Yes, very much this. Some hotels, particularly those of the “extended stay” variety, have better fitness rooms these days. Dumbells are more prevalent. Kettlebells can occasionally be found. I’ve even seen a few weighted medicine balls. But finding an exercise mat is pretty much out of the question. And the size of…

That would be horrible. And in my little corner of cubeville would get nasty looks, comments, IMs, emails, threats of revoking access to group food days, etc.

I use resistance bands without handles regularly, particularly when I’m traveling for work. I’ve never had issues with them hurting my hands. They do sometimes make my hands smell weird and rubbery. But then I wash my hands and then that’s not a problem.

I keep earplugs in my desk at work. People are back to working from cubeville at least a couple of days a week and it tends to get noisy. A lot of people still haven’t realized that they’re still using their “work from home” voice. Some days I miss the height of the pandemic when it was me and like two other guys in…

I’ve read enough post-apocalyptic fiction to know that I’m not upset that 40+ hours a week I’m in a little padded box (no lid) at a first strike target. The rest of the time, I’m close enough that I’ll likely still go out in the first wave. The only issue is my parents who live on top of a mountain on the edge of…

My dad had that problem. He’s stupid healthy, very active and will likely outlive us all. He got a new doctor who got upset about my dad’s low heart rate and sent dad off to get an EKG. Because my dad is a rule follower he went and got the test. It showed there was nothing wrong and that my dad is stupid healthy (he…

I’m another “plain bar of Ivory soap” user. I have sensitive skin and everything else I’ve tried ends up with me itching after a couple of days/weeks. I don’t mind liquid soap for just washing my hands but in the shower I only use Ivory.

You obviously do not live somewhere hot...or you don’t mind sweating a lot. I’m in Texas. I am happy to pay for my gym membership if for no other reason than it is climate controlled. (Although there are a lot of other reasons I like my gym and am happy to pay for the membership. But the climate control is definitely…

Yes, especially for getting bags out of the overhead bin. Bags can shift in flight. People move bags around. I’m the average height for a woman. But if I’m traveling with a small carry-on and someone rotates it and/or it slides to the back of the bin, there’s no way I’m reaching it without standing on the seat. I’m…

The US Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, AL is definitely an awesome place. The Davidson Center with the Saturn V rocket and a ton of artifacts is great. But even better are the docents wandering around just waiting for someone to listen to them geek out about all the cool artifacts. They may look like just old…

I greatly prefer the American side of Niagara Falls. You don’t get the icon views of the falls, but the wooded park area on the American side is nice to wander around. It’s often much less crowded and it’s free!

At one point at work we had an admin who, upon introducing herself to the group went on to immediately give us a quick lesson in how to pronounce her name. She told us how many syllables, held up her hand and counted them off as she enunciated each one and then said her name again. She was strong and confident and had…

I started doing this when I started to have knee problems and it became uncomfortable to keep my legs bent for extended periods of time. It definitely helps make the flight more comfortable. It also helps that, when at all possible, I get a window seat. So I don’t have to worry about shoving my bag back under the seat…

I have issues with my knees and after two surgeries have been told by both my orthopedic surgeon and physical therapist to avoid running and other high impact activities. Going up stairs has never been an issue for me. In fact, I am in a long term, committed love-hate relationship with the stair machine at work (the…

My class has had one reunion so far, at 11 years...because no one bothered to plan one at 10 years. I didn’t go because it was planned for Thanksgiving weekend and I no longer have family in the area. Plus I didn’t really like most of those people when we were in school together. I’m not sure why I would want to hang…

Sunscreen is not all the same. A couple of brands do very little to protect my very fair skin. Another couple of brands give me a rash (likely due to the inactive ingredients, but still, not the same!). I have the best luck with Banana Boat kids and the Target brand equivalent.

Yes. Gasoline may be the same but the additives are different.

I can definitely taste the difference in brands of milk. Fortunately I like Aldi the best, at least when I’m at home, and it’s usually the cheapest. But milk taste does vary by region.

I eat breakfast and lunch at work 4 days a week and generally at least one other meal away from home. Most of my meals are pretty simple and many require just a plate and a glass (maybe some silverware). I tend to cook big batches of things, portion them out and freeze them. So I’m not cooking regularly. So, no. I…

I got a hotdog and soda at Sams for $1.50 a couple of weeks ago. I think they have gone to only Pepsi products in their soda fountain now (and Dr Pepper...but that might just be a Texas thing).