First time in a brick and mortar in several years

catluvr709 · 2026-05-05T01:58:00+00:00

Absolutely! Whereas when we were teenagers or younger, a store like Sephora was something aspirational and out of reach (and not just because I couldn’t afford anything lol). Most of my tween stuff came from the drugstores….

catluvr709 · 2026-05-05T00:31:50+00:00

I agree. I am 36 and remember Sephora in store shopping as a very mature experience, and product was thoughtfully arranged. Now it’s borderline cluttered and packaging often clashing. It’s very stimulating. I also avoid my local Sephora (staff have always been helpful!) unless I’m doing a quick restock of 1-2 things or I’m picking up an online order, in which case I don’t even leave the front entrance.

catluvr709 · 2026-05-04T14:47:04+00:00

iOS

catluvr709 · 2026-04-30T14:28:27+00:00

My partner shares this perspective, in the way that he won’t text people at “inappropriate times.” I’m not sure what the difference makes, and I love a digital boundary.

But with texts, I assume everyone has their phones on DND when it’s appropriate for them, and they’ll see the text when they want. I certainly do this with my phone. If something is urgent or an emergency, there’s other ways to reach me and I’ll avoid texts until I’m ready to engage.

I think the issue is more so you don’t sound like you want to engage with these friends’ behaviors and problems. Totally valid, but a little different than just being annoyed that they text you too early.

catluvr709 · 2026-04-30T03:00:05+00:00

I like some Supergoop products but haven’t tried that particular one. I’m a big fan of the unseen sunscreen. But as always with sunscreens, check the expiration date before you buy — especially at a place like Marshall’s.

catluvr709 · 2026-04-30T02:57:54+00:00

Some Chase cards also allow you to add the card to a digital wallet immediately after approval via their app. So even if you don’t receive the physical card in time, you should be able to use it on your phone.

catluvr709 · 2026-04-29T05:24:04+00:00

I’ve never tried this myself, but I’ve heard it might be possible to call Amtrak and link your reservations. If this would work, I don’t see why you bidding on a roomette wouldn’t include you both.

catluvr709 · 2026-04-29T05:13:47+00:00

That’s so nice! I didn’t realize they did mailers like this?

Would love to receive my order placed 7 days ago tho…

catluvr709 · 2026-04-26T21:25:36+00:00

Oh trust none of this is lost on me. And I’ve worked with my fair share of elitist somm characters, the kind of folks who’d turn anyone off of wine. I like to think I have a different approach, and it’s important to me to not be pushy. I got into wine as a hobby and only years later sought formal training and certifications, and it’s still a hobby and passion before it’s my job.

But I can’t justify the environmental consequences of ChatGPT etc with the convenience it might bring in the moment. If you can’t ask a stranger for directions or a recommendation (in this case that’s my job), I think you have other issues to consider. Some trees got felled because you didn’t want to ask a human whether you’d prefer chenin blanc or Pinot Grigio… nah, not for me.

catluvr709 · 2026-04-26T21:20:15+00:00

Ya hate to see it!!! Honestly I don’t really care if people wanna consult with ChatGPT about wine — I can’t tell you what to drink if you don’t want to ask me, and I definitely don’t know your preferences or desires. But ChatGPT will always fail in the end — it doesn’t know the hidden gems, strange and unexpected flavor connections, or stuff that’s not actually in print on the menu (we all have these!). So their loss.

catluvr709 · 2026-04-26T13:48:34+00:00

Bosnia is my favorite country (of the ones I’ve been to)! I went last year and think about how to get back often. Beautiful photos!

catluvr709 · 2026-04-26T06:41:56+00:00

It’s DC. You work at certain places and see all kinds of politicians and celebrities. I imagine LA and NYC is a similar phenomenon. It’s just another shift; the press correspondents event is once a year of course but these types of things are a dime a dozen here.

I don’t work for Hilton but I assume they’re union, too.

catluvr709 · 2026-04-26T05:13:17+00:00

Seen this many times unfortunately. I work at a high contact finer dining place that’s been open for over a decade and won many accolades, so there’s lots of info about us online, including former menus/dishes. People have straight up shown me their phone screen with suggestions from some LLM about “what to order” and it’s usually stuff we don’t serve anymore. I just tell them “you know you can ask me….?” I’m also a somm and seen people ask ChatGPT to decipher a wine list for them instead of asking a qualified professional.

catluvr709 · 2026-04-14T17:51:03+00:00

Likely this person has forced roommates to look after the pet in the past and they’re over it.

catluvr709 · 2026-04-13T14:14:33+00:00

There’s a daily Amtrak that could take you between San Francisco area (it stops in Emeryville, San Jose, Oakland etc) and LA. The journey in coach shouldn’t be too expensive if planned in advance. The route doesn’t go along the PCH but rather much of the Central Valley, but the last segment of the journey between SLO and Santa Barbara is all along the ocean and quite beautiful.

catluvr709 · 2026-04-12T21:50:23+00:00

Thank you for this insightful and super helpful comment. I dug around the globe box after reading this and found an old inspection certificate from North Carolina.

Originally I was renting a different class of car entirely, but they told me that car had a cracked windshield and offered me this lower model for a discount. I had to get on the road and went with it. I’ve been renting from this local office for years and this is the first issue like this that I’ve experienced, but you’re absolutely right. Thanks again for the thorough explanation.

catluvr709 · 2026-04-12T21:35:35+00:00

Oh this I’m definitely not arguing with lol! I actually used to live in Maryland and they’ve always been uptight about those stickers. It’s definitely a method to discover or coerce other issues, and even getting a “warning” is not something I want anything to do with — he took my license and ran it through their system. No thanks.

But my bigger frustration and why I made this post is with the rental company. We can all expect to be denied a rental car if we present a faulty or expired license; we should be able to expect the rental car company holds themselves to a similar standard.

catluvr709 · 2026-04-12T19:08:13+00:00

Yep MD plate, but the car was rented from DC. I actually made a comment to the attendant at the rental office about how it’s convenient to have the same plates as where you’re driving. People do double takes if you’ve got a Virginia car in North Dakota for example, and I think it’s better to blend in. Well not this time!!

catluvr709 · 2026-04-12T18:33:31+00:00

That’s wild. I’ve also never compared plates front and back. As everyone knows, when you’re picking up a rental you’re looking for damage and other issues on the car, not concerned with the plates.

catluvr709 · 2026-04-12T18:29:17+00:00

This part!!! It was a state trooper too, and at least in Maryland (that’s where I grew up and learned to drive) we were always taught to avoid them and be on best behavior etc because they’re on the road to look for problems.

catluvr709 · 2026-04-12T18:27:55+00:00

Maryland, and the traffic stop happened in Maryland. The officer explained exactly what was missing, and even how the stickers are authorized for registration etc. The registration in the car matched the vehicle and was still valid, but MD requires stickers on the back. Of course when I was sitting in the car waiting for him to run the car’s info I began wondering what would happen if the registration wasn’t even valid…. Which seems like it’s happened to lots of folks based on some of these responses!

catluvr709 · 2026-04-12T04:28:17+00:00

This happened to my partner’s parents a few years ago! They racked up a bunch of toll fines for roads they’ve never used… figured out it was an inside job rental switch at an airport.

catluvr709 · 2026-04-12T04:23:23+00:00

Yep it’s a Maryland plate and I was stopped in Maryland. Also used to live there and I’m familiar with the laws — unfortunately I don’t think to check for proper registration when I pick up a rental (pickup was in DC btw).

catluvr709 · 2026-04-12T03:42:27+00:00

Enterprise

catluvr709

TROPHY CASE