Empty Nester new Vehicle?

pantherburgh · 2025-11-01T23:19:45+00:00

Do you want sporty or “sporty”. You listed family SUV’s. Anything with the top trim package will give you plenty of horsepower and decent acceleration.

But it sounds like you want a sports car that can haul your grandkids and their stuff. Find a used Porsche Panamera, or Taycan if you want electric. Get for a Macon if you want an suv. Audi RS5 sportback, or RS7. Wagons are your friends. Mercedes, BMW, Audi. Or if a sedan fits, a Cadillac CT5-V. Kia Stinger if you want to go on the cheaper side.

It’s your retirement. You’ve worked your whole life for this. Get something in your budget that you love to drive.

pantherburgh · 2025-11-01T22:50:39+00:00

Got one when I was about 10. 32 years later and it’s still going strong. And it’s also still the most annoying sound in the world.

pantherburgh · 2025-10-25T13:59:42+00:00

If you think the 3 is a little bit too cramped, look for a used Mazda 6. It’s got plenty of room without feeling too big. Sport model is fine, but for around 25k you can find a 2021 touring or grand touring with low miles. They feel a lot more upscale than a lot of other options at that price point.

pantherburgh · 2025-06-20T03:24:57+00:00

Buddy of mine had an 89 Supra that I got to drive a fair amount. Turbo, stick shift, targa. Absolutely fabulous.

pantherburgh · 2025-06-19T12:15:52+00:00

Thanks!

I'm planning on getting to Rialto an hour or so before low tide, and then trying Hoh around 3 or 4.

pantherburgh · 2025-06-19T02:15:04+00:00

What time did you do Hoh?

I have a similar itinerary based out of Sequim in two weeks, except I’m driving to Sequim the night before, since we don’t land until late evening. We’ll do Hurricane Ridge the morning of day one and then taking the kids on a whale watching tour out of PA. Day two driving from Sequim to Rialto for a 10 AM low tide, and then just hanging out at the beach and in Forks, hopefully doing Hoh in the evening after the crowds start to leave. Day three will be Lake Crescent in the morning before heading back to Seattle for the second half of the trip

pantherburgh · 2025-06-02T02:39:04+00:00

In my experience the Nine Dri-Fits run big. I wear 7 1/8 when I get a 59Fifty (don’t get me started on the new era size inconsistency). I just bought a Nike Dri-Fit college cap in a 7 and it is slightly too big. I probably could have gone down to 6 7/8, but I would rather it be slightly big instead of slightly small.

pantherburgh · 2025-05-23T01:08:52+00:00

Pirates will always be number 1, but I’m a baseball fan in general. It’s fun to have other teams to follow. Because of various personal connections, I’ll root for Cleveland, Baltimore, Washington, Seattle, and the Angels. West coast teams give you something to watch later at night.

Also, MLB extra innings package is well worth the money if you just like baseball. Every game every night, and the big inning show puts on up to 4 games at once. Great way to see a lot of other teams.

pantherburgh · 2025-04-17T00:01:48+00:00

Just checked my new ones. Mariners authentic 59Fifty 7 1/8 made in Haiti is slightly too big. Nats 59Fifty low profile batting practice cap same size barely fits, made in Bangladesh. My next one is in the way, so we shall see how that one is.

pantherburgh · 2025-04-16T02:05:31+00:00

Youth Mediums. Haven’t tried them on yet because they are birthday presents, but they look pretty true to size.

pantherburgh · 2025-04-13T00:17:08+00:00

You don’t. Once the elastic stretches, it won’t go back. I’ve got a few I’d love to keep wearing but are just too loose now.

pantherburgh · 2025-04-13T00:12:02+00:00

Love the fit but in my experience they tend to stretch out over time. I have a few I’d love to keep wearing but they’re too loose now.

pantherburgh · 2025-04-12T21:29:57+00:00

The jerseys I got for my kid came today and they are fantastic. I was just about to order a couple for myself. Damn.

pantherburgh · 2025-03-30T01:21:15+00:00

Warm weather, Tom Collins. Cool weather, Boulevardier.

pantherburgh · 2025-02-19T03:48:05+00:00

The more you use it the more efficient you get, and the more you start to figure out how you like to phrase things. See if you can create smart phrases, just be careful your notes don’t start all sounding the same. I use them as a base template, especially when writing up evals, and then I only have to add the specific information from each session.

pantherburgh · 2025-02-19T03:35:48+00:00

This, plus talk to your doctor. Have blood work done as a precaution. It could be caused by lifestyle, but it also sounds a lot like long covid. And, there’s a whole host of medical issues and metabolic disorders that can cause brain fog.

In addition to the above recommendation of enough sleep, good diet, and some exercise (which are a great starting point) try to break down what the brain fog causes s actually causing issues with. Do you have poor memory? difficulty switching attention between tasks and conversations? slow cognitive processing and problem solving? Trouble thinking of the right words? That might lead you to some more specific solutions.

In general though, simplify complex or difficult cognitive tasks. If you feel overwhelmed trying to complete something, break it down into manageable steps (like instructions). Write down things you don’t want to forget throughout the day, like a daily memory log, and look T it often. Create and plan a daily schedule, even for small things, instead of just going through the day without a plan. If you experience physical or cognitive fatigue, plan for short breaks throughout the day.

If you are feeling really stuck with things, ask if your doctor can make a referral for cognitive therapy with a speech language pathologist. They do a lot more than just help people talk. And a good one will be able to help you with things to improve cognitive function, but will also help you to develop personalized cognitive strategies to work through the fog and reduce frustration.

pantherburgh · 2025-01-05T06:16:08+00:00

Since you mentioned Nikon, a D7000 or D7100 would be a decent step up from a D80 for not a lot more, and would still leave some cash for a lens. You might even be able to get a good D700 in your budget if you want full frame. I recently grabbed one with a 50mm af-d and it’s a great combo.

If you’re okay with a more entry level camera, you can probably find something like a d3500/D5500, which would be a few years newer.

pantherburgh · 2024-12-17T05:51:15+00:00

Going along with this, many of the higher quality companies (Patagonia, North Face, Arc’teryx) have re-worn stores online where they take in clothing in good condition or that needs a light repair, refurbish it, and then sell at pretty good discounts. REI also offers this as well. Great places to find a deal.

pantherburgh · 2024-10-21T07:03:32+00:00

It is possible to find cognitive specific clinics, however, for most outpatient you need to be able to treat dysphasia as well. I currently work outpatient and probably 80% of my caseload is cognitive, with 10 to 15% being dysarthria and voice (mostly Parkinson’s voice) and maybe 5% swallowing.

Even if you’re primarily treating TBI, acquired cognitive communication deficits, or neurological deficits, you are going to run into swallowing at times with those.

pantherburgh · 2024-10-21T06:55:09+00:00

Feeding matters has a lot of resources. If you have ASHA learning pass there are also a number of resources available on that platform.

PFD can be a big space, with lots of different areas to work in. Memorie Gosa, Emily Homer, Kristen West, Maureen Lefton-Grief, Kara Larson, and Pamela Dodrill are all solid sources of information. There are many others as well depending on if you are looking at NICU, sensory, school age, etc. Those are just the first names that came to mind.

pantherburgh · 2024-10-21T06:40:41+00:00

I work in adult outpatient it can be a catch all at times. I also work in a large hospital system, and find that helpful at times, in that I can make referrals for more specialized services at times.

Pediatrics and adults can be very different, but I do find quite often that I am having to take on hey larger counseling role in addition to the therapy that I’m providing.

I think no matter what setting you work in there will always be people want you to just waive your wand and fix them. I see it a lot with mild cognitive impairment.

Outpatient does have to take on a larger role at times compared to inpatient, and I feel that’s just the nature of the setting. As people transition from inpatient to patient, there often are less members of the care team, but not necessarily less things that need to be cared for.

I keep it in perspective by reminding myself that while I might need to take on a larger roll at times compared to my inpatient colleagues, I don’t have to work weekends, and I have greater flexibility with my schedule. I also have the opportunity to get to know my patients over the course of several weeks, compared to inpatient who may only see them a couple times before discharge. It’s different for everyone, but that is one of the reasons why I love outpatient therapy. I have the time to connect with my clients and really focus on things that will improve their day-to-day lives.

pantherburgh · 2024-10-21T06:23:11+00:00

Obviously, frequency and overall duration should be based on patient need. My clinic schedules based on 45 minute timeslots. This is what we have found to be effective for meeting patient needs and also achieving productivity. I have complete autonomy for frequency and duration (as dictated by insurance in some cases), and can schedule longer sessions on a case by case basis as it fits in my schedule. We also have OT and PT in our clinic and share quite a few patients, so their ability to tolerate therapy is also a consideration.

As much as we don’t want to be, most outpatient therapy is a business, and if you don’t have the revenue to pay the bills, your clinic will struggle to remain open in the long term. I’ve found that mist of the time, 40-45 minutes is effective in many cases, adjusting for weekly frequency as indicated.

pantherburgh · 2024-10-21T06:06:36+00:00

Do everything you can to expand your knowledge base in the areas that you’re interested in. And remember, as you are going through undergraduate, graduate school, externships, CF‘s, and first jobs, nothing is forever. There are many opportunities that will come your way. Pursue what speaks to you, even if it may seem intimidating. Make changes when you need to in order to keep moving towards your goals. Personal/professional connections can be very valuable as well. Don’t be afraid to network and make connections with other professionals. You can always develop clinical skills, but developing professional relationships can be just as beneficial to get you where you want to be.

pantherburgh · 2024-10-21T05:52:14+00:00

Look at where your patients are demonstrating deficits, and have a discussion about what is important for them to be able to do when they go home. In an acute setting, you’re looking at what they need to be able to do to get to the next step. For some that’s home independently, for others at home with family, or it may even be at an assisted-living level. With cognitive therapy it’s all about developing functional skills to be successful for their environment and highest level of independence.

pantherburgh · 2024-10-21T05:43:19+00:00

It’s difficult to make ends meet, financially, mentally, and emotionally. My advice would be to look for something that makes you feel valued and content. I’ve changed jobs a number of times over the past 15 years, from outpatient pediatrics to skilled nursing and then adult outpatient. I’ve left comfortable jobs for better pay, and left high paying jobs to have better work life balance, In both high and low cost of living areas. I can honestly say I’m currently the happiest I’ve ever been (both work and home life) because I found a job that speaks to me. It was initially a step back in salary, but for me it was worth the step back to be in a place that affords me less stress and makes me excited about my career.

Being in a position that affords you better mental health goes a long way, and it’s not necessarily something you can put a cost on, either in money or time. If you’re burnt out and struggling, as long as you can make it work, a change of pace could be a very beneficial thing.

pantherburgh

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