u/financial_freedom416

I'm a bit late to the game, but I was looking at the Network Now framework trying to see where I can more reasonably incorporate transit into my life. Even though I have a car, I think the Green Line is going to be a game changer for me.

But one issue (at least to me) in looking at the framework is that there's still not a great link between the eastern half of Minnetonka Boulevard and Excelsior Boulevard that doesn't send you all the way into Minneapolis for a transfer. I wasn't even seeing a great connector between the new Beltline Station and Minnetonka Boulevard, which surprised me. It looks like they considered a connector in the new route 36 planning (previously Route 6), but then decided to send that route through Uptown and between Bde Maka Ska/Lake Harriet. The new 617 sort of connects Excelsior to the general area across Highway 7, but if you live on Minnetonka Boulevard west of Highway 100, it's still a hike to get to the intersection of Lake and Wooddale-reasonable by bike but potentially a 15-20 minute walk.

If I'm missing something, I'd love to be corrected! I would love to see a route that runs up Minnetonka, crosses at Ottawa and over Highway 7, and loops around Excelsior, maybe circling back at Louisiana rather than continuing on into Hopkins. I know that duplicates parts of the 17 and 38, but a spur line that runs regularly would be nice :-)

Has anyone successfully used Phentermine for a period of time for weight loss, stopped using it and been able to maintain that weight loss?

Upon diagnosis with Hashimoto's two years ago I was able to lose the weight I'd gained fairly easily, but then after about a year I started gaining again. Whether because I had started more structured strength training or something else, my TSH had crept up from under 1 to 2.5. My PCP refused to make any adjustments despite the weight gain and sleep issues, because previously I'd been over medicated at that higher dose. It was at that point I began researching endocrinologists and found one I really like, and she willingly made some adjustments to my dose. Now my TSH has been >1 for at least six months. I also added in some additional supplements which have helped resolve the sleep issues I've been having.

Now, despite exercising 3-4 days a week, following a healthy diet, limited sugar and processed foods, etc., I'm stuck at the higher weight. Endo is prescribing Phentermine, which I'm definitely open to. I'm definitely not looking for a miracle cure, just super frustrated with working so hard and not seeing any results. But it doesn't look like it's something that is great to be on super long-term, so I'm wondering what experiences people have had with stopping it, especially if they started it because nothing else (diet, exercise, etc.) seemed to be working so those healthy habits were already pretty well established?

Hope this is OK to post here, or if there is a visitors sub I can go there as well...

I'll be visiting Aberdeen in a few weeks for a convention and staying out near the airport. I'll have some time on either end for sightseeing further afield, but may have a free evening or two during the event. Any recommendations on places to explore for a couple hours that are accessible via public transit? Nature/outdoor activities are preferred :-)

I've had my Delta Skymiles Gold for five years. It tends to be a sock drawer card, but I live in a Delta Hub so the free checked bag and annual hotel credit are worth the annual fee. With my AF set to post soon, I figured it was worth a shot to ask again (haven't been successful in previous years). I connected with someone via live chat and asked about it, and they transferred me to a different department. After the agent asked how often I fly Delta and reminded me of a few of the perks (free checked bag, flight credit after 10k miles), she offered me 10K miles for spending $1000 on the card in the next three months. I'm just finishing another SUB and don't have plans to pursue another one for awhile, so it was a pretty easy decision :-)

I'm curious to hear what peoples' practice routines look like after high school/college if you didn't pursue music as a career. Especially interested in people who learned as a kid (vs. people picking up the instrument brand new as an adult). I personally have struggled since leaving the formal structures of the university to practice consistently if I don't have a particular piece I'm working on. I play in a community band that sometimes has music I need to woodshed at home, but very often it's easy enough to sightread in rehearsals without a lot of outside practice. I also play sometimes at church, and so when I'm on that schedule I'm more consistent in practicing (usually because I have freedom to pick my solo pieces and so intentionally pick things that will take some practice). But when I don't have anything that I'm aiming towards, I don't practice very much-just the weekly band rehearsal. I'd love to take lessons again, but it's not really in the budget. I'm certainly doing a lot of music, between clarinet and other instruments, it's just spread out more than when I was younger and more exclusively focused on the clarinet.

Just curious to hear from others!

Have you ever had a solo performance where you felt like you sounded pretty good, and then the recording sounded worse? I'm feeling bummed because I played the Adagio movement of the J. Stamitz concert in Bb yesterday at church and felt like it went pretty well. People were complimentary and said I did a great job. But then I went back and listened to the recording and my tone did not sound nearly as nice as I thought it did-more spread out in the upper register, just generally a little brighter than I was hearing while I was playing and not necessarily in a good way. Does this happen to anyone else?

What's the highest number of nights you've booked on separate reservations to utilize hotel statement credits? I currently have credits on my CSP, Amex Delta Gold and Amex Delta Business Gold of $350 in total, which could cover a good portion of two or three nights away somewhere this fall or winter (nothing luxurious of course). Is it weird to book three separate reservations and then call the hotel to link them? I've only done it once with two, but never more than that.

I have been playing on the same leather ligature for probably 18 years (my college clarinet professor designed it and basically required everyone in the studio to use it). I never thought about the idea of ligatures wearing out, but it makes sense-leather warps, stretches, etc. It worked well for a long time, but recently I've felt like things aren't always vibrating quite so well. It's one of those things that is hard to pinpoint exactly what is causing the issue. So on a whim during my practice session today, I replaced my ligature with a plain ol' rubber band from the junk drawer. And let me tell you, my tone instantly brightened and the reed vibrated more freely, without losing the warmth I have always strived for.

It may be time to replace the old ligature-any recommendations on something else to try as a starting point? My setup is fairly "standard," Buffet R13, M13 Lyre mouthpiece, 3.5 Vandoren traditional blue box reeds. Maybe a Rovner? I am not necessarily set on a leather/synthetic, that's just what I currently use.

Before Covid, Metro Transit ran route 12 along Excelsior Boulevard, across on Hennepin to downtown. Now there is no direct route-you have to transfer in Uptown. What's the likelihood that route would ever come back as more companies call employees back to the office?

I'm re-listening to the Fiery Cross audiobook right now. There's of course the whole undercurrent of Jemmy's unknown parentage, and the parallels to Frank raising Brianna despite not being her biological father.

So it got me to thinking-what if Claire hadn't been pregnant when she came back through the stones? Would Frank have still stayed with her? I expect that if he had, they likely would have ended up divorced fairly soon. We know how badly Frank wanted a child, and I believe>!his infertility!<was revealed in *Voyager (*spoiler tag just to be safe).

Was considering buying a new mattress for my bed at the summer lake house, and had even put aside money in a category for it. But after doing some shopping, I decided I really didn't want to spend that much money on a mattress I'll be using for the equivalent of about 3 weeks of the year (it's a family seasonal property we only can use from May-September). But with the price of gas these days, it's going to be expensive to even get up there this summer. Renamed the category from "new cabin mattress" to "extra summer gas" and I'm hoping I'll be set for at least the first half of the summer!

Not sure if this is the most appropriate place to ask, but have others with this condition started getting charged for office visits when they go in for an annual primary care visit? Two years ago I had a well visit where I expressed concern over significant weight gain that year despite no changes to diet and regular exercise. Fortunately for me, my doctor ordered a thyroid test which revealed the Hashimoto's. I got charged for an office visit that year. I have had a few visits with endocrinologists since then, which of course I would expect to get charged for until I hit my deductible (I'm on a HDHP). But I also got charged for an office visit at well visit last year, despite not bringing up anything related to my Hashimoto's with my PCP (she included blood tests in my lab work).

She has given me some care information that is frankly wrong and I want to keep the management of this condition with my endo. Like after being stable with Levo for about a year, my weight started to creep up again, so I asked for a retest and discovered my TSH had more than doubled. She told me it was difficult to control for TSH under 2 and wouldn't change my dosage, because that dosage was a level I had previously been overmedicated on and caused my TSH to be too low. I found a recommended endo and she was more than happy to work with me on adjusting my dose, and I have been able to get down closer to where I want to be again. But I will have a well visit again this year, and I don't know how to avoid getting charged for an office visit now that I have a pre-existing condition.

I'm working on Johann Stamitz' concerto in B-flat, second movement (Adagio) to perform at church in about a month. Just wondering if anyone can recommend some etudes to work on in conjunction with this piece? I have many of the standard method/etude books-Rose 32/40, Hite, Uhl, Klose, Baermann. Thanks!