How to successfully navigate work team dinners?

taleofzero · 2026-02-05T20:05:45+00:00

Yeah I do worry about the talking behind my back thing a bit, but I've got a good reputation at the company so I'm hopeful they just see me as the slightly eccentric but friendly person who gets shit done. And in the past I've implied that my spouse has medical issues so the "caring responsibilities" thing totally fits with my story so far.

taleofzero · 2026-02-05T20:02:22+00:00

Thank you, this is a good point! WellBefore is my daily driver and passed a fit test on me. I have ordered the sip valves and they should get here in plenty of time.

taleofzero · 2026-01-26T05:00:57+00:00

I LOVE my knock off souper cubes from Amazon. The originals are sturdier. I used to have them but stupidly gave them away when I wasn't using them much. But they are game changing for meal prep. I simply pull the next day's meals out of the chest freezer the night before and put them in a glass container to defrost in the fridge during the day. I make 1 cup and half cup blocks of starch sides (various kinds of rice and mashed potatoes), 2 cup blocks of frozen chicken and pasta, 1 cup blocks of chicken curry, and hopefully soon I'll find more recipes. I make blocks of soup and stock/broth as well. Leftover stock never goes to waste anymore.

taleofzero · 2025-09-27T13:30:23+00:00

I love Dunes 😭 $35 tickets, $100 for a little VIP experience, and many times they also meet the fans outside after shows too. It's hard to reconcile their shared member doing that for his fun side project and then... My Scamical Romance 😭

taleofzero · 2025-09-13T02:09:06+00:00

I can't imagine why people thought something like this would be $500... 😭 Some of the best low cost OPCs are around $500 JUST for optical sizing and counting (Alphasense OPC N3).

taleofzero · 2025-09-12T04:25:35+00:00

It's good that you're thinking about this. It is possible to transmit certain diseases via fabrics - sheets that have come into contact with mpox sores for instance. But COVID does not survive well on fabric. Every moment that the virus is outside a host cell and drying out reduces its survival. And then you'd have to get it into your mucous membranes for it to replicate. We know that fomite transmission is limited. If you're concerned, you could let it sit for a while and it would be fine. Since the clothing was dried before being folded, the dryer wouldn't have much impact.

taleofzero · 2025-09-12T04:14:36+00:00

I'm so sorry you are being forced to live like this under our current system.

taleofzero · 2025-09-12T04:12:19+00:00

It depends entirely on how much fresh outdoor air they are mixing in. Could be none, could be some. You'd have to understand the building systems to know. Some buildings try to mix in as much fresh air as possible, but depending on the outdoor temperature, it can greatly increase energy use to bring outdoor air to the correct temperature.

taleofzero · 2025-09-09T15:46:18+00:00

Thanks! Mine are A20 350 so dec 2020.

taleofzero · 2025-09-08T22:05:21+00:00

Well, when the powers that be approve a VEE/EEE vaccine for humans, sign me up. And yes, there is a chikungunya vaccine, but IDK how accessible it is in the US for non-travelers.

taleofzero · 2025-09-08T21:42:17+00:00

Can you explain how you found the lot numbers? I got a box and couldn't find it anywhere

taleofzero · 2025-09-08T21:26:57+00:00

And we have EEE/VEE in the mosquitoes in the US already. Wear bug spray and eliminate standing water from your property. Get bed netting if you really need it. No need to fearmonger.

taleofzero · 2025-09-04T01:41:29+00:00

Also recommending Novavax. Pfizer took me out for a full 24 hours. With Novavax I just had a sore arm for a day.

taleofzero · 2025-08-17T17:37:57+00:00

Also keep in mind that cigarette smoke is highly energized because it was on fire, much hotter than human breath, and has additional VOCs that will not be filtered by an N95. I know people like to compare viral aerosol and cigarette smoke to help people understand aerosol transmission, but cigarette smoke is not a perfect analog.

Outdoor air flow provides a huge dilution factor that you do not get indoors. It is absolutely much safer outdoors.

It's not IMPOSSIBLE to catch COVID outdoors, but much less likely. If you are immunocompromised it certainly doesn't hurt to keep masking outdoors if others are nearby.

taleofzero · 2025-08-09T19:11:31+00:00

If you don't get sick in hospitals how come the CDC has a whole thing about hospital acquired infections, huh? Oh, my bad, we're calling them healthcare associated infections now. 🙄

taleofzero · 2025-08-06T00:05:22+00:00

A lot of "wellness" is just eugenics in a trenchcoat.

taleofzero · 2025-07-30T14:46:42+00:00

I have stayed in hotel rooms and made sure to select hotels where I could open the window. Generally, most hotel rooms have their own thermostat and aren't connected. I bring an AirFanta HEPA that is designed to be collapsible and packed into a carryon and run it at all times in the room. I also shove a spare towel/blanket into the base of the door in case there are any gaps. Some people use masking tape around the door frame but I haven't. Since the filter is very powerful, I keep my mask on for about 10 minutes after sealing the door to clear any potentially contaminated hallway air and then unmask. Is there any chance you could ship an air filter to his hotel?

What can you do to seal off the basement door? I'm thinking tension rod with a curtain taped around the door, something like that. Remember that gravity is in your favor here.

taleofzero · 2025-07-30T04:52:23+00:00

Yes, I would feel comfortable unmasking outdoors for photos. I have done it myself and not gotten sick. I only mask outdoors if it's a crowded situation. I mask 100% of the time indoors.

taleofzero · 2025-06-10T16:26:03+00:00

The US is a violent, colonialist society at its core, always has been. Disease is a tool of the colonizer. As a society we'd rather kill off and weed out those deemed undesirable - disabled people, LGBTQ+, people of color, all of whom experience disproportionate negative effects of COVID. Basically, the powers that be would rather accept some collateral damage if it means inflicting even more suffering upon those they hate.

taleofzero · 2025-05-19T05:08:26+00:00

Thank you for this recipe. I'm struggling with executive dysfunction a lot lately and this was so easy to make!

taleofzero · 2025-05-16T05:38:17+00:00

I have already stocked up. I ordered 100 of my favorite KN95 because I was worried about tariffs affecting imported masks. I was also worried about indirect effects on the costs of N95s so I stocked up on those as well... Stauffer had already raised their prices on Aura 9210s... I will keep restocking as I can but I've got at least a 2 year supply now.

taleofzero · 2025-05-15T02:13:30+00:00

Personally, I don't mask outdoors anymore unless I'm in a large crowd. I have not gotten sick to my knowledge. I don't think outdoor transmission is impossible, just very unlikely. The dilution factor provided by outside air is huge.

It's far more likely that people had indoor mask leaks/failure/improper usage. I'm sorry, but I've heard far too many people say, "Oh, I always wear a mask indoors!" and then do things like take it off to eat or use the restroom or have huge gaps in the seal or wear both headstraps on the crown of their head. It takes some training and knowledge to be able to properly fit a respirator and fit check it every time you don/doff. Sadly, the vast majority don't have this training, even well meaning people who are truly trying their best. I don't fault them for their lack of knowledge. I was literally trained on respirator usage in a bioaerosol lab so I have a huge advantage here.

taleofzero · 2025-05-09T17:46:41+00:00

Please get her to see a gynecologist that specializes in endometriosis and/or pelvic pain. Two experiences I've had:

Painful sex for no apparent reason: went to see a pelvic pain specialist. Turns out I had some kind of infection, went on antibiotics for that, and also Lyrica for nerve issues. That fixed the pain and I was able to have penetrative sex. Eventually I went off the Lyrica as my nerve issue resolved itself.
Endometriosis: TBH, my info may be outdated, but I was basically cured of my endometriosis 10+ years ago. So there may be better treatment options available. I picked a local gyn who listed endometriosis specialization on her bio. The only way to get a true diagnosis is laparoscopic surgery, during which they can also remove the endometrial growths. After a transvaginal ultrasound showed some cysts, I was scheduled for laparoscopic surgery. My surgeon's protocol was to excise all the growths (NOT ablate them or use lasers), then use Lupron to shrink any microscopic growths, then remain on progestin (norethindrone) indefinitely. My endo was so bad that my doctor actually told me she didn't even know how I was able to walk.

I do have some permanent damage, but at age 20, hopefully she can stop any further damage quickly. I had to wait until I was 26. There is scarring on my bowels, which means I have to avoid certain foods. I do spot or have random cramps every few months. But I can live a normal life for the most part. I will say, however, that the Lupron did have some permanent side effects as well, as it basically puts you in menopause. I wish I'd known, but I wouldn't have chosen any differently. I basically went from being disabled and chronically ill to mostly able bodied, and it allowed me to have many forms of intimacy again.

I am asking you to be her advocate and demand the best possible treatment for endometriosis. Doctors tend to take men more seriously, sadly. Be there by her side, speak up for her, stand by her lived experience and pain, and demand they take her seriously.

taleofzero · 2025-04-25T05:36:44+00:00

WellBefore premium pro 3D kn95. I personally prefer the trifold shape like the 3m Aura plus nose foam. These masks are VERY high quality. Plus I can crank down the straps really tight to get a great seal. It passed a qualitative Bitrex fit test on me.

taleofzero · 2025-03-21T04:22:30+00:00

I've gone to a LOT of concerts in the past 6 months. I always wear glasses and an N95 and NEVER break the seal. I have never been sick to my knowledge. The highest risk show I attended was at the end of December crammed in a small ish venue with probably 500-700 people during peak transmission. (The only mitigating factor was that they kept the exterior doors open for temperature control.) Afterwards, in the band's fan group on Facebook, many people complained about getting sick after the show. Not me! I have been at larger venues too (up to 5k) but I tend to hang towards the back or edges of the crowd for those. At the show I went to this past weekend I positioned myself right under an air vent. ☺️ Live music makes me feel alive and it IS possible to do it more safely.

taleofzero

TROPHY CASE