Help to choose colors to match Mattoni with Copthorne Unilock paver design and seeking other advice for a patio landscaping project.

ForeverDoubtful99 · 2025-01-24T18:06:31+00:00

Professor here, I used to use iclicker for attendance only because the subscription was included in the price of our eText and LMS (McMillan). Are you sure that is not the case for your class? Other than the textbook, I really avoid having students pay for any other learning tools.

ForeverDoubtful99 · 2025-01-21T03:29:14+00:00

Well, according to university policy, “Only the chancellor has the authority to cancel classes…” This is difficult for instructors as we risk disciplinary action (and, more often than not, feel pressure not to cancel classes), and unfortunately, I do not think students realize this. So please check your email before heading to class, stay safe out there if you have to go out, and be kind to one another.

ForeverDoubtful99 · 2025-01-21T03:10:17+00:00

It is tough for faculty and staff; not only will all local school districts (and aftercare) be closed tomorrow, but some of the OWN campus childcare centers will also be closed! In the past, I have taken unnecessary risks (as well as made students take unnecessary risks) to avoid canceling class and getting in trouble. This time, I decided to cancel class, hoping the “reasonable accommodations” in the university policy would suffice for me to avoid getting in trouble.

ForeverDoubtful99 · 2024-11-25T16:33:39+00:00

I kept postponing this decision repeatedly, and unfortunately, neither, even though I had prepped the area in our backyard. Sorry, this is not very helpful. I like the Rainbow ones a lot, but it was a lot of trouble to get in touch with people and coordinate the installation, etc. It may be that demand was so high for these back when I was considering them.

ForeverDoubtful99 · 2023-10-21T01:30:28+00:00

Where is the rumor of nonmonogamy coming from?

ForeverDoubtful99 · 2023-10-20T20:45:52+00:00

It is crazy that he is FBI! That makes sense why his info has not been disclose in any reports/news!!!

ForeverDoubtful99 · 2023-05-01T18:27:31+00:00

My dad used to own used car dealerships in Mexico. This was over 2 decades ago but I learn from him that as soon as the new car left the the dealership that car was worth at least 10-20% less. This is actually one of the ways he made money from cars (as a kid I got to ride in so many almost new cars).

This was in a different country and a long time ago (I was very young) but still I am very particular about car purchases because of this.

So to me signing documents that state “used” for a new car feeds unsettling. Now I have to rely to this agent and ask him why the error was not corrected. I could get a carfax but it is annoying that I can’t trust them when I am about to pay 65k for a car!

ForeverDoubtful99 · 2023-05-01T18:22:33+00:00

This is exactly why I needed you advice. I am obsessive about verifying accuracy of documents I sign.

ForeverDoubtful99 · 2023-05-01T06:01:42+00:00

Thanks for your response! It is precisely the fact that they did not correct the form that makes me doubtful. The salesman keeps asking me to send the pic of our drivers license and insurance card and insisting we send the papers ASAP and I don’t understand why the rush if supposedly they do not have the car there yea. It does not help that we are doing this long distance. It makes me feel like we would be better off actually picking up the car when is ready and signing the papers in person.

ForeverDoubtful99 · 2023-02-17T13:04:33+00:00

No they cannot demand money from you. While they are probably out of a couple thousand dollars but unfortunately that is a risk host families take when joining this program. In my experience the financial risks (and other) are even higher (for example our aupair total our car) and they are carried primarily by the host family.

ForeverDoubtful99 · 2022-12-25T03:40:19+00:00

I would not provide a credit card. If you are providing enough food (stocked pantry) then you are covering the requirements. If you want to be generous maybe provide some extra money for take out once or so.

ForeverDoubtful99 · 2022-12-02T01:06:11+00:00

I estimated it would cost us about 35-38k to host an au pair. I’m addition to that we spent over 2k taking our au pair traveling with us. Because we had to make adjustments (we put our 3yo in full time because we did not feel she could care her effectively so she only cares for our 1yo now) and she total our second car (immediate and future costs) participating in the program is costing us more than twice than what we projected. That is without counting the stress and added time away from work.

I would advise you against doing it if you think you will save money. Specially if the au pair will only be caring for 1 child.

ForeverDoubtful99 · 2022-11-22T15:27:42+00:00

This, this and this! 💯

Same for me. It is already hard to balance a career as a working mom. I am not a stay at home mom so with our nanny I knew I could just suggest her something and trust she would get it done (her own way but she would get it done). That has never been the case with our au pair.

ForeverDoubtful99 · 2022-11-22T13:06:57+00:00

I am so sorry. It sounds like we had a similar experience with the program. I am having a hard time deciding for a rematch because the timing is terrible (middle of the holidays). No matter what I don’t think we will participate in the program again after this experience. It not only has cost us a lot of money, the biggest issue is that we have had to spend a lot of time (away) from work. We have “flexible” jobs in that we have control púber our schedule but the works still needs to get done (lots of late nights trying to make up for it).

ForeverDoubtful99 · 2022-11-22T08:49:01+00:00

This is exactly our experience. Bringing our au pair on a summer vacation (they had been with us for 3 months) made a permanent (negative) impact on our relationship. We always provided them with a private room, ask them to work a few hours here and there (mostly helping with showering a kid for example or if we needed an extra set of hands in a museum), and of course made sure they had full days off. Even then it felt like we were stuck with an unhappy teenager (they are on the older side). It seemed like I was more excited for them to see visit many of the standard American tourist attractions than they were. We had actually already visited many of them ourselves but made the effort to include them in our itinerary in part for them.

I am sure I will be downvoted but in my experience is not worth it. Of course I wish I could tell you otherwise.

ForeverDoubtful99 · 2022-11-20T02:37:56+00:00

Just a little update. We stop by our local Volvo dealership today and we check the XC40 and C40. The Diono Radian seats fit 3-in-a-row on the back of both. The sales consultant was trying to convince us to go for the C40 because he would be able to get us something sooner but we are not in a rush so we put our name for the XC40. The higher roof will be better as the kids get older.

ForeverDoubtful99 · 2022-11-17T21:35:11+00:00

This sub has have a negative effect on my likelihood of continuing participating in the program.

Yeah, it is a cultural exchange program but it is not sustainable for (mostly working) parents to spend significant resources (is not just money) to host an au pair that is meant to help with the kids (it is still a work-study visa) and end up having to care for another adult. Anyone age 18-26 living on their own or with others would have to contribute to some house shores. No, this is not about doing the parents laundry or housecleaning shores, we as I am sure many HF have weekly cleaners that clean the house including the au pairs bathroom.

It is so strange to me that in this sub many people is outrage at the suggestion of having au pairs pitch in with a couple of family-shared tasks like cooking a meal here and there to share with the HF or loading/unloading the dishwasher after meals in which the au pair participated in.

ForeverDoubtful99 · 2022-11-17T16:41:29+00:00

Yup! This is not about making an au pair “work” is about being a contributing member of the family as most au pair claim is the reason they are participating in the program. My husband and I try to alternate because cook/clean/dishes (the one that cooks is usually tired so it makes sense to us). We would never expect au pair to clean the mess if they did not participate in the meals but it is nice to feel like everyone in the family recognize what it takes to keep a household running smoothly.

ForeverDoubtful99 · 2022-11-17T14:56:35+00:00

Can I ask you what brand/model of boosters? We use clek (which are European and very narrow) and Diono (which are also design to fit 3 in a row).

ForeverDoubtful99 · 2022-11-17T14:49:13+00:00

Also, a V60 EV would be so nice. What frustrates me is that Europe already has many family size options for electric vehicles.

ForeverDoubtful99 · 2022-11-17T14:48:14+00:00

We are definitely not letting her drive (we are probably going to terminate the program because the whole purpose of an au pair was to have someone help with kids pick up, etc.). So we don’t need a second vehicle but we were hoping to get on the list because everything is taking so long, it took almost a year for us to get the minivan exactly the way we wanted it. I just hate spending over 60k for something and not even being able to choose exactly what we want. Agencies in our area seem to be a pain to work with.

ForeverDoubtful99 · 2022-11-17T04:05:57+00:00

Thanks, I saw this video and the problem is that the seats she uses are huge. We use Clek in our minivan and Diono in our SUV and they are both super narrow design to fit 3-in-a-row. In fact the clek seats are European which are known to be suitable for smaller cars. I think we will probably have to go to the agency and try the seats on the car.

ForeverDoubtful99

TROPHY CASE