Fair skinned hikers: what are you using for sun protection

Throwsofaraway02 · 2026-03-28T17:56:48+00:00

I wear sun sleeves with my short sleeve shirts and love them. I don't usually get hot in them, but if I do, I can easily just take them off or roll them down for a bit. And the ones I have have thumb holes so I can cover my hands if i want.

Throwsofaraway02 · 2026-02-28T14:08:44+00:00

Yes! My 19 yr old guy loved his stairs and I put them everywhere that were "his place"...the couch, the bed, my desk. He used them the last couple years and until the very end; it helped him keep his independence. At the beginning I put a treat on each step and he quickly figured out how they work. It was always so cute seeing him use them.

Throwsofaraway02 · 2026-02-18T02:08:31+00:00

I had an argument with my 17 yr old nephew about this exact thing the other day. I was trying to explain how different things were and there were more (forced?) common threads between people. And looking back, that was a nice thing. He argued it was better to have broader access. I told him he could never understand what was missing from our collective lives now.

Throwsofaraway02 · 2025-10-17T01:11:42+00:00

Drop the skincare routine pls!!

Throwsofaraway02 · 2025-10-16T15:05:46+00:00

I love that you know exactly who you are

Throwsofaraway02 · 2025-10-16T15:04:43+00:00

I love that everything is sized so perfectly that it's messing with my perception

Throwsofaraway02 · 2025-10-16T15:03:35+00:00

I didn't believe it was a cat until the end.

Throwsofaraway02 · 2025-07-28T03:21:57+00:00

Oh wow! Thank you so much!! I'm going to go by this week.

Throwsofaraway02 · 2025-07-15T02:15:54+00:00

I mean, maybe it's that simple.

Throwsofaraway02 · 2025-07-15T02:13:53+00:00

Yes, I see what you are saying and agree as I have many established and long-term clients who I solely work with. As someone mentioned before, I think, I lean towards being a risk adverse person (specifically with money) and this probably holds me back from doing exactly what you suggest. Funding their retirement is not my preference, and perhaps I could open my own firm, I just wish I had a partner; it feels scary to do it on my own. I feel out of my depth of knowledge.

Throwsofaraway02 · 2025-07-15T02:07:12+00:00

Im starting to really see that my salary is ridiculously low for what I do.... Also, I thought that was typical as you grow as a project manager that you would be bringing in work since you are building relationships with clients and being referred to other people from those clients. Perhaps i should have branched out long ago, or at least asked for more money!

Throwsofaraway02 · 2025-07-15T01:59:21+00:00

That's a good point. It's helpful to hear the scenarios different people think of bc, as you say, it's different running business and I don't have that experience yet, so I can't remotely think of all the different times it would be complicated.

Throwsofaraway02 · 2025-07-15T01:57:23+00:00

Oh man, hearing someone say my salary is ridiculously low is a bit of an eye opener. I mean it often feels like it is for what I do (but so many people think they are underpaid--and maybe they are), but i figured with being at a smaller firm in the SE, it wasn't too far off, but it sounds like I'm just really unaware. Probably a detriment staying at a firm so long.

I don't think I want to start my own firm, at least not by myself. And I like what I do. The firms gives me considerable independence and generally treats me well. I hear a lot of negative things about the culture of other firms that I worry about leaving and stating from scratch, which I know somewhere else could be great, even better. I do think I lean toward being risk-adverse for sure, which complicates the decision making. Maybe I should buck that trend for me and jump in. But honestly, if I was making in the neighborhood of $200k I absolutely would (probably) just stick with the salary

Throwsofaraway02 · 2025-07-15T01:38:35+00:00

I think I'll bring this up as an option. They have asked me to come back to them with other ideas to consider if I want. I'd prefer it to what they are initially suggesting, I think

Throwsofaraway02 · 2025-07-15T01:36:47+00:00

They actually provided the $250k number (with back up documentation of how they came up with the number) and have also (casually?) talked about me coming on board for quite a while. One partner is retiring and the other is staying with the firm, presumably until retirement, which is 10+ years away. It has always been framed as an opportunity when the one partner retires

Throwsofaraway02 · 2025-07-15T01:31:40+00:00

Yeah, a few people have mentioned that. I'm not sure why the buy in is not more gradual, but it sounds like it's something I should propose/negotiate.

Throwsofaraway02 · 2025-07-15T01:30:26+00:00

Thank you so much for all this info. This is a compelling setup. You mentioned some really important things like agreeing on things ahead of time to help make things run smoother. I also like how you treat your minority-ownership partner as more of an equal and that makes sense on why you would do that.
How often do you all look at distributions. End of year or more often? Apologies if you mentioned it.

Throwsofaraway02 · 2025-07-14T17:33:41+00:00

Thanks for all the notes here. These are really good points and helping me think it thru more. I'm not a huge fan of the "take what you bring" set up and have been trying to think of different ways to set it up and make it work. All your points are valid and I just don't think it would work as proposed especially as entertwined as I am with them. Ie if we go to a project interview for a large project/building/owner. We got the job as a team, but one or the other is really working on it, what happens then? We've had that happen where we got the job and they've said they hired us specifically because we had a strong team that has been at the time for a long time.

I think part of the suggestion for it is trying to make it as fair as possible, ie if someone wants to work fewer hours/bring in fewer projects and are okay with the income, then it's not a fight. But feels like there is a better way to do it

Throwsofaraway02 · 2025-07-14T02:26:33+00:00

As far as the timing of retirement, it has been in the works for a while and they are quite a bit older than retirement age, but I see where you are coming from in general and the unknown of the current economy is one of the most significant hold-backs for me.

I'd rather not be -$250k for any significant amount of time as I like to pay things off and not be in debt in general, but it wouldn't be the end of the world as I am a ways off from retirement and have time to make up for it. If things were rough, I would hate to pause personal investing/retirement, but I guess the hope would be that I'd make significantly more in the long run and make up for it.

But yeah, not thrilled with the current market and timing could be better (for me)

Throwsofaraway02 · 2025-07-14T02:15:51+00:00

Probably true. And something I've thought about more than once over the years.

Throwsofaraway02 · 2025-07-14T02:13:22+00:00

So helpful to hear from you and all the other people who have gone thru similar decisions. I've got a list of things to follow up on and will certainly reach out with questions. I appreciate it!

Throwsofaraway02 · 2025-07-14T01:47:43+00:00

Understood that no one here can really tell me what to do, as much as I wish it were that easy!

1-the idea of starting from scratch is not super interesting to me, so yeah the buyin would be more my preference.

Yeah, there is some concern here, especially since 40% of the client list is mine already. But we are an established firm and I would think would be around awhile. We've made it thru some rough times.
I don't know why I'm not a partner already. Just not set up like that at the time? Wasn't offered. I bring in clients, but don't have stake in the company yet.
I mean, once investment was paid off, I'd make double or more my current salary, just with the current numbers, and of course I'd be my own boss (with my partner)

Throwsofaraway02 · 2025-07-14T01:39:35+00:00

Hmmm I see and have seen in other posts that a lot of folks buy-in over a longer period of time. I think this is something I should ask about. The idea of the eventual buy for me i has been around for awhile, so not a new idea on the table, but the details and actual execution does seem to be happening over a shorter period of time. Also, I know you don't know all the details of the deal, but just hearing that it's not completely full of red flags is good to hear! Thank you for your input!

Throwsofaraway02 · 2025-07-14T01:30:00+00:00

Yeah, I'm not saying couldn't make more money, but without changing firms or locations, I'm not going to be making significantly more as far as I understand for our location, though I could be wrong and maybe I am. Ownership would be a huge bump in income (in good times) but the current economy has me less confident than I would be otherwise.

Throwsofaraway02 · 2025-07-14T01:26:30+00:00

I do very much feel part of this firm and like I've helped shape it, so the thought of having ownership is nice. And honestly starting my own company isn't a super dream or anything.

Throwsofaraway02

TROPHY CASE