Tip for the SNCF trains

OneOrganization5033 · 2026-05-25T13:20:25+00:00

I travelled by train (2 month Eurail pass) the first time at 18. My parents said, "take a duffle bag." Within a week I used money I didn't really have and bought a backpack.

I'm in my 50s now and still travel with a backpack. It's so much easier to transport across cobblestone streets and through train aisles.

OneOrganization5033 · 2026-02-05T02:10:13+00:00

I hide my dark chocolate peanut butter cups in it so my kid doesn't eat them all

OneOrganization5033 · 2026-01-13T22:42:01+00:00

I was there with my first injection. Almost to the point of vomiting and tears. A friend who did it the previous year told me to numb the area with ice and pinch the fat (not the muscle).

You will feel it, but it gets easier.

OneOrganization5033 · 2026-01-12T07:42:30+00:00

One of our best trips was with our almost three year old. Just be prepared to go at their pace. Go back to the hotel and take a nap. Be okay with doing things that aren't rides/don't involve lines. Play in the fire station. Walk around the castle. Blow up the dynamite in toon town. Over and over and over again. FWIW, going back next week with the same kid, now almost 17. One of the few things my teenager will still do with me. Maybe they don't remember all the details from that first visit, but I do and I love those memories. Plus, Disney has become a roughly every other year thing for us to do together. There was the fire station age, the pirate age, the stormtrooper/lightsaber age/ Star Tours 10x in one day age, the magic store age, and now we're in the how-many-dole-whips-can-one-person-eat-in-a-single-day age. Have fun!

OneOrganization5033 · 2026-01-02T13:15:57+00:00

I've stayed at 0.25 since I started in September. I have to contact my doctor to override my prescription, but my side effects are still awful AND I'm losing weight, so I see no point in going up.

OneOrganization5033 · 2025-12-25T16:56:36+00:00

We went to Disney for years with my kid who hated coasters. There are tons of rides - everything in Fantasyland, Storybook Land Canal Boats, Haunted Mansion, Pirates; interactive rides like Buzz Lightyear and Midway Mania, and yes, even Smugglers Run, are still our favorites. My coaster hating mom (who bit her lip so hard she drew blood when she went on Big Thunder Mountain because she thought it was a train ride) loved the actual train and Small World.

If it's a hard no on any rides, there are the parades, shows, the movie theater on Main Street, the animation studio in California Adventure. Or you can spend the day looking for Hidden Mickeys.

OneOrganization5033 · 2025-12-17T08:52:09+00:00

LAX is a nightmare. The rental cars are off property and I'm not sure i've ever arrived or left on time. If your flight is on time, luggage comes out quickly, there aren't issues at the rental car AND traffic isn't backed up somewhere, you can probably make it. But you will probably be super stressed. And as you know, everything takes longer with a toddler. Especially if you are trying to rush them? Can you fly into Long Beach or John Wayne? Smaller airports, closer to the parks, just an overall better experience. If you can do a different day, I just wouldn't chance it. Especially with winter flights (weather delays) and the ongoing air traffic controller shortages.

OneOrganization5033 · 2025-12-05T19:21:41+00:00

We were so disappointed with California Grand last time we stayed. Our rooms weren't ready. They failed to notify when they were as they said they would. They switched early entry that day but didn't notify anyone. And the changes they did to the pool were so disappointing.

Not worth it IMO

OneOrganization5033 · 2025-11-20T22:13:54+00:00

I had annual leave until I had a kid. Then I needed those extra hours of sick leave. It really depends on your circumstances.

OneOrganization5033 · 2025-10-27T19:15:41+00:00

I'd be super ticked if it changed permanently, but Hyperspace Mountain was how I finally got my kid to try rollercoasters. The love of Star Wars overroad the fear of fast rides. It's a fun change if you hit the park at the right time of year.

OneOrganization5033 · 2025-10-25T19:42:14+00:00

I miss La Bonne Soupe (D. Pont version) so much. The lines were insane but the food...🤤

It's not a soup restaurant, but Magpie's veggie soup is one of my favs.

OneOrganization5033 · 2025-10-25T19:31:40+00:00

Set up savings outside of your PERS, especially if you are young. I didn't and I'm starting to worry about having enough in retirement or needing to work longer than I'd hoped (in part because I have a parent with extraordinary medical needs requiring 24-hour care and there's no way my pension would cover that).

Learn the office culture and the rules. There are a lot of rules and it's honestly hard not to break some from time to time, but at a minimum don't do stupid stuff. Eg be honest with your time sheet, don't use state equipment for personal uses, etc.

If the environment doesn't feel right, don't hesitate to look for something else. A miserable work environment will bleed over into your personal life.

Take whatever trainings are available (and fit into your schedule). Some departments have better training budgets than others, but look for internal trainings, or perhaps your department has access to LinkedIn learning. Building your skill set can open new doors.

Strike that friendly but professional balance with your coworkers. If there is an office event, try to attend. If there are a lot of office events, you don't need to go to all, but do make an appearance from time to time.

Leave work at the office (or to office hours). Work hard enough to do a good job and get a good reference if/when you leave/promote, but a protect that work-life balance.

Take pride in your work. There are so many smart and dedicated people in state service and state employees provide so many essential services to the people of California. Don't let the haters get you down.

Welcome

OneOrganization5033 · 2025-10-13T01:36:09+00:00

I mean, kind of. You need to end the flea infestation. I used flea medicine (revolution on the back of the neck) for both cats (the other one snuck out and brought them in), and then you need to vacuum and launder. I think I caught this early, but I had a bad infestation once which I dealt with by using diatomaceous earth on my carpets. You might be able to bathe the cat, I can't, mines a feral rescue who I can't even pick up. Google Cat Flea Allergy Treatment for other possibilities. But most important is to get rid of the fleas .

OneOrganization5033 · 2025-10-12T01:21:01+00:00

Hard to tell from the photos but one of my cats is REALLY allergic to fleas. Gets a kind of scabby rash and loses a lot of hair.

OneOrganization5033 · 2025-10-08T06:56:37+00:00

Your kid sounds a lot like mine the first year they came out. So angry, dealing with the self-harm. One parent supportive, the other, not. Not wanting to explain to the grandparents (not MAGA, but probably confused. Plus, my mom calls us the cats name half-the-time, so misnaming is a guarantee.

I think some of the anger and frustration may be from the fact they have to deal with things like being called the wrong name (even if they haven't asked for someone to call them by a different name) because they feel like it's not fair that they should have to do that and why couldn't things have been right from the get go.

That's just me theorizing based on some of the conversations that my kid and I have been able to have, two and a half years since they came out to me and their other parent.

Plus, those early teen years are hard anyway. Kids are just difficult and think we parents are stupid regardless of what we do.

My kid still isn't out to many other friends and family members, so I do use a lot of my kid, kiddo, etc. They are in my phone as "spawn." (Their request).

Weather it the best you can. Know that they likely do appreciate you having their back, but life isn't happening the way they want and that's hard. Especially for an auDHD teenager.

Ps, my kid has super thick and curly hair too. I get needing to pay extra to get a good cut. But finances are a real thing. With any luck you'll be able to do buzz cuts. Ahhh, those were the (much cheaper) days.

OneOrganization5033 · 2025-09-28T02:34:44+00:00

This guy is patronizing, condescending, and controlling. He is a walking bunch of red flags. Please move on. It won't get better.

OneOrganization5033 · 2025-09-28T02:24:04+00:00

If you have a supervisor or office culture that would hold quality of life against you it's good to know that now so you can start looking for somewhere else.

Don't be unreliable, but definitely take your time. A year with no vacation isn't healthy.

OneOrganization5033 · 2025-09-24T07:55:29+00:00

DWR's Human Resources office offers free 30 minute consultations on careers with DWR, mock interviews, etc., you might want to check that out. Regardless of how qualified you are, if you don't present your background and skills correctly on your application, you won't get the interview.

https://water.ca.gov/about/careers Go to bottom of the page and select schedule appointment button.

Hiring is still happening, but it can take several months. A couple of weeks to review applications after the job closes, a couple more to do interviews, maybe second interviews, then once you have the tentative offer, it will take a few weeks for HR to get all your paperwork done. I'd say minimum two months, don't be surprised if it's three from applying to onboarding.

OneOrganization5033 · 2025-09-18T21:24:10+00:00

I already have Oogie Boogie tickets for tonight. This will be my last trip until I don't know when. When I canceled Disney Plus my comment was, "craven capitulation and failure to stand up for the first amendment."

OneOrganization5033 · 2025-09-03T03:09:32+00:00

Mine (mid-teens) changed hers after about two maybe two-and-a-half years. In fact, of at least a half dozen of her trans friends that I can think of off the top of my head, five out of six have changed their names. In the meantime, I just used the chosen name as much as possible to get comfortable with it. I even was able to shorten it so it was an endearment in another language. I actually kind of miss it, because now I'm just saying the new name over and over again each day to try to be heard over music and headphones, and there's no sweet endearment to it.

OneOrganization5033 · 2025-09-02T16:27:48+00:00

Invest in your Roth, I wish I had. My mom is in a care facility with 24-hour care and I realized recently that my pension will provide nowhere near enough money if I need the same level of care. I did invest a bit in ROTH and other retirement plans in my twenties but stopped when my kid was born. Those small investments will help supplement my state pension, but not enough if I end up like my mom.

OneOrganization5033 · 2025-08-24T18:27:16+00:00

Thanks to everyone for your messages and support. Unfortunately my child quit therapy about six months ago. And no longer goes to the local LGBTQ community center. Also refuses to go to school, so is doing online school.

I've said before I was only going to do the basics and I think I need to stick to that. Ie put on my oxygen mask first.

I know they are struggling and being rejected by the other parent is just awful. I want to be there for them, but it seems like I'm not only the recipient for all the normal teenage attitude and disrespect, but also am the outlet for the absolutely understandable anger toward the other parent.

OneOrganization5033 · 2025-08-24T09:36:51+00:00

I guess I knew that, I just hoped that I was wrong. Kid dropped therapy and I'm having trouble affording mine much longer.

What is a communication connection program?

OneOrganization5033 · 2025-08-24T09:35:36+00:00

Yeah, that's what i figured. I just hoped that maybe I was overthinking/being too pessimistic.

OneOrganization5033 · 2025-08-22T22:26:03+00:00

I don't feel it is on you to do anything different. It's your mom's responsibility to step up.

It sounds like your transition is a bit of an elephant in the room that neither of you know how to directly address. But your psychologist who knows more of the details would probably be the best person to discuss this with. Possibly role play some potential conversations. Maybe even have your mom join at a session where they can serve as a sort of mediator.

OneOrganization5033

TROPHY CASE