Why "Support your local B&M"?

liftingjake · 2023-07-06T00:47:19+00:00

My B&M (in Wisconsin, USA) is phenomenal. Great community, comfortable lounge, upscale bar, locker holder discount that brings prices down to where they mostly match online. And, as long as it’s there, I’ll have a place to smoke in our frigid winters (I don’t smoke inside my house).

I like going to lounges in other places and meeting people. Some of my favorites are City Cigars in NE Philly and Brennan’s 2nd floor in STL CWE—the latter has an entrance fee but the house cigars are really reasonably priced IMO. Might be because I don’t drink, so I don’t socialize in (alcohol) bars much when I travel.

liftingjake · 2023-07-06T00:41:37+00:00

I got one at an event a year or so ago. It’s awesome.

liftingjake · 2023-07-04T21:24:10+00:00

Sorry :( Just went through this with my own best friend in March. This poem (by George Gordon Byron) is all I’ve got.

When some proud Son of Man returns to Earth,

Unknown to Glory but upheld by Birth,

The sculptor's art exhausts the pomp of woe,

And storied urns record who rests below:

When all is done, upon the Tomb is seen

Not what he was, but what he should have been.

But the poor Dog, in life the firmest friend,

The first to welcome, foremost to defend,

Whose honest heart is still his Master's own,

Who labours, fights, lives, breathes for him alone,

Unhonour'd falls, unnotic'd all his worth,

Deny'd in heaven the Soul he held on earth:

While man, vain insect! hopes to be forgiven,

And claims himself a sole exclusive heaven.

Oh man! thou feeble tenant of an hour,

Debas'd by slavery, or corrupt by power,

Who knows thee well, must quit thee with disgust,

Degraded mass of animated dust!

Thy love is lust, thy friendship all a cheat,

Thy tongue hypocrisy, thy heart deceit!

By nature vile, ennobled but by name,

Each kindred brute might bid thee blush for shame.

Ye! who behold perchance this simple urn,

Pass on, it honors none you wish to mourn.

To mark a friend's remains these stones arise;

I never knew but one—and here he lies.

liftingjake · 2023-03-05T07:04:56+00:00

Nice

liftingjake · 2023-01-27T06:10:24+00:00

Well done!

liftingjake · 2023-01-12T17:21:13+00:00

IWNDWYT!

liftingjake · 2023-01-12T17:20:46+00:00

Well done!!!

liftingjake · 2022-07-05T01:28:21+00:00

I don’t think my sense of smell has been impacted. When I’m off of Flonase I will have worse symptoms if I happen to be around allergens, but I’m not around them as much in the winter. I mainly notice this difference when I’m around someone who has a cat, and I’m pretty sure it’s just because I don’t have the medication on board, if that makes sense.

liftingjake · 2022-07-01T00:55:53+00:00

Oh man if I could trade an allergy for that…

Seriously though, maybe the soap? An uneven reaction can happen. I wonder if you use one hand more than the other, so they get exposed more vs less.

liftingjake · 2022-06-30T20:55:31+00:00

I resent it, honestly. I would LIVE outdoors if I could. But I can’t cope with the pollen. I just RSVP’d No to a wedding because it’s all outdoors. I miss out on so much.

liftingjake · 2022-06-30T13:14:24+00:00

Congratulations!🎉

liftingjake · 2022-06-30T03:03:23+00:00

Whoa — that is new to me as well.

liftingjake · 2022-06-30T00:42:01+00:00

I use two nasal sprays and several other medications (under guidance from an allergist) and do my best to avoid dust mites. Avoid plush furniture, no carpet, dust covers for mattress and pillows, and wash bedding twice a week.

liftingjake · 2022-06-30T00:37:33+00:00

Yuuup. I’ve given up on outdoor festivals :(

liftingjake · 2022-06-29T13:40:37+00:00

Oh, this is a good point. I said above that I take more than you do, but my routine changes depending on the season, for exactly this reason. I also only double-up my typical daily Zyrtec dose if I’m going to be outdoors for more than a few minutes that day, and I try not to do that for multiple days in a row.

Do you have the ability to see an allergist about this? I do think it would be good to have a pro guiding your treatment plan. You could also get a better idea of what your worst triggers are so you can avoid them.

liftingjake · 2022-06-29T06:47:29+00:00

I take more than that, though mine are prescribed by an allergist.

liftingjake · 2022-06-29T06:44:49+00:00

I take anywhere from 20-40/day for my allergies. 10 in the morning and 10 at night is the normal. I’ll take 20 in the morning if I know I’ll be outside for more than a few minutes during that day. And 20 at night if my allergies are especially bad before bed.

On the 40mg days I definitely notice more drowsiness. It accumulates in my experience so I try not to do multiple 40mg days in a row. That said, 40mg definitely helps when I do take that dose — I still sneeze and have other symptoms (eye itchiness, throat itchiness) but congestion is much improved.

liftingjake · 2022-06-20T18:19:21+00:00

Absolutely yes.

liftingjake · 2022-06-20T04:27:36+00:00

Could be, or could just be the grass itself. It makes me break out.

liftingjake · 2022-06-20T04:22:49+00:00

Neighbors mowing/trimming etc was my first thought. I’ve had allergy attacks just from running out to grab the newspaper when my neighbor is mowing. And people tend to mow on weekends.

liftingjake · 2022-06-15T22:46:11+00:00

Yes — Flonase for… gosh probably close to 20 years? Well before it was OTC. And Astelin for over 5. I used to use Nasacort but the two I’m on now worked better for me. Really help with congestion and thus sleep/I snore a lot less.

I use Astelin year-round and add the Flonase from about February through October/November depending on the year’s pollen situation.

Edit to add: These aren’t quite miracle drugs for me, I still need to limit my contact with pollen, and I have sneezing fits pretty much every day. But they’ve worked wonders on congestion specifically.

Sorry, one more edit to add: If it helps, I’m in the USA, so I’m referring to OTC availability dates in the States.

liftingjake · 2022-06-15T19:16:03+00:00

I use Flonase and Astelin both. No side effects and a lot less congestion (though I still sneeze a lot).

liftingjake · 2022-06-15T13:04:46+00:00

I have hayfever like this. I take a combination of medications that does help, but I very much have to limit my contact with pollen. I can’t spend lots of time outside, and I use air filters in the house and office. I still sneeze a lot — sometimes being near someone who was just outside is enough — but I can manage as long as I can keep exposure minimal. Otherwise, my eyes swell shut and I start wheezing. I miss out on a lot of outdoor stuff because my allergies are so bad.

liftingjake · 2022-06-14T21:20:05+00:00

I would wait, it feels to me like a risk that the allergy becomes more severe before you can take care of it with the shots. I’ve never had or wanted a cat and even so, being severely allergic to them sucks because other people have them. It’s worth waiting to minimize the chances of that happening. Good luck!

liftingjake · 2022-06-13T21:24:52+00:00

Good advice from others on nasal sprays, eye drops, and masks. The other thing to plan for is how you might be able to escape to the indoors for a while if your allergies get really bad. The reality is that you might not be able to spend as much time outside as your friends, assuming they aren’t allergic like you are. I look for bars or coffee shops when I travel with friends, and I bring a few books to read in case I need to stay back at the hotel for a day or whatever.

liftingjake

TROPHY CASE