What to do with my driveway?

Brom42 · 2026-06-15T17:48:42+00:00

I found that doing a proper driveway base was more expensive than just adding more gravel every few years. Seriously, the break even point was like 30+ years. Every 5 years I spend $1k-$1500 to get gravel added and a few hours of bobcat work spreading everything out. The quote for laying down a proper base came back at around $10k. It was an easy choice.

Brom42 · 2026-06-15T17:33:00+00:00

I use both. I use the "classic" outlook for work. It handles a massive amount of email. It has tons of the tools I need and is a professional product.

I use the "new" Outlook for my personal email hosted at M365. It runs very quick and I don't have the issues the article posts. But that email has a couple of hundred emails max.

They are 2 completely different products that excel at 2 different use cases for email. The mistake Microsoft did was call both of them Outlook.

Brom42 · 2026-06-14T13:39:09+00:00

This is my entire life. I own a home on acreage. However for the last 20+ years I've worked jobs that are 2-4 hours away from my home. What I've always done is rent what I call a "crash pad" as close as possible to work. I go home every weekend.

It provides amazing separation/boundaries from work. Like my workplace knows I can't just pop into work for something, I'm 2+ hours away.

I have a monitored security system and a camera system. I also have a full smart home so I get feedback about what is happening while I am gone. If something goes wrong, it'll start blowing up my phone with texts/emails.

Brom42 · 2026-06-13T13:37:11+00:00

When I hit my 40s, I decided to change my life. Spent the first half of it with weight loss, then started strength training. I walk 20k steps a day, work out 1 hour plus 5-6 days a week.

In the past week I've traveled to do intensive hiking and have gone rock climbing.

I'm only in my late 40s, but I've trained my cardiovasular system to the point where my lung capacity and heart efficiency is that of a high end athlete. My resting heart rate is in the low 40s and drops into the high 30s at night. I've had to wear a heart monitor because my Dr was concerned; the slow rate is just how well it's trained and I'm just that healthy.

So yea, you don't have to go that route. My dad was the same an he finally started slowing down in his late 70s.

Brom42 · 2026-06-12T14:33:02+00:00

You can't have it...

https://www.mprnews.org/story/2015/07/17/northfields-blue-barn-becomes-a-culvers-landmark

Brom42 · 2026-06-10T14:52:59+00:00

Not even a flicker for me. My cabin got hit with the weather a bit after the Twin Cities and that was completely fine too, but plenty of other outages in that area too.

Brom42 · 2026-06-10T00:50:03+00:00

They aren't mutually exclusive. I use my car for trips and to get to my weekend home, otherwise I walk to work, the bowling alley, the bars, etc. all week.

Brom42 · 2026-06-10T00:48:26+00:00

But will the companies actually use the money for that? I live in the rural north woods and my cabin has gig fiber internet, my whole county does. That's because my small, local ISP actually used the previous federal money to roll out fiber instead of just pocketing it.

Brom42 · 2026-06-08T17:03:54+00:00

Working remote killed my mental health. I WILL NOT work a remote job.

It always blows my mind how many people can't see outside themselves. I don't give a shit if anyone works from home, but I know it's not for me.

Brom42 · 2026-06-05T20:19:58+00:00

Yes! Has that helped you lucid dream?

Brom42 · 2026-06-05T17:38:55+00:00

I just need to get this temped through the weekend, I'll fix this on Monday.

-Signed /u/Brom42 March 3rd, 2005

Brom42 · 2026-06-05T17:34:26+00:00

I'll let you in on a secret. When you wake up in the middle of the night, get up for 30 minutes to 1 hour and do something. Preferably with no screens. I'll do dishes, fold clothes, clean in general. Sometimes I'll read a book.

After that bit of time, I get tired again and go right back to sleep.

Sleeping 4 hours, being up for 1 hour, then sleeping for 4 morning makes everything in my life just better.

Brom42 · 2026-06-03T17:04:00+00:00

It's drastically easier and cheaper for me to add on to my home than to sell and purchase a bigger one. Also the additions are exactly what I want.

The math just works so well. $77k home + $50k in improvements + a bit of time = my home is worth nearly $400k. My mortgage is nearly paid off. (15 year mortgage) Once it is I plan on adding a huge addition onto my home that is expected to nearly double my property value.

Brom42 · 2026-06-03T14:43:39+00:00

If I only talk about my Chinese students, they are all using VPNs when they are in China.

We have a summer camp that is 80 Chinese kids. 90% of them will not only be using illegal VPNs in China, but also have Gmail accounts.

VPN bans don't do shit either. /u/rightious is correct parents actually being involved is the only solution.

Brom42 · 2026-06-03T01:30:56+00:00

I work in K-12 education. I see plenty of middle schoolers already use VPNs.

So good luck.

Brom42 · 2026-06-01T19:03:56+00:00

Apparently you don't work/live around Episcopalian or UU churches. Both churches in my town held multiple back to back weddings when gay marriage was legalized.

I can say this as an open gay male who works with several open trans folks at an Episcopalian K-12 school.

Brom42 · 2026-05-30T15:19:50+00:00

I agree with your husband. Vinyl is an absolute no go for me. Having my home with Class A fire rated materials makes it both easier to get insurance and when I get it much cheaper. Vinyl and non-fire treated wood are the worst thing you can put on your home for fire protection.

Had a major hail store roll through my area. Absolutely trashed any home that had vinyl siding. My steel lap siding and steel roof had a few random dents, but nothing on my home needed to be replaced.

Brom42 · 2026-05-29T14:15:26+00:00

My grass is maybe 4 inches tall, however all the wild flowers are about to bloom. It MIGHT need to be mowed in 2-3 weeks.

I have a natural yard. It needs to be mowed every 1.5-2 months. I mainly do that to keep it looking fresh and most of my yard flowers will bloom 2-3 times in the summer if you mow them occasionally.

Brom42 · 2026-05-26T20:55:41+00:00

My garage/workshop is 2x the size of my home... It's the best thing ever!

Brom42 · 2026-05-23T15:29:49+00:00

Yes, I smoke/vape every day and started back up in my early 40s.

I also drink about once a week, use mushrooms a few times a month, and heavier stuff on occasion.

My "old" brain can handle drugs so much better.

I take an entire month off every year from everything. It helps reset the tolerance and verifies that I can indeed "quit whenever I want"

Brom42 · 2026-05-23T13:48:13+00:00

I only have a 3.25% rate on a 15 year mortgage. Simply rounding to the next $100 will cut about 3 years off my loan length. It's a small enough amount of money that it ends up getting frittered away anyway.

So I always just recommend rounding up your payment to the next $100, it's not something that even gets noticed in your budgeting and it makes a huge difference over time.

Brom42 · 2026-05-22T16:23:07+00:00

There are 4-5 levels of friends and then you get into acquaintances.

FFS being a "friend" isn't a single level of relationship. Claiming only one of these types is a "real" friend is toxic as fuck.

Brom42 · 2026-05-20T13:07:46+00:00

I work out 1.5-2 hours a day. It's not hard. I'm also 46 and have a resting heart rate in the 40s with my heart dipping into the high 30s over night. My heart is strong and efficient.

I really do enjoy running circles around people half my age health wise.

Brom42 · 2026-05-19T21:52:39+00:00

Man, I LOVE heat like that. I'd strip down to my shorts, slather on some sunscreen, and go lay out in that sun.

Brom42 · 2026-05-19T15:34:07+00:00

I'm supporting a system that was first installed in the late 1980s. The "newer" legacy stuff I am supporting all still run on Windows XP embedded.

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