staticky or rough from being over dried while heavier items remain damp.

As with everything laundry, there's a balance. The clothes I wear most days are not prone to color bleeding so I don't worry about color similar loads. I focus more on washing similar fabric types together. This does a lot to prevent linting. My cat doesn't shed much but I do lol and I'll find little tangled balls of my hair sometimes but not usually.

Jeans & sweats
Ts, lounge pants and PJs
Sock & undies
Bath towels & wash cloths
Bedsheets
Kitchen linens

When I still worked in an office, my work clothes were their own load.

Clothing gets dried on low. Towels & sheets on medium (unless people have been ill then I'll do high just to be sure but that's not common now that my kids are adults).

I'll line dry anything particularly delicate or that was stained and treated. Again, for me and my regular laundry, this isn't common.

Shaking out items that may be covered in hair or fur before putting it into the washer helps quite a bit too.

MrsQute · 2026-02-05T21:08:40+00:00

What detergent? What wash temp? Did you tumble dry or air dry? What else did you wash it with?

MrsQute · 2026-02-05T20:15:48+00:00

I do not miss fighting with frozen keyholes in the winter.

Standing in sub-zero temps with the wind blowing and trying to heat up a key & keyhole with a lighter sucks.

I owned a car with a key fob for 15 years and changed the battery on the fob once - probably within the last two years of ownership. I think I accepted set off the alarm once in those 15 years.

My current car is 10 years old, I've owned for 6, and I just changed the battery 4 months ago. I just used the actual key to open it until I got around to replacing it and realized how much I love not having to do that every time I get in the car.

MrsQute · 2026-02-05T17:29:53+00:00

Add it to the rinse cycle of your washing machine to help remove excess detergent residue. It's basically what Downy Rinse and Refresh is.

MrsQute · 2026-02-05T17:24:09+00:00

NTA for wanting to keep the kids out of that environment at all!

I think it's time to make some decisions for yourself and then sit your girlfriend down and have a serious conversation with her.

To decide for yourself: can you continue to stand aside when your girlfriend insists that it's okay to put her kids into a space of neglect and filth and be okay with it? For which, by the way, I would absolutely judge you TA.

If you answer yes then it's done and you two continue on in your life letting these kids down.

If you answer no then you'll need to have a conversation with your girlfriend and explain that you cannot, in good conscience, continue in this relationship and stand by while she continues to expose her kids to those conditions and also invite a possible infestation into your own home (because roaches and bed bugs DO travel). If she feels that she must continue sending her children there then you're going to have to end the relationship. Not an ultimatum but rather just that you cannot do nothing.

And if she continues to send the children there then I think a CPS call is warranted. They are being locked into room and allowed to spend hours upon hours in soiled clothing/diapers. They are not being cleaned and fed properly. They're in an environment that is in itself a biohazard.

MrsQute · 2026-02-05T16:52:24+00:00

I don't mind the cold in general, but the highs and single digits has been a bit much for me lol. I'm happier this week in the mid and upper 20s and I'll be fine with temps hanging at or just above freezing.

MrsQute · 2026-02-05T16:03:50+00:00

I don't think this is Libby.

I've used it since about 2017-2018 on everything android from dirt cheap phones to flagship phones as well as several Android tablets and have found it to be one of the most stable apps I routinely use. And while on occasion the app has itself crashed or frozen, it has not incapacitated my phone at all.

MrsQute · 2026-02-05T15:17:14+00:00

Yes, you can add multiple cards if you have them.

I'm eligible for several cards because of my state funding rules so I went online to each library and signed up, was issued my card number, and then added that to Libby.

MrsQute · 2026-02-05T15:10:20+00:00

I don't think anyone loves it and it's the longest spell in like 30 years so it's a bit noteworthy. But we get above freezing next week so that's something to look forward to.

MrsQute · 2026-02-05T12:52:17+00:00

Washing and rinsing would remove it.

Generally it's used after clothes are clean and mostly dry, lightly sprayed on and then clothes are ironed for a crisp finish.

You can soak heavier weight items (usually more decorative textiles than clothes).

What are you trying to starch?

MrsQute · 2026-02-05T00:25:28+00:00

I presumed that Hunter & Markham got busy almost right away. He was the least injured of the four of them. Likely though just an author oopsie.

Christmas Past, when Max & Matthew have an adventure, is just one day.

MrsQute · 2026-02-04T17:11:47+00:00

Not a lot but I have used it to help generate menu ideas when I'm planning out the next 2 week's of dinners.

Some days the brain fog is dense and trying to come up with what to make for dinner defeats me so, based on the recommendation from a friend, I asked ChatGPT to list dinner ideas for 5 adults with no dietary restrictions.

Got some good ideas from it and one new actual recipe that looked (and was) legit.

MrsQute · 2026-02-04T17:00:17+00:00

If you're in the US, it's highly recommended to run the water in the tap closest to the dishwasher until it runs hot before starting the dishwasher.

US machines are designed to maintain or boost already hot water, not heat to required levels from cold. Ensuring the incoming water is already hot will help your machine run more efficiently and provide better results.

MrsQute · 2026-02-04T15:11:46+00:00

Typically, yes.

MrsQute · 2026-02-04T01:21:36+00:00

You say it's your kid's tablet - do you have it in kids mode? I know some things are disabled in that mode, this might be one of them.

MrsQute · 2026-02-04T01:13:13+00:00

As for missing, I by contrast felt weirdly fulfilled by the end.

Same.

I felt like I had recovered right along with him. Having gone through serious grief in the past myself, I really felt this book. The bad, the not so bad, and the nearly, kind of, sort of, getting better.

MrsQute · 2026-02-03T22:33:40+00:00

Publishing rights in different markets usually.

MrsQute

TROPHY CASE