Aren't we in a drought? Or weren't we in a drought? Pretty sure it's the latter.

Rain good. We like rain. But I don't think it's been raining as often as you think it is. Sunny as hell, sure, and maybe some showers here and there, but not full-on rain.

Huh...I was thinking the other end. Good old fashioned cloud pee. But crying works too.

Do you really think people would be okay with mandatory masking if it were implemented again?

You tell someone they need to do something they don't want to do, they'll be oppositional but probably still do it. You tell someone they need to do the same thing again, they're gonna get even more upset and even more oppositional. Big guys upstairs don't want to risk that, especially fresh out of midterms.

A triple whammy of RSV, COVID, and the flu.

All I know in regards to MB's employment (not their labor practices) is that they hire and treat disabled people well. That's enough of a green flag for me.

Tracfone might be a good option for you. No messy and complicated contracts, and I only pay less than $50 for three months of service. Plus I get unlimited calls and texting!

It does use Verizon though after they bought them out (used to use all four major carriers), so keep that in mind.

We've had it for decades and we did consider Mint for a while but decided to stick with the classics instead.

Go back to shaking your cane, boomer. You can't tell me you haven't laughed at least one of the signs just because it tells a funny joke hidden inside of a safety message.

Would you rather have "gobble gobble, easy on the throttle", or "speeding is against the law, don't do it"?

Actually, I read New Jersey can't have these signs anymore. They have some really good ones--"Slow Down, This Ain't Thunder Road", "Get Your Head Out of Your App"...stuff like that. So it isn't just Maine.

I just hope they aren't outlawed in Maine, either. They're pretty amusing.

Sex: what makes the USA the good old USA.

That's why I offered a more convenient second place.

How does that explain the location in Biddeford, which was the first Maine location?

Sorry, I'm not willing to have my body be touched and altered by doctors who 1) don't cater to my very particular needs and disabilities and 2) don't know what they're doing half the time.

Either my own PCP, the hospital, or bust. Thought logic. Smart way to go. I'm not running the risk of going to any urgent care places unless the hospitals close down and I'm desperate for medical care.

Already had one panic attack from medical professionals who didn't know what they were doing. Not doin' it again. But if you wanna fuck around and find out...by all means.

I'll use my Ford to drive to the nearest CVS Harmacy.

Well here are my tips for picking out good lettuce if your mom doesn't have this in mind:

• Look for heavy lettuce. The heavier the better.
• The least amount of mold (the red stuff) and the least amount of mystery slime at the bottom (that might just be exclusive to Walmart, I dunno) as possible.
• Clean green leaves. All the time. Every time.

Takes some rustling through the entire section of lettuce, but it's worked for us. We chop it, throw it into stainless steel containers, stick it in the fridge...if it's in the back then it lasts us for a couple weeks.

Beats being checked out by half-baked doctors and then, half the time, referred to the hospital anyway.

It's just going to the hospital with an extra step. No thank you.

The correct answer, of course, is Market Basket.

97% of the time, it works every time.

Second place goes to Hannie's easily.

Ah shit...here we go again. The "iT's JuSt A cOlD!!!!!11" Darwin denial anti-vaxxers love to spew out.

I didn't think it would rear its ugly head in 2022, but here we are...

This is why I would much prefer going to the hospital over going to urgent care places. Even in a triple-whammy-disease crisis.

If you have a hospital near you, go there instead. You'll get treated better, albeit with a longer wait.

I'll go too, actually. I could use the peace and qui-

...Who are all of you and why are you all standing behind me?

In Southern Maine at least, they have free dental clinics where you can get cleanings done for free. I think the next one is in January. It happens three times a year.

I don't know if they have clinics in more northern areas as well, but we've taken our cats there for years with no issue. Might be worth looking into.

Depends on where you live.

For coastal living, you're gonna need a good winter coat. It can get pretty damn cold here and if you are as thin as a twig then you will get cold easily. Just don't buy it from Burlington...I got a coat for a good amount of money there and the zipper broke in the same season. Was not happy lol.

No one's done it before COVID, either.

Throwing myself into the Reddit fire...you're walking on coals posting this here, OP.

Also throwing myself into the fire to say, I can relate. I have depression as well and I'm planning on taking a test to see if I'm capable of driving because I was told 8 years ago I would never be able to by an OT. I'm fucking terrified because my entire livelihood--getting a job, caring for my family, being independent instead of just another stereotypical autistic statistic--hinges on it. Everyone always says "ah well you'll do fine, you're so smart, you don't need a test", but I have memory issues and am near-sighted (got glasses to help with that though) and like you, I don't have much self-worth.

To answer your question, though, no. You need to have someone with you. But I do wish you the best of luck and hopefully you'll shake off the criticism anonymity provides.

What is this weird food you call "margarine"? Butter has only graced our family.

People are too pandemic-fatigued to care about RSV. Hardly anyone is masked anymore and no one wishes to because no one wants to have to do the thing they don't want to do again.

That, and I have to wonder if some people just think "Ah, it's a child's disease. Children are always so germy and they get sick all the time. Adults don't get RSV so I shouldn't worry."