The "What's on your mind?" Thread -2017

[foxxycat]

Why is it so hard to shop for outter wear rain/winter gear for bigger folks? LLBean doesn't carry anything over size Large. And I don't want to pay $400 for Goretex suit...frustrating.

And looking at extra long underwear in mens-most stores only carry up to XL. What do the bigger population do for shopping? Luckily I found some at walmart but they don't give them away..$15 for a pack of 4. I wanted to wear them under my heavy pants for fall/winter riding- I have rain pants but they don't stretch and not easy to wear on the bike. I was hoping to find a nylon shell elastic waist pants that I can pull on over my long compression bike pants to break the wind and rain when riding...Off to second hand stores..see that's why Thrift stores are so popular-where else can you get all 4 seasons of clothing any time of the year?

After work it's going to be raining so gonna hit the salvation army-I may strike out or get lucky. I ordered a nice jacket online that is made for cycling in bad weather-I just worry my legs will get cold..I could wear a t shirt year round ridiing it's just my legs get cold.


It was humid nasty last night so no Honeybee on me.

 

[artiemom]

foxxycat I did find a couple of XL winter jackets at LL Bean, which do fit rather well. I also saw some XXL....

Yes, it is so difficult to find Large sizes for clothes..

Several years ago, I did buy some XL long underwear from LLBean.. for me it was worth it. I only wear them in severe weather.. I know what you mean about everyday long underwear. I used to wear them under my scrubs.. after washing, they shrink about 2 sizes.

Unfortunately, I have had to resort to mens tops for a long time.. much more inexpensive... not great on the fit, but you do what you have to do...

Years ago, I bought a couple pairs of mens track pants, which had a flannel lining. That may be a solution. You can always add a pair of long underwear bottoms, underneath.

 

[foxxycat]

I need 2X or 3X, my shoulders....

 

[Mother Dragon]

I need 2X or 3X, my shoulders....

I'm a wide-body, too. I got some reasonably priced thermals from the King Size catalogue. They come in a couple of colors. You might also check the Woman Within catalog. Both are for large size people. King Size is for men, Woman Within for women.

You might look into Frog Toggs for rain gear. They breathe and come in large sizes. They work very well and fold up to almost nothing. I saw them online. They might be a bit high, but they're with it. They have pants to at least 3X and jackets to at least 2X. This place has a sale on some good pieces right now. Also some new merchandise at decent prices.

Frogg Toggs

I've worn them in heavy rain at 65 mph and stayed dry.

I'd recommend a pair of Totes rain boots to keep your feet dry. They wear well and are comfortable. They fit well over regular shoes, too. Use latex-type exam gloves over your regular gloves for added warmth and to keep your hands dry. They provide a decent grip, too. I find that those cheap little stretch gloves that look like kids' gloves but stretch to fit almost every adult make excellent glove liners. I like gloves with Thinsulate because they're not bulky.

Most motorcycle riding wear works for bicycles, too.

Let me know what you find.

 

[Margret]

Roger is 2 meters tall (6'7" for those of us who don't "do" metric), and he's always had trouble finding clothes. Sometimes he gets someone to make him some and sometimes he goes to the various stores catering to "big and tall" men, but when he was also overweight even that didn't always work; it seems that "big and tall" really means "big or tall." And those specialty shops are pricey! At this point he is mostly wearing clothing that's several years old and beginning to look transparent because it's become so threadbare, and he's beginning to run out of those. When they rip (as they do more and more easily the older they get) it isn't even worth the trouble of trying to repair them now since the new stitching will just rip through the cloth too easily.

* * * * * * * *​

Well, the first snow of winter is here. Sorry I can't send you some, Mamanyt1953 ; you know I would if I could. I think it started around 1 a.m., and it's still coming down steadily. It took a while to start sticking, and from the way the trees are bending it's one of those wet, sticky snows that break branches when the trees still have all their leaves, which most of them do. I got this year's new rose bush properly insulated last night just as it was turning dark. (Yes, I waited until the last minute. ) I'm going to have to start wearing proper shoes again, rather than my flip-flops.

I find that the older I get the less tolerant I become of extreme temperatures. I don't like snow, and I don't like heat. I have my thermostat set to start the heater when it gets down to 72° Fahrenheit and to start cooling at 75° Fahrenheit.

Margret

 

[Mother Dragon]

Roger is 2 meters tall (6'7" for those of us who don't "do" metric), and he's always had trouble finding clothes. Sometimes he gets someone to make him some and sometimes he goes to the various stores catering to "big and tall" men, but when he was also overweight even that didn't always work; it seems that "big and tall" really means "big or tall." And those specialty shops are pricey! At this point he is mostly wearing clothing that's several years old and beginning to look transparent because it's become so threadbare, and he's beginning to run out of those. When they rip (as they do more and more easily the older they get) it isn't even worth the trouble of trying to repair them now since the new stitching will just rip through the cloth too easily.

* * * * * * * *​

Well, the first snow of winter is here. Sorry I can't send you some, Mamanyt1953 ; you know I would if I could. I think it started around 1 a.m., and it's still coming down steadily. It took a while to start sticking, and from the way the trees are bending it's one of those wet, sticky snows that break branches when the trees still have all their leaves, which most of them do. I got this year's new rose bush properly insulated last night just as it was turning dark. (Yes, I waited until the last minute. ) I'm going to have to start wearing proper shoes again, rather than my flip-flops.

I find that the older I get the less tolerant I become of extreme temperatures. I don't like snow, and I don't like heat. I have my thermostat set to start the heater when it gets down to 72° Fahrenheit and to start cooling at 75° Fahrenheit.

Margret

Try the King Size catalog. The prices aren't too bad. I'm a wide-body, so I usually buy from Woman Within. I ordered my thermals through King Size.

I don't do cold and I certainly don't do snow. Fortunately, it very, very rarely snows here and if it does, it's usually about an inch that doesn't last overnight. Those who know how to drive in snow laugh and get far out of the way of those of us who don't. We don't even do well in rain. No one knows the concept of hydroplaning. I watched a woman in a really big old Cadillac spin three full circles before crossing a ditch and going through a fence and into the cow pasture so far the wrecker couldn't reach her with his tow line. She was just sitting there looking dazed. I don't think she knew what happened, let alone how.

 

[kashmir64]

Most motorcycle riding wear works for bicycles, too.

There were times when I left my leathers at home and wore Dickies. They are very warm and should have leg freedom for riding a bicycle. I've also kept warm at 65mph with them.

Those who know how to drive in snow laugh and get far out of the way of those of us who don't.

lol. I've been on this mountain for almost 16 years and I still can't drive in the snow. And we get a lot of it.

 

[Willowy]

My youngest brother is extremely slim and tall. I think his preferred pants size now is 30/36. When he was a teenager it was 28/36. Guess how hard it is to find men's pants in that size! Fortunately he can usually find something on the internet now, but locally he can never find anything, and when he was a teenager the internet wasn't much.

So. They don't make clothes for tall and slim men, or big and wide men, or for women with large breasts/shoulders, or women with small breasts/shoulders, or women with wide hips or women with no hips. . .who are they making clothes for? Lol.

 

[kashmir64]

So. They don't make clothes for tall and slim men, or big and wide men, or for women with large breasts/shoulders, or women with small breasts/shoulders, or women with wide hips or women with no hips. . .who are they making clothes for? Lol.

No joke. My son is 6'5" and weighs around 175 lbs. Finding clothes for him is a nightmare.

 

[foxxycat]

yes I am familiar with Women within-I bought some stuff off Amazon a year or so ago.

I will check them out...I need to ease up the spending-this week was like Christmas shopping. So far only had to return half of my purchases from walmart and jc penneys..jeans were way too big-not a bad thing..I am still a size 18 it seems even though I like a bit of room in my belly because I find most larger sized clothes are high waist-which hurts when I am sitting down.

I bought some good rain pants from tractor supply in may after our lockout=I stood in the rain and wind for a week in them and they work really good-I was just looking for something with stretch to it as those rain pants have no stretch but if that's what I need to wear so be it.

I am very odd shaped...I have a petite frame but the circumference around my chest/back and shoulders/arms-makes it impossible to fit in regular clothing-I have ripped shirts just from flexing my muscles or pulling my arms together in front.
Also my biggest complaint is that arm width is too skinny even in larger clothing-I guess they think everyone has a belly and none on their arms which is incorrect..Plus don't forget I have sensory issues with tight clothing-I am still trying to get used to my tight jeans=it feels odd with it but for those who have "chaffing" in areas I am sure you understand what I am talking about...most pants I blow out holes not in knees but in backside area-evidently only some fabrics hold up to rubbing-I never went through jeans like I do now...and it's not like I can patch it..Oh the fun of carrying extra weight=really ticks me off that our clothing is nothing like they were in the 80s and 90s..so much better back then.

Well Honeybee brought a mole into the house...she let it go and Jon caught it and gave it a "flying" lesson over the edge of rock wall far away from kitties..

 

[foxxycat]

Willowy=I used to sell used jeans at the flea market and yes that was a very hard size to find= I only seen about 6 pairs of pants with a 36" inseam...I managed to sell a ton of jeans because I carried all sizes=from 0 to 64. Because let's face it=we are not carbon copies...and yes There should be niches for those who cant find clothes but not overpriced same crap as I can get in Wal MArt....I gave up the jeans business because thrift stores jacked prices ski high and put me out of business=and here we are... I started it in 1994 and quit jeans completely in 2002? It was fun-the biggest seller was colored denium believe it or not.

 

[foxxycat]

I found the best coat on there...gonna see if I can get Jon to get it for me as an early Christmas gift since they usually sell out by the time real winter rolls around.

Water repellent long raincoat

Although I got a really old nice wool hooded jacket when we were on vacation..I prefer jackets that cover my butt because for some reason my legs are always ice cold-I could run around in a t shirt but need thick pants for legs lol.

 

[Margret]

We don't even do well in rain. No one knows the concept of hydroplaning. I watched a woman in a really big old Cadillac spin three full circles before crossing a ditch and going through a fence and into the cow pasture so far the wrecker couldn't reach her with his tow line. She was just sitting there looking dazed. I don't think she knew what happened, let alone how.

And even people who know about hydroplaning frequently don't know that wet roads are at their most slick if it's been a long time between storms, because of accumulated oils on the road.

So. They don't make clothes for tall and slim men, or big and wide men, or for women with large breasts/shoulders, or women with small breasts/shoulders, or women with wide hips or women with no hips. . .who are they making clothes for? Lol.

Or short women who need a tall riser (is that the right word? I'm talking about crotch depth). I hate hip-huggers; they always feel like they're falling off.

Well Honeybee brought a mole into the house...she let it go and Jon caught it and gave it a "flying" lesson over the edge of rock wall far away from kitties..

I remember when Sweet Thing caught a garter snake and brought it into the house to play with at her leisure. Once we finally caught it (hiding under the stove, poor thing) Roger gave it a flying lesson across the little stream that runs through the green space. Sweet Thing was quite indignant.

It was fun-the biggest seller was colored denium believe it or not.

I find that totally believable. I think that most people have the idea that for some reason denim is inherently indigo, so it may come as something of a shock to realize that it's just cloth; it can be dyed any color you like! Wow! Who'da thunk?!

Margret

 

[arouetta]

For big and tall, check out box store websites. I don't know about Walmart, but Target sells big and tall/plus size clothing for only $5 to $10 more than the regular size identical item. They won't range up to the Omar the Tentmaker size, but 36 inseam pants are available for men.

It might be worth it to check clearance racks too. At Target, a lot of the online only apparel gets marked down if a customer returns it in store. Example, some guy clearly didn't know his clothing size and we got five pairs of big and tall jeans ranging from 50x30 to 54x32. The computer said they were to be marked down to less than $20 (standard is 30% off for online apparel items), I marked them all down and put them out, and after my shift they had been available to customers for the mandatory 15 minutes so the one pair in my husband's size came home with me. Yeah, 52x32 jeans for less than $20, and that's the customer price, that doesn't include my employee discount.

@tallyollyopia I'm becoming a regular on a site called Not Always Right, and many of the stories are the (blank) from h***. You might find it cathartic to get on there and read about customers every bit as bad as that crazy woman, and you might want to consider submitting some of your stories.

 

[dustydiamond1]

What an adorable trios of tomcats !



Good to know. I'll be exploring a couple of local shelters so I know where any stray dollars will go. NOT to national, now.

foxxycat , Honeybee does a prime stink-eye, doesn't she?

Well, spit, spit, spitSPITspit! I was outside last night, enjoying a tiny bit of cooler air, and heard the wailing of a cat in heat. This means a winter litter of ferals. It just breaks my heart. On the one hand, I'm praying that it wasn't Little Bit, because her two are not ready to be own their own yet, and to have ANOTHER litter on the way would be such a strain on her, and on the other hand, I'm praying that it is Little Bit, because she does use the Secret Feral Shelter, and those kittens would have a warm(ish) den with their mama. SIGH...

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Shelves, outside of a closet or cabinet? And you're planning to store China there?

Why do you want to get China for Hekitty to break?

Margret

One shelf will go over my library staging desk. I'm faily sure H. Renee will make herself at home on that one. Three will be lined up down one wall in my bedroom for...stuff. And three will go in the dining room at plate rail height. Hek is just to pudgy to jump up that high. I should be safe on that.

you might want to use some museum putty, to avoid your Blue Willow pieces getting knocked over accidentally. i use museum putty a lot here, otherwise the girls would have many things on the floor and likely damaged/broken.

I will do that!

i buy quake hold (museum putty) via amazon.

HA! Just added to my wish list there!

We expect pictures of the new desk. Preferably with a cat exploring it.

Oddly, she has pretty much ignored it. Maybe because she was all over it and me as I was doing the assembly.

I need 2X or 3X, my shoulders....

Well, the first snow of winter is here. Sorry I can't send you some, Mamanyt1953 ; you know I would if I could. I think it started around 1 a.m., and it's still coming down steadily.

I am SO in the wrong state!

No joke. My son is 6'5" and weighs around 175 lbs. Finding clothes for him is a nightmare.

I understand you entirely. When my elder son was sixteen, he was 6'7" and wore a 16 EEEE shoe, The cheapest shoe in Chattanooga, very basic high-topped tennis shoe, cost over $100. Thankfully, his grandmother bought him a pair of dress shoes for Christmas every year! Those ran nearly $300 for a decent brand, but not designer, by any means. And this was 20 years ago! I shudder to think what it is now!

Hi i no this is totally unrelated I can't quite figure out how to post a question. Ive rescued a 8 week old kitten who was riddled with fleas ive bottle fed her for 2 weeks but her sister of the same age is really undernourished and riddled with even more fleas so I've brought her over tonight and my healthy cat seemed ok at first but then started hissing at her poorly sister and im wondering if it's something that is bad or its just that she hasn't seen her for 2 weeks. These are the first kittens ive ever had ive always had dogs. Or is it just my kitten letting her sister no who's boss. I dont want my kitten to hurt her sister. T.i.a

Hannah, I'm going to ask that your question be moved to another forum about cat health or cat behavior, where it will get the attention it deserves. It might get overlooked here. I'll be looking for it when it moves. It won't take long!

 

[dustydiamond1]

Hi i no this is totally unrelated I can't quite figure out how to post a question. Ive rescued a 8 week old kitten who was riddled with fleas ive bottle fed her for 2 weeks but her sister of the same age is really undernourished and riddled with even more fleas so I've brought her over tonight and my healthy cat seemed ok at first but then started hissing at her poorly sister and im wondering if it's something that is bad or its just that she hasn't seen her for 2 weeks. These are the first kittens ive ever had ive always had dogs. Or is it just my kitten letting her sister no who's boss. I dont want my kitten to hurt her sister. T.i.a

Hi welcome to the site, the forum Cats S.O.S should get some answers quicker. There should be a create thread to click on once you get there. Good luck. Keep us updated.

 

[arouetta]

Mamanyt1953 Too much to quote for one single statement. There's an easy way to get a picture of Hekitty on your desk.

 

[Hannah-lee]

One shelf will go over my library staging desk. I'm faily sure H. Renee will make herself at home on that one. Three will be lined up down one wall in my bedroom for...stuff. And three will go in the dining room at plate rail height. Hek is just to pudgy to jump up that high. I should be safe on that.



I will do that!



HA! Just added to my wish list there!



Oddly, she has pretty much ignored it. Maybe because she was all over it and me as I was doing the assembly.





I am SO in the wrong state!



I understand you entirely. When my elder son was sixteen, he was 6'7" and wore a 16 EEEE shoe, The cheapest shoe in Chattanooga, very basic high-topped tennis shoe, cost over $100. Thankfully, his grandmother bought him a pair of dress shoes for Christmas every year! Those ran nearly $300 for a decent brand, but not designer, by any means. And this was 20 years ago! I shudder to think what it is now!



Hannah, I'm going to ask that your question be moved to another forum about cat health or cat behavior, where it will get the attention it deserves. It might get overlooked here. I'll be looking for it when it moves. It won't take long!

Thank you so much I couldn't quite find what I was looking for

 

[Blakeney Green]

Remember that kittens couldn't care less about catnip. They have to be several months old (at least - I don't remember the exact age) before the craving sets in, and for some cats it never does.

Oh, I should clarify - I'm planning on getting a specific kitten, not just looking at kittens in general. The girl I'm getting is 4.5 months old and typically enjoys catnip toys. If she decides she doesn't like it anymore, I'll try a different scent - the point is mainly so she can actually locate her toys once the new toy smell wears off.

If all goes well, she'll come home on Wednesday.