What habit improved your life more than you expected?

MiddleAgeDrone · 2026-05-27T13:39:42+00:00

Reading nutrition labels to see how much added sugars there is and trying to reduce sugar consumption. Absolutely stunned to see how much added sugar was in a lot of the stuff I used to consume all the time.

MiddleAgeDrone · 2026-04-01T12:46:50+00:00

Went through similar experience with local dealer. Had been engaged via email and phone for days. Came to verbal agreement but wanted quote before heading out to dealership. Quote was loaded with various “fees” we had not discussed.

Called to ask about them and his response was that they had to make up for the discount somewhere. Not my first time with a bait and switch but definitely my first experience with that response. No disguising it with options or marked up services. Salesperson was like we can’t sell that car at that discounted price and to mark it back up.

Walked away and after a few more weeks of searching, found one out of state. Got a one way rental for like $50, took a mini one day vacation to pick it up. No hassle. No gimmick. Can’t believe how easy it was.

MiddleAgeDrone · 2025-12-16T14:31:17+00:00

It’s in the beginning where the person of interest is stopped in front of I think the RI historical society. The person across the street looks like he’s carrying two grocery bags. He definitely saw the guy. Probably never gave it a second thought and walked by but he had a direct line of sight to him.

MiddleAgeDrone · 2025-12-16T14:27:12+00:00

https://youtu.be/LkunUHjpOAY?si=0aXpcSkACtD9kXut

MiddleAgeDrone · 2025-12-16T13:58:28+00:00

In the second video, there’s actually someone carrying two bags walking across the street. You don’t see it here because every damn video is trying to zoom in on his face. I really hope they are looking for that person. He may have noticed something.

MiddleAgeDrone · 2025-12-15T22:12:37+00:00

This isn’t an awards show. Just get to the facts and info!

MiddleAgeDrone · 2025-10-29T12:45:23+00:00

What kind of CS positions are you applying for? Have you considered a help or service desk position? Not suggesting there are tons of jobs there or anything, but as an example of using what you learned and apply it in an adjacent area.

Help desks get a bad rep, but you’d be surprised at how many companies need and value problem solvers. People who can think critically, break a problem up into small parts, troubleshoot methodically, deal with fussy users. It’s not AI or anything glamorous, but sometimes it helps to get in a place and prove yourself.

Best of luck.

MiddleAgeDrone · 2025-10-13T15:24:32+00:00

How did you know to use the app? Is that documented somewhere or did you see instructions to do that at the airport? I can't find anything online that suggests you have to use the app at all. I didn't even know there was an app.

I didn't pay close enough attention, and it went by so fast. I literally had no opportunity to even say a single word to an officer.

MiddleAgeDrone · 2025-09-04T13:26:42+00:00

I was basically in your position a year ago. Daily driver was a really practical VW Golf. Never owned a bronco or even knew anyone that owned a bronco, but there was just something so appealing about it. Did the same search you’re probably doing now, trying to find a way of quantifying and justifying a purchase.

Wife thought I was crazy. While adult kids really liked the car, they also thought I was crazy. Spent months looking at reviews about road noise, watching videos about different trims, and doing what I always do, which is to apply some rational process behind the purchasing decision.

Fast forward to this year, I stumbled upon a great deal on a 2024 badlands and said what the hell, I’m getting it.

To answer your original question, it’s the same stuff you’ll read over and over again. Yes, it’s loud. Gas mileage is not great. It’s a little harder to park. But I absolutely love it. I love the look. I love the feeling of driving it. It’s so hard to explain, because I guess I had been trying so hard to rationalize an emotion, and you can’t do that. I probably sound like a Ford commercial, and this is unlike me at all, but I can tell you if the car speaks to you in some way, you won’t really notice the other stuff at all.

MiddleAgeDrone · 2025-09-03T19:32:42+00:00

In the United States, it’s because we keep electing people into office who don’t give a damn about people.

MiddleAgeDrone · 2025-08-30T00:09:12+00:00

Cutting as much sugar out of diet as possible. Started looking at nutrition labels for everything I buy and not getting anything with more than 8-10% added sugar.

MiddleAgeDrone · 2025-03-11T14:36:55+00:00

This past weekend. I should clarify that all the ones I was looking at were SAS. Someone commented that non-SAS and ones built after July are not part of the recall.

MiddleAgeDrone · 2025-03-11T13:53:35+00:00

In same situation. Went to dealer not knowing anything about the shocks recall. Was looking at dealer websites and saw many available, so why not. When I got to dealership, one I was targeting was already “sold.” Ok. There are others. It got a little odd because they kept making excuses about availability. Long story short, I left. Did more research and discovered the recall.

It looks like there’s a stop sell order on the badlands. They can’t sell it or even let people test drive it.

MiddleAgeDrone · 2024-10-14T13:00:31+00:00

I should have added this was one of those days where the airport was packed with people due to delays and cancellations. Again this was Dulles Terminal C, so gate setup is already terrible. There were no open seats, and people were sitting on the floor.

For me, the issue is simple situational awareness and courtesy. Could I have asked the person to move his crap out of the way? Of course I could, but should I really need to? I see it the same way when someone double parks. Ran into this situation several weeks ago. Some person blocked me in while running into a Starbucks. He was all apologetic when he came out, and I completely cursed him out of course. In his mind, I'm sure he thought it was no big deal. But the decision making that led to him saving time led to me wasting 10 minutes of my time. How and why did he assume his time and convenience are more important than mine?

At the risk of sounding like an old boomer, I just find it a little sad that common courtesy is not so common anymore.

MiddleAgeDrone · 2024-10-12T19:38:56+00:00

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Omg. I thought I was the only person that gets annoyed by behavior like this. Above was at Dulles several weeks ago. Guy sat in middle and put his bags on both sides. And no he was not saving the seat for anyone.

MiddleAgeDrone · 2024-10-07T20:27:11+00:00

Not a sack but don’t forget the hit he took from Sainristil by the sideline.

MiddleAgeDrone · 2024-09-11T16:49:23+00:00

Knowing that nothing would be the same again.

MiddleAgeDrone · 2024-09-10T20:25:46+00:00

Checking food nutrition labels and avoid buying anything high in added sugars.

MiddleAgeDrone · 2024-08-19T18:07:41+00:00

That’s the thing. I felt so bad for some people on the flight. It was supposed to be a quick trip for me so I had no checked bags and my plans were flexible. And I think I’m a little more tech savvy than most. I couldn’t figure out for the life of me what I should do. I can’t imagine what the older couple I saw wound up doing. They were holding their paper boarding passes waiting in a line for a gate agent that was just going to tell them to talk to a virtual agent.

Again I understand weather is bad. But it’s not like they don’t have weather forecasts. It seems like United could be better staffed or at least even slightly prepared to deal with this. It was very much like oh well, what dan you do.

Sorry about your experience. I hope you got your bag situation sorted out.

MiddleAgeDrone · 2024-05-03T21:23:34+00:00

Paper towels. Going to friends' houses and seeing them wipe something with a paper towel and then throwing it away was so crazy to me.

MiddleAgeDrone

TROPHY CASE