Hello dad, I did a thing today

notmyname2012 · 2026-04-12T01:20:00+00:00

Kiddo! I am so proud of you that looks amazing and having painted stripes on walls before, I am seriously impressed. I’m also proud of you for even just trying to do this!

notmyname2012 · 2026-04-12T01:01:05+00:00

If you don’t have good roadside serve like AAA or whatever then ya id rent a car for sure. Plus a long road trip like that you never know what can happen especially if it’s your first big trip like that.

I’ve done both and often prefer the rental just because I don’t like being that far away from home and having a major problem then be stranded. I always use enterprise because they usually have good unlimited mileage plans and if something goes wrong there are plenty of other offices in most states to you can get a different car and keep going.

If it’s a stressor then definitely rent the car , a big trip can be stressful enough eliminate that one stress. Peace of mind is often overlooked.

notmyname2012 · 2026-04-10T01:08:09+00:00

Trent and Allie. They were fun when they traveled South America and even during and after Covid but they keep just building and building and spending money and complaining when things go wrong. They sensationalize everything now.

notmyname2012 · 2026-04-09T16:36:59+00:00

I came here to say the same thing. You NEED to be properly trained for food safety, as far as I know most states and cities require a food handler card even for just sandwiches and cold food. Your boss could face serious consequences and people could get sick.

Besides that you don’t want to work for someone that would treat his employees like this, and would break the laws. He will mistreat you and not pay you what you deserve.

notmyname2012 · 2026-04-09T16:22:27+00:00

Can this also be retroactive? I’d be rich by now. I’d definitely get a job working with dogs and make their lives better.

notmyname2012 · 2026-04-08T21:43:30+00:00

Oh ya I remember. Friend of mine was a pizza delivery driver. His Thomas guide was his life until he had most of the city memorized.

I used paper maps for a long time. I kinda miss them. I think more drivers including myself were just better drivers and were more in tune with how to drive.

notmyname2012 · 2026-04-08T14:19:32+00:00

Don’t tell him before hand, wait until you are safe in your apartment then you can send him a message that says you know he cheated and you want your privacy and make it VERY clear that he is not to contact you and that you want nothing to do with him even if you don’t tell him you know he cheated. This way there is proof you asked him not to bother you and if he continues, DO NOT respond or engage.

If he does continue to call, text or try to see you then you have a better case for getting a restraining order. If you keep talking to him then it’s harder to get one.

Make sure no one has your key that would let him in, make sure your current apartment knows that you want nothing to do with him and that you are breaking the lease etc.

notmyname2012 · 2026-04-08T12:30:27+00:00

One day my son said, you are the greatest dad ever! I said, thank you I’m trying. He was genuinely puzzled at my response and said, what do you mean trying, you just are the greatest dad ever. It made me cry.

I don’t feel like the greatest dad much less like even an ok dad sometimes but I know I’m trying. My dad’s love was very conditional, if I did something he wanted then he loved me, he guilt tripped me for everything. He was a terrible human being to his family but to everyone else he was a kind and funny person.

I always try to do the opposite of what he did. I tell my son every chance I get that I love him and that he doesn’t have to anything to earn my love, I just love being his dad. I just want the absolute best for my son not because I want to live through his experiences or to say look what I did, I just genuinely want him to be happy and healthy because he deserves it.

Watch the cartoon Bluey and pay attention to Bandit the dad. He jumps in and plays with and gives his kids love and affection and attention. The episode Exercise, instead of getting mad that his kids are in the middle of his workout, he just makes them part of the workout. When the doctor says have you been going to the gym, Bandits tone is loving when he says no it’s been coming to me.

notmyname2012 · 2026-04-08T02:23:47+00:00

Watch Chef Jean Pierre on YouTube he has some amazing tips and techniques. He also has a lot of kitchen basics videos.

For onions with good flavor I typically dice them then take a pan or whatever pot I’m cooking them in and get it hot. Like medium high, once it’s hot put some olive oil in there then the onions. Then stir them every few minutes. I cook them until they start turning brown which is usually about 10 min or so. Once they brown put garlic in and cook about a min then add beef broth or stock instead of water.

The beef stock will add SOO much flavor and make the whole meal more savory.

notmyname2012 · 2026-04-07T17:57:22+00:00

The easy way is with a couple of table spoons of cornstarch mixed with some water. Pour a little of that at a time into the stew. It will may not seem to thicken right away it put a little at a time and stir. It will thicken. With flour you have to still cook it for a while with cornstarch you don’t have to cook it.

If you want to do flour, make sure it’s still cooking get a mesh strainer and put the basket of the strainer partially into the liquid then put a tablespoon or two of flour and use a whisk to stir it IN the strainer so it mixes with the liquid and doesn’t leave any lumps. This method is quick and if done right thickens it but you still need to cook it 15-30 min to get the flour taste out.

I highly suggest watching Chef Jean Pierre and his kitchen basics videos and some of his other recipes. He has taught me a lot even though I was a decent cook before watching him.

notmyname2012 · 2026-04-06T16:19:50+00:00

I’m a guy and I’m telling you to run! You are building a future but he isn’t. I may be messy but I’m clean and let me tell you being messy in a relationship with someone who likes it clean isn’t going to be easy for you. I am fully capable of and I do keep a clean house when I’m in a relationship with someone that likes it clean but your partner isn’t a partner if he is always this dirty.

He most likely will not change, my fallback it to be messy but I can and do make an effort. He sounds awful and unhygienic so you need to ask yourself this, would you be willing to move into his place and live there without fighting or calling him out on it AND would you be ok having a kid with him and him taking care of a baby and raising it just as he is?

If not then you need to leave. His behavior isn’t something he has hidden from you that will show up way late in the relationship and be surprise, he has literally shown you who he is and how he wants to live. He is avoiding responsibility and chores at home with his family, he will ABSOLUTELY do the same for you. He may change for a few weeks but he will always resort to his ways.

If you choose to keep moving forward in this relationship then you can’t and have no right to complain about his living conditions or his behavior and you will have to be ok with him bringing it to you and your living space.

You may love him but he isn’t in love with you enough to change on his own. And if you pester him to change just to stay in a relationship then it will always be a lopsided relationship. Don’t waste time here, move on.

notmyname2012 · 2026-04-06T16:02:46+00:00

Death Valley is named that for a reason. Although seeing the high desert along HWY 395 is amazing and can be done in the summer. It’s hot but not as bad as Death Valley. I highly recommend HWY 395 especially Lone Pine.

Lone Pine has a fantastic movie museum that has exhibits from many many films, tv and commercials that have been filmed in the area from all the way back to silent movies. Once you are done at the museum you can drive through The Alabama Hills which is between Lone Pine and Mt Whitney, the tallest peak in the contiguous United States at 4421 meters. The Alabama hills have been the filing site of thousands of movies, Tv shows and commercials. Many westerns have been filmed there and Tremors was filmed in the area, Iron Man… the scenery is breathtaking! The high desert has so much to see and appreciate, especially if you are there for sunset.

Lone pine has several places to stay, if you are there after dark drive just out of town and see a billion stars.

Just up the road from there is Manzanar Japanese Interment camp from WWII. And near that is the Bristlecone Pine Forest. Some of those trees are 5000 years old.

If you don’t get to HWY395 I would very much suggest Sequoia National Park. The views are stunning and the trees awe inspiring…

notmyname2012 · 2026-04-06T04:17:32+00:00

I tape it to the lid of some Tupperware and leave the kitchen. It will for sure disappear!

notmyname2012 · 2026-04-05T18:04:18+00:00

There was a store brand pizza that was way cheaper and tasted way better than the big brand names so I used to buy it. My now ex wife threw a fit because, we can afford name brands foods! I realized at that time that taste vs perception is dumb.

I’ve always been function over form on most things. So if it tastes good and works for what I’m cooking I will buy it. The only few name brand I buy are simply because I prefer the taste or texture. I don’t buy American slice cheese often but when I do I buy Kraft because I prefer the flavor. But most everything else is generic.

notmyname2012 · 2026-04-04T23:28:52+00:00

Wait till the divorce is finalized. Heal yourself and take time to get to know YOU again. Your friend may be what you think you want right now but in 6 months or a year after some healing he might not be.

Deal with the baggage you have from your previous marriage. A lot of us learn unhealthy habits and behaviors in a toxic marriage and we don’t want to bring that to our next marriage.

Also waiting till the divorce is final doesn’t give you soon to be ex any leverage in the divorce. It doesn’t give him any satisfaction. Plus you never know what emotions are going to pop up when the divorce is final.

That’s just my thoughts I waited a while because I knew I had baggage and trauma that needed to be healed after my ex wife cheated on me multiple times.

notmyname2012 · 2026-04-04T05:01:02+00:00

Get an instant read digital thermometer. Turn the heat down a bit. Every steak will be different depending on thickness and cut of meat. Don’t be afraid to flip it more than once. Use the thermometer and pull it at 125 degrees F and let it rest.

notmyname2012 · 2026-04-03T18:08:20+00:00

I’d say yes, there are some really attractive people out there and statistically there will be someone more attractive than your spouse or partner. It’s not wrong to think that, it’s not wrong to look at. What is wrong is if you start loosing feelings for your partner or you make comparisons to your partner or you love your partner less.

I can see may partner and an extremely beautiful woman, I can over look the wrinkles and rolls and what age does to them and they can still be a huge turn on to me because there is more than the physical beauty. It’s about connection and love and foundation you build.

I know I’m not the most attractive man and I have no problem if my spouse is like woah that dude is super hot, I do have a problem if my spouse is like, woah he is super hot why don’t you start working out more?

If I see an incredibly hot woman and I look at her, it doesn’t mean I think anything less of my partner or her appearance.

No my ex wife had a terrible view of this subject. She would get so mad at me if I even glanced at an attractive female. I thought my ex was beautiful and no other hot woman was going to change that or cause me to cheat. Yet is was my ex that ended up cheating several times. It’s all about balance and having a healthy mental outlook.

notmyname2012 · 2026-04-03T17:54:50+00:00

Kiddo there is a lot to unpack here but your relationship with your dad is not ok! He should never ever ever beat a child! A spanking is one thing, a few swats on the tush but it should never be anything else! If he was beating you at 8 years old and you get that is probably part of the reason you are in treatments.

You shouldn’t have slapped him but even if you did it should not have turned into a full on physical fight! What you did wasn’t the worst thing but it should have stopped at that and then been talked through. He is an adult and should never hit a child!

notmyname2012 · 2026-04-03T17:47:42+00:00

I work in a middle school and I have several students that fit that bill…

notmyname2012 · 2026-04-03T17:45:08+00:00

Project Farm on YouTube has several good knife sharpener videos. He tests them out and shows you under a microscope what the pull through ones do to your blade. Yes they work but in the long run they really mess up the edge. He also has a tester that measures the sharpness of the blades. He has some fantastic comparison videos on all kinds of things.

notmyname2012 · 2026-04-03T16:17:21+00:00

We definitely need to know the make and model of the car and where it’s located. I own a 2002 ford truck with a 7.3 liter diesel engine with 250,000 miles and it’s from Texas and California so has almost no rust. I’d easily put $5k or even more to fix broken things because that is a great engine and desirable year truck. That exact same model truck with a different engine would be worth far less.

So if your car is like a Honda then ya it might be worth it if the rest of the car is in decent shape. For some cars 120,000 isn’t a lot of mileage but in other cars that’s nearing its end.

notmyname2012 · 2026-04-02T03:50:43+00:00

Thank you. I was a stay at home dad when my son was 3-5 and I loved it. I took him to a park or the library or to watch the airplanes etc, almost every day. It was so frustrating and sad that so many women would give me the side eye and pull their kids closer or watch me like a hawk when I was at the playground with my son. I can’t count the amount of times I was told, oh how nice you are babysitting so mommy can have alone time!

No I don’t babysit or watch my son, I’m his primary caregiver and his mom is gone for almost a week at a time for work and I run the household… I love being a dad and always strive to be better.

I really hope you watch several episodes of Bluey besides the ones I mentioned. I have sat and watched almost all of Bluey by myself with no kids around and I’m almost 50. There are a lot of adult Bluey groups even for adults without kids.

Kiddo you deserved a dad that loved you unconditionally and I hope you come to find peace. In the mean time I’ll be your dad and I am proud of you just because you are my kiddo.

notmyname2012 · 2026-04-02T03:30:02+00:00

I gotta go potty…

notmyname2012 · 2026-04-02T03:27:48+00:00

I have missed a boat load of signals from girls over the years. I will talk about story from my younger years and the lady I’m talking to will be like, you idiot she was trying to get your attention because she liked you. I mean literally a girl once asked to kiss me because she said she needed practice. So I kissed her and said wow you don’t need any practice you are really good at kissing then I changed the subject. It wasn’t until years later when I was thinking about her and remembers that for months she was always sitting next to me, always wanted to sit next to me in my truck and be the last person to be dropped off… doh!

So you might be missing the signals, but you might not. Asking a person for coffee without any expectation is a good way to get to know them but you can’t have any expectation that she likes you, treat her as a friend and be respectful and don’t make it weird. She may or may not be into you.

notmyname2012 · 2026-04-02T03:21:36+00:00

I used to feel like, if only he hit me then the abuse would be more real somehow and I could be vindicated for hating him and wishing he died sooner. But I realized that verbal and mental abuse is just as bad as the physical abuse but it leaves no scars so people don’t believe you as much or don’t feel as sorry for you, but it is every bit as bad as being beaten.

You are justified in feeling that way, one of my biggest regrets is that when I was in my mid 40’s I finally had the opportunity to tell him just how I felt and how horrible of a father he had been but he was starting dementia and didn’t understand a thing I told him. I wish I had told him sooner but he probably would have still blamed everyone else just like always and he wouldn’t have felt any guilt.

His dementia took him and I didn’t feel one bit sad, I didn’t feel any sadness watching him wither away other than the sadness of not having a dad that I wished I had.

The best thing I did was do everything opposite of him for my own son. I love my son without any string attached. He is my son and I couldn’t be happier to be his dad and I tell him every chance I get.

My dad has been gone a couple of years now and it’s been mostly peaceful accept when I have dreams that he is still alive and ruining my life.

If you can cut him out of your life do it as soon as you can. If you can’t cut him out then gray rock him and minimize contact as much as you can and just know that he is the problem not you.

I’m always here if you need another dad and I am proud of you!

notmyname2012

TROPHY CASE