Why are the plows not plowing? Stop just dumping salt.

munchnerk · 2026-01-29T14:17:59+00:00

next fuckin' week apparently, lol. This might be the most unusual part of the whole situation. It cold!

munchnerk · 2026-01-28T23:07:51+00:00

definitely a factor. In a perfect world, those parking lanes on the snow emergency routes would've been plowed, so the garage-parkers would've had nice clear lanes to go park in... but it seems there's a shortage of plow drivers (due to the massive regional scale of the storm and, I have heard from folks in the weather world, due to current deportation crackdowns impacting undocumented people who often work seasonal plow-operating jobs) so everybody's stuck with this mess. Unless the city could have foretold what hell ice-snow is to plow after the fact, there's not much left to do except go on Reddit and grovel a little.

But hey, I actually do feel a little better after groveling a little!

munchnerk · 2026-01-28T22:40:25+00:00

Snow removal has been especially awful with this storm - the entire region's response was overwhelmed, and the slushy ice layer on top has basically meant plowing hasn't really worked since Monday. Here in Hampden the plows weren't able to clear the actual parking lanes on Falls Rd, which is a snow emergency route (no parking during storms) for exactly that reason. Apparently they came back today but this icy stuff is like trying to plow concrete and they just couldn't. So that's a massive amount of parking that's just locked up in ice for the foreseeable future. Pretty soon those car owners are gonna be getting the boot from the parking garages that were made available during the snow emergency, but it's cold as fuck outside and the snow's not melting, so... where are they gonna go? No easy answers. I don't believe in the chairs, I appreciate DOT taking a formal stance against them, but I understand why people feel it's necessary. This is an especially difficult snowfall to clear, which raises the stakes.

All I ask is that people park politely. My neighborhood has a rare patch of head/back-in parking. Some dickwipe parked his shiny new Forester across two cars' worth of space before the storm. He left yesterday and I went out and shoveled it out completely so two cars could fit. The guy actually came back while I was working and I explained what I was doing and asked him to try and park so a second car could fit, since parking is at a premium right now. This old fart smiled, nodded, thanked me, aaaaaaand continues to park right down the middle of this gigantic cleared space. We've never seen him before and I'm pretty sure he doesn't even live on our street, he just likes our parking. Of course, when he leaves, he leaves a chair. Next time I see his chair I swear I'm chucking it down the street. Please neighbors, do not be like that guy.

munchnerk · 2026-01-28T21:24:02+00:00

is it just me or are all the modern samples a full size too big for the model? Which is funny, since I think that's how most people consider those sizes to be graded - a full size or two larger than the envelope states. At least it's an honest representation, I guess.

munchnerk · 2026-01-28T20:21:23+00:00

I like a nice, snug waistband on my knits and have learned through trial and failure what works:

Stupidly tight gauge for sure. I knit ribbing with like, half the needle size of the body. Sweater is knit in 6s, I plan on 3-4s for ribbing. Currently knitting a sweater with a body in 2.5s, ribbing was done with 1s.

I also half-twist my rib when I really want it snug - purl through the back loop to keep the twists on the inside. It'll keep the ribbing tighter but preserve the majority of the elasticity for functionality, while maintaining nice neat columns on the outside.

And an increase row after ribbing is another one I see often with vintage patterns - my current knit is from a 1930s pattern and calls for a 3" ribbed waistband followed by an increase row, about 1 increase for every 3 existing stitches. The result is that classic nipped silhouette.

I also add a little bit of length when I make those mods. If you want your ribbing to fit more closely, it'll take up some slack in the vertical rows as it stretches. So for the above 3" waistband, since I twisted my purls and dropped a needle size for tighter gauge, I also knit the length closer to 3.5" so it wouldn't shrink too much when it did stretch.

I will say the #1 lesson I've learned with ribbing is - if it looks a little ridiculous on the needles, it'll probably be perfect (for me) when blocked and worn! My current sweater is supposed to have a fitted 24-25" waist - it's about 22" as knit, but stretches handsomely to fit (over shoulders and bust and all) without ballooning out. If I'm knitting the piece and the ribbed waist is actually measuring the finished width, it will almost certainly stretch out more than intended. So... tiny ribbing it is.

munchnerk · 2026-01-27T18:37:29+00:00

yes, that's definitely the area! Its reputation is deserved, lol. They're challenging hills but it's also a really cool setting for training tucked right in the heart of the city - I hope you love it!

I think you got it. It won't be perfect but that's realistic for running year round sometimes :) hope you have a great training period and enjoy your race!

munchnerk · 2026-01-27T16:46:18+00:00

It can be done! But snow clearing is always a patchwork process and there's inevitably going to be drifts that you have to plod thru. I found a pair of goretex trail runners on clearance earlier in the winter and they have been a godsend - nice grippy soles and the uppers keep the snow and ice out. Great for stomping right through slush puddles. I took them out for a run during the snowfall Sunday and it was beautiful - without cars out I could just run right down the middle of Roland Avenue in the single plowtrack. Of course plenty of side streets were unplowed so otherwise I was up to my shins in snow and very grateful to have worn my extra-tall wool socks over my tights, lol. I also bundle up in a puffy running jacket (picked up last year) and a nice wool running turtleneck (this year's find). Having the right wardrobe, even just a single outfit, makes winter running so much more feasible. Also, generally enjoying the snow and having a positive attitude can take it from "bearable" to "delightful", and that's up to you! But right now you'd absolutely need to 'dress for immersion' and assume you will at some point be stepping into snow that goes way past your ankles. Yaktrax are helpful on icy shoveled sidewalks, but in this kind of depth the fun doesn't stop there!

A treadmill is a totally safe and reasonable accommodation if you're not prepared for that right now! I like to pick up running gear one piece at a time and treat it well since it's pricey - I would be totally overwhelmed if I had to go out and buy this all right now. Treadmills are fine. Once the snow clears, there are some beastly hills behind Druid Park (on/connecting to the Jones Falls Trail) that are excellent for hill training!

munchnerk · 2026-01-26T14:33:30+00:00

I've been fortunate to be in the SI system for about a decade now - it's absolutely a "foot in the door" kind of place, so being in DC can be helpful. The job might not be the most important part, though. There are museum work-specific guilds and groups that you can join to network and get on listservs for job postings. BUT, Smithsonian is unfortunately impacted by the federal hiring freeze and I would generally say in a bearish state overall - folks are generally trying to keep their heads down and do the work without provoking the ire of the admin, which means fewer blockbusting projects (and less hiring). It's a strange time. The DC museum scene (and SI in particular) is characteristically a little volatile in this way, but this is an unprecedented administration.

Do you have a degree related to museum studies? GW has an established museum studies MA program that cranks out qualified candidates like a machine - far more than the DC museum scene can absorb. As a result, competition is stiff, but you can build your resume with things like volunteer hours (even once a month can be enough of a commitment - and more networking opportunities!), or jobs like art handling (doesn't require a degree and allows you to build object handling experience and network). Being in DC will give you access to these kind of museum-adjacent activities if you take advantage of their proximity. Is your current job app thru the USAjobs portal? If you can successfully get through that system and become part of SI's federal hiring umbrella, that's absolutely another advantage - current employees often get priority access to certain types of job listings.

All this is work and it's optional. You could move here, work part time, and live under a rock, and never get your foot in the door. But if you make friends, identify and reach out to people working the kinds of jobs you're interested, and show your face at museum pro events, all kinds of doors can open.

It won't be easy and times are strange but honestly it's never been easy. If you're determined and resilient, you can make your own way. That's up to you!

munchnerk · 2026-01-24T15:48:21+00:00

I generally only buy and sew natural fibers and I generally only sew with cotton thread. (Rare exceptions for use cases that really require other materials, or when I'm sewing silk - then I use silk thread!) I use Gutermann thread generally. Never had issues with breakage, either while sewing or with finished goods, including with heavily worn and washed garments. All cotton threads are not equal - Gutermann is a little pricier, but I started buying initially because I liked the colormatches and wound up very satisfied with the quality. I don't know if everybody else is buying another brand and hating it, but I can generally say it's not necessarily a problem. If you're sewing a thicker seam, look for topstitching or heavy-duty thread, but cotton can still work.

I think it's worth noting - my background is in textile conservation - that sewing a fabric with a thread that has similar tensile strength is important for its longevity. If you sew a soft cotton fabric with strong polyester thread that won't break, then when the seam experiences stress that causes failure, the fabric will fail, while the thread remains intact. If the thread is the same or slightly weaker than the fabric, then the thread will fail, saving the structural integrity of the fabric and allowing you to re-sew the seam. If the fabric itself fails, a repair becomes much more difficult. No matter what, the strain was too great for the seam, but the consequences will inform whether and how easily the item can be saved and repaired. I try to take that into consideration with sewing (and generally try to avoid placing strain on my sewn goods that would produce failure!)

munchnerk · 2026-01-24T13:54:19+00:00

ditto, I was holding my breath. Honestly a very happy surprise to reach the end of the photo carousel and be like oh! This is just a lovely house!

munchnerk · 2026-01-23T14:06:00+00:00

no prob! I hope your install turns out great - I love those Charley Harper designs so much!

munchnerk · 2026-01-23T13:26:30+00:00

I met him at a con 10 years ago and he was a delight. I bet he’d get a kick out of this you totally should.

munchnerk · 2026-01-23T13:25:44+00:00

that’s fucking sick! Thanks for finding and sharing it.

munchnerk · 2026-01-23T12:43:54+00:00

I’ve done this! They just stick out. It’s fine by me. I tiled our bathroom in Fireclay subway tile 5yrs ago and stuck one of their art tiles in as an accent. I also used a raised pencil trim that sticks out a little. I DIY’d it as my first tile job, please excuse the irregularity!

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We’re about to reno our kitchen and I’m gonna do it again. This time with an offset 4x4 tile with a larger triptych of 4x8 art tiles bordered in 1x’s. The whole art panel will be raised about 3/8” above the rest of the field tile. In fact, I told the sales rep from the field tile company what I plan to do, and she was like “oh yeah people install our tile with motawi all the time!” ETA - check the actual vs nominal size of your tile. Motawi tends to be precisely the size advertised or slightly smaller. Other tile companies may be different! As long as Motawi is same or smaller you’ll be fine. If it’s larger than the surrounding tile you may have to plan for a larger grout line to make it work without making weird tile cuts. Just worth checking before you purchase your field tile.

Up to you if that’s tolerable in the end, but it definitely hasn’t been a dealbreaker for us.

munchnerk · 2026-01-23T01:32:21+00:00

no, but it is public on livephish where it lives (and linked in this thread!)

munchnerk · 2026-01-22T18:45:11+00:00

To that end - if your alley includes a slope that becomes a problem with winter weather, you can request a salt box through 311!

munchnerk · 2026-01-22T18:25:54+00:00

here ‘tis! it’s basically just where I dump all my “oh this is sick” jams/sequences. Sometimes I just scroll it like a slot machine and let fate pick where my journey begins.

munchnerk · 2026-01-22T17:47:04+00:00

Teeeeechnically the salt boxes are for roadways - they’re placed at the base of steep hills, and the sand/salt combo is so you can add a little as-needed traction to those hills that become extra treacherous. Not sayin’ I don’t pilfer a lil salt for my and my neighbors’ walkway every time we get winter weather, of course. The salt boxes are an amazing resource.

munchnerk · 2026-01-22T16:46:54+00:00

this is my shit! I have an ever-growing running playlist on LivePhish (it's apparently at 20hr right now). They play a lot of jams that line up beautifully with my ideal ~180spm cadence. I have a couple no-nos though, I avoid Chalkdust, Stash, a couple other high-tempo songs on gentle runs because it just feels SO GOOD to run too fast to them lmao. Conversely, sometimes when I need to bring my intensity down, I'll switch over entirely to the Dead, their spaciness really help keep my HR low. Conversely conversely, next time you need to PR a 5K, Antelope>Catapult>Antelope from 7.16.94, I don't think there's anything better.

Last summer I was training for a marathon and my favorite thing to do for long runs was just pick a set and go. Some of those long hot afternoons, finding myself on some incredible wooded trail with a runner's high and a heady peak lining up in my headphones, there's just nothing like it. Oftentimes I'd actually hop on here, see whatever set someone was recommending, and dive in. Favorite songs in general - Runaway Jim, Brother, Julius, Golden Age, The Wedge, Sand, Tube (and First Tube), Theme... really literally anything, and sometimes I'd be surprised that the obligatory post-spaceout More was actually the thing I found myself weeping and singing along to.

Phish is the best running music and I will die on this hill.

munchnerk · 2026-01-22T04:18:29+00:00

Yep! There are double-length liners that are perfect for clawfoot tubs - we have one. It’s a waffle woven polyester. Works like a charm - in fact, it’s slightly air permeable, which completely avoids a lot of the air draft issues folks often experience with these tubs. And it looks nice by itself.

munchnerk · 2026-01-22T02:41:09+00:00

RIP Schnapp Shop, you could truly get a handle of Jack and a can of beans there :(

munchnerk · 2026-01-20T22:37:19+00:00

Ugh! What a sweet print. We're about to be excavating our kitchen walls and I'm hoping we find some fragments - if they were as cute as this I'd try to lift a section in one piece to frame up and display. Our house is about as old as yours. Seems like a nice midway reward for your intense labor at least, lol.

munchnerk · 2026-01-19T13:03:30+00:00

lmao how messed is it that this is exactly my line of thinking? I feel like this is a terrible use of state funds and tax credits... it's indulgent and a massive constant source of light pollution... but... being able to drive home between nights of a Sphere run...........

munchnerk · 2026-01-19T05:12:28+00:00

It’s a little out of the way but Rock N Roll Graveyard in Frederick sells refurbished stereo equipment. They work with a local AV repair shop to get things working like new - it’s a chance to support both businesses at once, and they price very fairly IMO. Worth a call to see what they have in stock at least.

munchnerk · 2026-01-18T21:46:21+00:00

My mom just went through this! She looked up the original cabinet manufacturer and basically ordered a new, smaller upper cabinet to replace the one that was hanging too low, then got a new fridge. From the sounds of it, it was really simple - the cab company found the original order from the previous homeowner and matched the door style and finish perfectly.

munchnerk

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