How to do things

[grommet]

I would like to start a thread where people can ask how to do things they don't know how to do. I think we can help each other.

Would some one please tell me how to mail a package, what are the steps to follow? I don't know how.

 

[Vinca]

I would like to start a thread where people can ask how to do things they don't know how to do. I think we can help each other.

Would some one please tell me how to mail a package, what are the steps to follow? I don't know how.

Hiya Grommit, which aspects of mailing a package would you like to know about? Would you like to know the steps involved in packaging and addressing an item? Or is it where to take a package to post it and estimating how much it will cost that you would like to know how to do?

Also, the country that you are in can make a difference to some aspect of mailing a package. Where is the package being sent from and to ( I'm not asking for the full address, just the country you are sending the package to and from. I'm in the UK, so I know about mailing packages in the UK, but don't know about elements that would be specific to the USA, forexample)

Some methods of mailing take longer than others, do you have a deadline by which you would like the package to arrive or is it flexible?

V

 

[AsheSkyler]

This is what I do when I have a package to mail:

- Contents must be secured. All moving parts wrapped in kitchen plastic wrap. Free space stuffed with bubble wrap, packing peanuts, or other really irritating by necessary stuff to keep contents from bouncing all over the place.
- Box is duct/masking taped up solidly so it doesn't come flying apart mid-transit.
- Return and delivery address written in the appropriate areas on the box.
- Drag to post office to have it weighed and thus know the amount of postage to pay. (If you don't get a "if it fits, it ships" box.)

Also, need to double check that you're not sending something that will get you arrested or fined, like batteries or spray paint.

The USPS has a mailing guide here. This care package document has a nice overview about sending internationally. And it never hurts to read tips on being cost efficient.

Hope this helped. If I missed something, I'll try to dig up a proper resource for it.

 

[tree]

This is what I do when I have a package to mail:

- Contents must be secured. All moving parts wrapped in kitchen plastic wrap. Free space stuffed with bubble wrap, packing peanuts, or other really irritating by necessary stuff to keep contents from bouncing all over the place.
- Box is duct/masking taped up solidly so it doesn't come flying apart mid-transit.
- Return and delivery address written in the appropriate areas on the box.
- Drag to post office to have it weighed and thus know the amount of postage to pay. (If you don't get a "if it fits, it ships" box.)

Also, need to double check that you're not sending something that will get you arrested or fined, like batteries or spray paint.

The USPS has a mailing guide here. This care package document has a nice overview about sending internationally. And it never hurts to read tips on being cost efficient.

Hope this helped. If I missed something, I'll try to dig up a proper resource for it.

TAPE TYPE:
Check with your delivery system.
Post Office/UPS/FedEx/other commercial shippers

Some don't allow duct tape and you have to use
clear packing/strapping tape.

I found that out the hard way.

 

[watersprite]

Hi grommet

If you find the do-it-yourself method unacceptable, the UPS store will wrap, box, label, and ship items for you. This costs, but it is a nice service. They'll ask how quickly you want it to arrive. The faster, the more expensive. There is also an optional insurance for very valuable items.

Remember to bring the name & address of the person or company to which you want the box delivered (& the return address - usually yours.)

I have been told it is always prudent to slip a piece of paper inside the box with the address & return address as well. Just in case in transit the box gets damaged and the address label is obscured.

 

[grommet]

Thank you everyone. AsheSkyler gave me good directions, that is what I needed to know. I needed step-by-step.

Kestrel I did not know I could take a thing to a shop and they could do all the shipping. Thank you for telling me that. I see that they would charge for the service. I do not know which I will choose. I don't want to pay but on my own I might make a mess of it or it could take too long. These are the things I needed to know.

I am an expert on some things but basic life things are very confusing for me. A friend taught me how to do laundry. My grandmother taught me how to wash dishes. I don't remember who taught me to shop. I am self-sufficient to a point. I think I am not the only person who needs help with things other people do normally. I still use a money order every month to pay my rent because I cannot manage a checkbook. Once with an eBay auction, no matter how many times I read the information I could not understand when the auction ended. I called my local ILC (Independent Living Center) and asked if they would explain it to me. They said they don't do things like that and it really hurt my feelings. It would have taken someone else a second to figure it out and if I had read the information to them they could have told me but they wouldn't.

Often I need help like that and if I could rely on other aspies to explain things without making fun of me for not knowing, it would help me a lot. I wonder if it would help other people too. We are not dumb, we understand some pretty complex things but ordinary life can be an unworkable mystery. It took me years to ride the bus. It was to a dentist appointment where I was going to have a lot of dental work done. I was much more afraid of the bus.

 

[Major]

Sometimes (okay all the time... like every day) I use Google search to learn how to do things. You can find a lot of step by step instructions this way. Its how I organized my whole life actually.

 

[grommet]

Sometimes (okay all the time... like every day) I use Google search to learn how to do things. You can find a lot of step by step instructions this way. Its how I organized my whole life actually.

I did not know you could do that. I hadn't thought of it. I should try that. Thank you

 

[watersprite]

I like it when someone helps me, and I like to be the one who helps too.
p.s. I like your signature very much grommet.

 

[grommet]

I like it when someone helps me, and I like to be the one who helps too.
p.s. I like your signature very much grommet.

Thank you Kestrel. I feel the same way about being helped and helping. We need each other and it can mean so much to someone needs help because they are stuck and cannot do it on their own. We can do so much together.

I am glad you like my signature. I try to remember it everyday. It was something taught to me by a bosun when I was learning rigging. We were trying to lift some heavy things and he said the Stevedore's saying. He told me to work as little as possible. Make it as simple as you can and in fact sometimes all the clever ideas on how to get something done aren't as good as not trying to move a thing but moving yourself. So with all the trouble I have everyday I try to think if I need to find a complicated solution or if there is a simpler one. I don't know. I hope it helps.

 

[Progster]

Sometimes (okay all the time... like every day) I use Google search to learn how to do things. You can find a lot of step by step instructions this way. Its how I organized my whole life actually.

I use Google to learn how to do new things too, especially IT stuff. I often have IT questions, I suppose here would be a good place to ask

One thing I would like to know is how to cut my own hair.

 

[Spiller]

I use Google to learn how to do new things too, especially IT stuff. I often have IT questions, I suppose here would be a good place to ask

One thing I would like to know is how to cut my own hair.

Hey Progster, I taught myself to cut my own hair out of desperation - trial and error, during the winter when I could wear a hat to hide mistakes until it'd grown out. I'd been to a number of hairdressers over the years, never enjoyed the experience and was never satisfied with the result.
So..
- I bought a pair of barbers clippers with 10 comb attachments and scissors included, made sure I had two mirrors so I could see the back of my head.

- Started with the longest #10 and went all over my head, with dry hair, in different directions until I didn't seem to be trimming any more - it surprised me how long this took, but I have wavy hair and I think you have to get the wavy bits at different angles so you don't just comb them flat without trimming.
- #8 next, for the sides and back, everything up to an imaginary line running from above the temples, the lowest point you could have a parting, around to the crown at the back - upward strokes.
- #6, to another imaginary line about 2 inches below the previous.
- #4, sideburns and around the back to an imaginary line at the top of the ears - I hold my free hand to the back of my head to feel where the line is here.
- #2, for the bottom half of my sideburns and following a line about 2 inches below the last, or about the middle of the ear.
- #1, for the bottom edge of sideburns and the back and that gets rid of the fluffy bit on the back of your neck too.

A rolling motion with the clippers at each imaginary line seems to help to blend each shorter layer into the last.
The back is the tricky bit - I go slowly here, from #6 onwards, checking with the mirrors to make sure it's even.
Use the scissors to trim the little tufty bits where your ear joins your head.

I seriously found a bottle of wine helped so I didn't feel too nervous if it didn't seem to be going well - the first time I did it I got really panicky when the back had a chunk out of one side .. in the planning stage I realised that, if I did cut it wonky, I could always trim it a little more with the next shorter comb.

The first time really was the hardest, probably because it was long and I was anxious.. I've been doing it about once a month for a year or so now and, as long as I'm careful with the back, it's easy.

 

[gonz]

Aw man Spiller, I was gonna answer that one. And that's exactly how I do it too, even down to the little rolling motion to blend the layers.

 

[Progster]

Hey Progster, I taught myself to cut my own hair out of desperation - trial and error, during the winter when I could wear a hat to hide mistakes until it'd grown out. I'd been to a number of hairdressers over the years, never enjoyed the experience and was never satisfied with the result.
So..
- I bought a pair of barbers clippers with 10 comb attachments and scissors included, made sure I had two mirrors so I could see the back of my head.

- Started with the longest #10 and went all over my head, with dry hair, in different directions until I didn't seem to be trimming any more - it surprised me how long this took, but I have wavy hair and I think you have to get the wavy bits at different angles so you don't just comb them flat without trimming.
- #8 next, for the sides and back, everything up to an imaginary line running from above the temples, the lowest point you could have a parting, around to the crown at the back - upward strokes.
- #6, to another imaginary line about 2 inches below the previous.
- #4, sideburns and around the back to an imaginary line at the top of the ears - I hold my free hand to the back of my head to feel where the line is here.
- #2, for the bottom half of my sideburns and following a line about 2 inches below the last, or about the middle of the ear.
- #1, for the bottom edge of sideburns and the back and that gets rid of the fluffy bit on the back of your neck too.

A rolling motion with the clippers at each imaginary line seems to help to blend each shorter layer into the last.
The back is the tricky bit - I go slowly here, from #6 onwards, checking with the mirrors to make sure it's even.
Use the scissors to trim the little tufty bits where your ear joins your head.

I seriously found a bottle of wine helped so I didn't feel too nervous if it didn't seem to be going well - the first time I did it I got really panicky when the back had a chunk out of one side .. in the planning stage I realised that, if I did cut it wonky, I could always trim it a little more with the next shorter comb.

The first time really was the hardest, probably because it was long and I was anxious.. I've been doing it about once a month for a year or so now and, as long as I'm careful with the back, it's easy.

Thanks - I probably should mention that I'm female. I keep forgetting that people here don't know this.

I honestly don't know whether I'll ever have the courage to try myself, but I'd really like to be able to do it. I hate going to the hairdresser!!!

 

[AsheSkyler]

I've got a trick that results in some nice layers and is easy to do.
- Get your scissors.
- Bend over and gather all your hair to a handful of whatever length you want.
- Hack away and make that handful level!
- When you stand up, shorter hair and lovely style!



I was often told I looked like Bon Jovi when I kept my hair just below shoulder length. I was rather into rock and metal at the time, so it worked out pretty well.

My hair reaches to my lower back now, so I'm trying to figure out how to cut it straight across by myself. Quite awkward. I keep my hair braided, so nobody will know how uneven it may be.

 

[Spiller]

Thanks - I probably should mention that I'm female. I keep forgetting that people here don't know this.

I honestly don't know whether I'll ever have the courage to try myself, but I'd really like to be able to do it. I hate going to the hairdresser!!!

My lapse, should have remembered, or at least looked at your profile

.. Sooo ya don't think my hairstyle'd suit you then?

I used to have very long hair I wore in a queue, mostly, but I'd imagine it might be a simple matter of dealing with the fringe, but have you come across this?

 

[Progster]

I've got a trick that results in some nice layers and is easy to do.
- Get your scissors.
- Bend over and gather all your hair to a handful of whatever length you want.
- Hack away and make that handful level!
- When you stand up, shorter hair and lovely style!

View attachment 18662

I was often told I looked like Bon Jovi when I kept my hair just below shoulder length. I was rather into rock and metal at the time, so it worked out pretty well.

My hair reaches to my lower back now, so I'm trying to figure out how to cut it straight across by myself. Quite awkward. I keep my hair braided, so nobody will know how uneven it may be.

Thanks, gathering my hair between my fingers makes sense, it would all be the same length that way. It would work because I keep my hair short.

My lapse, should have remembered, or at least looked at your profile

.. Sooo ya don't think my hairstyle'd suit you then?

I used to have very long hair I wore in a queue, mostly, but I'd imagine it might be a simple matter of dealing with the fringe, but have you come across this?

Thank you No, I hadn't seen that. It's a neat idea, though I'm not sure how I'd like the noise and sensation of it.

 

[Vinca]

Thanks - I probably should mention that I'm female. I keep forgetting that people here don't know this.

I honestly don't know whether I'll ever have the courage to try myself, but I'd really like to be able to do it. I hate going to the hairdresser!!!

I've got a trick that results in some nice layers and is easy to do.
- Get your scissors.
- Bend over and gather all your hair to a handful of whatever length you want.
- Hack away and make that handful level!
- When you stand up, shorter hair and lovely style!

View attachment 18662

I was often told I looked like Bon Jovi when I kept my hair just below shoulder length. I was rather into rock and metal at the time, so it worked out pretty well.

My hair reaches to my lower back now, so I'm trying to figure out how to cut it straight across by myself. Quite awkward. I keep my hair braided, so nobody will know how uneven it may be.

I've used duct tape before as aguide to cut my hair. My hair was past my shoulder and I wanted to have it shoulder length so I did the folowing

-slightly dampened my hair
-combed it as flat and as evenly as possible
-cut a strip of duct tape long enough to go around my neck with some over lap
-keeping the duct tape level, I held it behind my head, with the sticky side facing the hair on the back of my neck, stuck it over my hair around the back of my neck and around to the front where the ends of the duct tape met and stuck to my throat, making sure that I didn't do it too tightly.
-using the bottom edge of the duct tape I cut along it with sharp scissors.

It wasn't as good as the hairdresser would do it but looked good enough (and use duct tape which was fun )




There was a tv show where a hirdresser

-put a ladys hair into a ponytail on her hairline above her forhead,
-cut it straight off to about 4-5inces from her head.
-Then whilst still in the ponytail, did small little cuts into the tip of the pony tail, to make it look like a the soft rounded top of a mans shaving brush

-Then took the the hair bobble out
-The ponytail wasn't in the centre of the ladys forehead, but to one side, where her side parting started, so when she took the hair bobble out to release the ponytail it created an asymetrical layered hair-stlye.

I tried this myself several times, and it looks good (if you like layers). People are often suprised when I say I did it myself.

There's a video of a lady cutting her hair using this method

She has very long hair and doesn't cut her poytail as short as the hairdresser in the TV show I watched, but she still shows the same principals to be used.

I also found the following link whilst looking for a visual example of what I've described. It includes pictures and instructions on how to cut hair by putting it in a hair bobble/ponytail.

How-To Hair Girl | Ponytail techniques-Simple cuts and colors for beginning DIY-ers Archives

 

[Progster]

Thanks for your replies to my question. Not all the methods will work for my hair because it's short, but I have one or two ideas now. I'm sure the replies will be useful to others, too

Also Grommet, good idea for a thread.

 

[grommet]

Spiller that was a great tutorial, a very good explanation. I have been cutting my own hair for so long I forgot other people don't do that. The hardest part for me, and it took a long time, was to learn how to work with my reflection in the mirror. Everything is the opposite so I needed practice. Sometimes I would put my finger on a part of my face so I would know what side I was looking at. Now it seems second nature but it has been so many years.

I am older now and don't have much hair left on top. I have always kept my hair short. I think that makes it easier but your directions on using different number combs on the trimmer is enlightening. I have always wanted a faded look in back but have rarely managed it. I would also like to have longer hair but I didn't have the skill to cut it. Maybe with your instructions I can do it. I will be bald on top but it seems the hair on the sides and back will stay.