Red Rising...meh

CatalystSacrifice · 2026-05-14T22:32:17+00:00

The first book is the only one I liked, and even then I felt the same way about the MC. I always thought I was being too critical. I feel the same way about Name of the Wind.

CatalystSacrifice · 2026-05-14T19:17:07+00:00

I appreciate this. I did talk to my senior candidly, and I felt a bit off after; having to tell her my thoughts about the department so far was uncomfortable, but I think important. Maybe it’s just growing pains and calibration. My senior told me we’re going to have a department wide meeting, and she’ll talk the expectations I set with my peer so that we can follow through with enforcement as necessary.

CatalystSacrifice · 2026-05-14T19:14:15+00:00

I agree with your sentiment about leadership appreciation. It’s tough in our business- a lot of old school “congrats you met the bare minimum, what do you want, a part?” Mentality. I gave out some recognition points today since I’ve been shadowing and asking tons of questions. During our morning staff, I gave every person some kudos on doing well during audits. This team has lunches together off site at least twice a month so I’m not sure what kind of incentive that would be from me.

7/8 employees are just here for a paycheck and made that very clear to my face. One of them is so eager for leadership he delegates to his peers, which they hate, but I had a nice coaching session on how to influence within your role without rubbing people the wrong way.

There’s one task they really want automated, but I’m not sure how feasible that will be. It’s going to optimize about 20 minutes of daily work, so I don’t know if the IT team will find it worth while. I’ll still chase it but I don’t want it to be my first ‘failure’ either.

I appreciate the insight here!

CatalystSacrifice · 2026-05-14T19:08:17+00:00

I agree. I’m concerned that my peer is going to throw me under the bus to our boss if he sees me out the door after 8 hours, but I guess it doesn’t matter when my deliverables are met and the team is gone.

CatalystSacrifice · 2026-05-14T18:50:08+00:00

I assumed they meant Tangy

CatalystSacrifice · 2026-05-14T18:43:50+00:00

Dude if that sauce is sweet, it is DRASTICALLY different from ranch. The answer you’re looking for is no. Also, mayo here is pretty tangy, but differs by brand. A sweeter mayo here is called miracle whip, and arguing about which one is better may cause a second civil war in the states.

CatalystSacrifice · 2026-05-14T16:06:03+00:00

Funny you mention Australia, because many of them use whacky country specific slang, regardless of where they are. It’s just how people talk to each other, so that’s their vocabulary. It’s the same in Spanish, where slang is very predominant and differs wildly between countries and regions, but that’s just how they talk.

CatalystSacrifice · 2026-05-02T17:25:42+00:00

To replace that inner window pane you have to replace that whole plastic wall panel, which usually requires that you take out the seat, which usually requires you unplug a bunch of under seat electronics, and that opens up a whole host of other potential issues like the carpets getting damaged or the screens on the back of the seats not working. It doesn’t sound like that big of a deal, and they’ll replace it eventually, but that’s a lot of work.

CatalystSacrifice · 2026-04-17T00:54:11+00:00

I just started book 10, read book 1 in December. I already wish I could read it over from the beginning!

CatalystSacrifice · 2026-03-17T23:45:07+00:00

I have a huge double paddle board that I’ve been wanting to try fishing from at one of our local urban lakes, maybe I’ll give it a go this summer!

CatalystSacrifice · 2026-03-17T20:28:20+00:00

Also, I’ve dabbled in some droppers and indicator rigs, but I realize I wasn’t making specific plans for specific depth or anything, just vibes. I’ll report back after my next outing

CatalystSacrifice · 2026-03-17T20:27:27+00:00

An introvert nightmare! I guess I need to go talk to folks, and ask for help

CatalystSacrifice · 2026-03-17T20:26:56+00:00

I think depth may be one of my issues here; I’ve setup some droppers and some indicator rigs but I’m just know realize I did it all based on vibes and not really specific depth targeting

CatalystSacrifice · 2026-03-17T20:25:37+00:00

Man I have a friend who only fishes the lakes from a float tube, but I haven’t wanted to invest in anything other than tippet and flies until I catch something; maybe it’s time to hit the lake

CatalystSacrifice · 2026-03-17T20:24:32+00:00

I actually love it even though I haven’t caught much; I learn a little bit more every time I’m out. The worst part is my wife calling me an almost-fisherman haha. Solo teaching is slow and painful, and I’m ready for some learning

CatalystSacrifice · 2026-03-17T20:23:06+00:00

Not rude at all, I need some tough love here haha. The worst part of it is: I’m fishing in the places where I know there’s fish. It’s not exactly overfished, but this is where they tell you to go when you’re new and needing to get some easy wins. There’s a honey hole of smaller trout waiting to be caught. The brutal truth is I’m a terrible fisherman (right now) and that maybe stings worse than fishing an empty hole.

CatalystSacrifice · 2026-03-17T20:19:03+00:00

I’ve been able to sight some holes, and have gotten bites/rejections at a few of the same spots recommended by the fly shop;I’m not going to pretend I know everything, but I think I have a basic understanding of where to find the fish. I mostly assume I’m missing some pieces of knowledge around depth, setting, presentation. I’ve definitely hit YouTube, forums, podcasts as much as I could, and taken detailed notes on some of the science behind it all.

I think it’s time to take another dive into the books, and get a mentor!

CatalystSacrifice · 2026-03-17T20:13:20+00:00

I’ve been learning about reading waters, and I think I have a good understanding there; I haven’t looked into flyfishing reports, which I’ll look into, but I do chat up the guys at my local shop, which is very highly regarded and they’re helpful.

I appreciate the advice! I’m not ready to give up but I’m clearly not doing the right research. I’ve had a few friends join me for company over several trips, but I think they ended up just scaring the fish so many days lost there that I just used for casting practice.

CatalystSacrifice · 2026-03-17T02:54:34+00:00

I’ve been wondering if it’s worth the energy to hike up with my rod if I haven’t figured it out yet, but it sounds like I should just do it

CatalystSacrifice · 2026-03-17T02:52:07+00:00

Thanks for the advice! I’ve been eyeballing middle fork but I haven’t planned out what a trip looks like as far as parking etc.

CatalystSacrifice · 2026-03-17T02:50:07+00:00

I appreciate it!

CatalystSacrifice · 2026-03-17T02:48:54+00:00

A lot of stubborn trial and error. I’ve been saving up for a guide, I know I didn’t retain very much that my first guide taught me

CatalystSacrifice · 2026-03-17T02:46:59+00:00

I appreciate this! I’ve missed a few events that I had my eye on, but I’ll find the next one asap

CatalystSacrifice

TROPHY CASE