I'm so old I Remember when:

[AntiqueB]

¢
(iPhone, pressing on $ symbol)

Show-off.

 

[jxp]

do you not know where the term "clotheslined" come from?

Never heard of it

Omg the dust... the dust. You cannot understand the epic, Biblical levels of desert dust until you've lived in it. The humidity is so low nothing drops out of the air and the dust constantly circulates. It's everywhere and there's no controlling or escaping it.

We have HEPA air cleaners and humidifiers all over the house that run 24/7 plus filters on all the vent registers. You can dust and vacuum twice a day and still not keep up with the dust.

You can't have open surfaces anywhere. Everything has to be kept in cabinets and enclosed shelving units and bookcases with doors. Even then the dust gets inside.

Anything hung on the walls becomes instant dust-catchers: door frames, artwork, clocks, calendars, cabinet doors, baseboards, wainscoting, curtains, drapes, etc.

If you need a dish or pan you haven't used recently it has to be washed before you can use it. Clothes and shoes in closets have to be covered and protected as if they're expensive couture instead of just everyday wear items.

Dust on countertops. Dust on your computer. Dust on the coffee maker. Dust on the toilet tank. Dust on the window sills. Dust on the tv. Dust on your bed frame. Dust on the armoire. Dust on the treat jar. Dust dust dust dust dust dust dust.

It's in you, too. In your eyes, nose, mouth, throat, lungs. Some days are endless cycles of coughing and drinking water. Rain is your only hope of short relief. Then it's right back to the... dust.

There's the expense, too. Lots of cleaning products, replacement filters for the HEPA cleaners and humidifiers and the vacuum cleaner, distilled water for the humidifiers, boxes and boxes of eye drops, etc.

Gah. DUST.

Ayup - That pretty much sums it up.

 

[notabitail]

Show-off.

My Android has it. I use the FUTO keyboard, but its autosuggest and autocorrect are not perfect at all.

 

[jxp]

In the desert it means no lawns and your yard is harsh and ugly and full of concrete, gravel and cactus. YUCK.

Are you in the desert by choice or necessity? Why not embrace the climate you live in and find the unique beauty of it rather than frustrate yourself by trying to grow things not compatible with it?

I've seen some inventive and quite lovely xeriscaped and/or low maintenance displays using a combination of succulents and water wise plants along with imaginative hard scaping. Unless you're in an HOA have you thought about a mural, metal panels, or statuary?
As we gardeners say, grow where you're planted. Here's some ideas I found to get you started and a site you might find helpful.
https://www.backyardboss.net/design-a-southwest-landscaping-theme/

 

[BigBlueHen53]

@jxp, those are all beautiful, but the last four are especially spectacular! Thank you for sharing.

 

[jxp]

Yeah, it was a tax during the depression era when a penny was worth something. Now this 9/10 thing has really morphed into a marketing game where they, the suppliers, know you’ll ( the public in general) discount the 9/10th or round down rather than paying attention. It’s a psyche game just like the $.99 game. They know the public will be mentally lazy and see $.99 as cheaper than $1.00, which it technically is, BUT, that penny savings is really not relevant anymore.

Right!? When I worked retail, customers would always ask a price. I'd give it to them - for instance $23.98 and they'd invariably say back $23. On days I was feeling kind, I'd point out it was closer to $24, especially when they were trying to add up a number of items they wanted to purchase.

 

[AntiqueB]

Right!? When I worked retail, customers would always ask a price. I'd give it to them - for instance $23.98 and they'd invariably say back $23. On days I was feeling kind, I'd point out it was closer to $24, especially when they were trying to add up a number of items they wanted to purchase.

Over $24 once you add in sales tax in most places.

 

[Rick589]

Over $24 once you add in sales tax in most places.

The number 9 is the most used, most abused, and the biggest mental chess piece businesses use to essentially ‘con’ the consumer.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Over $24 once you add in sales tax in most places.

Consumers are not stupid, I think most of us get that.

 

[Canadian Wind]

Consumers are not stupid, I think most of us get that.

Having worked too many customer service jobs, including managing a gas station/convenience store, I beg to differ.