Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with seasonal

Thanksgiving Vodka?

The Whelk — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 09:42:50 -0800

Vodka That Tastes Like Fall? Since I do my Thanksgiving a week or so after everyone else, I have time to infuse a massive jug of vodka with seasonally appropriate flavors for the festivities. What infuses well and tastes like fall/thanksgiving/etc? I was thinking cinnamon/apple but that almost seems too trite. Maple? Nutmeg? Do nuts infuse well(or at all?) if you mash them into a powder?

A Chinese Jig about Santa Clause would be just dandy, thanks

Navelgazer — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:28:47 -0800

Looking for newer, poppier Christmas/seasonal songs from Ireland and China. So my girlfriend and I are going to be apart for Christmas with our respective families. Whenever we go on a trip together or she has to go on one alone, I make her a mix CD for the journey. Since she's going back to her Chinese family, and I'm going back to my - well, largely mutt by now, but we act out our Irish side more than anything else - family, I wanted to make her a mix of songs from both cultures representative of the season.

I know that I'm going to open it with The Pogues' Fairytale of New York, and end it with Chris Cornell's rendition of Schubert's Ave Maria (which doesn't actually fit the rules, but we both love it). I'm having trouble finding other good, modern Irish Christmas/wintry songs, and I don't even know where to begin looking for Chinese songs which fit the bill (obviously they won't be Christmas songs, but good winter songs will fit just as well - we're both pretty atheist anyway.)

Modern renditions of classic standards are fine, as long as, again, they are good. Please help me, I want this to be awesome.

Work during two months

Busoni — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:14:46 -0800

I have a friend attending school in China (studying traditional Tibetan medicine) who needs something to do in mid-December to mid-February when the campus shuts down. He can't work in China, but he would like to earn money somewhere, somehow. But how? and where? To give an idea of his background, he has a Bachelor's from an Ivy League school, and besides English, he speaks French and Chinese. Generally hard-working, certainly friendly.

He tells me he's open to just about anything, as long as he nets some income at the end of the interim.

The first thing that comes to mind is teaching English in Japan or Korea, since he's already in the area, although I'm not sure what positions would be open, given he'd be available for only two months.

Where to get spiced wafers in NYC?

May Kasahara — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 08:14:45 -0800

Is there anywhere in the NYC metro area that sells Sweetzels Spiced Wafers? I loved these when I lived in Philly, but they seem to be very hard to find outside of Pennsylvania.

Jobs that will pay me in vacation time?

DetonatedManiac — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 17:51:27 -0800

What are some jobs/careers/business ventures that would allow me to make a living (~$25k+/year) and only work seasonally, or work on a punctuated schedule, several weeks on/several weeks off? I am currently gainfully employed in a well paying cubical job with two weeks off a year and weekends... but...

Say I changed to a job/career/small business that would allow me to make an (admittedly scaled back) full time living and only work seasonally, or work on a punctuated schedule, few weeks on, few weeks off (totally off, not on-call or anything). What are some viable options?

I need about $20,000 US dollars a year net (that is, after any hidden costs/expenses as well as taxes). Less is OK if it is commensurate with the cost of living in my new home location.

This must be a serious, legal, somewhat steady job, not overly speculative and not based on exceptional talents, skills or advanced degrees. Capital on hand (for business start-up or education): $50k, but rather not dip into that if possible (see below).

I am willing to move anywhere in the world, provided I can live within a reasonable distance of an ocean (the whole reason for this move would be to spend more time cruising in a sail boat). Bonus points if I can live on the coast (and actually live on my sail boat).

I am willing to do something moderately to very dangerous, provided the income is boosted appropriately.

I am 24, have a college degree (in "liberal arts") and could easily get an MA or technical training in just about any field if needed (and with enough time), but would only do so if it would really pay off. I am OK with (in fact expecting) blue collar grunt work.

Swiss passport holder trying to do seasonal work in france

Raff — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 01:39:50 -0800

Australian holding a swiss passport and looking to do some seasonal work (less than 2 weeks) in france while travelling. I know france and switzerland have an agreement to streamline work permits but have not been able to find where to get the permit and how long it will take as my french is rusty. Also how easy the process is and if it is worth it for a 2 week stint. I have the job lined up just need the permit!

Help us feed our zygote some apples.

caution live frogs — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 06:23:19 -0800

Twin Cities mefites: Where can I find locally grown apples that are safe for a pregnant woman? Looking for an orchard, not a market. (Other hot tips on finding local, seasonal foods for a mother-to-be appreciated if you have them!) So we just found out that Mrs. Frogs is preggo. Hooray! Our first kid (and the only one we plan to have) so we're both excited, but we're also freaking out about Evil Chemicals.

We both love apples. We both also know that non-organic apples are high on the list of Most Evil Fruits in terms of pesticide residues. We can find some apples in local stores, but we were really looking forward to fall trips to local orchards. We plan to do some investigating ourselves, but I figured someone out there might already know.

Are there orchards within a reasonable drive that feature organic or at least low-penetration treatment apples? You-Pick would be ideal for us, but not necessarily essential.

We're trying to be as organic/local/sustainable as we can (and as we can afford) with the pregnancy. We have already been hitting the farmer's markets, but I think we'd both like to get to the source for a change now and again, for some fun weekend trips, so as mentioned above non-apple-specific seasonal food source recommendations are welcome.

So SAD. Illuminate me.

desuetude — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 14:42:27 -0800

I've been aware of a tendency toward winter blues for many years, but this winter is really kicking my ass already. I think I'm ready to look into a little treatment, and I'd like some advice. Yep, I've read all of the previous AskMes on this. Has anyone found getting a "real" diagnosis of SAD from their doctor to be particularly helpful? (Or particularly unhelpful?) I get that the tendency is to say that of course one should see a doctor if one thinks one has a medical condition, but I am not suffering from severe depression, I'm not looking for an SSRI prescription, or even a therapist. Really, I'm quite certain that this is just Not Enough Light = Cranky and Exhausted.

I'm pretty sure that some light therapy will do the trick. I do wonder if insurance might partially cover the cost of a light-box? Anyone have any experience with this? It was mentioned in previous threads w/out follow-up.

Getting outside for more light and fresh air would be great...except that the resultant pain from my Raynaud's makes that prospect a bit...depressing.

Sorry to say that I can't go someplace warm for a few weeks, though man oh man, I wish I could.

Anything else to consider adding to my treatment regimen?

Powerful AC-Powered, Easily Packed Travel Fan?

WCityMike — Mon, 24 Apr 2006 09:17:23 -0800

I need recommendations for a (travel?) fan that is small enough to not take up much space when packed in a bag, but that nevertheless kicks out a very decent breeze. AC power (not batteries) very much preferred, since it will be used near-constantly and I'd eat through zillions of batteries otherwise. Reasoning explained after the break. My job assignment has me at different desks within the same company week to week, and sometimes even day to day. I usually need to bring any personal effects with me from day to day.

During the summer, even if the building has adequate air conditioning (and I've yet to work in this particular company during summer, so I don't know), when I usually arrive, my body temperature is high enough from walking through the heat that I really need a fan's assistance to cool down. And, frankly, the air keeps me alert and going throughout most of the day.

So I need recommendations for a fan that can pack away easily to store in my bag (thus desk fans or room fans are entirely out of the question — I'm most likely asking for a good travel fan here), but that nevertheless can kick out a good breeze to keep me cooled down. And, as I said, AC power is preferred, because since I'll be using this rather constantly, I could go bankrupt trying to keep this thing powered with batteries.

Somewhat of a tall and contradictory order, but anyone got any advice? Online ordering preferred but not essential, since as an urban Chicagoan, I don't have a K-Mart or a Wal-Mart nearby me, unfortunately.

Help me figure out my Irish ancestry ...

WCityMike — Fri, 17 Mar 2006 10:24:30 -0800

Help me determine how much green blood runs through my veins. My paternal great-grandmother was born to a man of 100% Scottish heritage and a woman of 100% Irish heritage, but she was born in County Down, Ireland.

Would she be considered 100% Irish, by virtue of her birthplace, or 50% Irish, by virtue of her genetics?

I'm trying to figure out if on this foine holiday, I'm an eighth Irish or a sixteenth Irish. (No Irish blood on any other branch of the family tree.)

[Rather appropriate of me to be posting this on "the green," don't you think?]

Mood music: snowflakes and bonfires

bricoleur — Tue, 06 Dec 2005 16:01:41 -0800

Looking for seasonal music. We are not Christian, so we are looking for, in order of preference, Yule music, winter music (OK, I don't know exactly what I mean by that, but maybe you do), secular "Christmas" music. Got favorites you'd care to recommend? I'm mainly looking for CD titles, but would welcome song titles too.

Light Therapy for SAD

rongorongo — Wed, 16 Nov 2005 16:11:39 -0800

I need practical advice about light therapy for SAD. I'm married to a Californian who is used to the sun. But we live in Scotland where the next few months are pretty dark. Whilst she has not been diagnosed with Seasonal Affective Disorder she thinks that light therapy might help her mood and wellbeing. I have checked out Go Ask Alice and followed some of the links she mentions - but could really do with some practical advice on what sort of lamp to try.

The web seems to be full of vendors who will offer either quite expensive lights, or cheaper knock offs. Some of them look... er.. "shady". Could we just go out and buy an ordinary light with a bright bulb in it? Is the colour spectrum of the light or its degree of diffision important? Thanks.

How can I find decent seasonal work?

nebulawindphone — Tue, 29 Mar 2005 06:03:02 -0800

Lately I've been hearing from people who support themselves on a low budget doing seasonal work part of the year: ski bums in Canada who plant trees up north in the summer, punks here in Pittsburgh who work the cranberry harvest out east each fall. I'm curious about this sort of job. I'd like to know about seasonal jobs that pay okay, hire outsiders, and are unlikely to get me hurt. (I don't mind being cold or tired or uncomfortable; I do mind seriously unsafe conditions.) Any suggestions? Places to look? Experiences you'd like to share?

do you suffer from SAD (seasonal affective disorder)?

SpaceCadet — Tue, 09 Nov 2004 06:31:14 -0800

Now the northern hemisphere is heading for another winter, do you suffer from SAD (seasonal affective disorder)? [mi] I get more and more tired as the weather gets colder. The tiredness affects my mood, and I often get mild depression because of it (my theory). Anyone else have the same seasonal lethargy/depression? The only solution I can think of in curing the problem is flying out to hot and sunny countries (I tend to holiday in winter months to alleviate the feeling). Anyone have other solutions?

Examples of the seasonal color palettes (for clothing)?

notsnot — Sat, 13 Mar 2004 14:05:47 -0800

Seasonal color palettes: I googled, but came up with lots of image consultants that don't really tell you much. A friend of mine wants to go get clothes in colors that make her look good, and I know she's a Winter, but I'd like to show her a palette of colors.