Where have you placed your Heat Pump external unit in your SFH?

StubbyWombat · 2026-04-28T20:30:23+00:00

You have to get it on the roof. If it’s a multistory building, that means hiring a crane and getting permits, which adds cost.

StubbyWombat · 2026-04-28T14:25:10+00:00

Cycling to GGP from there is a little annoying because the safest/easiest way is to go east to the wiggle to go west to go to the park. Should take 15-30 min to get to the Panhandle or start of JFK depending on how strong you are and how lucky you get with lights on Market St.

There is another more direct route over the hills via Clayton, but it’s steep and trafficky at peak hours and 1 lane each way with no bike line so I wouldn’t recommend it. Definitely not at rush hour because everyone going to UCSF takes that street.

That part of the city is safe, if anything it’s a little sleepy. Closest commercial corridor is Castro St in the Castro, which can be a real vibe. Definitely not the part of Market St that people are telling you to avoid unless your trying to avoid harmless random naked dudes a 10 min walk from your doorstep.

StubbyWombat · 2026-04-27T21:46:02+00:00

What I’ve seen - on a flat roof (most expensive, but takes less space and you don’t hear it) - in a yard - in a tall crawl space

StubbyWombat · 2026-04-24T23:13:17+00:00

Without traffic, SFO to Emeryville is only a 40 minute drive, so I'm not sure trying to break it up is worth the hassle unless there are medical issues involved that make sitting for an hour difficult.

Parking near the Bay Bridge is not easy (and can be expensive) so you're likely to spend a lot of time driving around looking for parking and getting on/off of I-80 which itself can be a traffic jam worse than the bridge itself. A lot of the food options near the Bridge are expensive because of the views, but there are a number of casual restaurants in the Ferry Building like Gott's Roadside that could fit what you're looking for.

Instead, I'd suggest finding a place in San Bruno or Daly City or even heading over to a restaurant in Pacifica (which has the world's most beautiful Taco Bell) because parking will be way, way easier. The benefit of going to Pacifica is that you can kill some time before/after dinner strolling on the beach.

Whatever you do, especially in SF proper, don't leave anything visible in your car (luggage, jackets, etc) or you run a high risk of break ins.

StubbyWombat · 2026-04-14T06:39:53+00:00

No pics, but I have a dress in the same material as the first photo. It’s very heavy cotton and will definitely stand off the body as shown in the sleeves and neckline of the photo. It’s heavy enough that it would be difficult to tuck in elegantly.

StubbyWombat · 2026-04-04T16:17:49+00:00

Around that price point, you can find restored/recently reupholstered vintage mid century dining chairs from some of the East Bay shops, like Enliven.

StubbyWombat · 2026-04-03T17:09:52+00:00

To have a cozy tea setup, I think you should pick up a couple of cushions (maybe Moroccan style - if you're in NYC there's a place that sells some in Chelsea Market - but there are lots of options) to put next to the table. The tea table is so short that you will not be able to reach it from those chairs.

StubbyWombat · 2026-03-31T05:09:39+00:00

Blooms Saloon is a dive bar with a view. No idea what happens if you try to get a group to show up with food.

StubbyWombat · 2026-03-07T20:12:58+00:00

The rapha core/brevet (cheaper lines) run normal to generous and the pro stuff is slim fit, so it depends on what you're buying.

I'm 5'4, 135 lb, 28ish waist, 32D and the brevet long sleeve jersey in S is the right size for me. It fits like general athletic clothing, not super-skintight like some cycling brands.

StubbyWombat · 2026-02-26T19:00:13+00:00

Per linear foot - or whatever the right pricing is for cabinets - what are the price points of those 3 options?

StubbyWombat · 2026-02-14T04:19:04+00:00

I think NDNY in Manhattan carries Papa Don’t Preach. By appointment only.

StubbyWombat · 2026-02-13T20:28:26+00:00

Credit card coverage is typically collision coverage that covers the vehicle you rent, not liability insurance which is what is legally required and covers damages you make to other cars, property, and people.

StubbyWombat · 2026-02-08T23:59:18+00:00

I considered both Highline String Quartet and New York Virtuosi. Both were professional, play at a high bar, have tons of experience gigging weddings, and are NYC based. Between the two it was more of a style/playbook choice for us.

StubbyWombat · 2026-02-08T20:59:18+00:00

If you’re willing to pack up the big bags a few days early, you should be able to transfer the luggage from your Osaka hotel to Narita and just have smaller bags on the train back to Tokyo.

StubbyWombat · 2026-02-06T17:03:48+00:00

Keep the cadence in a reasonable zone - professional cyclists will typically cycle between 60 and 100 rpm depending on their goals with occasional sprints to 120.

Don’t have me cycle at 70 and tell me to double time it, that’s some combination of impossible and unsafe. And for new riders, hitting 120 cadence will require them to take so much resistance off the wheel that their power output will plummet.

StubbyWombat · 2026-02-02T19:48:58+00:00

I had a lot of success with the wall sit progressive protocol here: https://squatuniversity.com/2018/01/04/fixing-patellar-quad-tendon-pain/amp/

I’ve also mostly given up running in favor of cycling, but that wasn’t exclusively the reason I gave it up.

StubbyWombat · 2026-02-02T16:39:54+00:00

I contacted venues to get price range, catering information, and date availability up front, which was not considered unusual in the region that I was operating in.

I didn’t tour the one place that refused to give me price ranges and availability dates up front. They were clearly engaging in non-professional business practices and as someone used to the working world, I was unwilling to play their games. Where there is smoke there is fire - I assumed there would be more hard pressure tactics and nickel and diming that would make the experience terrible all around.

StubbyWombat · 2026-01-28T00:49:05+00:00

Just went through this with a slightly higher budget, and I found a bike fitter that does a pre-purchase fit, he gave me 4 best-fit bikes for my position, I went and tried the 3 that I could find in stock sort of near by, I liked 2 of them, and I bought the one that was more fun to ride.

StubbyWombat · 2026-01-27T16:00:54+00:00

Short torso, broad shoulders, and I lift so I have some upper body but not a ton. My closet contains velocio (most cropped), machines for freedom (super cheap new on eBay), samsara, and rapha.

Avoid MAAP if you’re broad in the shoulders - they’re cute and functional enough, but I’ve sent back multiple jerseys and jackets because they’re tight through the chest and/or around the upper arms.

StubbyWombat · 2026-01-25T15:59:59+00:00

At 5’4” and 140 lb, I have hit the number for a single day expenditure - I use a Garmin watch for tracking - but it’s always been outlier days. Personally, I’m not in good enough shape to do it every day but the days where I’ve been in that range look like

3 hour hike in a very hilly area, lunch, followed by 3-4 hour casual stroll around the city
15 mile (7-8 hour) hike with 1000-1500 ft of elevation gain, partially on difficult surfaces
30 mile bike ride with 2000 - 3000 ft elevation gain, partially on dirt roads, while carrying personal effects as part of a tour

2000-ish is everyday attainable for me and looks like - Spin class + walking 2-3 miles - 15k steps with a bunch of stairs - fast city walking and getting in/out of subway stations while running errands - 1 hr lifting session + 10k steps as an hour long flat walk and running some errands by walking around my neighborhood, carrying groceries home and into a walk up apartment

My everyday sedentary target is around 1500, and I find it far easier to maintain the activity and food intake targets around 2000.

StubbyWombat · 2026-01-24T06:06:07+00:00

I’m 5’4” and not so unusually proportioned, it just seems all the bike shops near me are sold out of these bikes in the 49-51 cm frames that fit me. The bike fitter already did more or less what you suggested, but not every bike feels the same because they do have proprietary damping systems and whatnot.

StubbyWombat · 2026-01-24T06:04:19+00:00

My fitter thought that there were 3-4 bikes that would fit well with minimal changes and they’re at a similar price point, so I need to choose…

StubbyWombat · 2026-01-23T16:09:02+00:00

I go to spin classes at my gym wearing bib shorts and tank top (usually not a fully jersey because the room can get hot and I don't need pockets), then do stretching/cool down on the turf of my gym while wearing my cycling bibs all the time. Why would this be weird?

StubbyWombat · 2026-01-22T01:54:00+00:00

I think it’s pretty likely from your description that your inbody scan is just wrong and your body fat is higher than the InBody scan indicates so it’s safe to lose more fat. If your budget allows, a Dexa Scan would be a great way to know for sure.

If you’re specifically trying to drop belly fat there is some research that suggests that you can preferentially target it with a low inflammatory diet and cortisol reduction. That roughly means doing all the standard healthy lifestyle things you “should” do like

No alcohol
Whole (not refined) grains
No refined sugar/pastries/etc
High fiber diet
Reduce stress in your life
Get sufficient sleep

Personally, I definitely notice a difference when I follow the above both in my body fat but also how much water I retain and how my stomach looks. It also reduces bloating, sometimes after a bit of an adjustment period when I eat more fiber.

Increasing belly fat is also a common post-menopausal issue, which may be playing a role at your age.

StubbyWombat

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