Exactly.

My sister came to visit me recently and said she keeps her thermostat at 77. I was shocked. She lives in Georgia.

Me and you both. I walk around in multiple layers and spend any time not toileting, eating, or walking under a blanket. There is nothing else I can do.

Agree, I lived in some of the first new apartments over by the mall. It wasn't horrible and could still walk to many things. It is still suburbs but superior to Laurel living imo.

I am so sorry. I am clearly one of the lucky ones. I would like to think the years of living in very cold places and growing up in a very hard scrabble place and in somewhat rough conditions helped me... But it is very likely more of an 80/20 for luck split. Please go some place warm if you aren't staying warm.

I've pretty much spent the last 7 or 12 LOL Christmases alone (pretty much stopped keeping up). Even when I was in relationships during half that time, either the guy was not Christian or in one case the guy was Catholic but went abroad to be with his family at Christmas. It's not that bad, I have grown used to it.

It helps that I am not at all a Christmas person (prefer Thanksgiving), and I usually do some combination of go out for Chinese (or whatever is available, but I prefer Chinese), go to the movies, or just stay home and watch streaming. There is a whole world of (non-Christian) people who treat Christmas as just another day, and I lean into that. As you're making friends, keep in mind this is a great perk of having diverse people in your friend group. I will say one downside to living in Baltimore and not like Toronto or someplace is fewer restaurants are open.

It is what you make it. This year I am also making and freezing more cookie dough to replenish my depleted frozen supply after baking holiday cookies.

They look dry, but I am also on a hill, so who knows whether it is an ice rink at the bottom.

It's so tempting to just run an errand. But... Didn't do it. Going to just enjoy the fact that my power isn't out.

For now.

Good dates to guys are... Sometimes so different compared to what I would think is a good date.

Mind you, I am 40 and female, but if someone took me to Top Golf or Dave and Busters for a first date, it would be the last date. Those are, imo, places for when you have a better rapport with someone or when you are like early 20s. Definitely better to fi d out what your date likes or just keep it simple, like go for a drink at someplace cool.

My thoughts exactly. I'd rather have snow.

I just bring a book to read. Hard copy or ebook. Recently went to duty and brought my Kindle.

Because it is.

Seasons? 🤮 Ledos ? 🤮

The closest I have gotten to an actual NYC slice is Ribaldi's. And it still does not taste right. People say Angeli's and Angeli's isn't right either. When I want delicious I give up on NYC slices and just get Noona's and call it a day. Noona's isn't a NYC slice, but it is delicious.

Same here. I get so frustrated, I just walk as much as possible.

Makes me miss Mount Vernon.

I have been saying this for a long ass time, but this is why I wish we could get some sort of Asian night market, like the ones they have in Taiwan? I want some tasty dumplings, kebabs, and spicy, saucy food I can soak up with rice. Ensure they have police presence, should be easy I am sure all the cops will want to eat there. And just put it in Harborplace.

Some spicy garlicy green beans at 3am sounds so good to me.

Is it open 24 hours on weekends again? That would be a nice cozy night spot.

YES. When I am thinking late night, this is more in line with what I want.

Now, can my 40 year old GI tract handle spicy like it used to? No comment, but still willing to give it a go.

Toronto is... Amazing. Don't even get me started about public transit there. Hands down my favorite city. I have great memories of late nights in Toronto. No, Baltimore cannot even compare.

Love Baltimore! But, no.

Imo Rosendorff's challah is the best challah. It's dangerous. Could literally just take a small round loaf and make all meals on Saturdays challah, challah, and challah.

Yup, this is why whenever I hear these stories of people just walking into someone's house I'm like 👀...

You'd probably have an easier time discussing your Tesla, your dog, IPAs, or inherently lazy government workers.

When I lived over there I paid 165 a month for parking in the bottom of my apartment building. In another apartment building in downtown, I paid 80 a month (A pre-covid special, that only went up to 135 or 145 I think? Cannot recall). Before that, I paid 204 a month at Saint Paul Plaza. I think the city posts the rates on their site. And the other private places tend to, too. Shop around, use Google maps to visualize the area, and you should find something.

I used to get Zipcars at 810 N Charles, for example: that has monthly parking iirc. It's a surface lot. I think the company is PMI, not sure.

Smh. Honestly this bs partially drove me, a renter of 18 years with over 11 of it here in Maryland, to just buy. What is allowed in Maryland I personally have not seen in the 3ish other states I have lived in. The insane jumps in rent, with no improvements but usually reduction in amenities, during the early years of the pandemic were wild. One place reduced concierge /doorman service from 24/7 to 6 hours a day: wasn't enough to, you know, live up to their advertising, and constantly moved the 6 hour band from morning to afternoon to night to compensate. Another building had 4 elevators with 2 going to underground parking... Both elevators to the garage would be broken frequently enough that people with disabilities couldn't get to their cars to leave the building. I once saw someone climbing stairs to their 6th floor apartment on crutches once when all 4 elevators were broken for months. They will market it as luxury due to laminate flooring and granite countertops though. 🥴 Also lived in two PMC buildings where the majority of the drama I have experienced as a renter occurred in just one 12 month period. 🤣

Anyway... I used to keep spreadsheets of pricing for buildings years in advance to try to find patterns and beat the system. The practice is so ingrained in me that occasionally I still check previous places I have lived for pricing. I did pushback when my last building tried to screw me on rent upon initial application due to the algorithm and I was satisfied with the outcome.

Godspeed to you all... Had to tap out.

I will make an exception for TJs if they have it less expensively than other places. Guess I will add it to my county field trip list.

Agree, it has become a go to for me for sure.

I splurge on cookies in winter. Try to use the best butter in things like sugar or butter cookies. You too!

It's cookie season.

Butter like that is hard to find. I can barely even find Président anymore. But... You're inspiring me to leave the city to see what Wegmans is offering.

True, maybe it would improve things somewhat. Too bad bitches can't just keep their hands to themselves. They have literally destroyed people with this behavior, and have been badly enabled by the church's inability to stop passing the priests around to fuck up other people's kids. Those testimonies in The Keepers were horrific. Then to be disbelieved by basically everyone for decades? Forever damage to the psyche.