# Discussion thread for the "Polls only" thread (Part 3) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 29, 2026, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157 "2026-01-29T18:21:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 78
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2026, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/1541 "2026-05-02T19:11:43Z")
If the instructions say “microwave on high for 3 to 4 minutes,” I’m giving it the whole 4 minutes. Even though we have a powerful microwave. I’ve had underheated things out of a microwave, but never seen any problem with an extra 30 seconds or so. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2026, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/1542 "2026-05-02T19:20:04Z")
Whereas I’ve had dry, overcooked stuff. So i always start low. ---
**Author:** ![saje](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saje/32/3631_2.png) [@saje](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saje)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2026, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/1543 "2026-05-02T20:23:46Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > The microwave is for just two things; poaching an egg (44 secs) and heating milk for a latte (2:22) Oooh, I’ve never tried poaching an egg! Do you just crack it into a bowl, or do you add water to cover? ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2026, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/1544 "2026-05-02T20:50:09Z")
I just crack it into a mug with about a quarter cub of hot tap water (water first, egg second). Nuke uncovered for 44 secs and remove with a slotted spoon. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2026, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/1545 "2026-05-03T00:11:51Z")
> [@Misnomer](#): > > I eat a lot of microwaved food: my microwave is on the “slightly more powerful” side, so I generally subtract ~30 seconds from whatever the directions say. Having an 800w oven I do the opposite, add a minimum of 30 seconds to the instructions, a full minute if the instructions are five or more. Kentucky Derby: It being one of the sports we actually follow we would go to the local track, Turf Paradise, on Derby day, the other jewels of the Triple Crown, and other big race days as well. Alas, the track came under new ownership and decoded to go the Elite route. It’s $45 for general admission now, with a couple “souvenirs” thrown in, the Club House buffet – where we would go – was bumped from $35 to $99 and the Turf Club buffet from $50 to $125. The casinos around here have sports books but no race book, and the other OTBs take no reservations on a day they are overcrowded. We wait to see the results come up on YouTube. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2026, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/1546 "2026-05-03T00:29:23Z")
My cellular plan is from SimpleMobile. They don’t seem to be offering the exact plan I have anymore, but the closest one includes 15 GB per month for $23.75. That’s in between what you have and what you’re considering, both in data usage and in cost. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2026, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/1547 "2026-05-03T01:03:34Z")
If it were me, i wouldn’t change, but mostly because I’m lazy and didn’t like to mess with stuff. So you can discount my vote. What I’ve actually done is get Google Fi, which serves me well. But i often use more than 1gb if data in a month, especially when i travel. And I’m lazy about using, for instance, hotel WiFi if my cellular signal is good. And i travel overseas enough that i care a lot about overseas access. So basically, I’m not you, and haven’t shopped good plans for you. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2026, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/1548 "2026-05-03T02:46:09Z")
Re: Powwows. Does Indian Y-Guides count? We 7-year olds appropriated the shit out of stuff like that. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2026, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/1549 "2026-05-03T03:12:59Z")
Haven’t been to a powwow. It may surprise some to hear that they happen in New Jersey. I’m not opposed to going to one but I don’t have a great desire either. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2026, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/1550 "2026-05-03T13:04:40Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > but never seen any problem with an extra 30 seconds or so. Having to wait longer to eat waiting for it to cool down or scorching your mouth ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2026, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/1551 "2026-05-03T13:24:21Z")
If by “vacation” one means “any break longer than 4 days from the normal work routine,” for me there are three distinct types: 1. I’m at home, but I have a fair amount (or lots) of real work to do – catching up, etc. Not especially relaxing, though more than you might think (indeed, I usually end up relaxing a little more than I should have). 2. I’m at home, without having to catch up on work. These tend to be very relaxing (though there are still the usual daily life tensions, some days – especially if my spouse is working and my kid is in school – and sometimes serious tensions, if my mother is visiting). 3. Trips, usually with family (spouse and teen kid). These have plenty of relaxing moments, and I’m grateful to afford them (time- and money-wise) – but there are tensions, too. Travel always has tense logistical snags (unless you’re on a cruise ship or a land-based resort equivalent – not my thing). In recent years, some of the tension in type #3 stems from my desire to introduce my kid to certain wonders of the world (cultural, etc.), and his occasional “failure” to demonstrate sufficient interest or gratitude. This is my problem, not his. ---
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2026, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/1552 "2026-05-03T13:27:22Z")
Yes as soon as we leave the house for vacation I am equal parts relaxed and excited. I easily settle in to the rhythm of traveling. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2026, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/1553 "2026-05-03T13:28:29Z")
Except for the actual travel part, I love vacations. It helps that my wife and I are both flexible as to, on a given day, whether we go all out and do a bunch of stuff, or just take it easy. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2026, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/1554 "2026-05-03T13:33:47Z")
I haven’t taken a vacation, in the sense in which most people mean it, in so long that I can’t really answer the question. I do take downtime, but it’s in bits and pieces. Sometimes it’s relaxing, sometimes the reverse as I may spend it thinking that I really ought to get up (or sit down) and do something. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2026, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/1555 "2026-05-03T14:13:29Z")
Traveling and seeing new places is (usually) enjoyable but never relaxing. If I want to relax, there is no place like home. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2026, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/1556 "2026-05-03T14:24:41Z")
I don’t think of vacation as relaxing, but as a form of entertainment. Enjoyable, but not restful. This reflects my preference for active travel vs. drinking by a pool. ---
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2026, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/1557 "2026-05-03T14:27:05Z")
At home I’m surrounded by reminders of shit I gotta clean, scoop, fix or throw away, wash sweep, mop, shine, trim, dust, pay, recycle, water and feed. That is not relaxing. Unless I go to my bedchamber, shut the door, ignore my closet floor, and crawl under the covers and binge watch Harlots or something on YouTube. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2026, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/1558 "2026-05-03T14:29:47Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > Traveling and seeing new places is (usually) enjoyable but never relaxing. Yep, this sums up my feelings. I do take a lot of vacations, and I’m embarking on a 3-weeker in a couple of days, but I am always, always happy to get back home. One thing I hadn’t considered about retirement before I actually retired: Returning home from a trip, you don’t have that sinking feeling of “welp, it’s back to work in two days”. mmm ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2026, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/1559 "2026-05-03T14:44:19Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > One thing I hadn’t considered about retirement before I actually retired: Returning home from a trip, you don’t have that sinking feeling of “welp, it’s back to work in two days”. Oh sure, the Sunday night blues, an old friend indeed. Retirement has instead been about trying to be sure I remember which day it is. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2026, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/1560 "2026-05-03T15:27:16Z")
> [@susan](#): > > I don’t think of vacation as relaxing, but as a form of entertainment. Enjoyable, but not restful. This reflects my preference for active travel vs. drinking by a pool. This. I do take one restful vacation every year, with my family. But all my other trips (quick includes a lot of local weekend trips) are fun and exciting, not relaxing. I just declined a weekend my husband plans to do because it’s my only free weekend between two trips to Europe, and i think I’ll need some downtime. I will care for the cats while he’s away. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157.md?page=77) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157.md?page=79)