Last week of 1997 I think (got a computer programmable barbie for xmas and somehow my older sister took this as “time to put her on the internet” lol). First thing she did was sign me up for AOL chat then put me in a “kid friendly” chat room (think there was a suggested list or smtg). Ended up being a roleplaying animals chat and…well it wasn’t just kids in there lol. Half of us were just typing “turns into a panda and rolls around” and others were typing “bear sits at bar and winks at panda”. We quickly exited that and she searched me a cat facts site and left me to it.

With the new found power of search I started looking up where we were blocked in whatever the current Tomb Raider was which led me to fanfic porn which led me to what’s 69 which actually led me to a couple different groups of older people who were very chill and “you shouldn’t be here”, but also gave me a lot of advice on sex ed (which was appreciated, my mom’s period talk was vague and conducted like I was in a war now lmao), keeping private on the internet and what’s an inappropriate conversation someone’s trying to have with me, saying no and I don’t have to talk to anyone who’s making me uncomfortable. Also taught me how to download music and safe practices. So thanks “perverts” of the 90s, I appreciated learning what reverse cowgirl was, no means no and how to download music for free so I could stop tape recording my favorites off the radio lol.

I’m not a mineral person going to be honest (I work in healthcare lol), so not sure I can really answer your questions. Also sorry being a bit cagey didn’t want to dox myself before a google, like felt 99% sure this was a common mineral, but again not a mineral person.

Basically I lived in some foothills along a ravine made of granite. Home 1 I think we had a neighborhood well and home 2 was a personal well. I can’t list the equipment being used to soften the water (if at all), I just know neither were on town water and home 2 I helped my dad install a softener since there wasn’t one (which tbh didn’t help too much besides making the water coming out of the faucet less cloudy and mildly less thirst inducing).

I don’t think my hometown has a lot of limestone (idk may be wrong, like said I’m not a mineral person, all I know it’s a granite ravine) so can’t comment too much beyond that. This was just my experience with water growing up and what put me off it for a long time.

Bit confused here. There’s levels to water hardness and what I listed you’d know pretty much instantly. It doesn’t sneak up on you or anything. If it makes you feel better I grew up in a town on a ravine lol it was all rock. You may not be dealing with the same situation.

ETA also limestone wasn’t the mineral that was the issue there, was a different one

I drink it now…on town water lol. Growing up outside of town proper in my area it did not taste good and left you more thirsty than when you started drinking it. The water was hard enough taking a shower felt like washing down with iron wool and if you stayed in more than five minutes you came out peeling. I was actually amazed the first time I lived in a town center on town water and the water didn’t make my skin feel raw lol. I was floored when I lived in a beach town and not only was the water mild, something in the area made the water taste slightly sweet and enjoyable to drink instead of “somewhat metallic from old pipes, but inoffensive cause it’s thirst quenching instead of thirst exacerbating”.