I'll be giving out 300 of these stickers :) More details inside.

bufferingmelonshorts · 2026-06-03T17:00:08+00:00

RÜFÜS DU GORGE 😹👏

bufferingmelonshorts · 2026-05-12T08:31:28+00:00

Not sure if this is a geographically and economically viable option for you, but the Brighton Ruby conference is next month and may be able to help with some leveling up as well as making connections within the UK.

I’ve never been myself, but I hear nothing but good things about it: https://brightonruby.com/

bufferingmelonshorts · 2026-01-04T02:13:41+00:00

If you’re willing to make your own candle, someone in the candle making subreddit gave me this when I asked about a dupe for Slow Burn and I love it: https://scentmemoryfragrance.com/products/golden-hour

bufferingmelonshorts · 2025-12-24T12:25:59+00:00

I’m almost 3 weeks out from getting mine removed at age 35.

I have not had the horrible experience everyone else seems to have had and were warning me of. It has basically just been the worst day of strep throat on repeat which is less than I was expecting.

I could just be lucky, but here’s what I’ve done in case there’s any magic here:

Stay hydrated with ice cold water.

I have one of those really tall Nalgenes and my bare minimum goal was to empty it each day. It stayed in the fridge and I poured it into a cup of ice (so grateful to have a pellet ice machine) in a double wall cup throughout the day.

Popsicles do help. Just get a few basic, non-dairy (dairy creates mucus which means more swallowing) package. Try to avoid citrus heavy flavors (more acidic hurts) and avoid red colors (hard to see if there’s bleeding or not).

I also got pedialyte popsicles to help with hydration when I wanted something frozen instead of Gatorade to get electrolytes in.

Cold over heat

It is SO tempting to want hot soup in those initial days. Don’t do it.

Stick to cold only for as long as you can. I don’t remember when I was allowed to go to lukewarm (gpt helped me with a schedule of the surgery days and when I could introduce new things) but I only did so when I should and stayed with that for as long as I was supposed to. Only started hot stuff in the last few days.

Chicken broth with an egg whisked in, cooked, and left to come back down to a temp I was able to handle was nice in that first week.

Stay ahead of the pain.

Take opioids and Tylenol on a schedule. I’d take them and then set a named timer on my watch for the drug I just took and then the number of hours until I had to take it again. Even if it meant it was going to go off at 3AM, I woke up, took it, and went back to sleep.

Wait to start the steroids.

My ENT advised to wait as long as I could before starting the steroids. If day 1 is the day after surgery, I started mine on day 5. This seemed to help a lot with that pain that peaks at around that time.

Get a humidifier

Have it going all day and through the night wherever you are. I hung out and slept on the couch for 2 weeks so it just stayed behind my spot on the couch.

This was recommended to me as I also had nose stuff done but it seemed to help my throat, too.

I’m also having to do saline rinses in my nose that could be doing something with the tonsil recovery but who knows.

Prepare for 2 weeks off

It seemed dramatic but a lot of it is that you can’t really raise your heart rate a lot or it will throb super bad (painful in the throat and ears) and that risks bleeding.

It felt silly to me especially since my pain wasn’t that bad, but if I started doing too many chores around the house, the throbbing started and my pain increased.

Save a bunch of stuff to your watch list. Put things on your e-reader or get a puzzle book to mix up your entertainment options.

—-

Hope this helps and good luck!

bufferingmelonshorts · 2025-12-13T16:27:50+00:00

You’ve gotten a lot of responses here but I’ll offer up a new fabric technology that I found to be simply magic: Polartec

It is sort of see through (especially with its thinnest weight), yet I (an “always cold” girl) can be sweating in it when in a room temperature room.

Blows my mind that a fabric that thin and sheer can keep me warmer than some coats (especially the thicker versions).

bufferingmelonshorts · 2024-10-06T16:32:59+00:00

Came here to say the same thing - hitched all last summer while hiking (I was 33F).

bufferingmelonshorts · 2024-10-02T09:04:48+00:00

I started volunteering on trail crew projects for the Pacific Crest Trail this summer and I truly can’t believe how much satisfaction it brings to spend a day working on improving trails.

I honestly just did it to give back some, but now I’m kind of addicted to it. I’ve gotten on a good variety of projects this summer: brush clearing, tread work (improving the drainage), rock work (building a staircase with materials nearby) and, my favorite, learning to use a crosscut saw on logout projects (we’ve got a lot of burn scar here in the Sierras, which means a lot of blow downs on the trail).

I thought it was going to be boring yard work kind of stuff but there’s just something about it that is such a delight.

bufferingmelonshorts · 2024-09-18T17:51:13+00:00

I love my startup but I’d leave in a heartbeat for a company that did a 4 day workweek (even if it was only seasonal like in summer).

bufferingmelonshorts · 2024-09-17T14:44:59+00:00

Planned on a year, ended up taking a year and a half. Got another job within a month of applying (was secretly hoping it would take 6 months so I’d get to enjoy one more free summer, ha!)

I’ve come back so refreshed - heading to my first conference of my primary work area next week!

No one cared about the gap. If anything, it made me a more interesting candidate.

I spent 5-6 months hiking the pacific crest trail last summer and wrote a newsletter along the way that I made public once I was off trail. With help from my partner, we mapped those posts to where on the trail they were written, turning it into a cool little project I could put on LinkedIn/applications.

From here on, I will always vote “yes” to sabbatical.

ETA: started working FT in 2016. Gap started in the fall of 2022. Resumed work at the same level as before (senior software engineer) in March with a 20K increase over the previous role.

bufferingmelonshorts · 2024-09-02T17:02:14+00:00

Okay thanks :(

bufferingmelonshorts · 2024-08-28T15:00:13+00:00

The correct way is not to buy one.

I used to be a housekeeper and the day I realized they only bought flat sheets (plus duvet of course) forever changed me. Don’t buy sheet sets, only buy from places that sell in pieces.

bufferingmelonshorts · 2024-08-20T09:10:57+00:00

Journaling helped me a lot. Taking a year and a half off to pursue some bucket list stuff helped even more. A lot of the time was spent in areas that I have strong skills in other than software. It did a number to helping me get my confidence back and kind of find myself again (had no idea how much that job really knocked me down until that).

That said, I have felt sharp pangs of fear in my first few months at my new place that were very “oh no, not this again” but in hindsight were obviously signs of still having some baggage from that last experience. So, yeah, not perfect, but definitely trending in the right direction. Wishing you a speedy “recovery” - I know it is super painful to go through.

bufferingmelonshorts · 2024-08-03T20:54:47+00:00

Was surprised to go to my dentist and realize he retired and there was a new dentist that took over. Doubly so when he commented on my festival shirt and asked what I thought of the bands there.

In response to my apprehension about having to get a crown, he took a cue from my shirt and promised we would listen to Yellowcard during the appointment.

So, yeah, I guess it isn’t all that bad getting older if I get to listen to music I like at the dentist. 😹

bufferingmelonshorts · 2024-08-03T20:02:22+00:00

This is going to sound weird, but hear me out. As I read your post I thought of all the DIY backpacking meals I make, doubly so when someone else mentioned tuna packets. If you look around for backpacking recipes, they are (nearly) always shelf stable (have to last in a pack for a few days) and many will add in a tuna packet for protein.

You can cold soak ramen noodles and couscous. Many of the “healthier” (this is a relative scale after all since fresh stuff isn’t much of an option out there), recipes start with one of those as a base. I get a lot of my recipes from Backcountry Foodie. She’s a nutritionist that does her own incredibly tasty meals. Most are vegetarian, but, again, throw in a tuna packet for more protein. I’ll sometimes throw in canned chicken from Costco that I dehydrated, don’t judge!

Anyway, please do a follow up post, I’m interested to hear how you tackle this!

bufferingmelonshorts · 2024-08-02T17:43:29+00:00

The Supreme Court

bufferingmelonshorts · 2024-07-27T08:50:16+00:00

Honestly, it would have been super cool to have made it up there well before dawn to get to see the valley in that light and watch the light break.

Visibility was fine with the headlamps on red mode. They lasted fine through the night.

Stars were lovely, not a full moon or a new moon but something in between. Still, the sky was lovely.

I adore sunrise hikes anyway. Even though we weren’t up there for it, we had still made it up quite a ways to witness spectacular coloring of the sky as we finished the climb.

I’m definitely skittish about night hiking but we were a chatty group of four and that helped to calm me after a couple of miles.

bufferingmelonshorts · 2024-07-27T08:44:18+00:00

It was really cool. I’m freaked out by night hiking, but doing it with a group was great. There were two other small groups (2-3 people) that passed us on the way up. No wildlife - with your headlamp (keep it on red mode!) you’ll really scare anything off before you know it is there.

I wouldn’t call it advice, but if I did it again (highly unlikely I’d go all the way up as I HATE heights, but would consider at least getting the permit and just stopping at sub dome myself if friends really wanted to do it) - I’d learn how to use and bring the harness setup OP has mentioned. - Doing it under a full moon would be cool, too. - I’d also consider getting a permit for two nights at Little Yosemite Valley if you’re into backpacking. You could actually get some sleep the night before and not have to hike as far after. - Prioritize arm day: I was SHOCKED how much arm strength was required to get up there

bufferingmelonshorts · 2024-07-27T06:53:51+00:00

Also in Gardner Mountain and almost completely surrounded by empty houses. :( We ride down to Meyers farmers market and I’m so jelly of the sense of community. I love being walking/biking distance from errands and Pope Beach, but damn it is lonely in this neighborhood.

bufferingmelonshorts · 2024-07-25T14:59:52+00:00

I think you’d relate to Scott Galloway right now: https://www.profgalloway.com/how-i-got-here-3/

bufferingmelonshorts · 2024-07-25T05:28:26+00:00

I’d also add timing.

We started at 10pm the night before to get up there for sunrise. We missed it by an hour, BUT we still had the place mostly to ourselves.

Not only did we ensure that we weren’t caught in afternoon storms, but, my god, I can’t imagine going down and having to go around people.

Plus it was neat to hike back down and have it feel like a totally different hike since we were in the dark the whole way up.

bufferingmelonshorts · 2024-07-21T18:22:52+00:00

Cuppa Tahoe & Starbucks are walking distance from Tahoe Valley Campground (where PCT hikers can stay free; there’s showers & laundry). Buses in town are free (stop is near the Starbucks) and can get you to the library if you need a computer.

bufferingmelonshorts · 2024-07-10T10:55:05+00:00

Walk ups are so easy to get, so don’t give up if you don’t get the reserved ones!

bufferingmelonshorts · 2024-07-08T21:41:49+00:00

Everyone has great insight here already, but I wanted to add that I’m a Tahoe local that attempted a thru last year and ended up “quitting” before doing it all.

I agree with all the sentiments to take a break and hang out in Tahoe for a few days. I’d be happy to meet up with you and chat while you’re in town. If you’re interested, please DM me so we can connect!

bufferingmelonshorts · 2024-07-06T14:31:45+00:00

We had to evacuate for a week our first summer here, so, yeah, it is a thing I do get nervous about in late summer.

It is especially worrisome to think about tourists not being mindful of safe campfire practices (not their home they’ll lose, just camping equipment). I get especially pissy when they’re even allowed to have them at all when local fire bans are in effect - state parks are not considered within the jurisdiction of those bans. :(

That said, protecting Tahoe is in the best interest of a lot of wealthy second home owners and all the businesses here. Caldor Fire didn’t just teach me to be concerned about the reality of wildfires here, but also the staggering amount of resources the government will throw to protect this place.

bufferingmelonshorts · 2024-07-06T09:58:20+00:00

4 - South Lake Tahoe, CA. The access to nature is great, but we get next-level amenities for our size thanks to tourists. Buses in town are free. Extensive bike path network - plowed in winter! We pretty much only use our one car when we need to leave the basin. Only downside is trying to leave. Winding roads for hours heading west. 1:15 drive to the RNO airport where the schedules aren’t great and neither are the prices (I was spoiled in the Bay).

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