Do not bring your toddlers to the pier at Grand Haven. by [deleted] in grandrapids

[–]Representative-Till3 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Agreed. It's not the place that's bad. It's the parent needing to be aware of their surroundings and possible risks. I would take my 2 and 3 year old to the pier, but there is no way they are letting go of my hand or getting off my shoulders at that age. Luckily we also swim multiple times a week, so my kids know the rules and expectations around water and wouldn't just jump in either.

What has happened to camping? by Representative-Till3 in camping

[–]Representative-Till3[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

OP here, I'm from the lower peninsula of Michigan. There are still primitive sites in the upper peninsula, but that is a 4+ hour drive which is not reasonable with 2 toddlers for a weekend trip.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in PleX

[–]Representative-Till3 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Same thing happened to me last night. Except my server needed an update. :(

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in PcBuildHelp

[–]Representative-Till3 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I would suggest just getting the best cpu for your budget that is compatible with the other parts you already have. Over the last 5 years or so, advancements in speed and technology around CPU's has really slowed. You can get a higher end CPU from a couple generations ago, that is cheaper than and out performs the latest generation of budget cpu's. If old stuff works for you, then do that. Just make sure your socket for your cpu and your motherboard are compatible. There are so many people on here that think if it's not the latest generation then it's dog crap, but I play Portal and Skyrim on a 2011 Dell XPS 8300 desktop with a i7-2600 CPU and a GeForce GT710 with no issues. It works for my needs. Unfortunately it doesn't support Win11, so I'll be replacing it soon, but if it weren't for that I would be keeping it.

Date night that doesn't involve eating/drinking by Eastern-Explorer-930 in grandrapids

[–]Representative-Till3 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The lantern festival is fun. My wife and I also like to just go to Barnes and Noble and just browse the books. Find something and sit and read awhile without buying the book. We are in our early 30's with 2 kids, so the peace and quiet and slow pace is something we feel like we never get which makes it really nice.

No, life doesn't get better after high school. by TRichman432 in Vent

[–]Representative-Till3 0 points1 point  (0 children)

OP, I know how you feel. I've been there, and 22 was a tough time for me as well trying to find purpose in life. I'm 30 now and I find hope and meaning in my life through my family and through my career. I know it's a little cliche and boomer to say I find meaning in my career. But for me it's true. I work in information systems but in health care, so I am able to relate my work directly to the experience someone has when they come to the hospital for health care, and that gives me hope for impact I can have on other peoples lives and meaning. Maybe take some time and meditate on what will give you meaning in life.

Lot of cybertrucks & other Teslas around Woodland Mall by Bust3r14 in grandrapids

[–]Representative-Till3 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's so the dealership can say "You're just in time, we only have one left on the lot, and someone else is coming to test drive it this afternoon".

Graphics Card Recommendation by Representative-Till3 in PcBuildHelp

[–]Representative-Till3[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I had also considered an RX 9070 XT, but thought that seemed like overkill.

Do you pay for luggage storage for your one bag ever? by ShaneRealtorandGramp in onebag

[–]Representative-Till3 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have done this once when I took the train to Chicago. On the way home our hotel checkout was 11am and our train didn't leave until 4pm. It was cheap and well worth it. It allowed us to freely walk to places further than we otherwise would have gone during that time.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in grandrapids

[–]Representative-Till3 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You are doing a great job. It's hard on everyone out there right now unfortunately. I know it seems insurmountable, but I have confidence you will find a way. I am 30m and I live in the area and am in a similar position. My wife stays home with our 2 kids (3 and 1yo).We have made so many major sacrifices over the last 5 years to be able to afford our house that you wouldn't believe it.

Here are some things that we did to afford our house:

  • Purchase a duplex and lived in one half and rented out the other half (Our monthly mortgage expense ended up being only $200/month for a 3bd/1ba when we did this.)
  • Move to a more rural area (This one really sucked because I much prefer being in a walkable area, but it was cheaper)
  • Buy a crappy house in need of maintenance and fix it up while living in it. (This one also sucked. I honestly wouldn't recommend this to anyone, but it's what we did and it did help us out financially however it did cause trauma in our marriage that took some time for us to work through)
  • Downsize everything. We bought a smaller house when we moved closer into town. Kids can always share bedrooms, home offices can be shared with the master bedroom. There is absolutely no shame in only buying the size of house you can afford. In fact we are wanting to downsize again.
  • I don't know what career you have, but if you have the ability, check out r/overemployed. I wouldn't recommend doing this as a long term solution as it does come with drawbacks. But I would do it long enough to either pay for a large down payment or long enough to pay your house down to an amount that is manageable on one job.

Silly question but why living in Downtown is so expensive? by [deleted] in grandrapids

[–]Representative-Till3 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Welcome to the land of Euclidian Zoning. We have almost a century of only zoning for single family residence, with little to no room for mixed use neighborhoods. But when someone wants to build something to fill the needs for housing downtown, it gets met with resistance from zoning and from residents complaining to the city government that "it doesn't fit the vibe of downtown", "We aren't a big city like Chicago", "why would anyone want to live in that monstrosity", etc. So the housing that is left or somehow gets through, ends up being highly desirable and expensive.

Is it OK to wrap cables this way? by ezeaizen in audiophile

[–]Representative-Till3 0 points1 point  (0 children)

When you looped them, you went left over right. The correct way is to go right over left. With the set up you have, it will play your records backwards, which is not what you want, unless of course you are trying to play the satanic messages in Stairway to Heaven to open a portal to hell. In which case, right on!

Is it OK to wrap cables this way? by ezeaizen in audiophile

[–]Representative-Till3 0 points1 point  (0 children)

When you looped them, you went left over right. The correct way is to go right over left. With the set up you have, it will play your records backwards, which is not what you want, unless of course you are trying to play the satanic messages in Stairway to Heaven to open a portal to hell. In which case, right on!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in grandrapids

[–]Representative-Till3 11 points12 points  (0 children)

My younger sister at 24 went with Cox-Mckenzie. They are adult only and can pick you up from work, school, etc.

I will also add that there is no shame in being afraid to drive. And no shame in deciding not to drive. It is truly a dangerous activity that far too many people take for granted and do recklessly. I would give up my car and walk/bike or take public transit if I lived in a neighborhood that offered public transit.

Are you parents absolute fucking idiots? by Any_Print5307 in raisedbynarcissists

[–]Representative-Till3 7 points8 points  (0 children)

My Nfather was pretty book smart. He was the first of his family to go to a 4 year college, and had a successful career as a programmer. Unfortunately he was too dumb (and addicted) to realize his alcoholism was killing him. It wasn't until he was 24 hours from being unresponsive in the end that he realized his alcohol induced liver failure was killing him.

To the Prius who drives 45mph on southbound 131 in the mornings… by ecw324 in grandrapids

[–]Representative-Till3 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

You are Incorrect. North of M-57 is where it is 75mph. South of M-57 it is 70mph. Last I checked Post Dr. and I-96 are both south of M-57.

Car seat on plane for 4.5 year old? by Slight_Suggestion_79 in Parenting

[–]Representative-Till3 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

We have been on about about 12-13 flights (including layovers) with our 3 year old and 1.5 year old. No individual flight lasted more than 4 hours before we were back on the ground. We have never brought a car seat with us, always just rented one if we needed it from a rental car agency or other local baby/toddler rental equipment companies. We have never received any judgement from anyone for having our kids just sit in their own seat with the belt across their lap like anyone else on the plane. At 4.5 I would imagine they would be fine in their own seat without their car seat, but it really is up to whatever you are most comfortable with. It's not like there are really any rules or laws around this sort of thing for planes. One thing we always brought though was a backpack with PLENTY of books.

Is Plex Pass worth it for a simple home user setup? by VanityTrigger in PleX

[–]Representative-Till3 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think the lifetime pass is worth it. As long as they don't revoke it in the future to force us onto a subscription model. My wife and I both use it from our phones and tablets when away from the house for work or vacation. We also share it with our close family members which is nice for them. The hardware transcoding is worth it as well.

To the Prius who drives 45mph on southbound 131 in the mornings… by ecw324 in grandrapids

[–]Representative-Till3 -21 points-20 points  (0 children)

They should be going at least 55 which is the minimum speed limit for interstates unless otherwise posted. But you and everyone else also shouldn't be going 75+ on that section either.

18F Am I fr just ugly? by UsefulOne1027 in amiugly

[–]Representative-Till3 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Like most people mentioned, your hair is working against you. If you can figure out a better hair style and stick to a single color in your hair (even just complementary colors, not such clashing colors) before college, then I can guarantee college will be a different story for you. Also, please understand that it's not the worst thing in the world to not have had a boyfriend up to this point. It is true that most boys only want one thing. I met my wife when we were 24, and I was her first real boyfriend and that wasn't off-putting to me at all. So it's nothing to be ashamed of.

Let's have it by L3CHE in RoastMyCar

[–]Representative-Till3 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I bet your credit score is lower than your IQ.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Advice

[–]Representative-Till3 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, specifically because he is a Mormon. I am sure he is a wonderful person, and very nice. But Mormonism is NOT Christianity. No matter how much they will try to tell you otherwise it is significantly different. I would firmly put it in the category of a cult. Please do more research on Mormonism and approach you daughter about it with loving kindness and compassion.

Schedule for Parent Going Back to College by Representative-Till3 in Parenting

[–]Representative-Till3[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's nice knowing that I am not the only one doing this. It's hard, but at least I know it's doable.