7 Quick Takes about Facebook Jail, Dryer Disasters, and the Hidden Costs of Multitasking

It's 7 Quick Takes Friday! How was your week? 

—1—

My recent post selling a tech gadget on Facebook Marketplace was suspended for violating the rule about counterfeits. The listing did say "Apple" in the title, but it was an Apple product so I didn't think that would be a problem.

When I appealed the decision, I had to choose from a list of statements explaining why I was appealing. I selected "this listing isn't against the rules" and it gave me another list of statements:

• This is not offensive in my region
• It was to raise awareness
• It was a joke

I wasn't sure how to defend an offensive comment I never made. I'm just trying to get rid of some crap we don't use around the house. 

Anyway, Facebook reinstated my listing a few days later. (I guess "this is not offensive in my region" was the right response??) Facebook has always been a little unhinged like that. When I first set up my profile, Facebook flagged me three times insisting I wasn't a real person, and I have no idea why that happened, either.

—2—

Our current computer desk is one that we saw sitting on the curb with a free sign about 5 years ago, and it's about as comfortable as the high school bleachers at this point.

I'm not completely convinced that's a bad thing, because it keeps the kids from sitting in front of the computer playing Minecraft until their eyeballs dry up, but it also isn't terribly nice for me when I'm trying to get things done.

So I was searching for desk chairs and found this beauty of a Photoshopped product image. It's an oversized chair, but not that oversized. The model looks like a garden gnome.

—3—

During family scripture study one night, I asked the kids a personal question. I just wanted them to think about it, but not share it out loud with everyone else. "When you have your answer," I said, "put your finger on your nose."

It was silent for a moment while everyone thought about it, and then the 11-year-old asked, "Did you say 'on' or 'in'?"

Actually, I had the distinct feeling someone was going to say that. I just wasn't sure who.

—4—

My 8- and 10-year-old share a laundry hamper and I didn't discover a few non-clothing items in the load until after it had already gone through the washer and dryer.

Some items, like the silicon pop-it toy and Lego, were not a big deal. 

The pen was.

Ignore the band-aid stuck to the vent. They probably put that in the laundry, too.

Some clothes were ruined. Their bedsheets got the worst of it, but I guess that's not too bad considering no one really sees their sheets (which look like Jackson Pollock paintings now.) 

The real problem was the inside of the dryer, because the ink stains were severely stubborn. Rubbing alcohol did nothing. Magic Eraser, either. Looking it up on Reddit was no help: it only suggested rubbing alcohol and Magic Eraser, but it at least made me laugh when a third person said "Put a bunch of white paper in there and turn on the dryer, I heard that's how the Twilight series was written."

I ended up (mostly) getting the ink out with a secret magic cleaning product I have called Barkeeper's Friend and a green scrubby, although it also took off a little of the finish inside the dryer. It took two days because it was at such a tedious and awkward angle.

—5—

The next day, I made a huge stupid mistake. I put an article of clothing in the bathroom sink to soak, but instead of standing there doing nothing while the sink was filling up with water, I thought I'd go turn on the shower and let the water heat up while I went back to the sink to turn off the tap. BUT I FORGOT TO GO BACK, YOU GUYS. I just hopped in the shower while the sink overflowed for like 10 minutes.

The two seconds I saved by multitasking was definitely not worth the 45 minutes of mopping up pools of water all over the bathroom counters, floors, and inside the vanity drawers. I couldn't even wash and dry the towels because the dryer was still covered in ink!

Water also leaked downstairs, but luckily it was in the unfinished storage area of the basement. Actually, the only thing that got wet was a pile of books that I wanted to get of but Phillip didn't. We were at a standstill on that and tabled the issue by stacking them in the basement until later, but I guess now a decision has been made, hasn't it?

—6—

I clench my teeth at night in my sleep. I had a custom mouthguard from the dentist to wear at night, but someone stepped on it and cracked it in half about 10 years ago and I've been wearing over the counter mouthguard ever since. They're just not as good, though, so I've been thinking about a custom guard again.

But they're so expensive, on the order of $800, and dental insurance covers nothing. (Why? Is it really cheaper to cover crowns for cracked teeth?)

So I decided to try something middle-of-the-road. This week I got my putty and trays from a mail-order company, and now I have to make a mold of my teeth so they can send me back a custom guard.

I'm sure I'll do just as good a job as the professionals who went to school for 8 years learning how to do this.

—7—

Did anyone watch the Met Gala? I didn't, but I saw a highlight highlight reel and it did not disappoint.

My absolute favorite was André 3000, and his attitude in this interview was perfection:

Everyone keeps talking about the piano, but I want to know more about the Glad Heavy Duty Force Flex that he's carrying all his important stuff around in. That was the real star of his outfit, in my opinion.

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