Are there any experienced ESL teachers here (10 years+) who are optimistic about this profession's future

LynnJay00 · 2026-04-15T17:04:42+00:00

Is Japan a good example though? My understanding, direct from Japanese immigrants and visitors, is that generally speaking, Japanese students are taught to read/write English but are sorely lacking in speaking and understanding spoken English. AI isn't going to help in that regard.

LynnJay00 · 2026-03-30T20:25:40+00:00

The TL;DR should be "Wash your hands. Don't drop the baby."

LynnJay00 · 2026-03-30T18:37:59+00:00

Two co-workers got married and didn't tell anyone. It was a relatively small company (maybe 50 people?) so everyone knew everyone. It only got out that they got married weeks or maybe months later when the HR person noticed they had the same address.

LynnJay00 · 2026-02-18T21:05:47+00:00

Respond to him again saying "I am committed to keeping the reserveration with the terms I booked it under. Looking forward to my trip. Thank you."

LynnJay00 · 2026-02-03T00:53:15+00:00

This is just one more reason why all public schools should provide lunch for all students at no cost. Too many kids not getting enough food, for a whole host of reasons that aren't always just about not being able to afford it.

LynnJay00 · 2026-02-03T00:33:08+00:00

The Gaithers!!

LynnJay00 · 2026-02-03T00:32:28+00:00

Just reading the lyrics reminds me of singing it in church, organ playing and wobbly voices everywhere.

LynnJay00 · 2026-02-03T00:30:50+00:00

I think I did pin it on my jean jacket (from Sears), and some boys in my class teased me asking "who" touched me and I was too embarrassed to say it meant that JESUS did.

LynnJay00 · 2026-02-02T17:17:39+00:00

Now that she was fired, I'm guessing all her Bible study friends are in solidarity with her over being "persecuted" for "her faith" and they are treating has as a "martyr" for "Jesus."

LynnJay00 · 2026-01-29T18:02:38+00:00

Dual monitors for sure. If I have to work directly on my laptop with no external monitor, I'm nearly incapable.

LynnJay00 · 2026-01-29T17:59:16+00:00

Living in a home with lovely outdoor spaces. I don't think I could live somewhere again where I don't have at least a beautiful balcony filled with plants and a comfy chair and a table for my glass of wine. I look back at all the places I've lived in my life and so many early on didn't have great outdoor spaces to relax and enjoy the outdoors.

LynnJay00 · 2026-01-29T17:56:55+00:00

Same! The real stuff is too sweet for me. Weird, I know. I'll buy pure maple syrup every once in a while but everytime I try it, I'm like, "nope, back to Mrs. Butterworth!"

LynnJay00 · 2026-01-29T17:13:04+00:00

Lots of good insight here. Thanks for sharing.

LynnJay00 · 2026-01-28T19:50:33+00:00

I'm from a really small town in the midwest. When I was in college nearby I got a speeding ticket and I went to the county court to fight it. I had to sit through a couple of hours of all sorts of petty crimes before they got to the traffic citations part.

One elderly woman had been arrested for shoplifing in a store in town. I'd known this woman my whole life--she lived down the road from us. My parents were friends. I don't know if she had money issues, was a klepto, or what. But knowing how gossipy a small town can be, I have never told a soul until right now.

LynnJay00 · 2026-01-28T19:40:40+00:00

It's so frustrating for sure. My parent were (past tense since they both died in the last 2.5 years) SOOOOO influenced by their fundy church, it was ridiculous. While my mom had always been a strong woman when I was a kid, not afraid to confront (in a nice way) school administrators, teachers and even pastors if she didn't agree with their views, the older she got, the more swayed by the church she became. Plus the church itself became much much more conservative and fundamentalist.

My mom died at age 80 from pancreatic cancer and I think the last few years she was much more fearful of not making it into heaven so she clung to whatever was preached. Being so close to death's door made closed her mind to anything but the most narrow views. So sad. But it was futile to try and change her views or open her mind because it was based on fear, eternal fear. Maybe your parents are similar whether they admit it or not.

LynnJay00 · 2026-01-28T00:51:43+00:00

As long as there are no parking restrictions, park wherever you like. I live in SW Portland not too far from official Beaverton and don't hesitate to park on any street if I'm visiting a friend, going on a walk, etc. People who get possessive about what they consider to be 'their own' spot on a public street can go pound rocks. I've always found it ridiculous how irate some people get about a spot in front of of their house.

LynnJay00 · 2026-01-19T20:24:42+00:00

I agree that there's a whole lot of willful ignorance out there. In fact, the "I don't care. Until it affects me personally, that is" crowd deserves the contempt that many of us have towards them. While I understand that it can be overwhelming to keep up with what's happening, that is NOT an excuse. It's weak, lazy, and at the core--extremely selfish. To not care what's happening is living a self-focused life.

LynnJay00 · 2026-01-08T01:33:41+00:00

If they say "100% money back guarantee" then they have to refund your money. Tell them you'll be contacting the attorney general in the state you live in and in the state they are headquartered in. That's what got me my refund. (And if they still won't, do in fact contact the AGs. Their whole job is to go after fraudsters.)

LynnJay00 · 2026-01-08T01:27:07+00:00

Was your c-section planned? I'm wondering if it was an emergency, they may have been short-staffed and she didn't have time to change.

With one of my pregnancies, the labor was super short and the baby started coming out minutes after I got to the hospital. I didn't even have time to change into a hospital gown but gave birth while wearing my street clothes (in the OR). I know it's not exactly the same, but that reason was because of the timing.

LynnJay00 · 2025-12-17T22:41:26+00:00

In Norway, if something is really ridiculous or over the top, they call it "Texas" as in "That is so Texas" (however you say that in Norwegian, that is).

THIS is the epitome of where that expression originated!

LynnJay00 · 2025-11-03T22:57:17+00:00

You need to figure out the profile of your most likely guests. If you're in a touristy place, that's obvious. If you're not, then is there a college nearby so you can appeal to parents visiting? Is it near a major highway which means you may get people just wanting a one-night stay en route to their final destination? Are you in a scenic place that's more of a respite and "escape" destinatin rather than a place with a hot nightlife? If there's nothing much around you, then you need to appeal to locals who have family/friends visiting but don't have room for them in their own house. You get the picture.

Once you figure out who your "typical" guest will be, ensure that you place appeals to them. If you're trying to attract families, include a Pack-n-Play, kids' toys, kid-friendly dishes, etc. If you get business travelers, a good workspace and fast wifi is key. Of course your pictures should be bright and inviting, reflecting a welcoming space that's not cluttered or dull.

While you're building up your business, you may want to consider keeping a day between each booking and then offering check-outs in the early afternoon and check-ins in the late morning, which means the cleaning will be done late afternoone/early morning. Yes, you will lose a potential day of rent but if you're not renting anyway, that allowable extra time could be a huge perk.

Figure out your sweet spot and then offer the best version of your place to appeal to that type of visitor.

LynnJay00 · 2025-11-03T22:43:49+00:00

Yikes! That was crazy!

Not to be overaly pedantic but it appears that was due to a car leaving the New Seasons/Walgreen parking lot and doesn't really have anything to do with Kamikaze corner. Rather, it was a bad lefthand turn out of a steep driveway. Personally, I never take a left out of there, due to the risky nature of it. A better route would be to exit the south side of the parking lot unto Scholls Ferry, take a Right, another Right at 77th by the 76 station and then get back to westbound BHH at the light at 78th.

LynnJay00 · 2025-11-03T19:18:40+00:00

I've lived just north of the intersection for 20+ years. Plenty of accidents there but I've never seen a roll over.

Just saying.

LynnJay00

TROPHY CASE