should I get a set of snow tires for my car? If so, should I get a second set of wheels, so I can change them myself?

Trenton, NJ?

What kind of car?

My instinct is to say no, you should not bother with snow tires. But I would need more information to give you a good answer.

You should get a second (cheap) set of wheels, but only to make it easy to switch them out. I would take 'em to a garage and have them do that part. It barely costs anything and is a pain in the ass for you to do. It's like changing your own oil. I don't get that either.

should we send our kids to private school - the local elementary school is good, the middle school is OK and the high school sucks. I think we should save our bucks for private high school (if we don't move) and college.

I would not spend the money on private elem school unless your local school is subpar and/or you have enough money that it doesn't matter to you financially.

Middle school, eh, maybe, maybe not.

High school, I would do it if your local school is lame and the kids can't get into something suitable on the public end.

should I sell my 35mm SLR? I have not used it in years, I use a digital camera all the time now. Will I regret it? I am no longer a serious photographer, but it could always come back. My hobbies have a way of resurrecting themselves.

I don't know how much you can get for it. Cameras aren't very big. If you can't get money you need for it, then don't sell it.

Do you follow motorcycle racing?

Only vicariously, through my friends Wig and Andy.

I just took a motorcycle class. I've only ever ridden scooters, little ones. It was fun. Haven't tested yet due to schedule conflicts.

I'm considering all manner of two- and three-wheeled vehicles, but I haven't decided on anything. My needs and wants are utilitarian in nature.

thanks. I appreciate whatever information you can provide.

Sure.

I like how I've gone from suggestions to orders in my responses.

I've gotten really good at avoiding the creaky floorboards in my house so as to avoid waking up my baby daughter when I go to the kitchen and back.

Thought you'd be interested,

Linus

Important maneuver! You won't have to do this forever, probably.

Do you know any way to make floorboards less creaky?

You can put a finish nail through the face of the floorboard, at an angle, into the edge of the board next to it.

That might work. It's worked at times for me.

Remember you'll need a nailset to get the nail head under the wood's surface.

Hey Tim,

This thread makes me happy. Knowing the PRF has it's own friendly agony aunt who is both a wealth of knowledge and always happy to help makes me glow from the inside. Is so nice!!

Have you ever thought of hosting your own TV show where you can provide this vital service to the waiting world?

Oh and Tim, what's the best way to correctly package a guitar for postage?

Thanks
Ben

tmidgett wrote:

should I get a set of snow tires for my car? If so, should I get a second set of wheels, so I can change them myself?

Trenton, NJ?

What kind of car?

Yup, capital city of the Garden State. My car is, um, like a Mustang GT - Rear wheel drive with about 300 hp. It does not snow often here. Last winter there was only one real snow storm that put about 4 inches of snow on the roads.

My instinct is to say no, you should not bother with snow tires. But I would need more information to give you a good answer.

You should get a second (cheap) set of wheels, but only to make it easy to switch them out. I would take 'em to a garage and have them do that part. It barely costs anything and is a pain in the ass for you to do. It's like changing your own oil. I don't get that either.

i don't change my own oil on my car. but changing wheels is easy and fun. I would do it myself. I change the oil on my motorcycle because it is fun too. doesn't make sense to some, I know.

Do you follow motorcycle racing?

Only vicariously, through my friends Wig and Andy.

I just took a motorcycle class. I've only ever ridden scooters, little ones. It was fun. Haven't tested yet due to schedule conflicts.

I'm considering all manner of two- and three-wheeled vehicles, but I haven't decided on anything. My needs and wants are utilitarian in nature.

that's the best thing about motos - they are practical (if you don't have to transport much stuff or more than one other adult person, and you don't mind being cold and wet sometimes.) AND fun. In a way that a car [cage] is not. That said, using a motorcycle for daily transportation greatly increases the risk that you will get flattened by some drunk driver or some teenager talking on a cell phone. It makes me nervous sometimes to be in traffic on my motor bike. And I was a bike courier, so I know how to ride in traffic.

thanks. I appreciate whatever information you can provide.

Sure.

I like how I've gone from suggestions to orders in my responses.

i like how you can state your opinion without judging or meaness. you have a very peaceful and zen place that you write from, and I appreciate it very much that you have taken the time to offer your perspective on inanities and minutia.

you are truly a wise and gentle man, I think.

TM (and non-TMers who may be able to help),

My head is huge. Enormous. Wide.

It's so big that I would say only 3 out of every 1000 pair of sunglasses fits. And 2 of those 3 are ridiculous (Oakley-style wraparound nonsense).

So I would like to get some sunglasses, and may need real glasses sometime in the near future. Is there a secret plus-size glasses shop somewhere out there? Can I have them custom made? Will all of this cost me a fortune?

Thanks,
Mr. King

This thread makes me happy. Knowing the PRF has it's own friendly agony aunt who is both a wealth of knowledge and always happy to help makes me glow from the inside. Is so nice!!

That's great. I am glad to help to whatever degree I can do so.

Have you ever thought of hosting your own TV show where you can provide this vital service to the waiting world?

This seems unlikely to occur, and I have never considered it. Not that I would not do it. I don't know if I would do it or not.

Oh and Tim, what's the best way to correctly package a guitar for postage?

Go to a guitar store and ask them if they have any guitar boxes.

If the case is old or fragile or important in some way, you want something notably bigger than will just fit the case.

If not, just get a box that has maybe an inch of room on any side of the case.

I suggest using newspaper of some sort inside the case, to keep the guitar from moving around. Pack it pretty tight. I avoid plastic shit, as it can stick to the guitar's finish.

When you are done with this step, the guitar should not rattle around in the case at all.

Tape the case shut w/shipping tape. If the case is special in some way, you could use painter's tape. A couple lengths all the way around, one on top and one on bottom--that should do it.

You can use either foam peanuts or bubble wrap to cushion the cased guitar. Newspaper is too easily compressed for this purpose. You may have to buy this stuff at a shipping place or an office supply place. It's unduly expensive for what it is.

Tape tbe box closed with packing tape.

Insure the thing, for what it's worth but not much more--you probably won't get any extra if UPS destroys it.

Ship it and cross your fingers. The shorter the ship, the less chance they'll break it.

Yup, capital city of the Garden State. My car is, um, like a Mustang GT - Rear wheel drive with about 300 hp. It does not snow often here. Last winter there was only one real snow storm that put about 4 inches of snow on the roads.

Unless you have some kind of plan to vroom around in what snow you will get, I wouldn't shell out for snow tires.

People in MT get a lot of snow and drive all sorts of retarded, nonsnowworthy cars out there. It works out.

that's the best thing about motos - they are practical (if you don't have to transport much stuff or more than one other adult person, and you don't mind being cold and wet sometimes.) AND fun. In a way that a car [cage] is not. That said, using a motorcycle for daily transportation greatly increases the risk that you will get flattened by some drunk driver or some teenager talking on a cell phone. It makes me nervous sometimes to be in traffic on my motor bike. And I was a bike courier, so I know how to ride in traffic.

It's certainly more dangerous than a car. I think you have to assume nobody sees you and everyone is out to get you, basically.

Thank you for the flattering words.

My head is huge. Enormous. Wide.

Me too.

It's so big that I would say only 3 out of every 1000 pair of sunglasses fits. And 2 of those 3 are ridiculous (Oakley-style wraparound nonsense).

Your head is wider than mine.

So I would like to get some sunglasses, and may need real glasses sometime in the near future. Is there a secret plus-size glasses shop somewhere out there? Can I have them custom made? Will all of this cost me a fortune?

I don't know about custom frames.

You might try more bendable wire frames, such as the Silhouette brand. Esp the hingeless ones. I have those, and they are great.

If I get plastic frame glasses, I find I have to spend serious money on them. For one, expensive sunglasses are much lighter and more comfortable. For two, you can get expensive sunglasses that have giant lenses, and the ones w/giant lenses tend to fit my giant head better.

I'll keep an eye out for huge-head glasses.

Mr. King,

I have the reverse problem! My head, she is like so small grape, dios mio. I am to tell you, I believe the glasses no for sun, that are to make fittings better for weird-domes people like we. Old-times glasses from 50's and 60's are so big for guy heads and so smalls for ladies!

I am no tim, but I tell you to try and do real-glasses, old glasses and have them be making into sun-times glasses.

Will be made so-stronger than suns glasses, too.

Own these big nice heads of yours and get tortoise frames of old, will be to looking so nice.

salut.

Ms. Beth and TM,

Thanks, I think. I will look into these vintage frames. I like the look of old-fashioned glasses, and would in general like to look like a man working at NASA circa 1968.

As for your head-size challenge, a small-headed friend of mine used to buy sunglasses at Baby Gap (!). Perhaps give that a try.

I will also check out these Silhouette frames you speak of, Mr. Midgett. Thanks.

OK!

Dear Mr. midgett-

Pear nectar or coffee?

Please advise.

Thank you.

I, earlier, wrote:Man, I had an awesome jam-band name the other day, and it had Armadillo in it....I think. What the hell was it? It was 'armadillo' followed by a word like 'armadillo' that I had never realized was like 'armadillo.'

Armadillo Picadillo.

Pretty sure that was it.

Also, earlier, I used the phrase 'retarded' to describe the cars people drive in the snow, in Montana.

I want to specify that I was referring only to those cars, and not the$inmusicisallmine's car.

Also, I somewhat regret my use of the word 'retarded,' which I try very much to avoid. It does seem appropriate to me in this context, but I could find another word.

Dear Mr. midgett-

Pear nectar or coffee?

Please advise.

Thank you.

I'm sure pear nectar is not exactly bad for you, but it's got a lot of calories and carbs and not a ton of vitamin content.

I drink a lot of espresso, and I do not drink pear nectar, so I will go with coffee 100%.

Tim!

I am curious in regard to how you write your "7's" and "Z's." Do you draw in the little bar to differentiate them, or are they drawn with no ornamentation.

Thank You.