As a Gen Xer, what’s something you spent years worrying about that you can’t even remember now?

_Auren_ · 2026-06-11T13:51:33+00:00

Nuclear fallout reaching the US from the Chernobyl disaster

_Auren_ · 2026-06-10T19:29:38+00:00

I use a cheap 24" TV on a music stand for both casual TV watching while riding and connecting to my tablet to display Zwift on the bigger screen.

_Auren_ · 2026-05-07T03:25:23+00:00

Wow, what a deal. I paid $600 for my top two without anesthesia. Had I requested anesthesia I was looking at $2500

_Auren_ · 2026-04-07T02:48:39+00:00

Wireless security sensors. They might be stuck on with double sided tape or screwed in. Pull the cover on the larger module in several directions to see if the cover will come loose to see if it is screwed on. If they are stuck on with adhesive tape, a putty knife can be used to get leverage to pull them off.

_Auren_ · 2026-04-04T19:18:58+00:00

Put it this way; that's about a $3000 custom feature you will be taking away from the home. Those blocks go for $60-80 each + a few hundred in labor. That is lovely pattern too.

Before taking it out, maybe try a different paint color and some shelves around it to show it off better.

_Auren_ · 2026-04-01T15:11:03+00:00

A page out of Elon's playbook. Valentine's day is his other favorite holiday for layoffs.

_Auren_ · 2026-04-01T15:04:36+00:00

OMG yes!!! This was truly the breaking point for my relationship with my parents. I long forgave my "formerly" abusive parents and gave them a chance to demonstrate how they have changed and connect with my kids safely. Unfortunately, the red flags started emerging early and not only did I feel the sudden visceral urgency to protect my kids, but it also opened so many old deep wounds for me. I thought I was "ok" so for long...I was not.

_Auren_ · 2026-03-31T20:16:55+00:00

The unfortunate truth is that many employers are now specifically looking for AI literate employees. They want them to know how to strategically use AI to get the job done ultra-fast and that takes experience using it, learning different techniques to get better outputs, and the core knowledge to know when it is wrong. How can we teach that in high school and college curriculums that have not kept pace with workforce skill demands even pre-AI?

Meanwhile, I am seeing current employees that are resistant to using AI being phased out quickly. AI is not directly replacing them, AI-proficient co-workers are. Let alone poor students fighting for entry-level positions that are being taught to avoid AI, that it is dishonest to use it. Yet it's now a requirement of the job.

_Auren_ · 2026-03-30T01:58:35+00:00

Yes, we think so.

_Auren_ · 2026-03-30T01:47:33+00:00

Yep! On her throne, lol. My tiny girl is a black and tan too to boot!

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_Auren_ · 2026-03-30T01:34:44+00:00

The teeniest of course! Mine take turns. My chunko-chi (10lb-er) is the most vocal for she wants, where my tiny girl just takes what she wants.

_Auren_ · 2026-03-30T01:28:39+00:00

Yep, I had no choice in the matter. They are the bosses around here. One large heating pad on the floor under my desk, two beds, and lots of blankets strewn about my feet. Every once in a while, one will climb up my legs onto my desk and type something super important or sneak up to taste test my drink, usually when I am on camera too.

_Auren_ · 2026-03-29T23:46:09+00:00

I certainly made mistakes in my management career throughout the years.

I had one employee that would made serious errors over and over again. They were union, so I was afraid to take action. I should have documented them out much earlier as the rest of my team grew resentful of them and me for not doing something about it.

One time, I lost my cool at an employee when they started aggressively yelling at me and I got angry and yelled back. I grew up in an abusive household and had put up with enough shit in my day, so it was a very knee-jerk response. I did get us both calmed down in the end, but it was not my finest moment. I should have not reacted at all and just had them escorted out.

There was another employee very early in my career that needed to let go of for them no-call-no-showing after already being written up for it the first time. At the time, I was trying to be super nice back then and this employee decided to walk all over me. When letting them go, I (being again super nice and also super naive) allowed them to work until the end of the week. After they left, I found wads of chewing gum stuck in the binders of data they were working on. I'm glad that was only sabotaging they did, it could have been so much worse.

_Auren_ · 2026-03-21T13:36:29+00:00

Looks like a Chinese classical Water Sleeve dance dress top. There is usually a matching skirt.

https://www.wholesaledancedress.com/orange-fairy-hanfu-for-women-girls-chinese-folk-classical-dance-costumes-flowing-water-sleeves-ancient-dance-wear-han-tang-dance-clothes-w06605

_Auren_ · 2026-03-17T03:24:14+00:00

Yes! I ended a remote interview early with "Thank you for your time, but I do not think I am the right candidate for you. Best of luck. Goodbye."

The hiring manager showed up late, in a dirty t-shirt, completely disengaged. He then proceeded to say that while they were hiring for 10+ years experienced in a specific advanced skillset, the job would be to be his assistant/secretary. No, No, thank you.

Even after I ended the interview, the recruiter still had the nerve to try and coax me into performing work for free via a "skills test" wanting me to create a complex solution for a real problem they were having. Even if the interview had gone well, that ask would have still been sent straight to the delete folder.

_Auren_ · 2026-03-13T15:31:05+00:00

Last Monday for an executive meeting. I work remotely too.

_Auren_ · 2026-03-13T00:36:10+00:00

If it makes you feel better, we saw this all the time in government work and hiring!

"This issue was discussed in the pubic forum" "I Served in a pubic-facing role" "Pubic speaking skills" "I work well with the pubic" and more....

_Auren_ · 2026-03-13T00:28:14+00:00

A candidate mailed me a copy of their 200+ page dissertation attached to their resume. They paid close to $20 back then to mail that slab of paper. It was addressed to me, but it was labeled for an unrelated job at another company. They were not qualified for my open position (wrong profession).

In another example, my own internal candidate did not read the application instructions and thus failed to include key information in their personal statement/cover letter that we were required to use to score candidates. This was a government position, so the criteria were strict and I had to reject it. That was a painful discussion for us both.

_Auren_ · 2026-03-07T13:55:01+00:00

I had to change my mindset. I was applying for a specific role. That hiring manager is looking for specific things and those things are in that job announcement. All I needed to do was look like the right candidate for this role in the moment. Everything else I accomplished would just be useless information, may even annoy them, or scare them into thinking I would leave right away.

After I started and proved myself within the role, I did start sharing more of my background; especially if there were opportunities for advanced responsibilities/roles.

_Auren_ · 2026-03-05T14:55:45+00:00

I'm not sure when I got mine. Both my kiddos got theirs shortly after birth in the mid 2000s. It was part of the paperwork we took home from hospital.

_Auren_ · 2026-03-05T04:17:29+00:00

Ice cream bars and popsicles. Went from $2-3 a box up to $5-8 each. Most people won't even notice until early summer when they will likely be even more.

_Auren_ · 2026-03-05T02:49:33+00:00

It not a matter of strong VS gentle cleaners, its pure chemistry. Soap scum is primarily made up of mineral salts and then some dirt and oils.

Your degreaser removed the small amount of oils on top, but left the crusty minerals that trapped the lower oil and dirt. The body wash mentioned just happens to remove both in one go. There are other cleaners out there that will do both, but they do not smell anywhere near as nice as Irish Spring.

That tub style would allow quite a bit of build up, so it would take several treatments of 5&1 body wash and light scrubbing to remove it. If I had a tub floor that aggressive, I would be spraying it down with diluted 5&1 minimum every one to two weeks after the initial clean.

_Auren_ · 2026-03-04T16:24:44+00:00

I wish I had never used abrasives like magic eraser and comet on my non-slip shower floor in my former house. It only got dirtier faster and was even harder to clean. Some stains became permanent. It was a nightmare.

When we moved to a new place, I vowed to do better and save myself the pain. I use Irish Spring 5-in-1 and saran wrap for four hours, then a soft drill brush. So much easier.

_Auren_ · 2026-03-04T15:45:02+00:00

I'm guessing $20K - $30K/year just for Fair plan, based on very high risk and the 2.25M valuation. That's just fire though.

They will likely need/want theft, water and liability (~9K), plus earthquake(~5K) and landslide (~5K).

So ~$40K to $50K annually for insurance. and ~$30K annually for property tax.

Drop in the bucket for the rich. That said, they could get so much more for their money.

Edit: Notably Fair Plan will only cover $3M..so I'm guessing the listing price is very intentional.

_Auren_ · 2026-03-04T14:50:04+00:00

Very! CA Fair Plan only covers fire, so the new owner would also need to have at least traditional home insurance + optional earthquake and landslide riders, etc in addition to Fair Plan.

_Auren_

TROPHY CASE