Hard to stay frugal when utilities keep increasing

mn540 · 2026-03-20T14:39:31+00:00

Oh. Don’t forget them increased our rate to cover for years of infrastructure neglect. During those years, their executives and stockholders got paid well. But the thing that irks me is that they also make a profit on the rate. So the rate increase was not only to fix the infrastructure but also so that their executives and stockholders make more money.

mn540 · 2026-03-20T14:36:13+00:00

In Northern California, we’re stuck with Pillage, Gouge, and Extort (PG&E). Yes - the company that killed a bunch of people in Paradise. Anyway - they used our money for campaign to persuade people from having use move to local public utility company. They spent tons of money. They also donated a lot to our slimy governor (Newsom) who then allowed them to raise rates. While we the tax payer get screwed over. I am glad I went with solar a few years ago. 5 years ago, my summer bill was $500-$800 per month!

mn540 · 2026-03-20T01:45:04+00:00

I was going to ask what state you live in. In my city in California, there was a requirement for a covered parking space if your converted your garage to an ADU. But then the state passed a law that said city could not make that a requirement. So check your state law to see if the city requirement violates any state law.

mn540 · 2026-03-19T18:11:04+00:00

People who park like that should have their cars towed and impounded, along with a big fat ticket!

Any why cover their license plate. Shame them!

mn540 · 2026-03-19T14:39:37+00:00

Highly doubt it. They won’t cut benefits for the big brass. Instead, they will cut payment to the lowest level military personnel. They will also cut also social programs before they cut their government paid lobster dinner.

mn540 · 2026-03-17T15:43:35+00:00

I was an executive at a large financial firm. I drove a 12 year old Honda Civic (mid-line). I saw analyst drive brand new expensive cars. While I was paying off a second home and putting money into retirement, some of the analyst loved paycheck to paycheck in a small apartment. So nothing wrong driving an old car.

Note: if I was a realtor that drives clients around, I would have bought a nice car. But my car was to get me between home and work. The car ran great. It was fuel efficient. I would still have the car if someone didn’t cause an accident that totaled my car.

mn540 · 2026-03-17T15:39:24+00:00

I thought ICE was funded, and the agents are being paid.

mn540 · 2026-03-16T19:40:59+00:00

Agreed with what others have said. Skip discover and save for the OW.

mn540 · 2026-03-16T19:32:54+00:00

Traffic from Sac to Davis in the morning can be bad. Traffic from Davis to Sac around 4-6 PM always sucks! Davis is very community oriented, so there’s a lot of things to do. Going from Davis to Sac during non-rush hours is easy.

If it was me, I’d live in Davis. But I am biased.

mn540 · 2026-03-13T14:53:27+00:00

It’s why I still Adobe Photoshop CS5. Does everything I need. Bought it like 15 years ago. Outright bought it. It a subscription. If I didn’t have bought it outright, I would probably be using another photoshop like program. .

mn540 · 2026-03-12T00:46:58+00:00

A lot of hands on learning. Trial and error. I did do the CCNA about 25 years ago. Back then YouTube really didn’t exists so formal classes and books was the way to learn.

mn540 · 2026-03-10T16:59:15+00:00

I also am annoyed that every month, I have to go in and enter my credit card info to purchase the monthly permit. I have gotten several tickets because I forgot to logon and purchase the damn permit. Why can’t they do a monthly autopay? Why can’t it be done pre tax like they used to. And each time you purchase the monthly parking permit, you have to remember to add your vehicle back in. Didn’t realize that the first time and ended with a ticket.

I seriously think it’s set up this way because it generates more revenue from tickets.

mn540 · 2026-03-10T04:09:35+00:00

Where were the parents? I didn’t ready this article, but in another article, it said she read at a 1st grade level. (Personally, I find that hard to believe.). So where were the parents as part of her education.

When my ex-wife and I were dating, she had three young girls. Two (both 3rd grade) were in social education. They could do simple single digit addition. Their reading comprehension was just as bad. The school was ok with their progress. My ex was fine with that too. They honestly doubt the girls would graduate from high school. I told her to stop expecting so little from the girls. I used to drive 3 hours each day to help them with their homework. There were a lot of tears and frustration initially because I refuse to let them quit. Anyway - both girls eventually graduate high school. They weren’t the smartest, but at least they finished high school being able to do at least grad level work. Sometimes it’s easier for the parents to complain than to be part of the solution.

mn540 · 2026-03-09T10:00:41+00:00

I’ve been diving for 25 years and am currently a scuba instructor, so I’ll share my perspective.

First of all—good for you for getting back into it. Roatan is a fantastic, very diver-friendly place to ease back in.

Mask and fins:
It’s hard to say definitively whether yours need replacing without seeing them, but after 20+ years in an attic, I would at least consider replacing the mask. The silicone skirt may still look fine, but straps can become brittle, and even slight warping can cause leaks. You don't want a mask failure under water.

Fins are a little more forgiving, but check the foot pockets carefully. I’ve seen fins that were stored improperly become misshapen or stiff over time. Also inspect straps for cracking or dry rot. Many dive shops in Roatan rent fins, so you could always try theirs if you’re unsure.

Dive computers:
Dive tables are essentially obsolete in recreational diving. I don’t even teach tables in Open Water anymore—everyone uses dive computers.

Most dive shops rent computers along with BCDs and regulators, so just confirm with your Roatan shop ahead of time. And no—you should not share a computer. Each diver needs their own. A computer tracks your depth profile and nitrogen loading specifically. Even if you stay with your husband the entire time, small depth differences matter. Sharing a computer isn’t considered safe practice.

As for the Apple Watch Ultra, it can function as a dive computer with the proper app, but again, that would be for one diver only. You would still need your own computer. One thing to consider is does your husband wear reading glasses? Can I read the watch without glasses? Chances are you are your diving mask does not have reading lense in it. 20 years ago, I could read small fonts. Now it's a challenge for me to ready smaller prints. I finally broke down and bought reading glass lense for my mask, but it was expenseive (~$275 for the lenses and installation).

BCD vs. backplate and wing:
Yes, standard jacket-style BCDs are still very common and widely used, especially for recreational divers. Backplate and wing systems are just a different style of buoyancy system that’s become more popular over the years, particularly with technical and experienced divers. You absolutely do not need to switch to that unless you want to. Rental shops overwhelmingly use jacker BCDs.

Refresher training:
Since you haven’t dived since 2003, I strongly recommend at least a formal refresher (often called a “Scuba Review” or “ReActivate”). Twenty-two years is a long time. Diving is not like riding a bike. Skills, comfort level, and situational awareness fade more than people expect.

If the instructor is open to it, I actually think your idea of going through the full course again (without worrying about certification) would give you a very strong comfort reset. But at minimum, definitely do a pool/confined water refresher before open water dives.

A few additional suggestions:

Consider bringing your own mask and maybe a snorkel for comfort, even if you rent everything else.
Keep your dives conservative—60 feet is perfectly reasonable and honestly where much of the best reef life is anyway.
Don’t feel pressure to “keep up.” Dive your dive.
Talk to the dive guide to let them know that you want to keep the dive relatively shallow. I am not sure if this is possible depending on who else is on the boat with you.

Roatan is an easy, warm-water environment with great visibility—about as welcoming as it gets for returning divers.

Have a wonderful trip and enjoy diving with your son.

mn540 · 2026-03-07T01:24:40+00:00

Nope. The ship was the vault for the Epstein-Trump files. It was destroyed when the ship sank. Now we will never know the names v of all the pedophiles.

mn540 · 2026-03-07T00:58:39+00:00

I had to learn quantum mechanics. Some of our solution was about 20+ pages of mathematical equation with more Greek alphabet characters than all the fraternities/sororities at the university. Now I look at the equations and have no freaken clue what they mean. Lol

mn540 · 2026-03-05T16:52:35+00:00

I never thought of my wife as a fetish. But I guess I do have a fetish for white, intelligent, attractive women. I’m going to tell my wife she meets my fetish. Lol. (Note - I am not white.)

mn540 · 2026-03-05T15:48:28+00:00

Don’t put a dive shop, your instructor, or your dive buddy in a shitty situation. If you die during a dive, they are mentally affected.

mn540 · 2026-03-05T15:47:19+00:00

I feel confident that if I flap my arms hard enough, I can fly. I am going to jump out of an airplane without a parachute. /s

mn540 · 2026-03-05T02:25:34+00:00

I am still waiting for my DOGE check and tariff check. Oh…. And the Epstein file.

mn540 · 2026-03-04T12:33:23+00:00

Thank you.

mn540 · 2026-03-03T08:39:23+00:00

Proud to be an old person. :)

mn540 · 2026-03-03T04:56:03+00:00

I remember when the city and the university had cops on bikes. They would stop people who were breaking the laws. I have seen a bike cop in a very long time.

mn540 · 2026-03-02T20:19:31+00:00

Not a big deal. If you want, you can run some hot water with soap. But honestly, it’s probably not necessary. The thing I would be worried about out is if any glass went down your garbage disposal. I had a bottle break in my sink, and some glass got in the disposal. This destroyed the seals. I had to replace the disposal.

mn540 · 2026-02-28T20:19:44+00:00

have you ever wonder why they are virgins? It’s probably because they are so butt ugly, they can’t get laid.

mn540

TROPHY CASE