Products you had low expectations for but then fell in love with

Nope. Dodge Colt Vista. Mitsubishi import. Very cool little toy.

I actually looked for a 2000-2003 Impreza forever, but never found ‘The One’. Stumbled on this thing and pulled the trigger.

They sure look like an old Subaru.

My wife is on her second Impreza. Used ones are indeed hard to find. People tend to hang onto them.

Bidets are a blessing.
I have hemorrhoids.
And during the COVID TP shortages–I was cool.

Pockets.

Girls were never expected to use pockets, when I was growing up. Hell, in high school we weren’t even allowed to wear PANTS the first couple of years. We all carried purses. And so on as an adult. Not helped by the fact that women’s clothing designers are more focused on streamlining versus practicality.

I still looked for clothes with pockets - if nothing else, made it easier when I had to walk around at the office. Then 3 years ago, I had wrist surgery, and did not want to be fumbling with a purse while I had an arm in a cast - so I bought a small wallet and a bungee keychain to attach the wallet to my pants - and I stuff that wallet in one pocket and my phone in the other, and I almost never carry a purse any more. It’s very liberating.

Dunno if “low expectations” is quite the right phrase, “never even thought of it” is more accurate.

Cloth napkins.

I grew up with a mother who trotted those out for holidays and nothing else, and I did the same. We used paper napkins (nicer ones) growing up. As an adult, we used whatever cheapo paper napkins were available. Then the COVID toilet paper panic inspired us to try to use less disposable stuff = so I ordered a bunch of cloth napkins. Blue, to distinguish them from the nicer damask ones we use for holidays. And once a week or so we wash them all. With the energy and water used to wash them, I don’t know that they are overall any better for the environment than paper, but surely that’s gotta add up. PLUS - they work better than paper napkins, and if we do have a messy mal, we have 4 dozen of them and can always grab a spare.

I bought a fancy heated one for my wife in the early stages of the pandemic. She had her gallbladder removed 25+ years ago and has struggled with intestinal issues ever since. My only regret is not having bought one sooner.

I’m with you. I live alone and eat by myself 100% of the time, but I only use cloth napkins. I have tons of them. And I buy pretty patterned ones, not plain ones. For one thing, they hide stains better than plain colors, and well, they just make me happy. The more often you wash them, the softer they get. I’m currently using these from Anthropologie and love them.

I copied and pasted an image into a printer’s web site, and had them blow it up into a 2" x 3" poster. In this case it was a panel from a Sunday comic strip. I thought it would come out a little abstract, but it’s absolutely perfect

So which is it? A bidet toilet seat or a bread proofer?

Or, like Ron Popeil’s best gadgets, does it do BOTH!!??? For only $29.99 plus $300 in shipping and handling.

Heated car seats. Never had them before, never tried them before, never even thought about them before. Bought a new car - top of the model range for various reasons - and it came with the heated car seats. So after doing the usual playing around - ‘What does this button do? Woah, my arse is getting warm!’, we forgot all about them.

Hint - if you have back troubles (like everyone at my age), a heated car seat on a cold morning is a great way to get it warmed up and functioning during the daily commute.

Rump roasters.

Yes! Love them!

Of course you do. Last year was a dry one but mid-June til end of September is “monsoon season” in Las Vegas. When I lived there it used to be a real bitch getting to work on the Strip when streets were flooded behind Harrah’s.

eta: you have no idea how hard it is to find a frame for a 2" x 3" poster :roll_eyes:

Let’s all edge away from Saintly now, out of lightning range.

Krazy Kat, being smacked with a brick from the Mouse.

Ray Magliozzi of Car Talk had an '87 that he talked about constantly with much affection!

As Ignatz smacks him, he says what has become my sig. on other forums: “Everyday my mind grows keener- my good arm stronger— my silly enemies more futile—”.

Never listened to that show, but I can tell you, whatever he said was probably right. Amazing little Kleenex of a car. Thinking of turning mine into a Mini-Motorhome.

Drove mine to the store yesterday, and turned it over 50k. An average of about 123 miles per month since new. :smile:

Non-alcoholic IPA from both Athletic and Brooklyn Brewery. I’ve cut down to a couple of regular beers a week, and I’ve been perfectly satisfied combining that with a six pack of either of these.

I was highly dubious about backup cameras when they started to be standard equipment on new cars, didn’t figure they’d be necessary or useful.

Now it’s hard to imagine getting around without one.

Got my first backup + all around camera rig a month ago. Agree completely. Went from “Who needs that?” to “Love it!” in about a week flat.