Posts by Mark Perez2

Hey, let me ask you guys something:

The way things work right now, if it’s under half a pound, it makes more sense to just send it via certified mail, but once you go over that, you might as well ship it as a package. I only had a few small items to get out this month, so I ended up sending everything as certified.
Anyway, does anyone know if there are actually any size limits for certified mail? Like, could I technically send a shoebox through the mail as certified?

Chloe Moore65 said:I almost always just reuse the envelope my item arrived in, slap some white paper over the old markings, and send it on my way; I don't really care, it saves me a few bucks.
We'll end up using certified mail more often, but honestly, it's not even worth it for anything valuable because if it gets lost, you only get five times the postage back—plus, USPS only counts the package weight based on $33, and if the item is actually worth something, you have to declare a higher value anyway, which immediately jacks up the shipping cost.
They saw how many packages we were moving and decided to hike the rates; they're absolute crooks, and it’ll never be enough money for them.

I was at the post office today and realized they bumped up the package rates. It’s terrible. I had one envelope and one small bag, so I sent them via certified mail. The envelope was already used, though, and the clerk wouldn't take it, but I wasn't about to go out and buy a brand-new one. I ended up driving to a different branch to get it sent: since I know they usually accept reused envelopes. Technically, I should probably tape over the entire front, but I've been feeling pretty lazy lately, so I just cover up whatever was originally printed on it.

But I have no idea what I'm going to do about larger packages when someone buys multiple items or if I need to handle a return. God help me.

Nicole Lee4 said:well, it really depends on how much you want to mess with them.
check if there’s a COD sticker on the envelope.
if there is, then it's their headache (the shipping fee) and they're going to be short on that cash. someone else will eventually have to cover it.
if it doesn't say COD, then it’s just between you and her; just mail the money to her address.
I mean, if she sent it cash on delivery, she wouldn't have been able to get the package (to Dad) without paying first.
maybe they just messed up the paperwork when they sent it.

nah. the label just shows the tracking number and a $2.00 shipping charge. 🤷

I'll head down to the local USPS tomorrow and see what's what. I also heard you can use a money order—$3.00 just walk in and I can send it that way.

So, I wanted to ask you guys: is it actually possible to send money via a money order if the girl I'm sending it to doesn't have a bank account? I can't find a straight answer on their websites, so I figured I'd just ask here.

The issue is my girlfriend sent me some stuff via cash on delivery (since she doesn't have a bank account), and the idiots at the post office didn't even bother to collect the payment when the package was picked up. Now I'm trying to figure out how to get the cash to her.
Honestly, they're just rude. She already paid $4 in shipping fees, and then they just handed the package over to my dad without even asking for the COD amount. 🙄

@Justin Davis75, maybe you could just put the cash in a bubble mailer? Or a box slightly larger than a postcard—just don't show up with something tiny, like I did once 🙂. I usually send things in those padded envelopes or small boxes, basically treating it like a parcel... I'm always paranoid about stuff getting damaged, especially since I've seen how they toss those packages around; they clearly couldn't care less about handling them properly.

Melissa Morgan77 said:Exactly, this happens way too often. I honestly don't get why they won't just leave the slip. Like I mentioned before, if you want to avoid having your package sent back for no reason and getting hit with extra shipping fees, just head down to the local post office about five days after it was sent if there’s no notice left and nothing on your doorstep. They'll have it sitting there waiting for you, which lets the USPS dodge any responsibility, and then the person who was too slow to pick it up ends up being the one stuck waiting at home for a slip that never came. It sucks, but that's just how it works. 👎 Every seller really ought to give their customers a heads-up about these timelines so nobody runs into trouble.👍

Yeah. It's usually an issue with the smaller-town post offices. Knock on wood, though, they haven't actually lost anything of mine yet. I did have one moment of panic once—a girl I know didn't get her slip, so she just went straight to the post office to check.

To be fair, they did lose a huge package meant for me once, but somehow everything worked out in the end.

stormymaker24 said:One really ought to ensure there is some sustenance in the stomach before taking Ketonal or Knavon. If I have managed to eat beforehand, life proceeds without incident; however, if I fail to do so, the resulting indigestion is nothing short of a catastrophe.

I’ve been taking Ketoral (50 mg) for years now too. I tried Voltaren once, but it just didn't sit right with me at all. Lately, though, the acid reflux has been kicking my ass.
I'm actually wondering if I should switch to something else. What do you guys recommend instead of Ketoral—maybe something that won't wreck my stomach so much?

Alexander Perez7 said:My favorite Reeboks are officially trashed 😢 I went a little overboard—bought a few extra pounds over the holidays—and now they’re basically falling apart at the seams 😬
How do I even wear these now? Should I just keep cutting them down?
If anyone has any tips 👍

Btw, I've had them for three years—they mean a lot to me😢

Just rip the other leg too? Or tear them somewhere else and patch them up with some thread? Everyone is buying distressed jeans anyway.😁

Jose Gonzalez7 said:My sister actually argued with me, saying she’d rather pay more for jeans that are too small instead of letting them stretch, but she listened to me and now they look amazing on her. Everyone always asks us where we get our denim because they never lose their shape and fit our curves perfectly... even after wearing them for a few days.

Personally, I've always been terrified of buying jeans that are too small—you know, that moment when you realize you can't even get the button to close. 🤷It feels like most brands don't even stretch enough to make them feel loose again anyway.

Dorothy Perkins? I know they carry sizes from 6 to 18.

hiddenscout362 said:I totally get where you're coming from.😢 I ended up having two surgeries myself, and then I actually went to some "natural healer" who just kept digging at my nail edges until they were bleeding. It didn't solve anything; it was just a temporary fix. 😢
A real podiatrist finally saved me, and once I figured out how to properly trim that edge, the trouble stopped. Now, the second I feel even the slightest bit of pressure in that spot, I go ahead and clip it.

Bivacin ointment is actually great for that infection part—it worked wonders for me.
Just don't go soaking your toe in it; just apply a little when you're home and let your foot breathe. It was way easier for me since it was summer and I could just slather it on and head outside, but you can make it work either way.

I've already started using the Bivacin. I have some Betrion too, though I doubt there's much difference between them. No changes yet, but I'm applying it twice a day. 😢

ambermason16 said:nah.. forget it.

Mark Perez2, I’ll send you the number for the podiatrist who basically saved my life. My ingrowns got so bad I could barely walk, and she sorted me out completely without even needing surgery. She’ll know how to help you. 🙂

Good luck.

p.s. I have my phone on me, so I'll PMnem you in a bit.

Unless you're based in San Francisco. 🙂

hiddenscout362 said:I totally get where you're coming from.😢 I ended up having two surgeries myself, and then I went to this "holistic healer" who just ripped at my nail edges until they bled, which didn't actually fix anything—it was just temporary relief. 😢
That’s why a real podiatrist was my savior. Once I finally learned how to trim that edge properly, the issues stopped. Now, the second I feel even the slightest pressure in that spot, I trim it immediately.

Using Bivacin ointment is good for that infection/pus buildup; at least it worked for me.
Just don't go mashing it into your toe—just apply a little when you're home and leave your foot bare. It was way easier for me since it was summer and I could just apply it and head outside, but you can make it work either way.

Thanks. I still have some of that ointment left over from the fall, so I'll give it a shot. Hopefully, it isn't some serious infection.

I couldn't find anything on this specific issue, so I figured I'd just start a new thread...

Last fall, I had to go under the knife to fix ingrown toenails on both my big toes. Once I was finally back on my feet, I headed to a podiatrist in January to get them checked out. Everything seemed fine at first, but just a day later, my right toe started acting up—this red spot with a white center popped up right along the cuticle line. It looked exactly like a small pimple. About a week later, the white part burst and leaked some fluid—probably pus, likely some kind of bacterial infection—and then it settled down.
Then, about a week after that, the exact same thing happened to my left toe. Burst, leaked, the whole deal. That was three weeks ago now. What’s really eating at me is that it just won't heal; I still have this red, tender patch along the edge of my toe that hurts whenever I touch it. The nails themselves aren't digging in anymore and seem okay for now.
What should I be doing here? Should I try applying some Bivacin or maybe Betrion?
I'll be honest, I'm pretty terrified to see my doctor because I'm scared they'll tell me I need another surgery. 😢

rustymason12 said:I’ve recently come to the realization that I might be dealing with what Americans call OCPD—Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder.

To be clear, this isn't about repetitive rituals; it's more about an obsession with planning and lists. I find myself constantly trying to micromanage things that are inherently uncontrollable. For instance, if I want to make coffee, I have to pause at the counter and map out the entire sequence—minimizing the steps from the fridge to the counter to the microwave, and so on. It’s rather absurd. The same applies when I head out, say, to my university classes. I meticulously calculate my departure time, how many minutes it takes to reach the bus stop, the transit duration, and even what I'll do during the commute. Every single time. Occasionally, minor compulsions surface too—if I accidentally brush my hand against something insignificant, I feel compelled to wipe it off on a piece of clothing or anything else I deem "clean." Sometimes I'll even use a ruler to "scrape" the perceived dirt off my skin, repeating the motion until my hand feels "pure."
I also experience bouts of intense rumination. I'll fixate on something I said or did to someone—no matter how trivial the interaction was—and dissect it down to the smallest detail. These thoughts can haunt me for days at a time.

I'm honestly not sure if this constitutes a genuine issue...😕

I’ve been reading up on the disorder, and it feels like my symptoms align much more with a personality disorder than standard OCD. I am a total perfectionist...
And I do the same thing with categorizing things as "clean" or "dirty." Honestly, it’s gotten worse as I've gotten older. Everything irritates me—every little asymmetry, every tiny imperfection.
Plus, I get these urges where I just can't stop thinking about one specific thing. It just spins in my brain for hours on end, no matter how pointless it is...

Olivia Rivera77 said:If you ask me, sounds like straight-up OCD to me...🤷🤷

Exactly. What’s actually going to happen if some food gets mixed up on your plate and you eat it?
What’s going to happen to me if things aren't perfectly symmetrical? The world will probably end, right?

steelfox15 said:Finally, someone else who actually gets it! Honestly, I totally feel you on that whole thing about picking stuff up off the floor and the constant hand-washing obsession. For me, though, it feels like things just escalate—it doesn't get better, it just gets more intense. Like, the other day I absolutely lost it because my husband decided to stick that house blessing decal on the glass to the right of our front door. In my head, it *has* to be dead center, right at the top, stuck directly onto the door itself. I’ve been fighting the urge to scrape it off for two days now. He thinks I’m losing my mind because he believes everything is fine, but the truth is, I’m just completely obsessed with everything being perfectly symmetrical. I think I'm actually going to rip it off. It’s driving me nuts.

I totally get why she's annoyed. But what can you even do? You just try to live with it.

steelfox15 said:Hey everyone!
I’ve got a question and I'm honestly not sure if this belongs in the OCD thread. My whole thing is this obsession with a spotless house—I need my tabletops perfectly aligned, rugs sitting at exact angles, and my desk is always, well... let me guess... everything is perfectly level and squared up. It’s getting to be a real struggle because I can't even look at a rug with a curled edge without having to physically get up and fix it. Or seeing a vase sitting anywhere except dead center on the table? Absolute nightmare. These little things are driving me insane; if something isn't exactly where I put it or left it, I lose my mind because it’s just not how I envisioned the space looking. The kicker is that I wasn't always like this. This obsessive need for order started maybe three years ago, or maybe a bit more. I also have this annoying habit where I walk into a room and immediately notice if anything has been moved while I was gone (and yeah, that applies to my desk at work too)—I see everything, I notice everything. Sometimes I joke that I totally picked the wrong career path and should've gone into forensics since I'm such a stickler for detail. Please, if anyone has any idea what might actually be going on, help me out. It’s becoming exhausting to live like this because instead of just relaxing when I get home, I feel like I'm constantly cleaning and resetting everything back to its "proper" place. Thanks.🙂

I totally get you. I always know exactly where I left everything. And anything that isn't symmetrical drives me crazy. Even with echoes. It fluctuates, though—some days are better than others. Sometimes even a single loose thread on a shirt will set me off.
The other day I didn't even buy a dress because one sleeve felt slightly tighter than the other. Honestly, there's usually something about most clothes that bugs me. I just can't accept the fact that the world isn't perfect.
It used to be that I'd read the newspaper every single day following a very specific "template"—reading every headline in order, stuff like that. Then I stopped, but then I'd get bored, so I'd start reading something else, and eventually, I'd fall right back into those same patterns.
What else? I never just sit on the couch at home. I wash my hands way too much. I have this obsessive urge to wash my hands immediately after picking something up off the floor, or right after eating.
And it's gotten worse over the years. I've never seen a psychiatrist, and the only thing I tried was some mild over-the-counter herbal supplement, but it didn't do anything.

gentlecrane3 said:Excellent 👍

Same here. Honestly, I’ve got way too many denim jackets stashed away, so I never bother buying anything new for a year or two. By the time I actually feel like shopping, the whole look is already out of style anyway. 😁

Harold Williams said:You can find those at Walgreens. They’re usually kept right where they keep the shoe inserts and all that sort of thing. Prices generally run from $8 up to $6.75 depending on which brand you pick. I couldn't seem to track down any good photos online, but here's one I found. I actually used the exact same ones from that company myself once... you just stick them inside the back of the shoe to support the heel (just like the name implies, I guess 😁).
http://www.tvrtke.com/zapetak-tips-d...,MF-32423.aspx

I use the clear ones from Scholl's. I bought a pair of red peep-toe heels that were a bit too big—I had to size up to make sure they wouldn't hurt my feet. 😁 They work perfectly with them.

shadowmaker31 said:The thing is, I’ve practically walked through the entire city in them, and I’m certainly not going to pretend I haven't worn them when it’s so obvious from how they look now that I’ve finally taken them off. But then again, if I actually tried to take them back for an exchange, wouldn't they just stare at me like I’ve completely lost my mind? I mean, who would ever want to buy "pre-owned" shoes after seeing what I’ve done to them? Honestly, aside from the soles, you can barely tell they’ve been worn; even that little little tag is still tucked inside.

I really don't know what to do here. It doesn't seem right to claim they leaked or anything like that, especially since the description clearly states they are meant for dry weather, and the idea of tearing them apart or destroying them just to force a formal complaint out of the store doesn't exactly cross my mind. My last resort might just be selling them right here on this forum. 😢 If only I knew someone working at Zara who could pull some strings for me; since I work in retail myself, I know firsthand that it isn't actually that difficult to fill out a form and send them back marked as defective, or even just getting them put on sale or something similar...

If that's the case, they definitely won't take them back. Your only real options are to sell them or just give them away.
Maybe try taking them to a cobbler first to have them reshaped...

shadowmaker31 said:A few weeks back, I spotted these absolutely stunning ballet flats over at Zara—not quite flat, mind you, but they had this lovely little lacquered platform heel, and the upper part was a soft grey adorned with a bow.😍😍 They were just gorgeous... but my bank account simply wasn't having it at the time.😢 Fast forward to payday; the memory of those shoes popped into my head, so I made a quick dash to Zara, feeling quite optimistic that they might still be there! And sure enough, there they were. I went straight to try them on, naturally. What happened? Well, I started by trying a size 6 in US sizing (since I usually fluctuate between a 6 and a 7). The length felt alright, but I could tell they were pinching me just a bit. So, I moved up to a 7, which fit perfectly, but when I actually tried to walk, the shoe felt loose; my foot would almost slip out, leaving enough room that I could practically tuck my toe behind it.😕 I found myself in a bit of a dilemma, so I immediately called a colleague from the nearby Walgreens where I work to get her take. She just insisted, "Oh, just grab the 6, they'll stretch out once you wear them in," and went on about how they did the same thing to her.
So, being swept up in the moment, I bought the 6, feeling so happy and convinced that I’d finally found my dream shoes. I wore them today—truth be told, I spent the entire day walking around town before heading into work—and let me tell you, by the time I got to my shift, I was in absolute agony. It was so bad I actually had to go buy something else just to find relief. Now, I'm sitting here feeling so incredibly frustrated with myself. I don't know what to do; I can't exactly return them because I've already worn them (even if they don't look used, really), but I'd be heartbroken to sell them, especially if they don't have the 7 in stock if I ever need to replace them. I just don't want to let them go.😢 Not really,🤣 but they've dug into my skin so deeply that I genuinely don't know how to fix this.

I went through the exact same thing, and in the end, I just sent them all back.
Not even two rounds of stretching them over shoe trees helped at all. People on the forums suggested everything under the sun—from heating them up in the oven to slathering them in Nivea or using various sprays...
It's going to take me another two weeks before my legs are even close to feeling normal again.
Look, my feet are pretty sensitive, so... maybe yours will stretch out on you. But if they do, you can always fix them—just wash them and wipe them down.