My boss is aware that all of his staff talk bad about him. We're all college students but the main reason why we don't like him is that he complains a lot about our work ethic and we've been getting a ton of bad reviews lately and he blames it on the workers when it isn't our fault. We all work in a cafe but our most popular drinks/desserts are premade in the fridge by him. So when he goes on vacation (which is VERY often), our most popular drinks will be out of stock. My co-workers and customers have complained about this. Additionally, he often extends the business hours without notifying workers ahead of time (we are all students, and we get out fairly late). Also, 7/10 times employees will be closing alone and he expects a lot while we are working and closing at the same time. Closing activities include mopping and sweeping, refilling syrups, powders, toppings, drinks, cleaning the dishes, taking out the trash + cardboard boxes, putting new trashbags on, dumping out mop water + making sure mop is fully dry, wiping down counters and customer's tables, cleaning washcloths, closing down lids on all the open containers, turning equipment off, etc, which would take an additional 30-45 mins when you are working alone, so all our workers do closing activities about 30 mins before closing to ensure we don't stay back the extra hour. I recently did everything but refill our fresh fruits and he called me to let me know that I didn't refill it and insinuate that I was doing nothing with the free time I had, which was completely wrong. I told him that I forgot/ didn't notice it, and that he can't expect everything to get done if only one person is both working and trying to close at the same time. Also a bit off topic, but I have been working there for two years and have not gotten a raise. He even lowered my wage after I returned without notifying me (I quit due to school, then came back). I'm scared to ask him about a raise because he often will bring up the fact that I am late (by 1-4 mins btw), which I have fixed. I also don't feel valued since I feel like I do put a lot of effort and he just finds every loophole he can get to point out my mistakes. AITA for complaining about him to my coworkers?
TL;DR: My boss often criticizes our work and blames us for bad reviews, even though it's not our fault most of the time. We’re left to close alone with many tasks, and I got reprimanded for a minor mistake. Despite working for two years without any mentions of a raise and even having my wage lowered without notice, I'm afraid to ask for one due to his constant criticism. Am I wrong for complaining about him to my coworkers?

Please don't shake my bell trees, otherwise feel free to explore. Only two visitors at a time. Comment or PM for dodocode. Thanks!
here are some recipes I want if you have them:
Wooden waste bin
Wooden-block bench
Tension-pole rack
Iron shelf
Golden gear apparatus
Apple rug
Shell partition
Shell lamp
Wooden waste bin
Wooden-block bench
Tension-pole rack
Iron shelf
Golden gear apparatus
Apple rug
Shell partition
Shell lamp
Wooden bookshelf
Cardboard chair
Natural square table
Grass standee
Bamboo floor lamp
Log stool
Backyard lawn
Cherry hat
Cardboard sofa
Festival-lantern set
Shell music box
Shell rug
Wooden double bed
Ironwood bed
Tree-stump rug
Unglazed dish set
Garden bench

I hope everyone is enjoying Part 1 of Season 3 😄 ! I caught up analyzing scenes that I almost forgot to release another AAPI Month post. I will admit that this region is underrated and I hope more learn about this country. Let me know what you think:
HISTORY🧭: Although it didn't become an independent country until 1971, the British Empire has been in the area for awhile. The East India Company established a base in Calcutta (Koltkata in the modern day) around 1757. Afterwards, a permanent settlement was created called the Bengal Presidency, where employees and "zamindars" (local landlords) occupied the place. https://www.britannica.com/place/Bangladesh/The-British-period-c-1700-1947
CUISINE🍛: Much of Bangladeshi cuisine is influenced by the Mughal Empire and it's geography. This country is the 4th largest producer of rice 🍚 and fish 🐟 is a staple in their diet. There's even a Bengali idiom associated with this fact; "fish and rice makes a Bengali". Popular dishes include: hilsha (a spicy fish curry), pithas (small pancakes made with rice flour), biryani (spiced rice with lamb, chicken, or goat meat), and rasgulla (a syrupy cheese ball). I can see Mr. Finch trying the last dish since he's a Cheese Connoisseur 🧀. https://uncorneredmarket.com/bangladeshi-food/
BENGALI RENAISSANCE📜: Around this time, the Bengali Renaissance was at its peak. Led by reformer Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Hindu culture and society have flourished. The Asiatic Society, an institution for "Oriental Research", was founded in 1784 by Sir William Jones and stationed in Calcutta. Two important books 📚 were created in 1801: "Bengali Grammar" (a textbook ) and "Dialogues" ( a book about the working class, like fishermen, day labourers, merchants, and women). They even established a college for intellectual learning and oriental studies in 1800 called Fort William College. Since Calcutta was an epicenter of learning, I can see Eloise visiting this area. https://en.banglapedia.org/index.php/Bengal_Renaissance
WATER💧: Water is an essential part of Bangladeshi life. In fact, two-thirds of the country is made of wetlands. This is a blessing and a curse for the residents. On the one hand, the country is extremely fertile, allowing farmers to have high yields and develop agricultural technology (Ex. dhap or floating gardens). On the other hand, Bangladesh is more suspectable to monsoons (which is considered a season), water pollution, and waterborne diseases 🦠. In fact, Oladevi (goddess of cholera) is important in Bengali folk tradition due to the high prevalence of water-related illnesses. https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200910-the-remarkable-floating-gardens-of-bangladesh https://en.banglapedia.org/index.php/Oladevi
DURGA PUJA🐯: One of the most important holidays in Bangladesh, along with West Bengal, is Durga Puja. It's ancient religious holiday 🕉️ that celebrates the Goddess Durga slaying the buffalo demon Mahishasura. Introduced in the 16th century during the reign of Emperor Akbar, hundreds of thousands of devotees head to temples like the Dhakeshwari Temple every October. Beautiful deity effigies (usually made of clay), Bhog (blessed food), Kabigan (Bengali folk music), Jatra (folk drama in theater), and creative competitions are organized/made for the occasion. https://beautifulbangladesh.gov.bd/event/80

The company as become more greedy. They removed the kitchen staffs free meals and blamed inflation but inflation rate is over all lower this year then the last year. They said one of the reasons why they cant give managers raises is because of labor law fines. But the real reason is they want more money. They will not pay their Kitchen Staff $20 and hour like Olive Garden and most other restaurants. Seems to me they will be losing more employees slowly but surly. I am glad I no longer work there. Now at Olive garden. More money, more tips, free meals and more hours. The Franchise Owner talked to me about The Spaghetti Factory and how he use to be a kitchen manager there. By all means do not apply!

At the fisrt, sorry for my english, i'm a little oxidated, but i'll try my best. (it's not my original lenguaje)
But first, a little of context:
It's an story by 7 years. I did meet my (not still) ex-husband on a convention of Anime, i did in cossplayed by Electra and he was Tony Stark, he was had a girlfriend and I was in a toxit relationship (story i'll tell in other time). But in that day, i swear, i did wish had him, i did fall in love. We talk just a little moment, we take a photograph and we keep going with our lives.
One year latter, when i'd brake up my relationship, i fall down in a horrible depression and 1 try to unsiscribe by the life. I'd try to grow up and join a group of single peopple just search fun. I'd was surprised to find that boy again in that group.
Uno month latter, we'd be in a relationship. After two years, we was marrige. Whitout anything more than love, we start this new stage, in the night of weddings, i got pregnant.
At that moment, i wasn´t know i had anxiety and depression cronique, and during pregnancy it only gets worse, and our relationship wasn't the best, we fight a lot, especially because I felt very unprotected by my partner: when we went out there were men who made bad comments to me and I even had to walk home alone after work, not to mention that there were a couple of occasions in which, due to the times , I could only prepare food and run to work, without eating a bite, to be surprised when I returned that he alone finished the food without leaving me anything.
Added to that, the first four months of pregnancy and marriage, he was without work, I had to take care of the household alone; Added to this, to lighten the burden a little, a relative did us the favor of renting us well below the value he had, his house which was uninhabited. Imagine my shame when he asked for the rent and I didn't have the money to pay because my husband didn't go out looking for work. If they hadn't given him an ultimatum, he would have spent years like this, until he asked for a job at the only company where they don't fire anyone.
All of this caused me to spend the entire pregnancy stressed and worried.
The last straw was the day my baby was born, which coincided with my husband's birthday. I had a complicated birth, in which they had to do an emergency procedure: I was hospitalized for two full days, alone, without eating or drinking anything (For those who don't know, the medical service in Mexico is beyond terrible). Not to make it long, my birth was more than complicated; and my mortification was no less when all my relatives, when they were able to come see me, kept telling me how mortified they were, on the other hand my husband looked like a child at Christmas because they brought him gifts for his birthday, even my best friend from school.
When my baby was born, I was aware that I wasn't feeling well, so I decided to take some time to recover before returning to work. And for those who are wondering, it's not like I had a great job, our economic position was not good at all, but my depression only got worse since my baby was born, the complications of childbirth made me feel terribly guilty just thinking about it. that something could have happened to my baby.
Day after day, even though I did not work and did not contribute financially to the house, I made an effort to ensure that the little money that came into the house was enough for everything: milk, diapers and food. Despite everything, I always made sure to prepare a good breakfast and lunch for my husband to take to work, I got up before him so I could have that attention with him; Imagine my disappointment when he often returned with the food intact from when she prepared it for him and told me that he had preferred to buy something to eat. This only made me feel like I was useless. Added to the fact that on more than one occasion he even left the front door of the house open for us: a woman who had just had surgery and a newborn baby, in a neighborhood where, in open secret, it was hot for organized crime, added to the fact that I I felt insecure around him.
My family kept making comments to me about how bad my husband felt for me, how bad I looked (comments that I questioned, because my family never liked my husband). Despite the bad things, he had his attempts to be thoughtful and considerate (in the wrong way or causing me more problems, but I understood that it was his way of showing that he cared).
This was when I began to understand that my husband was like that, disconnected from reality, it was his shell of protection since he practically grew up in foster homes with "relatives" or "acquaintances", many of them were very violent and mistreated him, making him feel alone and vulnerable. I learned much of this from him, the rest his mother herself came to tell me and the rest was a matter of adding 2 + 2.
When I assimilated this and that the situation would not improve, when my baby turned 9 months old, I decided to look for a job, fortunately I found a way to work from what I studied (because yes, I have a degree), and with very humanitarian bosses. those who didn't even mind me occasionally taking my baby to teach classes with me (because yes, I ended up teaching at a basic level). Thanks to this, the situation at home improved a little, but the arguments did not stop over small things, more than anything everything he did or did not do bothered me. I guess it was because of the exhaustion of dealing with everything alone, and for anyone wondering, no, he practically didn't help me with the baby issues; With the household chores (just washing the dishes and sometimes sweeping the common areas), I took care of the rest, in addition to always making sure the house was safe for a one-year-old baby.
One of the breaking points for me (this occurs in the dark time of the pandemic when we all lock ourselves at home), your company was one of the last to send them to rest, however, since my sector was related to dealing with children, I was one of the first sectors to confine themselves to home, so now I was doing homme office. One morning I realized that the man not only lost the keys to the house, but he took mine to leave, locked them and left them stuck outside the door, leaving me locked in with my baby without the possibility of getting out if anything arose. emergency. If it hadn't been for my father, who came to visit me to see how he was doing, who knows what would have happened. Get an idea of ​​how little he cared about the safety of his family.
These, among other things, added up over the years, until I began to ask him, as a last chance to save our marriage (because at this point, I felt broken and discouraged), I insisted that we seek help, couples therapy or at least individual therapy, but he didn't listen to me or wasn't interested. Until the first time I packed my and my baby's things, he realized that I was serious and that I would leave him, he still didn't want therapy, not even when I was honest with him and told him that there were many things that I couldn't do. forgive him, especially for the pregnancy; What did happen was that he began to collaborate more at home and finally began to take responsibilities with our son.
The facts:
What ended up being the final break was a day of extreme heat, where the weather was useless and there were no technicians operating in the area. My son, now 3 years old, is very hot and in any heat his nose tends to bleed a lot, especially that weekend he was very tired, despite that, the only solution I could think of was to put the pool inside the house ( to avoid having it under the sun), I clarify that at that time we lived in a small two-bedroom apartment, which yes, I admit was an impractical solution but it was the only thing that occurred to me. Even before I did it, I notified him of what I was trying to do, not to ask for permission, but just to notify him so he wouldn't be taken by surprise.
When he got home, he didn't say hello, he didn't say anything, he just left his things and left the house to get a taxi. When I caught up with him to ask him, he said he was going to his mother's house to get an air conditioning unit that he planned to bring to install to solve the problem, to which I gave him my list of problems with it, because we didn't have permission to make modifications to begin with. Thus in the department, adding the amount of electricity it used, transportation, among others. To which he also responded with his list of drawbacks that he saw with my solution. The point is that the argument escalated and ended with him throwing the water into the garden and me locking myself in the room with my daughter, enduring the heat of the day.
Neither of us spoke to each other the rest of the day, in the morning, the first thing I did was pack my things and my baby's things discreetly. I called my parents to tell them what had happened and they were more than willing to receive us (something that did not make me so calm because, yes, one of the reasons why I married him in a hurry was that my parents were a cornerstone of my anxiety and depression).
The next night, with my things packed, I waited for my husband to drop the bomb, tell him that he was leaving with our son, he cried a lot, he begged me for another chance; That time I didn't shed a single tear, not because I didn't love him, despite everything, I followed him and I still love him, but I realized that I was loving him more than I loved me and my daughter. . I didn't cry because I spent years crying alone and falling asleep with tears.
I asked him if he would prefer to end the relationship peacefully, where we could still rescue our friendship, before reaching a point where I couldn't even tolerate seeing him.
That was the only time when he finally said that he would take therapy, but I no longer believed him. I know he did it just to convince me, but in the end he wasn't going to do it. So I decided to leave the next day with my things. It was the last time we talked about it.
At the moment:
We have a year apart, we decided to give ourselves a few months to settle in and calm our spirits. Despite this, we have still kept in touch through our daughter, when it is her turn to visit or when she brings him an errand.
I don't deny that I still love him, and now I'm the one who would like our marriage to be fixed, but he is the first to say that he feels better now.
Now that I am living with my parents, my symptoms of anxiety and depression have not improved at all, on the contrary. I don't know if I ever feel like going back to him was a desperate attempt to get out of my parents' house, because he was the only person who made me feel understood and that there was nothing wrong with being who I was (I did). which has mainly contributed to my mental health), because I clarify, my son has a disability and since his diagnosis, he has not contributed much either, I have been with the support of my family in the face of that, but not with my ex-husband or the his family, so I use practically all of my salary on my son and his basic needs; His father gives me alimony for him, but only the equivalent of $20 dollars a week, against medication a month that costs about $100, plus his therapies and special attention.
So I ask.
AITAH for asking my husband for a divorce for refusing to go to therapy?
I really appreciate that you take the time, I know that it is not a short or brief story, I will try to answer your questions in the comments if I have not been clear in any aspect. Right now I'm a mess, I'm discouraged because my situation is currently not good, my profession wears me out emotionally and mentally, added to the condition of my son who makes me feel like I'm not doing things right...
I need to know that there is something in life that I haven't done so badly. In advance, thank you Reddit community.

Olá! It's me! I'm Rickle Pick! Hello everyone!
So, I’ve been listening to some stories about Neckbeards and Kevins, as well as some Legbeards and Kevinas (Is that the correct term??). Well, most of the times I listen to those stories, I am reminded of some people I used to deal with in school. Specifically, this time, the tale of a guy, who I’ll name Roger Bacon for reasons soon to be explained. Sorry for any grammar errors, eu falo português! I also don't really know the posting rules here, so I'll just post it and see how it goes lol
This prologue is more of a compilation of stories that I think is needed before we get to the main shenanigans and awkward situations this guy put himself AND me into. If this generates any interest, I will post more specific tales of this weirdo! Long time lurker, first time poster, english is definitely not my first language and the whole shebang. I also never wrote a text this large, so go easy on me!
THE LIST:
Well, I guess it’s usual to make a list of people that appear in those stories, so I’ll make one just for you!
Me: Your basic musician-type nerdy theater kid white guy! Tall, thin with medium-light brown hair. At the time, I usually wore a leather jacket and sometimes a hat (not a fedora, a Chaplin hat. Also, where I live, hats are an acceptable attire choice lol). I kinda looked like the Once-ler from Lorax. At this time, I had just failed my second year of high school because of… honestly just lack of effort, mixed with undiagnosed ADHD and a bit of lacking in the ol’ confidence and self-respect department. At the time, I also was physically incapable of saying no and had a crippling fear of disappointing people.
Roger Bacon: 168 centimeters (or 5,5ft for the uncivilized) of pure muscle! Or at least he thought it was that way. In reality, he did have some muscles but was kinda chubby and flaccid. Not FAT fat, but athletic fat (???). He was mixed, light skinned, had shaved short curly hair, no beard (except for the inside beard) and his face was a special kind of oval, besides having a, "chiseled jaw". He always smelled like he had just gotten out of a day-long brawl with a french cologne wearing burrito. He wasn't an usual neckbeard, but he was a huge attention whore. Thought too much of himself, as we say here in Brazil: “Promised too much, delivered nothing at all.” His moto was: “Dude, I think she’s into me!”
For now, these are the characters, as the focus is to introduce you all to Roger Bacon as a person.
With the list over, let us get to the story.
FEBUARY 2018:
The year of 2018 started pretty badly for me. I had just been held back from 10th grade, had no friends and didn’t really know anyone. As most people know, high school in Brazil is quite different from America, as we start school in febuary and we share the same class with the same people all day, excluding language classes and extra-curriculum activities. This meant that, for the foreseeable future, I was alone. On the first day of school, I shyly sat on the last desk on the far right corner of the room, as I scanned my classroom to see what I was dealing with. A few groups of people sitting together, talking and greeting their friends, some loners reading or playing on their phones. The artsy girl drawing a beauriful woman on the white board. Some guy drawing a penis right beside her. Perfect balance. A normal classroom.
Another difference between our school systems is that we don’t really have clicks based on like Jocks or Nerds or Pretty Girls, it’s mostly people who connected in childhood or matched personalities, instead of connecting through roles and interests within the school. Not saying either one is better, just different. And yeah, the bullying situation is just as bad. I was bullied for my whole middle school and through first year of high school, and made a very specific group of low profile friends. So when I failed sophomore year I thought to myself “Screw it, if I’m going to be held back, that’s at least a second chance for me to grow an acceptable social life.”
All this elucidates how intimidating it could be for someone to join a new classroom full of mostly new faces. If you were unable to make a friend, you’d pretty much be on your own for the whole year unless an already formed group “adopted” you. So my mindset was to at least try and meet new people.
Well, have you ever said “I’m gonna do this thing I’ve never done before!” And got the worst possible circunstance you could get at the very first attempt? Welp, that’s just what happened. My strategy was to start small, and go talk to only one person at first, and then try to interact with a few of the groups as that was a bit intimidating (fun fact: we call “clicks “panelinhas”, spelled “pah-neh-lin-ias”, wich means “little pans”, because, you know, they’re closed groups, like a closed… pan. Idk, anyway), so I went up to this guy in front of me, and that guy was Roger Bacon.
He was almost lying on his chair, on a cool guy pose while messing around on his phone. He was also wearing a black sports tank top with a grey opened sweatshirt and the standard uniform wine-red shorts that were mandatory in our school, which made him look like a short and jelly version of Rocky balboa mixed with Kick Buttowski.
In real life, my name and his started with sequential letters, and because of this, we would sit near each other for the whole year, so I guessed he’d be the best person to interact with. I also KINDA knew him because we had basketball training after class in like 2015 and I went to the same church as him, in which I befriended his brother, Kevin, slightly, but didn’t have much contact with him because he had already graduated (I have some stories about basketball and church so tell me if yall wanna read them lol). I approached and gestured for him to take of his headphones (They were extremely loud, so I could recognize he was listening to the song In The End by Linkin Park).
Me: Hey! Aren’t you Roger? You’re Kevin’s brother, right?
RB, trying to sound stoic: “Oh, hey Rick. Yeah, it’s me… fortunately for you.”
Me: “What do you mean?”
RB explained: “Well, I’m the cool brother! Kevin was lame, and also had no friends.”
Me: “Isn’t he in a band with [insert band members]? They seem to be his friends…
RB: “They might look nice, but they’re all assholes. Don’t let them fool you! I’m the nice brother, Kevin is a dipshit.
To elucidate you: that band he said was made of assholes was the Worship band of the church we went to. It was also the worship band that I occasionally played the piano with.
I said, jokingly: “Guess I’m an asshole then! Because, ya know, I play with them more often than not”
RB: “No man, it’s just them. They’re just so infuriating! They never let me participate!”
Me: “Wow, that’s weird… I mean, I didn’t know you were a musician too! What instrument do you play?”
RB: “I play the drums, piano, guitar, bass and I also sing. But Kevin keeps me out because he wants to be the 'star brother'!”
I could tell he got a little heated, and went silent for a little while. I decided not to mention the band or his brother in his presence, 'cause ya know, that was pretty awkward lol.
I remember thinking to myself “This guy’s kinda weird”, because his brother was one of the nicest people I had ever known, and he also didn’t have the say on who played on the band, the worship leader did. I thought about confronting Roger with this, but I didn’t want to abandon my quest of finding a friend. And also, he seemed chill at first, if not a little insecure.
I was a little uncomfortable with this line of conversation, so I opted to change the subject. We talked a bit more about me having been held back, and he went on about how he was really good at math and chemistry, and how he could help me with my school stuff.
I was glad to have someone to help me, and even more, someone who apparently liked the stuff I liked. I remembered what he was listening to, so I commented on it and asked which song was his favorite, and we talked about Linkin Park for a bit. He said “In The End” was his favorite song, and then I mentioned I was a huge Linkin Park fan. He told me he was a big fan as well, but as we talked about it, it became a bit fishy. He never specifically said anything and just kinda repeated what I said. It became clear after a while that “In The End” was, in fact, virtually the only song he knew from that band.
That was the first time I noticed something strange, but only in hindsight, as at the time I just thought he really wanted to make a human connection. I remember thinking he was just excited to know someone who was open to talking to him, so I didn’t think anything of it.
Also, not everyone memorizes this stuff, and maybe he did only remember one song, for whatever reason, so I let that pass. I only felt necessary to include this information because it was, at least in some way, the first lie that Roger told me, a little sample, if you will, of what’s to come.
After we talked for a while, mostly catching up on our lives, the bell rung and our first actual class had begun, and I had the first-hand experience of this guy’s sense of humor. The teacher walked into the classroom and introduced himself as the new Geography teacher, and started a power point presentation about some of the subjects we’d be covering that year, saying “Please pay attention to this class, as you’ll need to know how our schedule will work”. Roger looked back and said “Huh, I guess this class is useless for you then, being held back and all, hahah”, which made everyone look at me and just kinda stare like I should say something, and he kept repeating the joke to anyone that showed any reaction besides just staring, adding “Amirite? Huh? Amirite?”.
I was kinda salty about this, but my people pleasing peapod brain couldn’t handle letting it show, so I just laughed and said nothing. I guessed it was a poorly thought out joke at first, but then Roger proceeded to make the same comment on every single one of the opening classes we had for both of the introductory days. There were 12 of them. He did it every time. Every. Single. Time. Sometimes he repeated it even louder, as if he didn’t think people heard it, because no-one was laughing.
“Ok”, I said to myself, “He didn’t mean to make fun of me, he’s just a little overexcited and probably is trying to make a connection and help me get acquainted to our classmates.”
Either way, I was very uncomfortable and annoyed.
Thankfully, this came to a halt when he was practically thrown out of the Literature class for interrupting the teacher mid-sentence while she talked about how important the first month of class would be for our comprehension of the whole subject. He made the joke four times. FOUR TIMES. I was beginning to think that I made a mistake, but well, the mistake was already made, at least I can try and understand him a bit, before judging.
The rest of the week went by and he didn’t get any better, but I got kinda used to it. In fact, I actually enjoyed having conversations with him at recess, when we could talk a bit more freely. And, as all things in life tend to do, it got weirder. Weirder in the sense that as we spoke more and more, I noticed a bit of a concerning pattern: every time I shared an experience I had, he’d share a cooler and more awesome almost equal experience back.
Some light examples:
I told him I went hiking for 2-3 kilometers on a trail by the beach. Then he smirked and said he went hiking for “at least 7 kilometers on a deserted beach that only his father’s company’s employees had access to and he saw a Gorilla. There are no gorillas in Brazil. Maybe in zoos, I guess, but definitely no gorillas.
I told him I was kinda sad because I had just ended a “thing” with a girl from my old grade. He “proudly” said he’s been dumped by his ex, Laura, after they dated for 11 months and made out aaaallll the time after school, and he even saw her “lady parts” once!”.
And then he went on to describe that shit for like 3 straight classes, adding more and more to the story every chance he had to speak, providing me with my daily dose of cringe in tiny bits of uncomfortable information at a time! Like a sporadic cringe snack! Sninge! Crack? Probably Crack.
ANYWAYS
There was also the time I told him the story of how I became best friends with a guy because we got into a fight in P.E.. We were arguing about some nonsense and he wanted to fight, so after he socked me on my stomach, I cheaply kicked him in the face so hard I almost sprained my ankle and then we started laughing (because I guess sometimes that’s all it takes). Phillip is my best friend for almost 10 years now.
Roger puffed up his soap dish chest went on for at least 2 classes worth of time about how he “beat up his last bully and broke both of his arms, and almost went to prison, but his dad is a lawyer and bailed him out”. Dude was 16, and I don’t think he’d need to be bailed out, but okay… He was, in fact, very badass.
Those are all approximations of actual stories he told me, because my ADHD memory is shit, but you get the gist of it.
My days were filled with endless stories filled with absolute bullshit, like a Gary Stu from a dying rpg campaign. (I have a story about a DnD game he participated in, but that’s for another time!)
Roger, not content with lying to me about anecdotal facts about his past that could be true but were almost certainly mostly bullshit (if not entirely), had a tendency to just negate reality when presented with facts in certain situations.
And example of this situation is the time we were doing a group assignment and a girl at least 3 meters in front of him dropped her pencil and he just kinda threw himself on the ground, picked it up and said “Here you go, Lana!”. She said “Thanks Roger!”, barely turning around and carried on with the assignment. Roger, then, turned to me with a sleek shit feasting smirk on his face and said:
RB: “Dude, do you think she’s into me??”
I contained a ridiculing laughter just in time to realize he was dead serious.
I said “I don’t know man… Doesn’t seem like it to me, but sure I guess.”
RB then straight up asked ME to go talk to her and get HIM her number. When I asked why shouldn’t he do it, he said it was “the wingman’s job to get the number of the girl” so that he wouldn’t “look weak for asking”
I said I’d do it, cause I genuinely wanted to see if he was right about her liking him (I hadn’t really understood the dynamics of the classroom, so I actually had no idea if he was actually right, just a gut feeling that yeah, he probably wasn’t).
I went up to her and asked for her number, explaining it was Roger who was interested in her and, as I pulled out my raging 2014’s Sony XPeria, I was swiftly interrupted by her delicately saying “Sorry! I have a boyfriend.” (She said the boyfriend part out loud, and stared at Roger)
I said “Oh, ok, sorry to bother ya!” and, as I was starting to walk back, I noticed that she turned back and glared at Roger. Later that day her boyfriend texted him, telling him that “He’s got to stop asking her out, and next time, if he wants to get rejected, he should come do it himself” He called him a moron. And then they both blocked him.
Well, that was embarrassing.
Despite having been turned down (for the 6th time now, I’d come to find out), Roger still maintained that she was “totally into him”, and it wasn’t just Lana. Any time he had even the smallest interaction with any girl, he’d say that they’re “probably into him”, or that “they made out at a party, but she was drunk and probably won’t remember”, or that they “sent him nudes last year but he’s already deleted them because he’s a good person, with morals”.
This went on for a while and, after about a month, Roger begun to dial down the crazy stories about how he’s a “badass and he gets all the girls but he’s single because he’s too good for them”. Until I started seeing a girl from another church I started going to. I met Janice () at the churches youth group, and we talked the whole time afterwards about lots of stuff. This name’s given because of her insanely similar laughter and demeanor of Janice from Friends. We clicked well and I was very interested in her, but my ADHD ass forgot to get her number, and remembered it only when she had already left.
When I told Roger, he laughed and said “I had just cockblocked myself” and that I’d “probably missed my only chance of banging a girl ever”. I was bummed, but clarified I didn’t really want to have sex before marriage or at least before making an emotional connection (I had just then begun to go to church, so I didn’t really get the rules, so it was more of a personal choice I always had in mind when thinking about dating. Also I met her at church so wtf).
He said “that was dumb” and, “even though he was a virgin, he’d dance the Devil’s Tango with the first chick he had the chance to”
“What about Laura?”, I asked. His face went from a confident smirk to an almost sad expression, and he blankly replied: “She didn’t want to, but I tried anyway at times. I even got a blowie once!” I let it go because I was very tired, as Mondays are hell on earth.
A few classes later, I went up to him and reminded him of our conversation and asked:
I said “Ooookay, but what about all those girls you told me were all over you? Didn’t they want to have some bum bum times with you??”
He was taken by surprise by this, and was visibly trying so hard to think of an answer for at least 15 seconds. He mumbled “Well…”, and like just left. Like he got up in the middle of the class, and walked away. Well that was weird!
He got back and I didn’t pry, thinking he had some kind of trauma, and I tried to change the subject.
I say “tried” because instead we were suddenly interrupted by a girl asking me if I was Rick. I didn’t know her or how she had materialized beside our desks, but later I found out that that girl’s name was Mary. She had blue eyes and was smiling mischievously, and I answered “Yup, that’s me”. She then giggled and said that “Anna wanted to make out with me after class”. Me and Roger were both very much taken aback by this, and I immediately thought to myself that this could only be some type of dare or prank (which it probably was), and was about to try and respond with the first witty joke that popped up in my monkey brain when, without missing a beat, Roger said “Rick’s already seeing someone!”. Mary was visibly surprised and said “Oh, you have a girlfriend??” with a look of disbelief on her face. Ouch. I explained that I wouldn’t say I do, I just liked a girl from church and we’re going to see a movie with some friends on Saturday, and that either way it was a pass on the making out sesh! Mary said “Oh, okay!” and started to walk back to her desk. I was about to make a joke and say that Anna could probably do better than me, when Roger interjected:
RB: “I’d like a making out sesh if she’s interested!”
Mary looked back with a visible “Lol, ew no” expression and just said: “I’m sure you would, Roger!”, turned away and sat down, laughing with her friends when she got to her desk.
Roger turned to me and said:
RB: “Dude, do you think she’s into me?”
This cycle repeated once in a while, so I’m not gonna tell you all of the situations that I felt like shaking him and trying to wake him up like Woody does to Buzz Lightyear in Toy Story. Exhausting, right?
Another thing Roger tended to brag about was that he did Martial Arts. Specifically, Kung Fu (Wushu). I would come to find out that, in the year before, he made a big scene to tell everyone in class that he’d just started Kung-Fu classes and, when no-one payed attention, he started a habit of punching the wall beside his desk, audibly making “hmpft” noises. When anyone asked why, he’d say he was training, and that his Sensei (Not shifu, he actually said sensei) had asked him to do that to strengthen his fists so he could harness all the strength he had, so one day he could put a hole through a wall with his fists.
He would also punch the school’s fireproof doors because, if you didn’t know, they dent pretty easily, and he would show me and tell me to bask at his strength and ability. That until I said I’d give it a try. He told me not to, because “I wasn’t trained” and “it could really hurt my hand”. I punched the door. It made a dent.
Roger said it was beginners luck and that he’s just a good teacher. I told him I really didn’t even make an effort to pay attention, the metal was just bendy and soft. Roger never talked about it again, and started only punching walls. For that, he would feel superior because, yeah I ain’t doing that. There were consequences for his wall punching habits, but I’ll address that some other time.
The last thing I’ll say about him for now is how clueless Roger was, how much he thought of himself and how he treated everyone else like they should (and would) respecting for what he told them, and not for what he showed them.
(I plan on doing another part eventually, with the story of how his disconnection with reality, lies, schemes and generally narcissist behavior eventually exploded back into his face.)
As a last bit of exposition of our circumstances, there’s an important part of our school life that fueled Roger’s social life’s demise.
Pranking was a big part of my class’ culture. There were also some people in my classroom who were bullied. The thing is: the bullies actually made fun of literally everyone else, which made it very hard to figure out if you were considered a target or just a colleague. They’d mess with people’s stuff, tie backpacks to the windows and hide pencil cases, but they would also do it to their own group.
Essentially, the only way to differentiate those who they considered normal schoolmates from those who were bullied was the frequency of the pranks and their demeanor in general towards those people. They would apologize for the pranks, ask to make up for it, buy you lunch, make jokes, try to laugh with you. I swear some of those guys were politicians in the making. Luckily, was very good friends with one of the guys in that group, I’ll call him Turkey, who was also held back a few years before me, and he liked my sister, so I was mostly safe.
Roger, on the other hand, THOUGHT he was one of the pranksters. Every time someone pranked him or anyone else, he would laugh knowingly, like he was in on the joke the whole time, and try to make jokes, only to further humiliate himself. And they would capitalize on that as hard as they could.
You see, Roger liked to portray himself as the “Mysterious-Badass-Quiet-Protagonist-Take-No-Shit-From-Anyone-Mr.-Steal-Yo-Girl” guy. This combo of personality substitutes was the recipe for the downfall of his popularity, and the start of the longest lasting pranks I’ve ever seen in my life, which will come if yall want another post. That prank is also the reason I named him Roger Bacon.
Because he was so into Math and Science (and into himself too lol) he also always wanted to look like the smartest guy in the room. The problem is that, as our first semester went by, it became clear that he wasn’t as good as he hyped himself up to be. Shocker, right? This was proven to be true when we were doing a chemistry group test, and I was paired with him and Anna, and we needed to calculate some entropies or whatever. He made a point of telling us to do all of the “easy ones”, and he would take on the more complicated questions.
The thing is, he was trying really hard to look like a genius, to maybe impress Anna, so every time he made a calculation, he would roll his eyes up and kinda vibrate a little. I guess he wanted to look like a genius mathematics robot, but instead he looked like he was trying to imitate an autistic person having a small stroke. I didn’t mind the Good Doctor amateur impersonation, because at least it looked like he knew what he was doing. Unfortunately, it really just looked like he knew what he was doing.
Each easy question of the test was worth 1 point, and there were 4 of them, and there were 3 hard questions worth 2 points each. We got a 4/10 on that test, and lo and behold, the only questions we got right were the ones me and Anna worked on. We were a bit pissed, not gonna lie.
Until the last time we spoke, Roger still blames Anna for his complete failure at this test for, in his words, distracting him because she was obviously into him.
But that’s just Roger, I guess!
I've got A LOT of stories about Roger and other neckbeards I've encountered, and I can't wait to tell them!
Until then, thanks for reading, and have a good one yall!

I’ve been doing pretty good at going gluten free and it’s been about 2 months now. Today I’m really struggling though. For some reason the past few days all I have wanted to do is get crappy fast food that’s filled with gluten.
Please drop any comfort food recipes and product recommendations down below, I’m desperate for something to fill the cravings. I’m a white Canadian university student so basically think of any stereotypical comfort foods for that demographic and I probably miss them as that’s what most of the food I grew up with and my grandma cooked for me was lmao.
Specifically craving things like chicken nuggets, burgers, regular pizzas, ramen, dumplings, Olive Garden pastas and breadsticks, Mac and cheese, subway sandwich’s poutine and flour tortillas. I’m also open to new items to try that are your personal comfort foods
Thank you!!

Hey everyone,
I use 100% organic, non toxic, and regenerative methods on my property- garden, clover lawn, flower beds, etc. My husband and I came home the other day to a pesticide company trespassing on our property and spraying what we found out was a professional strength glyphosate mixture, all over my freshly emerging cut flower seedlings (heirloom varieties that I sell bouquets on the side). It’s about 120 sq ft that was still wet when we showed up… but it was a sunny day and I’m not positive there wasn’t more. Things are just starting to turn brown. The employee was completely aloof on every aspect of why we were upset. The next door neighbor hired them for his own property, and at no point had we ever discussed services with the company or neighbor.
I’m really pissed about this, from a toxicity, income loss, and sweat equity standpoint. I’m contacting the company and if they don’t financially cover the damage/loss/replacement, we are taking them to small claims court.
What steps would you take for the physical remediation of the glyphosate? The area is currently 2” of river rock with good soil underneath (I grow drought tolerant varieties that do really well in that space). I found USDA guidance of it lasting in the soil for 6 months. I’m thinking the rock and soil need to be removed, replaced, and everything replanted. Would that even work or am I doomed to just wait it out? Anything I’m not thinking of, or other considerations?
I’m asking for two reasons. 1. To calculate the cost of damages for material/labor and 2. To actually attempt to fix this if I can.
TLDR; a company we didn’t hire trespassed on our property and sprayed glyphosate on my income producing cut flowers. Need to figure out reimbursement $ amount, and practical steps for remediation of the area if possible.

I’m going out on a limb here, because this post is going to be a strong dose of woo. But I feel I have a duty to warn, and you people seem just weird enough to be able to get it. Read this in the voice of John Oliver if you have to, it might help.

TL;DR: Things are going to get worse before they get better. A mundane and lame, but not altogether surprising, amount of worse. Around 2045-2050, is when things finally turn around. Time to get your shit together, people.

Backstory: Back in the late 70s, a former Special Assistant to the Chief of Naval Operations, Stephan A. Schwartz, got involved in remote viewing. Schwartz started a long-term project that ran from 1978 to 1995 to ask remote viewers to look at one day in June, 2050 to see whether or not the Cold War turned into a nuclear war. He collected data from hundreds of remote viewers over thousands of sessions, over decades of time, and aggregated down the places of only broad consensus. The points where nearly everyone agreed over years and years.

What came out was while we didn’t nuke ourselves, things like the fall of the USSR, the rise of HIV/AIDS, climate change, and terrorism replacing the Cold War seemed like crazy talk at the time, but it's what the remote viewers said. To date, points of wide consensus have held accurate because they’re non-specific. It's not “on Sept 11 this will happen…” it’s “something happened, and now terrorism is why the world is a more dangerous place.”

You can watch here in 2017 where Schwartz talks about a “series of epidemics” occurring. HIV/AIDS was the first one, and last I checked, the opioid crisis, huge increases in non-communicable diseases, and COVID are all massive public health problems on a scale we didn’t used to have - even at the level that in 2017 to consider them. Then he describes Zoom meetings, and how they’re in VR by 2050. So, like I said, things get worse.
/backstory

In the last few years, Schwartz started up a new version of the 2050 project, asking remote viewers to look at the year 2060, and report on wide consensus. A summary of his work is here, with findings on the last page. (This is not investment advice… or is it? ;) I’ve been waiting around on a book with more details for 2 years now, and still nothing, so I have this and interviews as most of what he has out there to go on.
I’m a remote viewer, and I’ve had years of profound, sometimes bonkers experiences that have forced me to stop being so materialist and accept that sometimes remote viewing works. And that the universe is buck wild, but whatever.
Anyone can learn to remote view, just like anyone can learn French if they spend a lot of time every day working on something that seems cool at first, but is ultimately borderline pointless to do without a solid reason. In reality, both have too many rules and are kind of annoying to keep up every day when you’re not using it professionally. But, objectively, learning French is still worse.

….But I’ve also studied and used social science data for work, and looking at broad consensus is how we evaluate things like aggregating survey data. So I put a lot of stock in both the 2050 and 2060 projects simply based on the methodology.

You know what I don’t put a lot of stock in? Astrology.

So I made the mistake of asking astrology about the general themes forecast for the US for 2030-2045, expecting some sort of hilarious contradictions. Like “oh, 2034, Saturn is in Leo - the US elects its first kitty-cat president :3 YAY!””

Nope.
Fam (can I call you fam?) - look, Fam, let me tell you, it did not go well for me.

TL;DR of that post: Nothing contradicts Schwartz. Even the timeline of bad to worse lines up. And I didn't even tell them why I was asking about that time frame before I got a few responses back.

We go from now to bad in the early-mid 2030s, bad to worse in late 2030s/2040, then spicy worse until 2045, then come up for air by the time kindergarten-age kids of today are old enough to rent a car and drive it through Mad Max: Tornado Dustbowl II.
OK, so two woo-woo data points. Who cares, right? Just stupid woo coincidence, right? How many pretend "skeptics" are screaming "confirmation bias!" at me right now? It's not zero.

But....Then we have the unfortunate triangulation of the fact that some of the less pleasant climate change models pointing to a 2.5+ degree world, which is entirely right smack-dab in the realm of possibility right now, agree with the severity of the remote viewing predictions. Expectations of a Blue Ocean event are on track for 2036-2038ish, and the remote viewing data says something happens around 2040 that is a big deal.

The 2050 and 2060 projects both agree that there are migrations: “people flee the coasts, then the Midwest becomes uninhabitable.” But like, more uninhabitable than right now. Constant tornados and floods and drought and general bad times kind of uninhabitable, not like, thinking spaghetti in your chili is still food (I’ll fight you about this, Cincinnati! Come at me!)

Now, if you’ve made it this far, you’re probably just a podcast host desperate for content. Respect.

But for real, if you’ve made it this far, it’s important to acknowledge the fact that this is a warning. This is knowledge, not to create fear, but to inform your sound choices. To be used to guide your life. Data to keep you safe and happy and doing whatever else normal people do these days. Fidget spinners? Are those still a thing? Anyway, point is that if you’re scared, you’re doing it wrong.

And look, this is a topic I’ve looked at for a long time, so there’s no way that you won’t have questions about the nuance. I would, too. Maybe questions like “I’m not clear - are you on drugs now, or do you NEED to be on drugs?”
But I’m going to get off the internet now, and let comments pile up for a while, because we have, like….8 years left to post on IG about plates of food someone else made and you just paid for. Or however you spend your time. I have 8 years left to understand why fidget spinners are a thing before I’m taking out the ball bearings and using them for ammo.

People, get your shit together. Find community. Be compassionate and kind. Learn to garden. Get in shape. Touch grass.
And vote, FFS. Not for America’s first kitty-cat president, I mean, not YET. Vote for humans now so we can have cats later.

Looking for an experienced cook for a Cafe and Vending operation in Phoenix near 75th Ave and Lower Buckeye. Our Cafe serves cooked-to-order food for employees on a large campus of a national company.
We currently serve American-diner style Breakfast and Lunch from Monday to Friday. We are closed on major holidays. This is a professional environment with a small team focused on providing the best service we can to our customers.
We need an individual with cooking experience who can show up for work on time every day and works well both independently and as part of a team. Must be willing to cross-train in other areas of the operation as needed to support your teammates. Must be able to:

• Cook eggs to order
• Know the safe cooking, holding, and reheating temperatures of food
• Follow a prep list with a sense of urgency
• Be willing to clean up after yourself and others without being asked
• Work in an open kitchen environment, taking orders from customers and preparing the food while they wait Must have a Maricopa County Food Handler’s card Main responsibilities will include:
• Prepping, cooking to order, and serving food to our patrons
• Maintaining the highest levels of safe food handling
• Cleaning as you work; keeping the line, prep area, storage areas, coolers, and dish area clean and organized; washing dishes and cleaning equipment.

Pay range is $16-18 an hour Monday-Friday 6am-2:15pm Looking for someone to start immediately
This is a good job for someone who is tired of spending their nights and weekends working, and it’s a much less stressful environment than most restaurants. There is no screaming chef or wait-staff to put in the wrong orders! Please message me to provide your resume and set up an interview.

“You’re not supposed to add tomatoes”
“You don’t like olives? It’s not a real _ if you don’t have it, you ruined the dish”
“That’s not the traditional way to make that”
Let people cook a dish how they want to cook it! If you dislike something/are allergic and actually eating it, okay that’s fine, but I see criticism like this on cooking videos all the time for the dumbest things. You’re taking all the creativity and innovation from cooking if you believe everyone should only make a dish in one exact specific way. They act as if you should not cater your cooking to your own personal palate when it comes to your own food.
I can understand it if the cook proudly calls it a traditional and authentic way to make a certain dish when it’s blatantly not, but most of the time it’s the most nitpicky things. I’ve seen people get mad and act disgusted for someone adding things like mushrooms on a pasta dish and it’s like then don’t cook it that way then genius.

In recent years, the low carb diet has gained immense popularity for its effectiveness in weight management and overall health improvement. Whether you are a seasoned low carb dieter or just starting, having a well-curated list of the best low carb snacks and a comprehensive low carb diet grocery list is essential. This article will guide you through the top low carb snacks and a detailed grocery list to make your shopping experience seamless and efficient.

Best Low Carb Snacks

When following a low carb diet, finding snacks that are both delicious and low in carbohydrates can be challenging. Here are some of the best low carb snacks that you can enjoy guilt-free:

1. Nuts and Seeds

Nuts and seeds are excellent low carb snacks, packed with healthy fats, protein, and fiber. Almonds, walnuts, chia seeds, and flaxseeds are particularly low in carbs. They are perfect for a quick snack on the go or to add a crunch to your salads and yogurt.

2. Cheese

Cheese is a fantastic low carb snack that offers a good amount of protein and calcium. Varieties like cheddar, mozzarella, and Swiss cheese are great options. String cheese or cheese slices are convenient for snacking between meals.

3. Avocado

Avocado is not only low in carbs but also rich in healthy fats and fiber. You can enjoy avocado as a spread, in salads, or simply on its own with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Guacamole with raw veggies is also a delicious low carb snack option.

4. Hard-Boiled Eggs

Hard-boiled eggs are a protein-packed snack that can keep you full and satisfied. They are easy to prepare and can be seasoned with various spices to add flavor. Keep a few hard-boiled eggs in your fridge for a quick and nutritious snack.

5. Greek Yogurt

Opt for plain, full-fat Greek yogurt, which is lower in carbs compared to flavored varieties. Greek yogurt is high in protein and can be enhanced with a handful of berries or a sprinkle of nuts for added taste and texture.

6. Vegetable Sticks with Hummus

Vegetables like cucumber, bell peppers, and celery are low in carbs and make great dippers for hummus. Hummus provides healthy fats and protein, making it a balanced and satisfying snack.

7. Berries

While most fruits are high in carbs, berries such as strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries are relatively low in carbs. They are rich in antioxidants and vitamins, making them a healthy sweet treat.

8. Jerky

Beef jerky, turkey jerky, or any other meat jerky is a high-protein, low-carb snack. Choose varieties with no added sugars or preservatives for a healthier option.

9. Olives

Olives are a savory snack that is low in carbs and high in healthy fats. They are also rich in antioxidants and can be enjoyed on their own or added to salads and dishes.

10. Dark Chocolate

For those with a sweet tooth, dark chocolate with at least 70% cocoa content is a low carb snack option. It is packed with antioxidants and can be enjoyed in moderation. Read More

Best Low Carb Snacks #Low Carb Diet Grocery List #low carb diet

Im 8dpo (31F lap turned abdominal. Kept ovaries and cervix) and i think im past the worst of it. While im still pretty much couch ridden, I figured I would put this out there to maybe help someone else preparing for their surgery! Obviously we all know these experiences are highly personal and will not be exactly like anyone elses experience, but I personally found it helpful gathering peoples experiences and reflecting based on what I know about myself so I thought id write the kind of post Id want to read! I tried to make easy to skim but also included plenty of details!
Heres some things Im glad I did beforehand

• washed and changed my bed sheets -cleaned my bathroom well
• moved things i knew i would need to a hight where I don’t have to bend down to get them. I moved my toilet paper to easy accessible places, my pj shirts and underwear on top of my dresser. Set up a bed stand for water and meds. Also moved my fridge around.
• as for buying stuff, i mostly had everything i needed but was glad to have comfy sweat pants, backless slippers and highwasted underwear. Also those rechargeable battery bricks were handy for charging my phone in the hospital or sitting somewhere not near an outlet. -exercised. Dont stress about this one, i know chronic pain is often the reason for this surgery. I had to stop my routine months before surgery for this reason. But I was glad to be familiar with proper squat form and have strong arms and legs to help get myself up and down without using my core. I also did yoga therapy that helped me understand how to transfer my weight to different parts of my body which helped too!

Heres some things i was extremely stressed about but ended up not being a problem
-Food. My mom came and cooked me some large portion of meals. I ended up throwing most of it away. The idea was to freeze some of it but it was too much of a hassle. I didn’t have much of an appetite and definitely gravitated towards things in the BRAT diet especially bread. I spent the first few days eating like i had the flu and was really sensitive to grease. My mom made wedding soup and it was too greasy. I think i could have survived this week just on a package of bagels and different spreads.
-cleaning and chores. Im pretty sure I have OCD.. this experience has confirmed it. I looked out at my thriving garden yesterday and said to my partner absent mindedly “wow. Things really thrive when im not out there being over involved “ and like wow that is a lesson i did not expect to learn. My partner has been clearing the dishes each day and did some more involved chores once this week. So if you live alone I would advise paper plates and maybe some to help ya once a week for the first week at least.
-in terms of my surgery i was really scared of having a catheter which i did end up needing to have for a day. It was weird but not at all painful. Honestly it was kind of the worst part of my recovery so far just because i felt i had to pee so bad while it was in. Idk if thats typical. Taking it out was not at all painful but also weird. They used the catheter to put sterile water back in my bladder. As soon as i felt a twinge of uncomfortable full feeling i told my nurse. She removed the catheter and i peed it back out no problem.
-being bored. This week has felt like one day. Since it takes me 10x as long to do anything, the days are flying by. I got myself plenty of low key things to do (crafts, activity books, ect) and haven’t even had time to do any of them yet! I still have a feeling this will change in the coming weeks though..
-having enough help. I secretly wished one of my friends or family members would stay with me for a while just so I could be the solo focus of their attention. I live with my partner and two dogs and he has been totally enough support. I needed help getting up and down up until about day 5. He also makes my meals and cleans them up for me and would bring me my meds and water the first few days. I think it makes sense if you live alone to have someone stay a week with you, but ive been fine and honestly anytime someone has come to “help” its just felt draining. I didn’t know how much of a hermit I would wana be.
-my dogs. I piled myself in pillows if i was sitting on the couch with them. I also had a no chew spray near by that we used when they were pups but only had to use it one time. My partner helped to coral them the first few days too. I have not yet been puppy stomped
-the stairs. Its been fine I just have to go slow.
Heres some things I found out along the way that were helpful

• keep cough drops in your pocket. Coughing aint fun and my throat was irritated from being intubated for about 4 days after surgery. Also keep the paper so you can spit em out when they’ve done the job if you want. I started getting a tummy ache from having too many.

-keep lil pillows by your toilet. The hospital gave me one that was plasticy and easy to wipe off (like an outdoor pillow insert). Or even a balled up towel would work. I couldn’t wear a binder because of all my incisions but this helped take the pressure off my stomach/incisions when i needed to have a bowel movement.
-if you stack pillows on either side of you, they can act as “arms” that are handy to push down on when you get up.
-sip your water and take your stool softeners as soon as they say you can! It took me until day 4 to poop but it was no problem when it happened.
-lots of deep slow breaths to calm your nerves and pain.

• those squeezable applesauce packs. Great for when you take your pain pills.

Heres some challenges I encountered that surprised me.
-my throat was so sore! For the first 4 days my throat was irritating, it felt like I had a flap of skin sticking down. The first day it hurt but the rest was just so annoying.

• breathing was a challenge. The first few days i was in bed, it was hard to breathe. I couldn’t take a Deep belly breath because of my incisions. I tried to regularly take a big breath filling my lungs though. Once i started being able to get up and walk around it became less of a problem. I think they have a tool for this at the hospital too but i was not offered it and forgot to ask.

-always laying on my back is getting old. I haven’t quite figured it out yet but im getting there.
-not really a challenge but my lower belly is numb. Apparently that can just happen (even long term). Which has actually been helpful since I can’t feel my lower abdominal incision at all
Lastly!! The pain/symptom scale: Day 0: honestly don’t remember much except feeling i need to pee and my throat being sore. Day 1: was still in the hospital. Pain like cramps and burning pain near certain incisions. I was able to walk the hall but very tired after. Sore throat. Day 2: burning pain near bellybutton incisions. Heavy lung feeling. Left the hospital. Day 3: heavy lung feeling. Pinching pain in incisions whenever I stood or sat. Had some moderate discharge that was yellowish with red and brown. Otherwise no pain Day 4: more like a sharp ache when i stood/sat. Discharge again but a very light amount. Day 5: felt strides..any pain was mild cramping. Tried to shower myself and make myself breakfast which led me to be very tired for the rest of the day. Day 6: most tired yet. Pain the same Day 7: felt like turning a page. Pain very little and energy very good.

I have just begun prepping over the past few weeks. One of the things I am working on now is making sure that my backyard sump continues to function in the event of a long-term power outage. The purpose of the sump is that my back yard does not drain. My walkout basement is lower than every point on my property line, so a few years ago I had to dig a 20 foot french drain at the lowest point of the yard (barely below the basement door) and install a sump pump that pumps the collected water to the property line and into a drainage ditch.
In a long term grid-down situation, I would still need the water to pump out to avoid basement flooding, but pumping it into a ditch seems so wasteful. About half of the water is from our asphalt-shingled roof (connected to the french drain via underground corrugated plastic lines) and the other half is runoff and ground water. I don't think I am comfortable with the idea of drinking that due to chemicals from the asphalt and plastic, which I am not sure how to safely remove.
My question is this - what could I use that water for if I put a barrel (or barrels) in to collect it before it goes into the ditch? I know I could use it to flush toilets, but what else? Wash clothes? Dishes? Water the garden? I'm just not sure where the chemicals are a problem and where they are safe to ignore...

I’m a Med Rep and I routinely take lunches to Drs offices. Most of the time it’s delivered, but last year I was stuck in The Villages and no one would take the order, so I had to pick it up. To paint the scene, I’m a 55 year old Hispanic Male, dressed in business suit, tie and dress shoes. I let the waitress at Olive Garden know that I’m there and I sit down. This old man (70-75) sits next to me and makes some comment about me being in a suit (nothing mean)… I chuckle and nod politely. With my peripheral vision I notice him looking down. Maybe he’s looking at my shoes (they’re nice!!) 30 seconds later I feel a really sharp pain on my ankle that makes me audibly gasp. This mother fucker HIT ME WITH HIS METAL CANE. He made a point to not hit me with the rubber tip, but with the metal. I looked at him in astonishment AND HE GRINNED. I considered punching him in his face for about 10 long seconds. All I said was “WHAT THE FUCK IS THE MATTER WITH YOU!! Everyone in the front foyewaiting area went dead silent. I had to rub my ankle bone to kinda alíviate the pain. He caught me in the perfect spot. His wife jumped up from across the foyer and yanked him to his feet and took him outside. She said nothing to me. The to-go server called my name and I picked up the food and got the fuck outta there. Not one person said a peep and Olive Garden is PACKED for lunch on The Villages every day. I guess since I was the only person under 70 there, they couldn’t be bothered offering a kind word. When I took the food to my car I scanned the parking lot and they were nowhere to be found. Fuck the Villages, and Sun City Center and every other large retirement community. Places suck. Rant over.

Nestled in the heart of the enchanting city of Udaipur, Swaroop Villas stands as a beacon of luxury, comfort, and exemplary hospitality. Known for its regal architecture, lush surroundings, and impeccable service, Swaroop Villas offers a perfect blend of traditional charm and modern amenities, making it an ideal destination for travelers seeking a memorable stay.

A Glimpse of Udaipur

Udaipur, often referred to as the "City of Lakes," is a captivating city in Rajasthan renowned for its stunning palaces, serene lakes, and vibrant culture. With its picturesque landscapes and historical significance, Udaipur attracts tourists from around the world. Amidst this splendid cityscape, Swaroop Villas offers a tranquil retreat, providing an immersive experience of Udaipur's royal heritage.

Accommodation at Swaroop Villas

Swaroop Villas boasts a range of elegantly designed rooms, each exuding a unique charm and providing a luxurious stay. Among the various room categories, the Premier Room With Balcony stands out for its exquisite features and unparalleled comfort.

Premier Room With Balcony

The Premier Room With Balcony is designed to offer guests a lavish and relaxing stay. Here are some highlights of this exceptional accommodation:

• Spacious Interiors: The room is thoughtfully designed with ample space, ensuring guests have plenty of room to unwind and relax. The tasteful décor reflects a blend of contemporary elegance and traditional Rajasthani elements.
• Private Balcony: One of the standout features of the Premier Room is its private balcony. Overlooking the serene surroundings, the balcony offers a perfect spot for guests to enjoy their morning coffee or unwind in the evening while soaking in the picturesque views of Udaipur.
• Modern Amenities: The room is equipped with state-of-the-art amenities, including a plush king-size bed, a flat-screen TV, high-speed Wi-Fi, and a well-stocked minibar. The en-suite bathroom features luxurious fittings, premium toiletries, and a rain shower, ensuring a rejuvenating experience.
• Personalized Service: At Swaroop Villas, guests are treated to personalized service that caters to their every need. The attentive staff ensures that your stay is comfortable and memorable, providing assistance with everything from travel arrangements to special requests.

Dining Experience

Swaroop Villas offers a delightful culinary journey with its on-site restaurant, which serves an array of delectable dishes. Guests can indulge in authentic Rajasthani cuisine, savor international delicacies, and enjoy a variety of beverages in an elegant setting. The restaurant's ambiance, coupled with the exceptional flavors, makes dining at Swaroop Villas a truly unforgettable experience.

Recreational Facilities

To enhance your stay, Swaroop Villas provides a range of recreational facilities. Take a refreshing dip in the outdoor swimming pool, relax in the lush gardens, or enjoy a rejuvenating spa treatment. For those who wish to explore Udaipur, the hotel offers guided tours and sightseeing packages, ensuring you experience the best of what the city has to offer.

Conclusion

Swaroop Villas Udaipur is more than just a place to stay; it's a destination that offers a blend of luxury, comfort, and cultural richness. Whether you are visiting for a romantic getaway, a family vacation, or a business trip, the Premier Room With Balcony provides an exceptional stay that combines modern amenities with traditional charm. Come, experience the royal hospitality of Swaroop Villas, and create unforgettable memories in the captivating city of Udaipur.

Some people are born entrepreneurs, while others may not have that same calling. At the age of 16, I embarked on my entrepreneurial path, and it has been an incredible journey ever since. * High School Beginnings: Embossed Leather Bags and Belts * My entrepreneurial journey started in high school. I crafted and sold embossed leather bags, belts, and other accessories. It was a small venture, but it ignited my passion for business. * Car Detailing for Imported Toyotas * Later, I ventured into the world of car detailing. Specifically, I focused on new imported Toyotas. Attention to detail and customer satisfaction were my driving forces. * High School Sweetheart and Business Partner * Love blossomed, and I married my high school sweetheart when I was 21 and she was 18. Together, we became a formidable team, supporting each other’s dreams. * Wholesale and Retail Garden Centers * Our journey continued as we explored wholesale and retail garden centers. Green thumbs and a love for nurturing plants fueled our success. * Fertilizer Manufacturing: The Birth of “Healthy Earth” * The turning point came when we established our own fertilizer manufacturing company. Our brand, “Healthy Earth,” became synonymous with quality and sustainability. Over the past 32 years, we’ve taken it from our garage to national and international markets—all while retaining 100% ownership. * Parallel Ventures: Real Estate Investment * Simultaneously, we delved into real estate investment. From industrial properties to domestic spaces, we strategically grew our portfolio. Every decision was backed by our hard-earned money. * Integrity Above All * Our success wasn’t built on shortcuts or evasion. We maintained a totally honest business—no tax loopholes or hidden funds. It was all about blood, sweat, and tears. * Navigating Challenges * Along the way, we faced adversity. Sabotage, scams, betrayal—these challenges tested our resilience. Employees and even friends sometimes let us down. But we persevered. * The Intelligence of Honesty * It takes intelligence to choose honesty over deceit. We avoided the traps that could have destroyed our business and tarnished our character. * A 51-Year Journey * Reflecting on 51 years in private business, I realize that these trials are part of the entrepreneurial fabric. They shape us, teach us, and ultimately define who we are. We would love to read your story too.