Chit-Chat: What's On Your Mind Today?

[Dimity]

16 minutes ago, Ancaster said:

A couple of pounds is not going to make a difference if one is so overweight that it may be affecting one's health. 

A couple of pounds makes a difference to me.  If I want to be annoyed that the doctor weighs me and won't let me take off my earrings and glasses I wholeheartedly reserve that right!

[PRgal]

5 minutes ago, Dimity said:

A couple of pounds makes a difference to me.  If I want to be annoyed that the doctor weighs me and won't let me take off my earrings and glasses I wholeheartedly reserve that right!

Same here.  I'm tiny/short.  2 lb is "a lot."  And yes, I can gain like 4-5 lb over the course of a day, depending on what I've eaten.  I've had those full physicals where you're weighed at the beginning based on a fasting weight (before they take your blood and do an abdominal ultrasound) and then again later (after you're allowed to eat - the clinic has food for its clients/patients) when they measure your body fat content.  When you go from 94 lb fasting to 97 lb post breakfast, it's weird.

[Ancaster]

17 minutes ago, Dimity said:

A couple of pounds makes a difference to me.  If I want to be annoyed that the doctor weighs me and won't let me take off my earrings and glasses I wholeheartedly reserve that right!

Do you take your false teeth out too?  😉

Edited May 10 by Ancaster

[annzeepark914]

1 hour ago, shapeshifter said:

I'm old enough to still feel indignant that they weigh you with all your clothes on at the doctor's office.
If you're a petite person, a 3-5 extra pounds of clothes is about 4% of your total weight. 
Plus, if you were a teen during the era of Twiggy…

I don't wear jewelry when I know I'll be weighed. Also, I wear light clothes and light espadrilles--no athletic shoes (+ sweater removed ahead of time) 😎.  I'm petite as well.

ETA: Back to the discussion re: thyme. I go to a nursery that has a great selection of herbs starting in late spring. My favorite herb is Lemon Thyme. It's milder than regular thyme and is very good on grilled foods. So if you don't have an Asian market, check out nearby nurseries. I plant my herbs in window "boxes" that sit on the deck floor (that's the extent of my gardening!) 

Edited May 10 by annzeepark914

[Ancaster]

If someone is watching their weight, for whatever reason, the important thing is consistency in their own weigh-in routine.

Apparently, the best time is after you get up and use the rest room, before you drink/eat anything, before adding those 1 ounce worth of earrings.

If you're just going for a regular doctor's visit or, say, to the dermatologist, the doctor doesn't care about a couple of pounds' fluctuation since your last visit and just wants a longterm record, and presumably the dermatologist doesn't need to know your weight and you can decline.

If someone is having their weight medically monitored, that's a whole different issue and that's why we have real live doctors as well as internet forums.

Sorry to beat a dead horse, but I struggled with an eating disorder in the past, and the ongoing obsession with weight in the US upsets me.  When anti-depressants are advertised on the basis of their potential weight loss side effects, there's a problem in my books.

 

[ABay]

I've heard that weigh-ins in other countries don't occur every freaking time you go to a doctor without a reason. It's unnecessary but staff don't know how to cope if you say "nope, not doing it" because the sacred forms must be filled in.

[bluegirl147]

15 hours ago, nokat said:

I got told allergies were all in my head. As women, we were all told it was in our heads.

A book was written about this.  It's called All in Her Head by Elizabeth Komen.

5 hours ago, nokat said:

Yes, unfortunately that happens too. We are dismissed and not included in studies, so medications may not be right. 

A book was written about this.  It's called Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado-Perez.

[Ohiopirate02]

17 minutes ago, ABay said:

I've heard that weigh-ins in other countries don't occur every freaking time you go to a doctor without a reason. It's unnecessary but staff don't know how to cope if you say "nope, not doing it" because the sacred forms must be filled in.

I understand getting height and weight measurements at every appointment for children, but adults do not need it every single visit.  If the doctor needs to prescribe anything, then they need that information to calculate the correct dosage. But, how else are the medical professionals supposed to shame you for being overweight per the BMI chart if they don't weigh you before taking care of your broken arm or prescribe those antibiotics for an ear infection?  

eta--I remember when my cat bit my hand and I needed antibiotics.  They of course had to weigh and measure me, but they said I was 2 inches shorter than what I actually am.  Thankfully, I was not shamed by the PA for being "overweight" or possibly "obese" due to this miscalculation.  I am already an outlier on the BMI chart before they made  me 2 inches shorter.  Because BMI is not an accurate analysis of an individual nor was it ever intended to be.

Edited May 10 by Ohiopirate02

[peacheslatour]

8 minutes ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

I understand getting height and weight measurements at every appointment for children, but adults do not need it every single visit.  If the doctor needs to prescribe anything, then they need that information to calculate the correct dosage. But, how else are the medical professionals supposed to shame you for being overweight per the BMI chart if they don't weigh you before taking care of your broken arm or prescribe those antibiotics for an ear infection?

I was an office manager for an engineering firm and when I was choosing a health insurance plan for the company, the insurance agent told the weight measurement is for your insurance company to adjust your rates upward if you gain too much weight in a specified amount of time.

[bluegirl147]

21 minutes ago, ABay said:

I've heard that weigh-ins in other countries don't occur every freaking time you go to a doctor without a reason. It's unnecessary but staff don't know how to cope if you say "nope, not doing it" because the sacred forms must be filled in.

There was one particular nurse at my GP's office that always wanted me to recite my medication list.  I know what I take but I don't have the dosages memorized other than once a day or twice a day. I don't know the milligrams.  I would tell the nurse I know you have a list on that tablet you are holding so why don't you ask me if I'm still taking those meds.  She would say you have to tell us which I knew was bullshit. Lousy bedside manor that one.

[Ohiopirate02]

1 minute ago, bluegirl147 said:

There was one particular nurse at my GP's office that always wanted me to recite my medication list.  I know what I take but I don't have the dosages memorized other than once a day or twice a day. I don't know the milligrams.  I would tell the nurse I know you have a list on that tablet you are holding so why don't you ask me if I'm still taking those meds.  She would say you have to tell us which I knew was bullshit. Lousy bedside manor that one.

My mom takes all of her prescription bottles to every appointment and gives the nurse the bag.  

6 minutes ago, peacheslatour said:

I was an office manager for an engineering firm and when I was choosing a health insurance plan for the company, the insurance agent told the weight measurement is for your insurance company to adjust your rates upward if you gain too much weight in a specified amount of time.

That sounds like appropriate use of BMI charts.  It was designed and works for looking at a group of individuals, not one specifically.  Your workplace would have a mix of people classified from underweight to obese, and those people who are technically underweight but perfectly healthy would balance those who are technically overweight but perfectly healthy.  

[shapeshifter]

1 minute ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

My mom takes all of her prescription bottles to every appointment and gives the nurse the bag.  

Hah!
I love your Mom for doing this, but I’m curious about what do they do with it?
I mean, do they actually read and record all of the dosages etc.?
 

[Dimity]

38 minutes ago, ABay said:

I've heard that weigh-ins in other countries don't occur every freaking time you go to a doctor without a reason. It's unnecessary but staff don't know how to cope if you say "nope, not doing it" because the sacred forms must be filled in.

Where I am they weigh you and take your height at your physical but not at any other time (unless there is a very specific reason for it, I.e. pregnancy).  What a time waster for the nursing staff otherwise.

[bluegirl147]

5 minutes ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

My mom takes all of her prescription bottles to every appointment and gives the nurse the bag.  

There is a sign in every doctor's office I have went to that says that but I'm not carrying around a bag when I know they already have that info. Every other nurse in every other doctor office is fine with reading the list to me except for this one particular nurse.

1 minute ago, Dimity said:

Where I am they weigh you and take your height at your physical but not at any other time (unless there is a very specific reason for it, I.e. pregnancy).  What a time waster for the nursing staff otherwise.

I don't remember where I heard it but someone said they need your weight if they are going to prescribe medication so they can get the dosage correct.

[Dimity]

4 minutes ago, bluegirl147 said:

I don't remember where I heard it but someone said they need your weight if they are going to prescribe medication so they can get the dosage correct.

This makes a lot of sense.  My husband recently had surgery and there was a bit of a fuss because his height and weight from one visit to the next were significantly different** to the point where they asked him to go up to the hospital to have them redone.  It was important they get it right as no one wants the anesthetic to be too little or too much on the big day! 

**Turned out someone at the first appointment didn't know the metric system as well as they should have!!

[Ohiopirate02]

8 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

Hah!
I love your Mom for doing this, but I’m curious about what do they do with it?
I mean, do they actually read and record all of the dosages etc.?
 

They actually do read and record all of the dosages.  It also allows for the staff to see if you really are taking them as prescribed because they can see the date filled on the bottle and how many tablets you have left.  It also comes in handy when you have an appointment at 8am with a completely new doctor for a procedure that requires sedation and you have not eaten anything in the last 24 hours.  

[ginger90]

Weight, height and blood pressure are taken so there is a baseline to go by during future visits.

Edited May 10 by ginger90

[Ohiopirate02]

26 minutes ago, bluegirl147 said:

I don't remember where I heard it but someone said they need your weight if they are going to prescribe medication so they can get the dosage correct.

That is true for some diagnoses and medications, but not so much for others.  The antibiotics I needed for that cat bite were not one of those cases.  The nature of my infection was what determined my prescription not my weight.  

[JustHereForFood]

6 hours ago, nokat said:

Yes, unfortunately that happens too. We are dismissed and not included in studies, so medications may not be right. 

I have read recently someone suggesting that one of the reasons that so many girls or non-white boys go undiagnosed for autism as opposed to white boys might be because originally, they simply took the symptoms presented in white boys as default and did not consider that other demographics might have different symptoms. Sounds very likely to me.

 

1 hour ago, ABay said:

I've heard that weigh-ins in other countries don't occur every freaking time you go to a doctor without a reason. It's unnecessary but staff don't know how to cope if you say "nope, not doing it" because the sacred forms must be filled in.

My endocrinologist always asks me if I know my weight or if I want to be weighted and doesn't question the number. (Though probably she would if I said something far off from what I look like.) I can't remember if I have to be weighed at the once-per-two-years checkup at my GP or if she accepts the number too. No other doctor ever asked me as far as I remember.

[bluegirl147]

I used to hate the question "when was your last period?"  Especially if I was at the doctor's for something not remotely connected to my menstrual cycle. They finally stopped asking when I said 2018.

[annzeepark914]

I keep a list of Rx meds, OTC meds, vitamins & supplements in my wallet, along with another list of drugs I can & cannot take. 

[Dimity]

6 minutes ago, bluegirl147 said:

I used to hate the question "when was your last period?"  Especially if I was at the doctor's for something not remotely connected to my menstrual cycle. They finally stopped asking when I said 2018.

I was with my Mom when she was brought to ER for a fall a few years ago and that seems to be one of the standard questions on the form they give you.  My mother had me write in "sometime last century".

[ECM1231]

2 minutes ago, annzeepark914 said:

I keep a list of Rx meds, OTC meds, vitamins & supplements in my wallet, along with another list of drugs I can & cannot take. 

That's a good idea. My husband has it written down to take to his doctor appointments, but I have mine in my head.

Ah, the dreaded moment one has to step on the scale at the doctor's office. I hate it! If by chance my husband has accompanied me to that appointment (I will sometimes go to his, too.), then I make him leave the room for a second.

I'll wear a light short sleeve top and capris if it's warm out. No jewelry other than my hoop earrings, which I never take off. He, on the other hand, wears jeans, heavy sneakers, has his cell phone on his belt, and a key ring with a zillion keys. The last year or two he's been losing weight and is at the thinnest he's been in at least 30 years.  His weight has always been pretty stable, give or take a few pounds. He's 6 ft 2 whereas I'm barely 5 ft 4.  My PCP, a male, is a sweetheart though. At least he doesn't constantly nag me to lose weight. 

[annzeepark914]

Men lose weight so easily, it seems. 

[Ohiopirate02]

17 minutes ago, bluegirl147 said:

I used to hate the question "when was your last period?"  Especially if I was at the doctor's for something not remotely connected to my menstrual cycle. They finally stopped asking when I said 2018.

I get why they have to ask, so many things are contraindicated with pregnancy, and the whole "I didn't know I was pregnant" thing.  One time when a doc asked me "and how do you know you are not pregnant," I responded with because I hadn't had sex in the last 6 months.  The nurse got a chuckle out of that one.

[bluegirl147]

2 minutes ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

 One time when a doc asked me "and how do you know you are not pregnant," I responded with because I hadn't had sex in the last 6 months.  The nurse got a chuckle out of that one.

A couple years ago my gyno asked me if I'm sexual active.  I told her no.  She asked me why. I said because I don't want to be.  I think she felt bad for me but I was like trust me I'm happy with my life.

[PRgal]

Regarding weight:  It's more important to know body fat composition than the actual body mass.  You could be classified as overweight, but because you have lots of muscle, you’re actually healthy.  You could also be of a healthy weight but be "skinny fat" because you have visceral fat/fat around your organs.  Wish they did THAT more at regular checkups.

Edited May 10 by PRgal

[Quof]

I have never been weighed in a doctor's office.  I have been asked my weight a few times, for example when my doctor filled in the requisition form for an MRI, it asks the patient's weight so Diagnostic Imaging knows whether to book the bariatric machine.   I have also never gone to my doctor "for a check-up".  Are those even done any more?  

[Dimity]

1 minute ago, Quof said:

 I have also never gone to my doctor "for a check-up".  Are those even done any more?  

Our current family doctor doesn't routinely schedule annual physicals but our previous GP did. I suspect the change in approach may be, at least in part, down to how much busier GPs are now as opposed to even just a few years ago.  

[PRgal]

10 minutes ago, Quof said:

I have never been weighed in a doctor's office.  I have been asked my weight a few times, for example when my doctor filled in the requisition form for an MRI, it asks the patient's weight so Diagnostic Imaging knows whether to book the bariatric machine.   I have also never gone to my doctor "for a check-up".  Are those even done any more?  

I go every year to ensure that my vaccinations are in check (among other things, including things like body fat composition (I'm so glad my doctor has that kind of machine)).  You lose track!

[Absolom]

1 hour ago, Dimity said:

I was with my Mom when she was brought to ER for a fall a few years ago and that seems to be one of the standard questions on the form they give you.  My mother had me write in "sometime last century".

I started putting in a couple of decades ago.  One not too bright nurse tried to push me for a date.  All she got was a gigantic eye roll.

[bluegirl147]

24 minutes ago, Dimity said:

Our current family doctor doesn't routinely schedule annual physicals but our previous GP did. I suspect the change in approach may be, at least in part, down to how much busier GPs are now as opposed to even just a few years ago.  

I think most doctors who are prescribing you meds request to see you once a year. At least that is what my GP tells me.

[ECM1231]

59 minutes ago, Quof said:

 I have also never gone to my doctor "for a check-up".  Are those even done any more?  

My health insurance coverage pays for one yearly physical, complete with EKG and blood work, for which there is no 'co-pay' on my part. Now that I am Medicare eligible, I still get a yearly physical and there are no co-pays once I fulfill the deductible for the year. 

[Absolom]

Medicare doesn't cover "physicals," but they cover everything in a physical just billed by individual services usually spread over a couple of visits.  It's weird, but most people on Medicare need to see a doctor more than once a year.  

[nokat]

4 hours ago, Ancaster said:

Sorry to beat a dead horse, but I struggled with an eating disorder in the past, and the ongoing obsession with weight in the US upsets me.  When anti-depressants are advertised on the basis of their potential weight loss side effects, there's a problem in my books.

I've had my weight commented on so much over my life.  I've been thin because I'm tall. I hated having it always an issue with other people.   As women, our bodies are always commented on.  My doctor says I'm healthy.

I'm so sorry for the struggles you have had. I hope you have someone nonjudgmental that cares about you.

Edit: There are people in my circle of friends that need those drugs to control their diabetes.

Edited May 10 by nokat

[Dimity]

1 hour ago, nokat said:

 As women, our bodies are always commented on. 

Absolutely agree with you.  Where I am reaching a level of annoyance is when, apparently, "we" are not even allowed to comment in a joking fashion on our own weight issues.  If we are not shaming others but instead are talking about how we personally feel about our own body, and if that means we want to joke about it I don't see why anyone else should care.  I'll step off my soapbox now.

On another topic entirely here the hot button issue is that people are being ordered back into the workplace effective September as opposed to working from home.  I can see both sides here but boy howdy are people on either side of the issue seeing very bright red over this!

[Ancaster]

1 hour ago, nokat said:

I've had my weight commented on so much over my life.  I've been thin because I'm tall. I hated having it always an issue with other people.   As women, our bodies are always commented on.  My doctor says I'm healthy.

I'm so sorry for the struggles you have had. I hope you have someone nonjudgmental that cares about you.

Edit: There are people in my circle of friends that need those drugs to control their diabetes.

Thank you, yes.  I've been in a good spot for a while now and hopefully that's all behind me.

And I totally get people in your friends' situation and their needs.  What I hate is people who are trying to lose weight who go to their doctors and ask for drugs that are not designed for it and could have pretty severe side effects - a necessary evil for diabetes control, but not weight loss.

Another reason (along with the overuse of antibiotics) why pharmaceutical advertising should be prohibited again.  And I know, never going to happen.

[peacheslatour]

I hate to keep dragging on this but truck commercials - just Grrrr. I do not want to see your fume belching mega truck splashing through pristine rivers and streams nor do I want to see them tearing up the countryside, killing god knows how many tiny eco systems. There is nothing "manly" or sporting about it. Blargh.

Edited May 10 by peacheslatour

[annzeepark914]

5 hours ago, bluegirl147 said:

A couple years ago my gyno asked me if I'm sexual active.  I told her no.  She asked me why. I said because I don't want to be.  I think she felt bad for me but I was like trust me I'm happy with my life.

She probably asked "why" because she was concerned that it was because of a physical condition. 

I'm so glad there are a lot more female gynecologists today. They're one of us & know what life is like once a month.

[athousandclowns]

10 hours ago, bluegirl147 said:

A couple years ago my gyno asked me if I'm sexual active.  I told her no.  She asked me why. I said because I don't want to be.  I think she felt bad for me but I was like trust me I'm happy with my life.

When I first moved back to my hometown after my husband passed away I had to establish with a obgyn . Previously my long time GP used to do my pelvic exams unless I had issues like ectopic an  pregnancy etc.

So  I was maybe 70 when I went to  a woman OBGYN and at end of exam or ultra sound she asked if I was having sex and I said no.  She said if you don’t use it you loose it, I was almost 70 and a new widow.  I went back to her with an issue recently  after not seeing her for years and she either told me at my age paps or mammograms are not done. 
I just heard on tv the other day that a study shows both woman and men patients being treated by female doctors adds to their longevity.   All my doctors have mostly been women intentionally. I was lucky that I worked at a hospital and would get to know about them. When I moved I picked women doctors. I do have male  GI doctor who makes note how many minutes he was at my visit.   I guess insurance might work that way now. 

I was at my doctors office yesterday about an ear infection and my doctor has Covid so had to see a brand new woman doctor who couldn’t work the computer brought up wrong patient when she asked me about a medication and I said what is it?   She said oh you were on it long time ago… nope wrong patient. She really should have had someone with her. I wear a pin that says I’m Hard Of hearing but back is facing me with a mask and accent. Mercy it was awful. 
think I’ll try the pillow screaming myself 

[Moose135]

We went out in search of the Northern Lights. We're visiting family in Kansas City, so we headed north until we found some good darkness, then drove down several roads in the middle of farm country. Down a long gravel road, we found some farm buildings that made for a nice foreground.

[Blergh]

3 hours ago, Moose135 said:

We went out in search of the Northern Lights. We're visiting family in Kansas City, so we headed north until we found some good darkness, then drove down several roads in the middle of farm country. Down a long gravel road, we found some farm buildings that made for a nice foreground.

WOW! That's utterly fantastic and [as usual from you} AMAZING photos!

I didn't know that auroras could be found that far south (and I've never seen them in my northernmost travels to Scotland or Canada. . . or even out plane window via transatlantic flights arching via Greenland,etc).

I looked it up and it said that they've been seen as far south as Alabama (though I live north of there and no luck). ..and I saw one news service that claims that they might be seen as far south as. ..Florida this weekend.

Of course, I live in a light-polluted city but I'm wondering if it might be worth driving far out of the city late at night  in search of them. I usually like to already be home by nightfall. However. .

Regardless of my own hemming and hawwing .  .NOTHING can take away from you having had having had that experience- to say  nothing of your wonderful gift of being able to create excellent photos that you've deigned to share with us!

THANK YOU!!!

[annzeepark914]

15 hours ago, peacheslatour said:

I hate to keep dragging on this but truck commercials - just Grrrr. I do not want to see your fume belching mega truck splashing through pristine rivers and streams nor do I want to see them tearing up the countryside, killing god knows how many tiny eco systems. There is nothing "manly" or sporting about it. Blargh.

You ought to send this to the CEO's of the truck (& SUV) companies. I cringe when I see these vehicles being driven over streams and across desert & forestlands, crushing who knows how many miniscule creatures. Another cringeworthy sight for me is vehicles driving on beaches...same concern. 

[Yeah No]

22 hours ago, Ancaster said:

Why be indignant?  If it matters to you, subtract those few pounds.  The doctor wants consistency, so clothes on every time makes sense.  (Take off your shoes and outer layers and you'll be close enough every time.)  Plus there are other things that affect weight all the time -  coming straight from lunch and drinking a boatload of water expecting to have to pee in a cup, being pre-menstrual, etc.

A couple of pounds is not going to make a difference if one is so overweight that it may be affecting one's health. 

As a short person (5'1.5") a few pounds more is a HUGE difference.  For me an extra 5 lbs. can put me in a new size.  That's why I often buy the same tops and pants in 2 sizes.  Literally.  And as @PRgal pointed out, just eating a meal can make you gain 4 lbs.  

Also, it DOES make a big difference if you're on a weight loss program and get weighed in after breakfast and lunch with your clothes on.  Just a cup of my tea in the morning adds a lb.  I've figured this out down to the pound over the years, LOL.  Clothing adds even more than the weight of the food.  By the time you're all done you could weigh in at 6-7 lbs. heavier!  On me that's significant.  It would take me over a month to lose that kind of weight because short people actually lose weight slower than taller people.  And when it's in the context of a diet program I want them to see every ounce I've lost.  It's not fair to me if I've lost weight but the scale isn't showing it.

That said, my doctor's offices have gotten nicer about letting me take off whatever I want to take off when I get there.  Shoes, jewelry, watch, jacket, etc.  I can't always get there on an empty stomach, though, that's not realistic.  I usually try to wear very light clothing if I can.  It's not that important at the regular doctor but I think they should let you strip down and wear just a hospital gown at the weight loss doctor's office.  But they don't.

[Yeah No]

20 hours ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

I understand getting height and weight measurements at every appointment for children, but adults do not need it every single visit.  If the doctor needs to prescribe anything, then they need that information to calculate the correct dosage. But, how else are the medical professionals supposed to shame you for being overweight per the BMI chart if they don't weigh you before taking care of your broken arm or prescribe those antibiotics for an ear infection?  

When I've complained that the number on the scale at the doctor's office was 5 lbs. heavier than what I weighed in at at home some of the assistants have actually changed my weight to what I told them I weighed in at that morning at home.  I think some of them are getting a clue now that people are upset about this.

I have been told that some of their scales aren't so accurate either.  I have scratched my head at what I weigh at some offices.  They can vary a LOT.  I know my scale is pretty accurate because the scale they use at the medical weight loss program is extremely expensive and state of the art, and it has so far weighed me in closer to what I weigh at home than any of the doctor office scales (factoring in the extra weight from food and clothes).

[shapeshifter]

8 hours ago, Moose135 said:

We went out in search of the Northern Lights. We're visiting family in Kansas City, so we headed north until we found some good darkness, then drove down several roads in the middle of farm country. Down a long gravel road, we found some farm buildings that made for a nice foreground.

Thank you for sharing!

I wanted to drive the 2 miles to see it last night over Lake Ontario, but the same local news that tells us to go see it tells us Rochester NY area is not safe after dark. 
I also heard on the local news that if you can't see them with your naked eye to look through your phone camera.

 

But this morning I managed to clean the outside of the one window with a view during the month that the blossoms block the parking lot. I used a sturdy step stool and discovered that my broom handle screws onto my squeegee.
I don't know if handled cleaning tools all universal, or if it's just that mine were the same vintage:

Edited May 11 by shapeshifter

[Yeah No]

21 hours ago, bluegirl147 said:

A book was written about this.  It's called Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado-Perez.

Oh yes, what a great book.  That's where I got the term "reference guy".  Since my husband lost weight that's what I call him now, LOL.  

I just had an example of this at the dentist's office.  My hygienist was going on about the new state of the art, ergonomic dental chairs they just got and how comfortable they are (she's about 5'7").  So I sat down in it and it felt like a back contortion/strangulation device.  Seriously, it was so painful I asked her if there was any way she could adjust it for me.  I explained that these chairs were rarely sized right for a shorter person.  She spent a good 2 minutes (which feels like forever in a dental office) struggling with the thing and even after all of that my lower back hurt for DAYS after that.  

That's also a reason why I could never order a desk chair online.  I have to sit in it first.  These days a lot of them don't adjust low enough and my legs dangle.  I actually don't remember this being a problem 40 years ago.  WTF?  Supposedly these chairs are getting more comfortable and adjustable but you can't prove that by me.

[Yeah No]

16 hours ago, peacheslatour said:

I hate to keep dragging on this but truck commercials - just Grrrr. I do not want to see your fume belching mega truck splashing through pristine rivers and streams nor do I want to see them tearing up the countryside, killing god knows how many tiny eco systems. There is nothing "manly" or sporting about it. Blargh.

Oh yeah, me too.  Equally as bad are the car commercials showing young people driving recklessly in city areas like they're in some kind of road race.  Of course they make them look cool.  It encourages young people to drive irresponsibly.  In the real world they could hit a pedestrian. Nissan is a big offender. I have a Nissan but I bought it before they started these ads.  They get under my skin in a BIG way.

[annzeepark914]

A couple of years ago there was an SUV ad, showing a mom with two kids in the back seat, driving like she was in a NASCAR race. These automobile commercials encourage reckless driving. Speaking of which, last month I saw 3 different school buses pull out of streets when they had to have seen me approaching on the main road. I was dumbfounded. Next time I see this, I'm going to try to get the number of the bus and report it.

[Ohiopirate02]

1 hour ago, Yeah No said:

That's also a reason why I could never order a desk chair online.  I have to sit in it first.  These days a lot of them don't adjust low enough and my legs dangle.  I actually don't remember this being a problem 40 years ago.  WTF?  Supposedly these chairs are getting more comfortable and adjustable but you can't prove that by me.

Like almost everything else, desk chairs are designed with the average man in mind--5 feet 9 inches tall and weighing under 200 pounds per a quick Google search.  Things work pretty well for you if you fall in to the 5'7"-5'11" range.  Outside of that range is another story.  And it is difficult to find chairs rated over 200 or even 250 pounds.  I could go on a whole different rant about that.