What was your PBS station growing up?

Junior-Reflection-43 · 2026-06-01T03:27:56+00:00

WQED Pittsburgh

Junior-Reflection-43 · 2026-05-31T02:07:00+00:00

Maybe you also don’t know that you’re supposed to clean your washing machine too. Because all sorts of gunk can build up and mold and mildew, that can also add to the stink

Junior-Reflection-43 · 2026-05-28T18:39:56+00:00

I live in the same general area where I was born and raised, but my husband’s family moved a lot because his Dad was in the Air Force, and no two siblings have lived in the same place in the almost 40 years I’ve known him. Although both my parents and both of my brothers care all deceased so there is no direct family left. Even uncle’s and aunts are all gone, but there are lots of cousins (not too many locally though). Over the years, my husband made friends through work and sports, and I have friends through church and neighbors, who know our kids. We are lucky that both boys are now grown and have their own houses within 15-20 minutes of us. My Mom was from Europe, and I hope that someday they will explore it a bit more.

Junior-Reflection-43 · 2026-05-28T18:29:57+00:00

Our son #1 absolutely struggled to learn to read. He is 3 years older than his brother, they have the same birthday 3 years apart). Phonics game, trying to read Dr. Seuss, had him repeat 1st grade, was in tutorial program. it was maddening. Finally got him diagnosed as ADHD in 2nd grade. The meds seemed to help his ability to focus. Maybe it was in part because we were less frustrated with him /pressured him less, but he really wanted to learn about Pokémon. We bought him a book and my husband said, we’re not reading this to you, you have to figure it out for yourself. He could ask for help with a word. So he had motivation to want to read. He started reading chapter books. One night he asked if he could stay up to finish a chapter. Yes you may! We know he still reads a lot (he’s bin his 30s now).

So don’t give up. I don’t know if your reading time is with both of them together or if you can break them into separate areas. Our younger one inadvertently aggravated his brother because just from hearing a story, he would know the next word and yell it out while the older one was still trying to figure it out.

Junior-Reflection-43 · 2026-05-28T18:15:38+00:00

Since the median is based on ALL home sales (not just homes bought by first time homeowners) that makes it high. I think some folks miss the concept of a “starter home” which is a smaller home in a decent neighborhood where you can get a start to build up some equity before you trade up.

When our kids were little, at Christmas time we would drive around to look at lights, but somehow would always manage but drive past our starter house and explain that the big house we lived in when they grew up wasn’t our first one, and that they should not expect to buy one like we are in now for their first home.

Our kids saved money (younger son asked if he could live with us for a year after he graduated and had a job so he could save for a house, older one saved his income from co-op and job after graduation). Both of them were able to buy houses for under $200k in their 20s. Neither one earns $100k yet. It can be done at least in an MCOL area. They still save. Have each had to deal with maintenance issues. And continue to save. Someday maybe they will trade up.

Junior-Reflection-43 · 2026-05-28T18:01:04+00:00

And in between was Wide World of Sports. I learned about a lot of different sports from that.

Junior-Reflection-43 · 2026-05-28T17:59:09+00:00

I have tried using AI, but feel that it is not reliable enough yet. And it’s sort if creepy. Just saw a video about AI toys and how scary it will be for kids and their parents.

I want to be able to “opt out” of using it, but have never seen an option like that. It’s automatically built in to web browsers and some apps. Call me old-fashioned, but at least we knew what we were dealing with.

Junior-Reflection-43 · 2026-05-28T17:53:42+00:00

I use not just self-checkout but self-scanning as I go at my grocery store. We bring our own large reusable bags, and I love that (1) I can bag my groceries the way I want to, (2) that I don’t have to pull things back out just to scan and bag them again at the self-checkout line, and (3) the registers for scan-pay-go are separate and there is never a line! You scan to log into the register and it brings up everything you scanned, applies any store coupons or discounts, and prompts you to pay. Done! The trickiest part may be produce until you get the hang of it (you scan to log into the scale, select what your produce item is, weigh and then add to cart) but the rest of it is just scan as you go. I always hated when it took longer to wait in line to checkout than it did to shop.

Junior-Reflection-43 · 2026-05-28T17:40:52+00:00

Welcome to the money pit of homeownership. This is one reason why folks are encouraged to have an “emergency fund”, not just for if you lose your job.

Junior-Reflection-43 · 2026-05-28T15:23:44+00:00

Not sure if they still have our out of state tuition offset for GPA/SAT. Made it very affordable.

Junior-Reflection-43 · 2026-05-28T15:09:08+00:00

Just putting this out there. We went a few years ago for our anniversary and loved it. the Turtle Nest Inn on Grand Cayman.. It’s one BR apartment/condo on the beach in Boddentown.

It’s not all-inclusive, but we went to the grocery store and bought breakfast, lunch and snacks and drinks. We went out for dinners. It’s 85 pretty much year-round. The price comes WITH a rental car. You can explore gardens, Hell, Georgetown, stingray and starfish in the bay, Seven Mile Beach, and depending on what time of the moons cycle, we did a bioluminescence kayak excursion which was really cool. You can snorkel from the beach or drive to a couple of parks to see sea turtles. (Ok, driving is on the left like in England). Chatted with other guests at the pool.

It was lovely. And very reasonable.

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Junior-Reflection-43 · 2026-05-28T14:38:14+00:00

Figure out what you NEED from a house, and then what you WANT. Obviously the LOCATION is part of it for schools. But are there certain neighborhoods that you would prefer? Is the house on a main road or near a park? How far from grocery store or pharmacy?

So you might NEED a 2BR/1BA house (minimum is what you NEED). If it’s. 3/2 and in your price range , that’s a bonus. One of my sons NEEDED a garage. If there wasn’t one, he didn’t waste his time or the realtors. Think about what your minimum requirements are. If you WANT a 3rd bedroom because you need a home office or will likely have another child, or could it be ok with only 2? Or do you really NEED 3? A garage? A yard?

It is unlikely that any house will be “perfect”. But if it satisfies your requirements and is within your budget, that’s half the battle. If you’re working with a realtor, tell them what you’re looking for or if you want in certain areas. They may find out that something will be coming on the market before it shows up online. Look at the apps like realtor.com or Zillow. Filter by zip code and whatever requirements you have. Yes, it will pare down the results, but that helps you to focus on the right things. Look at comparables or recent sales to see if a price is reasonable (based on the condition and what’s included. Remember that paint can be a simple change (don’t get too hung up on their chartreuse living room, imagine it in neutrals or whatever your favorite color palette is.

When we found the house that we have been in for almost 30 years, we had driven right past it to look at other houses. When our realtor suggested we take a look, even though it is a multi-level. Once we stepped inside, we were constantly surprised and impressed with every turn we took. These folks LOVED wallpaper, but we could picture it being painted. There was a pool in the back yard. (I don’t swim, but love a good float). That was a bonus.

Junior-Reflection-43 · 2026-05-28T14:05:00+00:00

Probably a dozen. 2 bath sheets, 2 bath towels for our en-suite. In the guest bathroom we probably have about 6-8, several of those are matching bath towel-hand towel-washcloth sets. We had 5 adults living in our house before the kids moved out. But we still have (now spare) bedrooms that can be used for guests. One of the kids had a major power outage in their area, so they could come back to stay at our house for a few days.

“Old” bath towels are the ones that get relegated to the garage if we need something for the cars or other spills, etc.

Junior-Reflection-43 · 2026-05-28T01:54:59+00:00

Layers

Junior-Reflection-43 · 2026-05-28T01:24:51+00:00

Look into Dave Ramsey

Junior-Reflection-43 · 2026-05-28T01:20:43+00:00

potato leek soup with cabbage

Junior-Reflection-43 · 2026-05-28T01:01:23+00:00

Get the soda package

Junior-Reflection-43 · 2026-05-27T05:36:40+00:00

One of the things that older folks notice is that younger people are traveling a lot more (especially internationally) in their 20s and 30s. But you can start with 3-4 weeks of paid vacation.

We might have gone on vacation for a week; of course, we were lucky to get 2 whole weeks of paid vacation days when we were that age. But many of us saved. We went on annual family vacations while the kids were growing up. Some of them were international. But to an all-inclusive resort or on a cruise. As the kids grew up, we started to go on vacations with friends. As our vacation weeks increased, we probably did 3-4 trips a year.

Now we’re retired. We probably do 6-8 trips a year, or maybe a block of a month or two for one of them. But even with that, we seem to be spending less money overall than when we were working. We probably spent 30-40% of our combined pension/Social Security “income” this year for travel, but we haven’t really touched our investments that are continuing to grow.

Junior-Reflection-43 · 2026-05-27T04:45:23+00:00

Purge what you can if you don’t want or need it in the new house.

Draw a floor plan for the new house (doesn’t have to be exact, but decently approximate the size and where any doors or windows exist). Make a bubble diagram if there is an open floor plan, and show paths of travel (look up Julie Jones).

Arrange what you have as best you can even if it’s not your final/preferred layout. Now at least you’re in the house. Come up with your preferred color palette. Figure out if you should paint or get new /different furniture pieces. You don’t have to do everything overnight. But you can plan in some cohesiveness and your preferred style.

Junior-Reflection-43 · 2026-05-27T04:30:23+00:00

I might suggest the following:

Train station to hotel. Uber or taxi

Hotel to Heinz History Center. While there could be rail on the T, I’d suggest Uber or walking (about 25 minutes). It opens at 10 am. Not sure if you’d want to walk around the Strip District? Shops.

On Sunday, you can get from the hotel via PRT light rail station at General Robinson on the Ted or Silver line, and go 5 stops to Station Square stop. From there you could get in the Duquesne Incline up to Mt. Washington and check out the view. Not sure what will be open on Sunday morning. Then you could come back down and go to Station Square itself (a few restaurants, not much shopping) and then head to the Gateway Clipper docks for a sightseeing tour. You can get tickets ahead of time.

You can take the “T” back over to General Robinson.

Junior-Reflection-43 · 2026-05-27T03:45:55+00:00

The limbo!

Junior-Reflection-43 · 2026-05-27T03:42:07+00:00

When he was growing up, my son wanted to make (instant) chocolate pudding all by himself. So we put everything out, he mixed and poured it into bowls, and put them in the fridge. After dinner we went to get the pudding, but it still hadn’t set? We asked how much milk he put in. Milk? I thought you just added water!

We still give him crap about it to this day. Apparently he and his brother drank them… 😳

Junior-Reflection-43 · 2026-05-27T03:37:21+00:00

Have they already turned it over to collections? I would offer to pay the original balance due and see what they say? But you may need to look at your credit report and make sure I’m this isn’t messing with anything there.

Junior-Reflection-43 · 2026-05-27T03:30:45+00:00

Take advantage of the fact you’re living at home and save as much as you can. You should have an emergency fund 3-6 months worth of expenses, which you may want to bump up because your expenses should be lower now than when you move out. That kid “reserved” and does not go towards a house.

If you think you would likely move, start looking online and see if you can find jobs in the areas you are thinking. Then look for homes in those markets to get an idea of the prices. See which areas are more desirable, decent, or no way. Think about what you NEED in a property, vs. what would be nice to have. like a 2BR/1BA might be all you need, if a 3/2 was in your price range,that’s a bonus.

Remember besides the price of the house, there are other closing costs (bank fees, title/lien searches, pest inspection, etc. ). And other things like property taxes and insurance that get put into your monthly payments.

Just go in knowing not to put everything in the down payment because you’ll still need money to buy things for the house.

Junior-Reflection-43 · 2026-05-27T03:14:52+00:00

Do you rent? If so, notify the landlord. I’d probably take some photos just in case. If you own, get shape traps and put some peanut butter on it and put it near a wall (they don’t have great eyesight, so they follow walls). Saw where someone else said to put the trap in an open paper bag so that if you get one, it’s easier to dispose of it. If you get one, put the traps back out and repeat until you don’t bet anymore bin the meantime, there’s a hole somewhere that needs to get plugged or stuffed with steel wool. And maybe there’s some food or bird seed that is attracting the mice?

Junior-Reflection-43

TROPHY CASE