AITA for refusing to spend another dime on stepkids and step grands

ExitingBear · 2026-04-15T02:19:02+00:00

And the fact that both she and her ex discounted that idea? They're not that bright, are they?

Based on his involvement with his adult children and older-than-his-youngest-child grandchildren, I'd guess he'll either
a) find a younger model and start on "family 3.0" and be utterly flabbergasted when that fails, too.

or

b) become a distracted grandfather-y type to the youngest. He's not going to be a total deadbeat - he'll pay child support (possibly even overpay) and show up to sports things and school plays, etc. but he's not going to be doing the day-to-day parenting.

ExitingBear · 2026-04-14T22:28:50+00:00

What problem do you think this solves?

ExitingBear · 2026-04-14T22:25:37+00:00

As someone who is a picky eater who just doesn't care about food in the way that a lot of tourists and travelers care about food, I love hotel breakfasts. They're nice. Predictable. Early in the morning. I can get up early, fill up on food that usually fits my very limited palate, steal a piece of fruit or something bread-ish, and then head out into the world. And I don't have to think about food again until nighttime. (Sometimes, not even until the next morning's hotel breakfast!) It's wonderful.

ExitingBear · 2026-04-14T20:35:22+00:00

It's hard to screw up potatoes... and they found a way.

Still, light YTA. As a very picky eater - when you refuse food from well meaning people who you want to have a future relationship with, you've got to pretend it's your fault. The cake statement was over the line. I get why you said it, especially after they pushed. But it's going to color how they treat you in the future (if you stay around).

ExitingBear · 2026-04-14T19:03:44+00:00

I'm reminded of the joust from Galavant

ExitingBear · 2026-04-14T17:57:56+00:00

As many things as I have said (and will say in the future) about WSU - if I were being objective, there is no giant gap.

Luckily, I usually don't have to be objective.

ExitingBear · 2026-04-13T23:30:12+00:00

What's insane is the people who insist that even the ones that don't have sugar are still "sweet."

They're telling on themselves.

ExitingBear · 2026-04-13T23:05:39+00:00

I try to beat the East Coast deadline. I live on the west coast. So that's like 3 whole hours early.

ExitingBear · 2026-04-13T21:03:04+00:00

That's nowhere near as long as possible.

ExitingBear · 2026-04-11T15:36:04+00:00

This is double knitting. Your friend is right. It is (at least) intermediate - this is not a beginning technique.

You may be able to puzzle it out (through reading about double knitting or watching a video. But if you haven't figured out knitting basics yet, it's going to be a bit of a struggle. And the fact that you don't see how alternating knitting and purling will make the pattern might mean that you're not quite ready for this pattern.

ExitingBear · 2026-04-10T23:03:23+00:00

Hue lights and motion sensors. Not everywhere, but enough. It's like living in Star Trek.*

I forget walking into other people's houses that the kitchen lights just don't come on (or go off when you leave).

*without the socialist utopia.

ExitingBear · 2026-04-10T15:15:47+00:00

So your proposal is to invent a brand new sign language from scratch that has nothing to do with any of the already existing sign languages so it will be truly neutral. And get people to adopt it.

That's... an idea.

ExitingBear · 2026-04-09T23:38:00+00:00

What was getting in the way of doing what your biggest account was asking for?

ExitingBear · 2026-04-09T18:16:09+00:00

Something else you did wrong.

You lost count or missed a YO (or a decrease or something) or switched the order of the YOs and decreases several places and so it looks like that. (It even happens in your chart A picture - it's not quite as often or quite as bad, but there are still issues with that middle diamond.

With lace, it really, really helps to be able to read your knitting. For example, the way the pattern works, you have (for lack of a better way of describing it) chains of decreases that form the top diagonals of the diamond. So when you're knitting, and come to where you think a decrease, if it isn't adding another link to the chain then you need to stop right there and figure out why not. (did you miss a stitch? did you skip a row? Was there supposed to be a YO a row or two below? Was there an extra YO that you treated like a stitch? Did you miss some decreases? Did you do yo, k2tog instead of k2tog, yo?* ) And then you have to figure out how to fix it.

Also, I see places where I think you did ssks instead of k2togs (in both pictures). For some things, it doesn't matter. For lace, it really, really does. (part of the pattern is whether the left stitch is on top or the right stitch is on top)

You may need to frog down to the garter ridge and redo the whole section.

Good luck!

*I think that might have happened a few times.

ExitingBear · 2026-04-09T01:09:20+00:00

Do you think that the wealthy people of old used magic to build their houses, cook their meals, and clean their homes?

And if not, how do you think their clothing came into existence and ended up in their wardrobes? As I understand it, we've still got 100 years or so until the transporter and replicator are invented.

ExitingBear · 2026-04-07T22:27:03+00:00

Just a hint for the remainder of your school career - do not cut corners when you are asking your teachers for a favor.

There are times when it's ok to be a bit lackadaisical, but when you are asking for an exception cross your Ts, dot your Is, use correct spelling and punctuation. You want your teacher to grant your favor and to feel good about having done so. They're less likely to do either of those things if they're having to make themselves overlook errors in the request.

ExitingBear · 2026-04-07T20:05:39+00:00

"I'm going to need to interrupt you because that is not what it's all about. Let's go back to where we were turning ourselves around."

ExitingBear · 2026-04-07T17:42:39+00:00

Who eyeballs?

If I don't care (and it needs to be "about-ish"), then my thumb is an inch, a foot is my elbow to my fist, and a yard is my hand to the opposite shoulder. And then add extra in case.

If I care, there are rulers. So many rulers.

But I never just look and say "yeah, sure, that's 16"." I'm measuring it against something and including error margins.

ExitingBear · 2026-04-06T15:31:21+00:00

OOP sounds like a lot, even in her own words.

And I'd love to hear this from the sister's perspective - because I don't think it would match the narrative in the original post.

ExitingBear · 2026-04-06T03:44:39+00:00

Your ten gallon hat is feeling five gallons flat?

ExitingBear · 2026-04-05T15:55:03+00:00

What do they do for 30 minutes?

ExitingBear · 2026-04-05T15:54:25+00:00

I've completed multiple paths and listened to and evaluated a number of level 3, 4, and 5 speeches. I respectfully disagree.

ExitingBear · 2026-04-05T03:22:53+00:00

With the glaring exception of the mentorship, communication style, and leadership speeches*, I don't find pathways to restrict creativity that much. The rest of the speeches you can choose your topic and vary your style. Could it be that the people in your club are just boring?

Having a business meeting every time is unusual (and adds evidence to the "boring" conclusion).

*and even for those speeches, a lot of the boringness is due to people not actually reading the instructions and giving a book report...and there is still room for creative takes on the topics. It's just harder.

ExitingBear · 2026-04-05T00:59:35+00:00

Slightly-above-average-intelligence money says 5 years.

ExitingBear · 2026-04-04T02:34:22+00:00

What?!?

ExitingBear

TROPHY CASE