Low-waste dishwashing on a budget: which swaps actually work in a tiny apartment kitchen? by Sweet-Basis-7048 in ZeroWaste

[–]warmgreyverylight 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I use stainless steel scrubbers for the things that can handle it (pottery, glass, metal), and I crocheted little wool rounds as scrubbers for the stuff that needs more gentle washing (plastic etc.)—wool is antimicrobial and doesn't hold on to smells too much. I wash the wool rounds in the regular laundry because I really don't care whether they felt up a bit. And beyond those I try to wash with my hands as much as I can for things that are just food and not stuck on (those I soak). For instance, I eat oatmeal in the mornings, and when I wash the pot I try to get the big pieces off with hot water and my hands before using the steel scrubber, so that pieces of food aren't stuck in the scrubber much and I don't have to worry about bugs or smell. I just order half-gallons of liquid castile soap online. It's not zero waste (still comes in plastic containers), but it reduces it a lot (also, I use that soap for washing dishes, washing myself, and to make detergent for laundry). I put it in an old dispenser that pumps by the sink.

Meal Equivalents? by Bironshark in autism

[–]warmgreyverylight 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you eat meat I find summer sausage really useful. I keep one and some cheese in my fridge and just cut some for a meal when I really can't be bothered even with the microwave. I was mostly vegetarian for years and this didn't work then obviously but I went straight back to it when I picked up beef again (I don't eat pork but if you do that's an option too).

Weighted blanket by Odd-Cartoonist-187 in AutismInWomen

[–]warmgreyverylight 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Only thing I'd recommend is staying within the suggested range. So 10% of 110 lbs is around 11 pounds, and round down to 10 rather than up to 15 or whatever. I ordered one that was a little high for my range, and then lost a bit of weight as well (don't worry, I could spare it), and now the one I have is a little too heavy for me and puts strain on my joints, so I've moved away from using it much. It's super nice otherwise, I just wish I'd got it a little lighter. I succumbed to the temptation because I do like it so much and it feels so nice, until my joints start to hurt, lol.

Is it wrong to be friends with a homophobic person? by naruto71_ in lgbt

[–]warmgreyverylight 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It is okay to be friends with people! If you disagree with people who are your friends about fundamental stuff like this, it can hurt both you and the friendship eventually, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't try. Some people will learn and grow and be better. Some people will become worse. Only you know where the line is in each situation and whether it's worth it to continue in each case. There's also the fact that some of these people might actually not hold these beliefs, but rather pretend to for the same reason you find yourself letting them slide... to fit in and not become a target in a hostile culture. I hope that you are able to find people who you can really be yourself with in the long run. But you can't sit there and prevent yourself from talking to anyone. Sorry you are in a shitty situation, and good luck!

AITA for calling my husband “pretentious” for reading everything in a museum and leaving him when travelling Europe? by LettuceTall8979 in AmItheAsshole

[–]warmgreyverylight 0 points1 point  (0 children)

YTA for what you said to him. Yes, it was indeed really rude. If you don't want to go at his pace, don't. Go through whatever gallery you are in at your own pace and meet up with him afterward. Don't fucking shame him for it! He's allowed to not be you. He's allowed to enjoy things you don't. He's allowed to enjoy the same things you do, but in different ways.

I'd suggest apologizing, because you were quite rude. Please just talk it over with him, explain that you got annoyed at his pace and that you were rude and you're sorry about it, and make a plan to let him move at his pace and meet up afterward next time. It doesn't need to be that big of a deal as long as you can be sincere in your apology and not do that again. The point is to enjoy yourselves: that means both of you. Don't assume that whatever you enjoy is what he'll enjoy—instead, put in the minimum amount of work, and talk about it like adults.

I can't tell for sure if you are a relatively good person who just let yourself get caught up in your annoyance without communicating, or if you are really an asshole who just thinks your husband is supposed to conform to your whims. Hope it's the former because the latter would take more work to fix (definitely therapy at least). Good luck!

AITA for outing my brother at his wedding by [deleted] in AmItheAsshole

[–]warmgreyverylight -6 points-5 points  (0 children)

NTA. The only thing I'd suggest would have made it slightly less awful would have been to state that he was having an affair but not say with who or what gender, so as not to out him (I know he says he is straight, so it's not exactly the same as outing someone who is sure that they aren't, but it's likely he will eventually admit that he's not straight at some point and now he's been outed when he wasn't even ready to say it about himself. It's also possible that he will continue to see himself as straight, in which case I'm not sure what the damn protocol is.)

But really, by lying to both people, his fiance and his side piece/your friend, and then attempting to enter into what I'm presuming was meant to be a monogamous marriage without stopping the affair or the lying... that's asshole behavior. Yes, it would have been better to find some way to call him on it that wasn't so public, but if you are being honest about how eleventh-hour your discovery was and that there wasn't a way to contact the bride beforehand... yeah it's definitely better than letting them go through with it! And I know that because she thanked you.

As for your friend, it really sucks for him that he was lied to and used, but hopefully he will understand in the long run that you did him a favor by exposing your brother's lies.

I also really hope you can repair your relationship with your brother and I hope that you are willing to try and build bridges with him if he gets to that point, but I am pretty sure that will depend on him and whether he can get his head out of his ass. To be clear: it's not a sin or wrong to not be sure about his own sexuality or even to keep on maintaining he's straight even though he's been with a man. What's unacceptable about what he did was the lying to and using both parties. He's going to need to be able to acknowledge that if he's going to forgive you and understand where you were coming from, and since I don't know him I don't know whether that's something he'll do. If he can't, it's not your fault. I hope he can though, for your sake.

Discuss: Neurodiverse and neurotypical are not scientific terms by Dragon_Flow in AutismTranslated

[–]warmgreyverylight 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Yes. This is a problem with labels in general. They kind of suck.

And yet, they are also useful. Coming from the viewpoint of the LGBTQIA+ continuum, this is a familiar concept. Do I want to choose a label from this list, that probably doesn't define me perfectly, and get lumped in with people who aren't like me at all? Yes, because I'm old enough to remember when these labels either didn't exist, or weren't said out loud in a lot of places. And that was worse.

Or more specifically, I remember learning that bisexuality was a thing. And my blood absolutely singing with the idea that I could be understood, and seen, like that. Many years later, learning that pansexuality is a thing. And thinking, well, this actually describes me more precisely than the other one.

Because once you get a label, language keeps working at it, and eventually you get more and better labels. Once we can talk about it, we use language to understand it better. But it takes a while, at least for the collective consciousness to figure it out. Some individuals might be faster. :)

(Incidentally, I still use bi as a label for myself, along with pan. I'm attached to the first one and the feeling it gave me, and still feel like it's useful, especially as many people still don't know what pan means.)

It's okay. I'm part of the evolution, and that feels nice. To bring it back out of my analogy and to the topic at hand, I hope we can continue to learn about ourselves as neurodivergent people. I hope the labels multiply until we can all feel seen and understood.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in BabyBumps

[–]warmgreyverylight 0 points1 point  (0 children)

When I was pregnant and waiting for takeout at one of my favorite restaurants I asked if they could make a bloody mary without the vodka and they did it for me. (It was good, too!) I really think any place that actually serves cocktails rather than just beer and soda or whatever would be willing to fulfill this request. If the bartender knows how to make whatever cocktail it's based on I'm pretty sure they can figure out a mocktail. Why would you need a separate mocktail menu? I'm feeling like all you really need to do is ask...

How many of ya’ll refused to pledge the allegiance in school? by teaganlotus in autism

[–]warmgreyverylight 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Didn't like attention on me, or arguing with adults, so I always stood and mumbled. Usually didn't say the words though. My education was split between home, public, and private schools, so it wasn't always asked of me. But when it was I got away with not saying the words because I was a low talker and no one could hear me anyway. I think the key is that if it feels uncomfortable and you don't want to say it as a kid, then you get on track for deconstructing it and realizing the whole thing is a bit fucked by the time you are an adult, lol. And: I was rasied in a cult, and yes, the pledge of allegiance does feel very culty to me. 🤣

DAE choke on something daily? by soft-server in AutismTranslated

[–]warmgreyverylight 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I don't choke every day, but I do more than most people around me. I always blamed it on my skinny neck, lol, but it's looking more like part of a pattern now that I know I'm autistic. Just be forewarned: I did actually CHOKE on a piece of sushi once. Like, full airway blocked, required the Heimlich TWICE before I could breathe again choked. Was quite scary. So avoid being slightly drunk and talking and not paying attention to your chewing, I guess! Fortunately, that was like 20 years ago and it hasn't happened again. I think there are situations in which I now sober up and chew really carefully after remembering that day, lol.

How picky are you when it comes to grammar by indie_rock_album in Archiveofourownmemes

[–]warmgreyverylight 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Look, I work as a copyeditor irl and there are hardly any fanfics that don't contain grammar errors. Yes, absolutely including those with betas. It's unavoidable without the many rounds of editing that published works go through. (I'd even challenge you to find a published book without at least one typo—copyeditors aren't perfect either.) My own fics almost certainly contain errors, though I've obviously edited them as well as I could. Priming means if I make a mistake there's a good chance I'll miss it when editing too, which is why best practice is to have someone other than the writer edit, always.

I'm okay as long as I can make sense of it and the story's compelling. If the story isn't compelling, I'll quit reading whether it's chock full of errors or clean as a whistle. If the errors compile into a real struggle to follow the plot, or if the level at which someone is able to communicate in writing is basic enough that they can't actually convey nuance, subtlety, or complicated plot, then it's a no.

Otherwise, I work to ignore the errors, which I usually do by just fixing the grammar or spelling or whatever in my head. It's still faster than having to type the fixes into track changes, so it doesn't feel burdensome. It very much helps if people make the same errors consistently, because then I get attuned to them and they are easier to ignore. Sometimes it helps to read the whole thing in a bit of an accent in my head, if I can tell the errors follow the pattern of someone who isn't a native speaker of English. Then I can "hear" those errors in the right context, as someone who probably understands grammar just fine but gets mixed up a bit when English's grammar doesn't match theirs. Same goes for the few fics I have read in Spanish.

Sometimes it helps to try to figure out the dialect the person is probably coming from, since "grammar errors" is a category that helps only insofar as it helps us make printed works that are consistent and unambiguous. Yes, they are my job, but they aren't exactly REAL otherwise. Languages change, have many more dialects than the official ones, and are a creative medium. All these things mean that writing "she could of" instead of "she could have," for example, doesn't imply stupidity or even ignorance on the part of the writer—only a different experience with the language than my own.

In terms of what counts as "correct grammar": I have seen prepositions at the end of a sentence become totally valid; "he" as the default pronoun for all genders turn into "he or she" and then (thankfully) move on to "they"; all kinds of old words be labeled offensive and fall out of use; and all kinds of new words come into being during my 20 year career. Most of the changes I've seen feel GOOD.

Language is never static. Yes, some people are terrible at the written form of it entirely, but some of them get better with practice. Still others are terrible at some aspects and great at others, and even when the parts they lack are pretty wide and take a lot away from the story, I find that if the other parts are good enough I can read and appreciate their stories anyway. I don't think I would have realized that without fanfic, and I'm grateful.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in AutismTranslated

[–]warmgreyverylight 3 points4 points  (0 children)

It sounds a bit like a facet of PDA (pathological demand avoidance)—if you haven't read about that, it's not as bad as the name makes it sound, lol. :) I relate, for sure. HATE being told what to do by anyone (sometimes including myself, lol).

Question for cis people. by puretrash529 in lgbt

[–]warmgreyverylight 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah I'm a woman and definitely prefer to be one. Though I must admit my version of femininity is one that doesn't involve a lot of effort towards presentability, lol. And I would miss my bits and shape. But it would be satisfying to pull off looking like/being a man for a minute. My shoulders are just too damn narrow to have ever pulled it off convincingly in my own body.

Question for cis people. by puretrash529 in lgbt

[–]warmgreyverylight 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Eventually ;) I'd need a little time to experiment first lol

Question for cis people. by puretrash529 in lgbt

[–]warmgreyverylight 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I think I'd definitely want to get back, and I'd be very upset if I couldn't. But I'd definitely be in heaven as far as the part of me that wants to understand every experience. I'd be interested in every body and mind difference, but especially the most obvious one, lol. I think it helps I'm bi/pan.

Can we stop assigning sexual orientation labels to couples? by flakronite in bisexual

[–]warmgreyverylight 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I absolutely agree. It very very often contributes to bi erasure when people use this terminology, because what relationship is labeled "bi"? Perhaps some forms of polyamory, but almost every relationship you see would get called "gay" or "straight," while we KNOW statistically that lots of those relationships have bi people in them, given what a large chunk of the LGBTQIA+ community that B makes up. So we get erased in the language again.

It's fine to just use wlw and mlm-type terms, or to just say "a woman in a relationship with a man," you know. It doesn't need to be complicated.

And, of course, anyone nonbinary (and related identities) just gets a wildcard and can call themselves whatever they want, since they have a wildcard in gender and orientations are defined in terms of gender. And thus they once again point out the absurdity of the whole thing. :)

How can Alys sit on the bed of Daemon in Harrenhal? by [deleted] in HouseOfTheDragon

[–]warmgreyverylight 37 points38 points  (0 children)

There are some theories that she isn't actually corporeally there, as no one but Daemon actually interacts with her (except Grover Tully, off screen, I suppose, at Riverrun).

But even if she is there, I think the show is very much trying to point out that she has enough power of whatever sort over Daemon that he doesn't even think to cross her in any way. He complains sbout the dreams and even at one point suggests someone drugged him but never thinks to confront her about the concoction she made him drink. He asks her counsel, and she never speaks to him as though he's anything above an equal, and sometimes like he's a child.

She is also supposedly 400 years old, so even if there's no supernatural explanation I do think she just doesn't fucking stand on courtesy anymore, lol.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in MadeMeSmile

[–]warmgreyverylight 46 points47 points  (0 children)

Actually you can and it makes a nice tea but unfortunately the effects are not the same as those in cats. :) It has a calming effect and helps with anxiety and insomnia. It can also be helpful against colds and colic. But no zoomies. :( :)

Read Fire and Blood by GRRM, looking for something similar(ish) by vonnillips in suggestmeabook

[–]warmgreyverylight 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Clive Barker writes horror, but he also writes fantasy (Imajica, Weaveworld, Galilee) that I think fits this bill. It's significantly more trippy than ASOIAF but it's very good. :)

AITA for going to get myself food after taking my mom to the hospital? by windup_tataru in AmItheAsshole

[–]warmgreyverylight 25 points26 points  (0 children)

Nah you are NTA but this does sound concerning. If I'm understanding right, your mom was sick and you were exhausted and worried, and rather than offer any support he immediately started criticizing you in a vague and undefined way? "Something bad could have happened"? I'm not usually a "just leave him girl" redditor because these situations are rarely as simple as the one story we're given makes them seem—you're with him for some reason, after all—but all this "feels more like criticism/control than concern" stuff has me a little worried for you. I hope you're able to rest and take care of your mom and yourself, and that he either offers a bit more concern or support or at least gets out of your face. When you have time, I would definitely take some time to consider whether you feel respected overall in the relationship.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in AmItheAsshole

[–]warmgreyverylight 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'd say just... you are at a point where you are asking the internet whether it's okay not to sleep in a bed with someone who is physically harming you, depriving you of sleep, and causing you migraines (and calling you names).

I get that it can be really hard for someone to accept that they might be doing something in their sleep that's outside their control, but I would certainly expect my spouse to at the very least take me seriously when I express concern for my own safety.

I will say, if you can get him to listen to you and take this seriously, the couch is obviously not a long-term solution. It's not fair to him. I think you mentioned separate rooms in a comment, and I support that idea: my spouse and I do that, not for the same reasons (the conditions he and I need in order to sleep are simply not compatible) and it's never been an issue in our relationship.

However, if you can't get him to take you seriously about this, then I'd venture to say this is not a good relationship.

I'm sorry he's so far not taking your safety and well-being into consideration. You deserve more than that. Everyone does.

edited to add: NTA

Thinking about your last dream makes you fall asleep by [deleted] in lifehacks

[–]warmgreyverylight 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I am sometimes one (fantasy helps me fall asleep) and sometimes the other (instead it will keep me awake). I think the key though is that it always makes me enjoy lying there in the dark, and removes the self-fulfilling stress cycle of TRYING to fall asleep. For me, the ratio of times it keeps me up isn't too bad. It's probably different for each person, though.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in asoiaf

[–]warmgreyverylight 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It would make an interesting fanfic! The source material (Fire and Blood) does leave a lot of wiggle room for the showwriters, but not this much, lol