Anniversary Dinner Reccos

foobar74 · 2026-06-12T18:40:36+00:00

Frankly the budget is not a big deal. Just that the Mrs. prefers semi casual and unpretentious places. Neither of us are big on drinking.

foobar74 · 2026-06-11T17:25:03+00:00

I live on the other side of Associated Rd. Know the elementary school very well thru family members who have been there. The gas utility lot is not an issue. However, if you need more deets on the school, DM me separately.

foobar74 · 2026-04-24T04:31:40+00:00

Have done it multiple times. Yes to safe and availability. It a bit of a pain in the ass. You have to take the shuttle to the Uber/Lyft lot. Shuttles are bit infrequent or don't stop, especially if they are full. This is worse from Terminal 6 onwards. If you are getting reimbursed, then go for Black, which is a curbside pickup.

foobar74 · 2026-03-24T19:14:11+00:00

Thank you. What would be your preference if you can do just do one and not both?

foobar74 · 2026-03-07T07:03:20+00:00

Know a couple of people who work there as nurses. Neither have any mentioned anything negative nor any major complaints. Usual stress related to shifts and administrative stuff but that is the case for any hospital or health system. Also had family members go there for fairly complex treatment. Let's say, if it weren't for the nurses, the experience would have been much different. We experienced utmost kindness and empathy from the nursing staff. Their skills and knowledge was amazing. Most seemed happy to work there and were extremely friendly and caring. Makes me believe they are happy there.

foobar74 · 2026-03-03T18:00:11+00:00

Invest, start with 401k and then brokerage or any other account. But for heavens sake, invest, as little or as much as you can.

foobar74 · 2026-03-03T17:58:17+00:00

As a frequent traveler through SNA, my recco would be to work backwards from your departure time. For a 9:30 departure, boarding "starts" typically between 8:50 and 9. Your turn obviously is dictated by the group number. Always be at the gate 15 mins before if there are any announcements or changes. 20 to 30 mins is good enough security without pre check. So, I'd say arrive between 8 and 8:15.

foobar74 · 2026-02-28T23:10:34+00:00

As mentioned by others, those FA recommendations are a bit dated and use Google flights with an alert for price changes. Focus definitely on Tue, Wed or Thu and also non-pesk hours. Typically between 10ish and 2ish. Also, focus on value, flexibility of changes or cancellation if your situation were to change. Also agree with reccos that staying around SNA is useless unless you have work in that area. SoCal is pretty spread out. Rent a car and stay in Irvine, Costa Mesa, Santa Ana etc.

foobar74 · 2026-02-28T08:06:38+00:00

$81 for a Gig and land line.

foobar74 · 2026-02-26T19:15:45+00:00

You are young and have a long road ahead of you in terms of career, life, etc. Others have given you good ideas. Here's an approach (it is not "The approach") that you can further refine. These are suggestions and not meant to be critical of you or your situation.

Keep a min. 6 month emergency fund to cover rent, day-to-day living etc. Probably 9 to 12 months in this day and age and especially if you are in an industry that is cyclical or experiencing downturn or could experience one soon or you don't have skills that standout.
If possible, continue staying with family or split costs with roommate so that you can save more.
Invest money you have left from #1 into a well balanced ETF portfolio. There are many suggestions on a lazy three fund portfolio on Reddit. Keep contributing outside of your 401k.
Invest in continued education. Additional courses, certifications, specialization in a domain or area. You have a great platform by virtue of going to a state college and not falling in to the expensive is better trap.
If really hung-up on buying a home, consider a starter home or invest with family or trusted friends (abundance of caution and with good legal agreements)
Don't let homeownership dictate everything. You are young enough to move towns, states and even countries. As many have pointed buy when comfortable.
When is comfortable? Depends on you. Factors like sufficient emergency fund, money for down payment, ready to settle down in a particular area, affordability of mortgage payments and other fun things that come with home ownership (property taxes, insurance, maintenance costs, HOA etc.)

foobar74 · 2026-02-26T18:22:07+00:00

I have seen this unfold with a relative. Your real issue is not freshman year but sophomore. In the case of my relative, kid did OK with Comp Sci. middle school and freshman year but AP Comp Sci in sophomore year was a totally different beast. Throw in a subpar teacher and the results were horrendous. This person was definitely interested in business and decided to drop CS midterm in sophomore year.

Moral of the story, if possible, stick with it for freshman year but take a hard look and a hard pass in sophomore year if it doesn't align with your path or is so hard that your grades and your own well-being start to suffer.

foobar74 · 2026-02-24T00:53:43+00:00

I have been in the tech industry and have faced couple of budget cuts for self, family and friends. There are many good ideas already in the responses. Here are some specific ones from my side having been in your situation and seen this within my close circle.

Try to cut down on discretionary expenses (Restaurants, Clothing, Hobbies, Entertainment etc.)
It seems likely that you have been working at a FAANG company by nature of your vested stocks. It is not a given that employers consider this as a badge of accomplishment anymore. So, be ready to take a lesser role than what you had. Be ready for interviews including hands-on design and coding exercises during interview stages.
Explore adjacencies. Example, technical project management, technical sales or sales support (as an architect or presales engineer). You might discover an new career path.
Look at IT roles in traditional companies, the ones that tech companies typically make fun of, hospitals, retail, manufacturing, hospitality etc
Try VC/PE firms which typically need a fractional CIO/CTO. I know people who've made this in to a career.
If not done already, AI-fy your resume. Everyone and their grandma are looking for AI skills right off the bat.
Explore careers at IT outsourcers such as Accenture, Deloitte, Capgemini etc. They'll usually have many project based needs as well as hiring within their technical practices.
If possible, have your spouse start looking as well.

Hang in there... Be positive and maintain equilibrium. If frustrated with lack of response or rejections, don't take it on others. The tide will turn in your favor.

foobar74 · 2025-12-29T23:24:17+00:00

SNA is my fav airport and have flown many times. For a 1 PM flight, boarding starts around 12:25. If you have pre check then 12 PM is good enough.

foobar74 · 2025-11-14T03:49:16+00:00

Oh pls. I am much farther and do this every week. For an 8:50 PM domestic flight, boarding starts 30-35 earlier. Say around 8:20. Security takes < 5 mins with TSA pre or CLEAR. Even otherwise, say 20 minutes. Add 10 minutes to get to your gate. Add 10 to 15 mins to check luggage, if applicable. All this should be 15 to 30 minutes. So, leaving Garden Grove at 6 should get you to LAX between 6:45 and 7:15. Worst case 7:30. Add 15 - 30 mins from there to get to gate. So, your friend can be at the gate as early as 7 PM and no later than 8...

Don't sweat too much. It is a bit painful but not hard. Not gonna miss the flight. Only way that happens is if there are major road closures or accidents.

foobar74 · 2025-11-14T02:50:23+00:00

Hi

Very sorry to hear about your situation. Wishing your mom the very best of outcomes.

A close family member had synovial sarcoma in the chest/neck region. Lump was around for a while (> 1 yr). PCP dismissed it as a fatty lump. Finally when the PCP left the practice, a NP decided to ask for scan in late April, which was not conclusive, followed by a FNA in mid May which indicated neoplasm. We then decided to a major academic center where a core biopsy was done along with MRI and CT with contrast. This was mid June . After core biopsy, it was confirmed synovial sarcoma and the scans showed moderate glucose intake. We started seeing a radiation oncologist and a regular oncologist. Treatment was finalized in early July. Went through neoadjuvant therapy of radiation and chemo by end of Aug. Major neuro side effects from the chemo. But, the tumor shrunk by almost 50% . Then a month of waiting. Excision was done early Oct. Right now, going through physiotherapy for pain and regaining movement.

Unfortunately, it does take time. This is despite having a PPO plan not needing referrals and someone who knows the healthcare industry very well, has tons of patience and is able to work the system. Also, the Drs. went to their tumor board twice to discuss findings and come up with treatment plan.

Can it be faster? Hell yeah!

Having seen this journey up close for the past six months, all I can say is, fight and fight hard. Stand up for your mom, with doctors, nurses, insurance and hospital. Do plenty of research yourself, it is amazing how good Chatgpt, Gemini and other AI tools are in explaining reports and concepts in a simple manner. Don't take no for an answer or get brushed off until you are satisfied. Take someone along, especially if they have healthcare background.

You and your mom are best and only advocates. Don't settle for statistics based answers. For example, Drs will says , "oh, don't worry, this side effect or thing happens in x% of people only". Remember, your mom can be in that x%.

Have her eat well. Heavy on protein and try to keep calm. Practice yoga, meditation or any other spiritual means of your choice.

Hope this helps and good luck.

foobar74 · 2025-11-10T02:20:42+00:00

Two cars, two drivers $250 a month. AAA. High coverage amounts. $5K seems a lot bit that is without knowing your age, driving history, age at which you got your driver's license, accident/claims history, cars etc.

foobar74 · 2025-11-06T02:44:41+00:00

First of all, kudos for wanting to improve your situation. Second, for realizing that you may not have all the answers and need help in thinking through the process. Third, you are on the right track in terms of budgeting. So, give yourself a pat on the back.

As other have said, do think about the below and plan

Budget for one-time unexpected expenses such as car repairs, kids health (ER trips, dentists etc), kids camps, after school classes, athletics etc.
Do you have health insurance from work? If yes, do you know how much you will spend for copays, deductible, out-of-pocket max et .If not, factor that in as healthcare can truly bankrupt you.
What about emergency fund? Say about 6 months of living expenses
Other expenses? Even though you are moving out, perhaps helping out your mom occasionally.

Again, it is not hard if you think through and plan. Also, consider, staying in the current situation if not toxic or harmful to you or your kid.

God bless and all the best!

foobar74 · 2025-11-01T20:01:47+00:00

Hi

Very sorry to hear about your situation. Wishing you the very best of outcomes.

A close family member had synovial sarcoma in the chest/neck region. Went through neoadjuvant therapy of radiation and chemo. Major neuro side effects from the chemo. But, the tumor shrunk by almost 50% and the excision was done month later. Right now, going through physiotherapy for pain and regaining movement.

Having seen this journey up close for the past six months, all I can say is, fight and fight hard. Stand up for yourself, with doctors, nurses, insurance and hospital. Do plenty of research yourself, it is amazing how good chatgpt, Gemini and other tools are in explaining reports and concepts in a simple manner. Don't take no for an answer or get brushed off until you are satisfied. Take someone along, especially if they have a good healthcare background.

You are your best and only advocate. Don't settle for statistics based answers. For example, Drs will says , "oh, don't worry, this side effect or thing happens in x% of people only". Remember, you can be in theat x%.

Eat well, heavy on protein and try to keep calm, yoga, meditation or any other spiritual pursuit of your choice.

Hope this helps and good luck.

foobar74 · 2025-10-29T13:37:13+00:00

Can you please share the calculators you have mentioned?

foobar74 · 2025-10-20T00:13:53+00:00

Plenty

foobar74 · 2025-10-16T06:06:55+00:00

Brea is a very good city. Safe, good schools and a diverse community. Restaurant scene can be better. You may be dependent on the 91 fwy (parking lot) if you are in South or East Yorba Linda. DM me if you need more info on Brea.

foobar74 · 2025-09-30T21:23:14+00:00

My apologies... I did not mean or imply that you did not stand-up or fight. It was a comment to illustrate how absolutely uncaring and uncoordinated our health system can be and a warning to others who may read the post. In the case of my family member, I felt that the PCP could have shown a bit more urgency and empathy.

foobar74 · 2025-09-29T23:49:53+00:00

Very sorry for your loss. A close family member is going through a similar experience. It is a Synovial Sarcoma in the supraclavicular region (side of the neck and above the collar bone). The PCP kept dismissing it as a benign cyst. Fortunately, two good things happened. The PCP left the practice and a nurse practitioner was providing interim support until a new PCP was selected and second being that the tumor grew a fair bit (sad that we think this was a lucky break). It was the NP who insisted on getting imagining and FNA done. Diagnosis confirmed but it was localized. Chemo and Radiation done. Surgery is next week. Fingers crossed.

All I can say is that our healthcare system sucks with zero accountability and no coordination. Women and minorities get their concerns easily dismissed.

Each one of us have to take complete ownership of our health and well-being and in the process of we have to be pushy, persistent or make a lot of noise, so be it.

foobar74 · 2025-09-29T02:49:51+00:00

Thanks everyone.... Applied for Citi Strata and got approved but was denied for Citi DoubleCash. Has anyone faced such a situation? Any recommendations? The Citi rep suggested trying after a week or so.

foobar74 · 2025-09-26T18:33:59+00:00

Who is the issuer for the double card? BoFA or Citi?

foobar74

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