Loyal MS customer; I really liked the recipes and variety.
After pausing for a few weeks (out of town), I got a box with..some things in it, I guess.
What service should I switch to that is closest to MS in terms of recipe quality and variety?
I used Hello Fresh a while ago and liked it, but I thought MS had more variety (at least at the time).
Figured the mirrored question could also be interesting.
First-time homebuyer who is moving in soon-ish.
I would like to get a smart lock, and the Schlage Encode Plus and Sense Pro seemed like really solid options. Which one should I get?
Thanks for any insight!
DC resident for a few years now, looking to buy (or else rent) a rowhome.
I'm no stranger to small paces (lived in a <350 sq. ft. studio in NYC for years), but for some reason the current inventory of rowhouses are just...odd.
W/Ds in the kitchen or in the basement (with bedrooms two floors up), non-functional fireplaces in the only place a big TV could fit comfortably, lots of bedroom space but small-ass living areas, kitchens, and bathrooms.
It's like some weird upside-down dimension for me. I tour properties in Cap Hill or Eastern Market (among other neighborhoods) that seem weird--one ancient bathroom for a 2 BR, outdated everything, dark, tiny kitchen, staircase separating from the wall--and people I chat with at the open houses say they're in love with the "oldness" and the houses sell within days. I feel like my budget is pretty healthy, but even places above budget are weird.
Am I nuts? If you live in a rowhome, what were the biggest surprises (good or bad)? Were any inconveniences (like funky W/D location) better or worse than you expected?
I am a home cook (mostly self-trained through trial and error). Probably at least average by American standards. I get meal kits through Marley Spoon but sometimes feel like I am just bumbling along.
I am looking to really step up the basics--knife skills, cook temp (and how high for which ingredients, how to best get a sear, DO v. stainless steel skillet v. cast iron), etc. Less focused on cuisine-specific techniques (but not opposed to them).
Are there weeklong bootcamps or similar courses y'all recommend? I am in the DC area but view this as a long-term investment in something I enjoy--and vacation. Fine traveling internationally. I am really looking for something with hands-on training and feedback--YouTube is great but only goes so far.
Budget for the class is probably ~$10k per week.
I have a relatively new Le Creuset DO. I have been paranoid/protective about it—no metal utensils, very slow heat-up with something (usually oil) inside. I clean it with the LC cleanser and a Swedish dishcloth or an eco-friendly brush with recycled plastic bristles, which don’t seem strong enough to scratch the enamel.
The other day, though, I noticed a scratch. It’s enough that I can feel it (barely) with my fingernail.
The scratch a bit longer than visible in the picture. I do not see crazing and I don’t known what could have caused it (although the spare lid handle was in the DO during shipping and caused at least some metal transfer while being tossed around).
Is the DO safe? What should I do?
Staying at ECPM (Club level) for the first time this August. I will be Club level. I had a few questions:
(1) Any must-do restaurants, experiences, activities? It seems like there are more dining/drinking options than at EPM (where I've stayed previously).
(2) Are there major differences between the experience at ECPM and EPM (vibe, clientele, service) beyond ECPM being newer?
(3) I currently have a EC junior suite with private pool on the south side (but pretty close to the pools/beach). Is my room fine or are there better room types or locations? I am only one person in the room (the other 2 people in the group are in their own room), so a two-story suite seems like overkill. OTOH if the ocean view is great and the plunge pool is whatever, maybe I go with ocean view. My room is fully refundable.
Staying at ECPM for the first time this August; I am a longtime fan of EPM. I will be Club level. I had a few questions:
I have been looking for months, have toured over 40 places, and only found one I wanted to put an offer on. It was a fixer-upper that would have required $300-400,000 of remodeling to make actually nice, and it still went for $200,000 over list price (my offer was "only" $50,000 over list price, which was already $1.1M...).
The major problem is that the main "starter" properties in my area are condos, which can still go for $1M+. But they are horrible financial investments because of high condo fees and either zero appreciation or (more often) outright depreciation, even before adjusting for inflation.
And the actual fee simple homes (townhomes in my city) tend to be much bigger than I am looking for (1,000-1,500 sq. ft.) in all of my target areas, which are not even the most desirable.
My agent is more optimistic than I am, but I am getting increasingly frustrated and discouraged. I have really favorable mortgage terms because of my job, but at this point I'm genuinely wondering whether they will go to waste in the event I jump ship/get fired or whatever in the next year or so, which seems like a crazy time horizon for getting a house. I thought my budget would be enough to find even a fixer-upper, but apparently not. And there's not really a middle ground. Either I buy a condo (bad financial investment), a house far from the Metro and any sort of social center (really, really bad for personal/mental health reasons), or continue renting. The last seems the most likely for the indefinite future.
Anyway, self-indulgent rant over.
>Then-Attorney General Robert H. Jackson warned his fellow prosecutors long ago of the danger of picking the person first and the crime second. “Therein is the most dangerous power of the prosecutor: that he will pick people that he thinks he should get, rather than pick cases that need to be prosecuted.” Robert H. Jackson, The Federal Prosecutor, 31 J. Crim. L. & Criminology 3, 5 (1940). That is the situation here.
>The objective evidence here comes close to establishing that but for Abrego’s lawsuit, the Government would not have indicted him. The reopening of the investigation, Blanche’s unrebutted statements, and Singh’s sustained oversight together support that inference. Blanche’s statements tie Main Justice to the tainted investigation and confirm what motivated it. Singh’s involvement ties Main Justice to the indictment. Yet it is not direct evidence of vindictiveness sufficient to establish actual vindictiveness as required by Andrews. The presumption of vindictiveness nevertheless arose from the same evidence, remains in place, and has not been rebutted by the Government.
Basically title.
Judging by this sub, Atelier offers the equivalent of $20,000+ service, food, facilities, etc. for <$5k. Including claims--as of today--that Atelier is the best AI in Mexico. Apparently just flat-out and regardless of cost/value, including CDLP and similar.
Is it that good? Am I just a hater? Are we dealing with a ton of bots/TAs?
Where can I go for actually reliable takes/reviews here?
What are the pros and cons of Atelier versus other brands in the ballpark like Excellence, Xcaret, Secrets, Grand Velas, etc. NO MENTION OF FOOD, PLEASE.
Especially interested in people who have stayed at multiple and can directly compare.
Basically interested in comparisons at whatever level of generality between Atelier and other resorts that seem similar on paper BUT NO FOOD TALK. Thanks!
*N.B.: I have already checked the spreadsheet.
Basically title.
I am moving from downtown, and I am more familiar with the NW area. I have been exploring the Eastern Market area, and it seems great. Almost a more local/small-town feel in a larger city, which is similar to where I lived before moving to DC.
Would be interested in anyone's experience and perspective. In particular, whether it is easy to make friends/find local third places (Labyrinth? I like board games), the dating scene (30sM), whether it feels too disconnected from the other social hubs (AdMo, 14th St., etc.), the commute to downtown (will still need to go 3-4 days a week for RTO).
Thanks!
Long-time EPM fan and interested in ECPM for a change of pace.
A lot of early reviews mentioned that kinks still needed to be worked out in terms of food, service, etc.* Also, some of the foliage was still growing.
Is it now basically fully functional at Excellence standards? Are there any obvious things that the resort is still getting up to speed (and any sense of when that will likely happen)?
*None of them have ever suggested staff were unfriendly or not trying, to be clear.
Going with two friends to Ventus Ha' next week. A few questions:
(1) Which building should we try to stay in if we have a choice? 30-32 seem the newest. Stay in one with a rooftop bar (Na Ha v. ruf)--or not?
(2) Any difference between the Ventus Ha' pools & pool areas (Kaax v. Senses)?
(3) Do the room minibars include alcohol? It seems like all the bars across the resorts close by 10:30 except for the Marina El Cid lobby bar (1 am). Totally fine, but just want to know for planning purposes.
(4) I think our plan is to hang out at the rooftop pools and the Ventus Ha' pool. Are there any cool pool spots in the Ventus/Marina area we should make sure to check out?
(5) Restaurant recommendations? Both A'akat and Kobo seem solid, but what else should we make sure to try at Ventus/Marina?
(6) We have platinum status--I assume we should make sure to have our butler book all restaurants ASAP. Is that easy (as in, does the butler actually show up/do stuff)? Anything else?
I have lived downtown in CityCenter I moved to DC a few years ago. Good Metro access. But also removed from basically any sort of community or social life.
I am looking to buy a condo (less likely, a rowhome) in DC and have mainly been focused on Dupont + Logan + 14th Street up to around U Street corridor (plus a bit more north into Columbia Heights).
Are there other areas I should consider? Priorities are access to Metro and easy social opportunities (board game stores, bars/pubs with trivia, casual "sports" leagues, etc.). I do not want to focus too much on a subset of NW DC . If it matters, I am mid-30sM and would also like having dating opportunities. I am not super familiar with the outer neighborhoods of DC or what they have to offer.
Note: I would ask this on the sister sub, but these kinds of questions are banned, and the moving guide is like a decade out of date.