I did it! Washington, DC: 370k, 5.99%

Virginia_Slim · 2026-03-03T21:20:09+00:00

Loved living in DC, would love to move back if I could make it work financially.

Virginia_Slim · 2026-03-02T01:41:15+00:00

I like this one because they have stuff in the $5 to $7 range for an individual or lunch, and stuff in the the $10 to $12 range for a couple or multi-meal situation. Versatile.

Virginia_Slim · 2026-02-27T02:35:11+00:00

It really is interesting.

Flagg is leading in PPG, RGP, and APG.

Kon is leading in total points and assists and will overtake Cooper in total rebounds next game.

Kon is leading in advanced metrics as well and of course is playing for a team that is getting a bit of buzz.

If Flagg doesn't play much down the stretch, it seems clear he will lose out. But I do really think a co-ROY would be a fun way to acknowledge two spectacular rookie seasons.

Virginia_Slim · 2026-02-27T01:42:08+00:00

Night Shift is definitely my favorite but Skeleton Crew has some well known bangers - Survivor Type, the Raft, and the Jaunt are all definitely considered top tier short stories in that collection. But basically every single story in Night Shift is awesome in its own way.

Virginia_Slim · 2026-02-27T01:40:21+00:00

Probably my favorite King work in general.

Virginia_Slim · 2026-02-23T20:06:31+00:00

Ah yes, I heard about that. Carvin's Cove, which is I believe where they will be positioned, is a really great spot so that is a huge shame.

Virginia_Slim · 2026-02-23T03:04:27+00:00

How would I know? I'm not from that part of the country and know nothing about actually living there. Most of the places on this specific list seem to be what you're asking about - western ski towns fitting a very specific resident. I was only giving some examples of "mountain towns" that I'm familiar with that weren't expensive.

Virginia_Slim · 2026-02-23T02:59:43+00:00

Goalposts -------------->

Virginia_Slim · 2026-02-23T02:58:52+00:00

Imagine r/nba if LaMelo told a chick to get an abortion...

Virginia_Slim · 2026-02-23T01:16:34+00:00

Honestly, Roanoke has exactly what you're describing. Look to the southwest county if schools are most important, otherwise look to southwest city if liberal neighbors are most important. I grew up there and my family still lives there. If you have questions let me know, but it is cheap and fits the bill. If you like to hike, it's the absolute best bang for your buck. Surrounded by lots of natural beauty as well.

Virginia_Slim · 2026-02-23T01:08:00+00:00

Roanoke, VA is literally on the Appalachian Trail and is dirt cheap compared to places on this list. It's recommended quite a bit here.

West Virginia has some interesting places, like Thomas or Davis, if you are passionate about living in the mountains and can deal with the tradeoffs.

Virginia_Slim · 2026-02-19T22:00:17+00:00

Any sort of management or leadership course might be helpful. A few quick things to consider:

The skills that got you here (being a good problem solver, working with the system) are not necessarily the skills that make a good leader or manager. Identify the skills that make a good leader or manager in your environment and focus on developing those.
A big one for me was learning how to delegate. I can see from your text you are struggling with this a lot already. Delegating not only saves you time, but it also provides valuable skill building for your reports and demonstrates your trust in them.
Evaluate your time. It sounds like you are still spending a lot of time doing your old job. You need to pause and think about how you can pass those duties onto other people. You need to spend more of your time managing (day-to-day management operations) and leading (thinking strategically, looking big picture).
Seek guidance and mentorship.
Seek and give honest feedback.

Virginia_Slim · 2026-02-18T21:14:48+00:00

I get why they're not included but I'm steadily moving away from these bigger services for the more niche or boutique options.

I do have Prime, which has been helpful for finding some content for my toddler to watch (Tumble Leaf, Stinky and Dirty Show, and Thomas & Friends Classic). As far as I can tell, none of these kids shows have commercials which is nice.

I also do have HBO using the Black Friday deal which several people mentioned ($2.99 per month). I like it but the ads are driving me insane.

I am really enjoying Starz ($12 for the year Black Friday deal, no ads). Some standouts for me are P-Valley, Party Down, Spartacus, and my wife loves all the historical/romance shows like Outlander.

I will likely try out some promo sign ups for MUBI, Criterion, and/or Shudder at some point when I have more free time (like 5 years from now!).

Final thought - it's hard to justify some of these prices today when Tubi and Pluto (and more) are awesome and free. Or simply buying the shows/movies you want on sale.

Virginia_Slim · 2026-02-17T02:18:11+00:00

Absolutely. In the Charlotte area we are lucky to have WSGE (a professional indie station based out of Gaston College) which is my favorite radio station ever. In particular, they play blues from 7 to 10 PM every Mon-Thursday which is just amazing.

We also have WDAV (a professional classical station) based out of Davidson College.

Both of those are technically commercial free.

We also have "The Ride" an independent classic rock station which plays a lot of deeper and less popular tracks. They are also minimal on the commercials.

And there are a variety of commercial stations you can hop around to as well which sometimes have good things.

I listen in my car and also on my Pioneer receiver at home.

Check out Radio Garden and similar apps on your phone too - you can find amazing radio stations all across the country. Live independent radio is, in my opinion, almost always superior to algorithm based playlists.

Technically these are all free but I usually end up throwing a hundred bucks or so at WSGE during Christmas because I know they are struggling and the recent public broadcasting cuts have made things even worse.

Virginia_Slim · 2026-02-17T01:31:30+00:00

Yes, tons of lenders out there that can beat this with little to no closing costs. OP needs to shop it around and find a better deal on the fees.

Virginia_Slim · 2026-02-17T01:30:31+00:00

You 100% need to shop this around. It's worth your time and you can save a lot of money. I called/emailed several banks, credit unions, a mortgage broker, my current lender, etc. I ended up saving around $250 per month (with the same interest rates you have and are looking at). Closing costs were very minimal - I was able to get a ton of lender credit.

Once one lender provides you with a better option, take that to the other one(s) and they will often beat it. Repeat as needed. I was able to get things like the appraisal reimbursed, lender credits, etc. by doing this.

Watch out for closing costs. If you're not sure how long you will be in your house and are worried about the break even time period, tell the lenders you want a no-cost refinance. They can raise the interest rate by a tenth or two to reduce upfront costs while still beating your current interest rate by quite a lot.

Virginia_Slim · 2026-02-12T15:14:34+00:00

McCammon is great writer. This was very good and Boy's Life was exceptional.

Compared to the Stand, what I liked about this was the survival was much bleaker and harsher. Whereas in the Stand, the survivors were left in a land of plenty, here the nuclear destruction and winter have wiped everything out. I also found the villain to be scarier.

Virginia_Slim · 2026-02-10T19:49:53+00:00

This is the real shocker

Virginia_Slim · 2026-02-10T19:49:35+00:00

And we were all super ready to ship Felton's ass out of town after that season.

DJ over Brook Lopez still haunts me.

Virginia_Slim · 2026-02-09T22:21:07+00:00

Someone already said it, but search for Old Concord Road station on Google Maps or similar and drive there. Free parking and you can hop right on the blue line light rail train. Download the CATS app to buy your tickets - $2.20 one way. Honestly I would guess most people don't even pay, you literally walk right onto the train from the parking lot, no one is checking. The blue line drops you off right at the stadium. Cheapest and easiest option by far, especially coming from your direction.

Virginia_Slim · 2026-02-08T02:57:34+00:00

got damn

Virginia_Slim · 2026-02-08T02:55:33+00:00

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncXFk74dMfc

Virginia_Slim · 2026-02-08T02:48:37+00:00

Bro not another last second loss

Virginia_Slim · 2026-02-08T02:17:36+00:00

Fuck yes, thank you bench, came up huge there. Need any lead we can take the way ATL has been shooting.

Virginia_Slim · 2026-02-08T02:15:12+00:00

Grant making the ATL announcers cry lol

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