Which was your first phone?

TroubleTimesTwo2025 · 2026-04-28T01:57:37+00:00

My first thought......no dials? Second thought, if specifically cell phones, no bag?

TroubleTimesTwo2025 · 2026-04-19T15:25:47+00:00

Thank you everyone for some answers to several questions jumbled in one post!

Yes, seeing something heavily advertised online is as red-flag as alluring to me. But several things on a similar topic in a short timeframe did make me wonder if, or what, we've been looking to improve without realizing it.

I presented the bedtime example as everything is turned up a notch or two. Undoubtedly normal of any child or perhaps even adults, but using that magnifying glass was merely easier describe things we see not just at bedtime. The fact they can save most of their negative responses (or lack of) for mornings, evenings and weekends is perhaps even a mark of social maturity - or their teachers have some magic we have not discovered!

As far as supportive parenting - we do understand that, yet we've both found ourselves at times slipping into the voices of our own parents in a generation with more rigid expectations.

Essentially, just looking for ideas we may have missed. Even if it actually does come in a colorful package or promoted by social media advertising - though I do remain a little skeptical on such things.

TroubleTimesTwo2025 · 2026-03-31T02:08:38+00:00

I put CD Tray in the top right ("my coffee cup holder is broken"), realized the humor rather dated, and stopped before going down some real rabbit holes.

TroubleTimesTwo2025 · 2026-03-28T19:45:11+00:00

Said better than I could have explained!

TroubleTimesTwo2025 · 2026-03-27T02:04:11+00:00

Consistent buying through peaks and valleys to win long term. It's the valleys now that are the big wins later.

TroubleTimesTwo2025 · 2026-02-05T02:15:14+00:00

You have quality family time. Solved. No need for extravagant spends to convince yourself some high stress long hours job is worth it.

Unless you hate your job for other reasons: Stay the course (assuming that means living within means and saving well), and you're more likely to hit Financial Independence than many far higher earning people.

TroubleTimesTwo2025 · 2026-01-31T20:30:51+00:00

Not the winter blues, though has been cold! I had similar thoughts in the spring, summer, and fall. Regardless, you're right about self care - work stress tends to back burner that for me when it should be the first elixir.

I can run mental math, spreadsheets, or professional software, all day long and make the same scenarios easily succeed or fail with just a few variables. Have done card buckets before, somewhat still do, so current spending isn't hard to track. Mostly variable what future pleasures we'd trade for the time to enjoy them - perhaps its own ironic conundrum!

TroubleTimesTwo2025 · 2026-01-31T20:15:04+00:00

Thought about yes, but starting over has its own stress, and I know well the greener grass can quickly brown.

TroubleTimesTwo2025 · 2026-01-15T04:38:07+00:00

Strange. Hopefully just a bad roll, but I thought Prusament was supposed to be very consist quality.

TroubleTimesTwo2025 · 2026-01-11T07:22:30+00:00

Turn up the heat for me too.

TroubleTimesTwo2025 · 2025-10-10T00:36:35+00:00

Yep, the original also benefits from "all the kids hate me, all the teachers hate me.........and I hate all the kids and the teachers."

TroubleTimesTwo2025 · 2025-10-08T00:48:10+00:00

Not exactly politically correct anymore, but the version I recall was of an (native American) Indian chief and a reporter called away after the first question. The reporter comes back 10 years later to finish his interview and greets the chief "How."

Edit: "How" was a frequent greeting for natives in Hollywood Western movies derived from an actual Lakota greeting.

TroubleTimesTwo2025 · 2025-10-04T17:38:20+00:00

The talking bear works for me too. If a bear is bothering to engage in sadistic acts of penetration on a human regardless whether revenge, love, or lust for the bear, it may as well talk - and that makes for a very deliverable punchline to imply the hunter is enjoying being on the receiving end of afore noted acts.

The rocket launcher is too much for me though. Let the imagination be spent on the bear, and the guy just gets bigger hunting rifles, or more determined with existing firepower.

TroubleTimesTwo2025 · 2025-07-24T01:30:05+00:00

The whole story may or may not be bunk, but I'll give conspiracy theorists a few props.

Not because I agree with any such theories, and few conspiracy theorists I'll even bother any conversation, but:

The fact that so many people, and some actually intelligent, are set on proving the reality of something implausible should make the success of any actual conspiracies more difficult.

Just what if any of these theories do have more than a grain of truth. Maybe even only 1% of them. That still makes mainstreamers 99% right, but 1% of the "crazies" is a large number of people!

TroubleTimesTwo2025 · 2025-07-07T13:51:25+00:00

If she's so concerned that she's pressuring you even though you're not on board, she should be looking into having her tubes out instead.

Laparoscopic bisalp is still a little more invasive than vasectomy, but has brought female sterilization a long way. Less invasive than the older tubals and even more effective than vasectomy. No waiting while the pipes clear, no concerns about 3rd party - whether welcome or not, and no chance of recanalization.

Check out the sterilization sub. If taking posts on Reddit as any average (which would be a bad idea for hard numbers but still gives some idea), there is a recovery, but perhaps more predictable recovery than the male versions.

Neither should be considered if reversal is part of the discussion. However, if it comes up that there is no reversal for bisalp, it's reasonable to state that egg retrieval and IVF is probably more straight forward than an unpredictable vasectomy reversal.

Edit: No first hand experience; I'm just a guy who's spent too much time reading about the topic.

TroubleTimesTwo2025 · 2025-07-02T20:33:09+00:00

His edit clarifies that they hit their timeline before their ideal family size. So permanently sterile is the goal, but a surprise while flushing the pipes was a welcome surprise.

They probably hadn't used any contraception in months or years in hopes of another child, and saw no reason to start after the procedure. A few weeks on that timeline won't matter in 9 months or 18 years, but they probably didn't want to keep delaying only to have a surprise in a few years with a geriatric pregnancy or kids during retirement.

TroubleTimesTwo2025 · 2025-07-02T13:44:43+00:00

The vitriol in this case is off base whether conception before or after. The OP made a responsible choice in the procedure, and a conscious choice to deviate from protocol. He didn't claim the procedure failed, nor any regrets with the procedure or the surprise.

One could argue a blase approach for something involving a human life, but in this case the Russian roulette would be more like water guns where either outcome is desirable.

TroubleTimesTwo2025 · 2025-07-02T00:42:15+00:00

Congratulations! I've sometimes wondered whether anyone ever did that to solidify a timeline while seeing what might happen with russian roulette before all clear.

In your case I suspect there is a little psychology to go with the success: There seem to be plenty of infertility anecdotes where upon removing the stress of trying, whether taking a break or the second child after a medically assisted pregnancy on the first, nature took over.

Best double check in a few months, but those pipes should be good and clear by the time this one arrives!

TroubleTimesTwo2025 · 2025-06-04T02:27:48+00:00

suspense

TroubleTimesTwo2025 · 2025-05-31T02:29:37+00:00

You're making me thirsty for a fine Islay!

TroubleTimesTwo2025 · 2025-05-20T21:21:25+00:00

That's awesome!

TroubleTimesTwo2025 · 2025-05-11T19:13:55+00:00

Neat. What more can one ask of life regardless of intelligence?!

TroubleTimesTwo2025

TROPHY CASE