Follow up on this.
We’ve- paid off the car ($20k)
Invested $40k into after tax VTSAX
And within our IRAs we will do some rebalancing to get more into bond funds and international.
Thanks again all!
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Yep, glad you told us that because now he’s a hard pass 
. He’s gonna be 40 so I better think of another gift idea…
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@Bracken_Joy do you know if there are the same disease issues with hummingbird feeders?
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Even more so. The sugar water grows stuff so fast, you can kill a lot of hummingbirds with fungal outbreaks without knowing it. It’s recommended you rinse and replace the solution every 24 hours, more often if it’s hot, and you wash it thoroughly every week.
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Yep, this is why we aren’t doing feeders this year.
Depends on your climate of course, Feeder Watch (which is a cornell ornithology labs project) says to clean nectar feeders every 2-5 days. And with avian flu around it’s super important for all kinds of feeders.
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I have always checked my number in the morning, but out of curiosity I have recently also been checking before my first meal and it is lower (more normal range) the longer I wait to eat. Ignoring what the actual numbers are, I assume it is simply good for my body to have some time at lower numbers? Like less spikes during the day?
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As long as you’re not feeling hypoglycemia symptoms, (shaky, cold sweats, foggy headed, overwhelmed, possible sense of dread, etc) then generally, a person in typical health is totally fine to run lower for a while- it varies by person but you don’t want to be getting lower than like 60-70 even without symptoms (depending on person hypo symptoms set in at different points). But this is def a “talk to a professional who knows your medical history” situation- your doc may have more specifics for you, in your specific case. I can say with my numbers, I often wake up mid 80s to low 90s, and may drop into the 70s without issue if I don’t eat for a while. Low 70s I start to have hypo symptoms. Interestingly, if I don’t eat but do exercise, the numbers go back up because the body is amazing. So I can wake up at 85, take a long walk, and be 95 before breakfast.
…timely, since I’m getting my A1c redrawn this week 
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Thanks. My “low” really just gets me to “normal” I think. I tend to wake up around 120 and if I don’t eat until lunch I’m around 95. I have coworkers who go very low/quite high but I never have huge swings even after eating. I assumed that spending some time being a bit lower would just be a nice break for my body. I’m fully medicated and A1c is tested every 3 months, I’m just doing this extra testing out of curiosity.
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Just general info here, but I can’t recommend this book enough. Dr. Lustig is one of my personal heroes.
Metabolical by Dr. Robert Lustig
Here is the website for the reference list to the book.
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Depending on how it prices out, you can also get CGMs without a prescription now! If you’re tired of the poking and want to keep seeing how different factors affect your numbers.
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As someone who passed my gestational diabetes screen but caught my GD by being nosy and doing my own numbers at home, and then was able to have a 2lb smaller baby for my second, I’m very pro self health curiosity haha. 
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What podcasts are you listening to lately? Can you share a brief summary of the show and why you like it? I’m looking for some new ones and would love some recommendations. Any topic welcome!
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Did someone say podcasts??
I love Worlds Beyond Number, a role play heavy D&D story telling podcast (their main story uses D&D, they have other short stories of one or two episodes that use other systems, no prior knowledge needed for listeners). I linked their patreon because that’s the most active place they update that I know of but their main story is posted on the public feed for free.
I recently started listening to Cool People Who Did Cool Stuff which is usually historical but I listened to a two parter on North Carolina immediately after the hurricane last fall and how everyone pulled together, because the host is originally from that area and could speak to it more personally. Next in my queue is the Gay Resistance to the Nazis episodes.
Throughline is one I’ve enjoyed for years, they get in depth on historical topics. I listen to basically all their episodes instead of cherry picking like I do for other podcasts.
Where Should We Begin by Ester Perel is interesting because it lets you be a fly on the wall for a one-off therapy session. It satisfies the part of me that wants to be nosy about peoples’ lives without invading the privacy of my actual friends and neighbors.
Okay I’ll stop myself at three oops four recommendations. 
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The happier podcast with Gretchen Rubin remains one of my loves. Just actionable enough to keep my attention, just lighthearted enough that it doesn’t make me despair, it’s just a good balance. I don’t necessarily like either of their voices, but everything else about it keeps me listening to it.
Planet money is of course great when it has interesting episodes. Sometimes I can’t handle the politics if I’m feeling politicked out, but they do a good job of sprinkling in more abstract episodes in between the more overly political ones, so even when I’m in a bury my head in the sand, please dear God mood, there’s options there are a lot of times.
Ologies is of course delightful. Especially the old episodes, pure gold.
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Oh! Oh, and everyone on the Forum should be proud, I’m finally listening to Ramit. His interviews with couples about their money can be really interesting, and I especially like that he’s now, including follow ups at the end of the episodes.
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Old Gods of Appalachia. Spooky creepy riveting storytelling. Fabulous voice actors not doing fake offensive accents. I’m a giant fangirl. Seriously I have like three tshirts.
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It’s a bit mind-blowing, world-view-shifting if you’re open and accepting to what they are reporting, but also amazing: The Telepathy Tapes.
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Science vs is unfortunately on vacation but I love it
BBC Witch - over but maybe it will come back?
Stuff the British stole
Rich and Regular -Finance/Fire podcast that is gives great takes and one was previously a chef
Future Imperfect- a professor and knight who also wears period garb to explain stuff- the podcast approaches modern future and past
I just started Gary’s Economics after seeing him on Youtube and I love it but too sweary for around the kids (v anti oligarchy)
The 6 Billion dollar gold scam - ended but great. A crime I could listen to around kids. Explained confusing childhood news and left you with just enough questions to build your own theories
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My UN recommendation- I tried behind the bastards after seeing it recommended many places. Maybe I picked not good episodes? But I was not very impressed tbh. Didn’t flow that well, kinda poorly written, not very good rapport between the people talking. 
(if anyone has a favorite episode and I should try again I’m open, but the two particular nazi ones (parts 1 and 2) I did, did not impress)
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Were the nazi behind the bastards episodes from early in the catalogue? I got into BTB mid pandemic and mostly keep up with the recent stuff - I didn’t really get into the older stuff.
If you or ginja want to give it another try, my recommendations:
- 6-part Henry Kissinger series (recorded before his death, i believe)
- Behind the Police series, recorded in summer/fall 2020
- Stockton Rush/Oceangate 2 parter (this one just feeds my inner petty bitch)
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