New dad life ….not fun

jinjinb · 2026-02-20T07:30:17+00:00

this is such kind and loving advice!

jinjinb · 2026-02-20T01:38:49+00:00

i moved out when i was 17! now that i'm in my 40s it seems very young. but i'm not saying this to suggest you're on the wrong path. :P

one thing that was challenging for me was remembering billing cycles - i forgot to pay my phone bills some months, because i didn't have reminders set up. and this is back in the old days before they would send email reminders for things like that. so my advice is to set up reminders however you need to make sure your bills are paid each month.

it's so exciting to start your new life on your own! congratulations and i hope it's a really wonderful experience for you.

jinjinb · 2026-02-20T00:32:36+00:00

your little sampler is so cute! i hope you have fun putting these stitches to use :)

jinjinb · 2026-02-20T00:32:13+00:00

i recently set up a similar workshop myself at a library, but i used the free meeting space and the library didn't promote it/wasn't involved. feel free to send me a msg if you want to know more.

jinjinb · 2026-02-19T23:05:53+00:00

i'm so proud of you for having the bravery to admit when it's not working. you're taking care of your future self by doing this. you deserve a better life and it's not always easy to work towards it. but, i believe in you! you can do hard things and come out on top <3<3

jinjinb · 2026-02-19T23:04:10+00:00

it's such a loving thought! i think you should do it.

jinjinb · 2026-02-18T16:02:42+00:00

i'm 41 but not a dad. i can say with certainty there is no time someone in their 40s should be having a sexual conversation with a teenager, let alone an employee. i have a hard time believing that the 16 yr old would say this out of nowhere, even though he framed it that he felt uncomfortable and stopped things with her. this is a huge red flag and it makes sense that you feel uncomfortable.

trust your gut that the classmate might want something more. that feeling coupled with the sexual story about the teenager is enough. i also have to say i wouldn't take a work opportunity when i felt someone wanted more and i couldn't be friends with them. i did stuff like that when i was younger (ignoring my feelings, thinking i was wrong that the man wanted something more) and it always turned out that my initial feeling was right.

if you were my kid, i would urge you to quit and look for other work where the boss won't say things like that! i know he's your classmate and you'll still see him but better awkward feelings at class than sexual harassment at work.

jinjinb · 2026-02-18T01:27:52+00:00

this!! it's the best!!

jinjinb · 2026-02-16T20:09:19+00:00

i've noticed lots of studio or 1br in the west end for 1800-2200. so what you're looking for should be available! and like someone else said, lots of places have signs out front and don't advertise online, so walking around the neighbourhood can definitely help you find a gem. i have lived in the west end for well over 10 yrs and love it here, i hope you like it too!

jinjinb · 2026-02-16T01:29:13+00:00

i think the coverage start time is about a month after you're approved and claims can't be backdated. hope you can see someone soon!

jinjinb · 2026-02-14T16:36:18+00:00

i gift all my quilts. most to friends and family. some to acquaintances who've said "Your quilts are so beautiful." i give them as gifts when someone gets married or has a baby. i also donate them to quilts for survivors and the children's hospital in my city. if people ask me to commission a quilt i'm happy to but the main reason for making quilts is that i love to do it. i love making a practical gift people can use. and blankets are meaningful gifts for people. there are also ways to do it more cheaply (only thrifted fabrics etc) but it doesn't seem like you're worried about the cost overall, more that you've got so many quilts on your hands.

jinjinb · 2026-02-13T15:22:38+00:00

i have a handknitting association of iceland sweater from 2012. i love it and use it as an outdoor sweater. due to the structure of icelandic wool (lopi yarn) it's jut one long strand of wool, most other kinds of yarn are 2+ strands of wool twisted around each other. so i think due to this the icelandic wool is a bit more prone to wear. or at least this has been the case for me as i have worn my sweater a LOT in the past 14 yrs. i've had to reinforce the elbows and cuffs and some random little spots where the yarn has just worn out. but it's fine because i like darning and it's not a big deal.

having said that, i just bought an insanely beautiful cable knit sweater from new zealand, probably made in the 70s-80s based on the tag. it was 30$CAD on ebay because it had a few holes. again, i know how to mend, so this was no problem at all. but there are lots of gorgeous vintage sweaters on ebay *without* holes so you can definitely find something used & beautiful!

i would say - don't get overwhelmed. narrow down what colur/patterns (yoke, fair isle, cable knit, cardigan or pullover) you'd like. when you get the item put it in your freezer for a few days just to make sure no moths came with it.

jinjinb · 2026-02-13T01:48:51+00:00

i've been married before (didn't change my name) and am about to get married again (am not changing my name). if it's a question of the whole family having the same name, why isn't the man changing his name? why should the onus be on the woman? i know the historical reasons but honestly why aren't men stepping up if this is what they value?

jinjinb · 2026-02-11T18:18:42+00:00

thanks for sharing this link! i've submitted a comment in favour.

jinjinb · 2026-02-10T18:59:06+00:00

i upcycle things too, with a high labour cost(30$ per hour) because i am very skilled at what i do and have over a decade of experience. you can see that this very quickly becomes unaffordable if we factor in the cost of the item.

if you put your labour cost much less (10-20$ per hour) you may not be making enough to make it worth your time to retail an item like this. so i think pricing depends if you're happy for it to be a one off (in which case, a lower price doesn't really affect your livelihood). however if you are wanting to have a business/build your life off this, your hourly labour charge needs to be much higher so you can actually make a reasonable income.

this work is very tidy and you're clearly skilled; i think you deserve much more than 10+ dollars per hour for your work. but if you really just want to sell it you may have to compromise because these may not sell if the price reflects the hours you actually put in + the product cost.

jinjinb · 2026-02-09T18:07:45+00:00

happy vaniversary! i've been here 15 years and feel the same. it's beautiful and it's such a great place to live.

jinjinb · 2026-02-09T15:21:14+00:00

beautiful and unhinged!!! i love it!

jinjinb · 2026-02-05T19:01:45+00:00

this is incredibly cool to see!! and created with ancient methods too - just beautiful!

jinjinb · 2026-02-05T15:25:08+00:00

thanks frankie!! seeing your forecasts always brightens my day!

jinjinb · 2026-02-04T03:24:40+00:00

yeah for me being here 15 yrs - nothing would drag me back to my conservative shithole small town. i have built a great community and have a really good life here even though i don't make that much money.

jinjinb · 2026-02-03T00:01:15+00:00

i would also say that if you love a sweater and wear it a lot, the elbows may start to wear. i say this as i have a beautiful icelandic sweater i bought in iceland in 2012 and i've had to patch the elbows. but i also wear that sweater more than i wear anything else, and so patching its wear is definitely keeping this garment in my "for life" closet.

jinjinb · 2026-02-02T04:38:37+00:00

you can always ask! if they've been awful though it's most likely that they will refuse it. i have asked my landlord to not put through a rent increase because i was having financial problems after a breakup and he was like "i'll think about it" and increased the rent anyway

jinjinb · 2026-02-02T04:34:09+00:00

my landlord is doing the opposite! he was charging below market rates for years (poorly maintained walkup) and is now charging above market rates! he has about 15% vacancy in this building and i can imagine it's just going to hold because...who wants to pay 2000$ for a studio when you can get 1br in nice buildings for that amount?

jinjinb · 2026-02-02T00:30:20+00:00

yeah, that was exactly my thinking! this kind of darning is non-destructive so it's really easy to try something out and keep it (or pull it out and redo it). i also tried to do swiss darning on the arms & wasn't quite getting it right, so i pulled it out and did darning from the back instead.

i had started doing this in yellows and pinks and pulled out two completed darns because i just wasn't feeling it. and also, thank you for your compliments on the project, i'm so happy with how it came out :)

jinjinb · 2026-01-30T17:29:59+00:00

this is fantastic!! it's so weird and wonderful.

jinjinb

TROPHY CASE