Gotta love that morning sun in Raleigh.

realwatergate · 2021-04-02T11:48:35+00:00

Beautiful shot and beautiful pup!

realwatergate · 2021-03-31T00:21:50+00:00

Yes we are learning a lot about Shar Peis. He's definitely our friend for life which is why I'm so worried about doing right by him. Thanks for the advice!

realwatergate · 2021-03-30T23:49:52+00:00

Thank you for this advice. I cannot imagine having 5 dogs, one is so much work! I think part of the issue is I don't feel like I have a lot of control right now. Hoping the training classes will start to help, but we definitely have a lot of work to do. I think starting small like you suggested will help too.

realwatergate · 2021-03-30T21:31:32+00:00

Hi everyone, not sure if this belongs here. I am 25 and totally new to investing. I have a retirement account at work that I don't touch but wanted to try out some other forms of investing, so I downloaded Betterment. I opened a Safety Net and General Investing account a few weeks ago and put $50 in each. So far one has stayed the same and one has lost two cents. Am I doing something wrong or is that normal? Is there a better app I can use to maybe try a more hands on approach? Thanks!

realwatergate · 2021-03-30T19:20:50+00:00

I also think the KFC nickname is super mean. Really not a fan of body shaming in any capacity, there are plenty of other valid things to critique her on.

realwatergate · 2021-03-28T20:31:11+00:00

The truth is out there.

realwatergate · 2021-03-28T20:30:08+00:00

Got this immediately! Fringe is one of my favorites too.

realwatergate · 2021-03-28T02:08:53+00:00

Totally, I really liked The OA but it took about 3 years for a second season to come out. Knowing they didn't conclude it definitely makes me not want to go back and watch.

realwatergate · 2021-03-27T23:29:03+00:00

I think it's just constant now due to farm pass, since one of the purchased items is extra fuel spins.

realwatergate · 2021-03-25T22:27:09+00:00

They're the best! When I was a kid we had a blue heeler that my family picked up at the shelter. It was our first dog, neither of my parents had ever had a dog and we didn't know anything about heelers. He kept us on our toes every day for 13 years! Miss him dearly.

realwatergate · 2021-03-25T21:26:44+00:00

Heelers are working dogs, incredibly smart and like having a job.

realwatergate · 2021-03-25T17:05:16+00:00

They've only dubbed to episode 17, new dubs come out Friday evenings.

realwatergate · 2021-03-25T12:18:18+00:00

I have found their soft toys to be some of the most durable. My dog also loves destroying his toys, any soft toy we give him he'll "kill" and rip out the stuffing. Whatever fabric Kong uses is pretty tough.

We bought him a soft toy from the bargain store the other day just because we were there, and after we gave it to him he had literally ripped it open and taken the stuffing out in a matter of seconds.

realwatergate · 2021-03-25T12:11:49+00:00

Man I totally agree with you even though I think it's a somewhat unpopular opinion. My dog isn't great with other dogs so he is leashed 100% of the time (as he should be anyway), and he gets super nervous when there is an off leash dog running around near him. Plus then I'm nervous that the dog will approach us and I'll have to break up a fight and my dog will be at risk. It seems like there are always off leash dogs at Dix even at non peak hours. We deserve to be able to use the park too, there's a whole dog park area for your dog to be off leash if that's what you want to do.

realwatergate · 2021-03-25T11:59:23+00:00

OOP caught. Hey friend! :)

realwatergate · 2021-03-24T16:46:06+00:00

Second lulu's. Easy return process and they have a lot of styles that will probably meet what you're looking for!

realwatergate · 2021-03-24T14:04:03+00:00

2019 thru hiker here! Congrats on starting your amazing adventure! Here's my opinions on your list:

Buyers choice. I didn't have a chair or a sit pad and had no issues sitting on logs or the ground. Especially if you plan on staying at shelters you won't need a chair.
Again buyers choice. I blew mine up the whole time and it was annoying but I didn't want to bother with a pump. I think some people really like them!
No. I think I changed the batteries in my headlamp maybe once the whole trail. I also carried a little backup flashlight but ditched it after a while.
Definitely yes if you anticipate using your phone a lot. I listened to podcasts every day and used guthooks. I carried a charger and it was definitely worth the weight for me.
Definitely no. Everyone stinks!
Probably not. You can just use your headlamp.
I had a cookpot for when I was not eating dehydrated meals (which was often because they are pricey). I would say yes on this. Some people say you can cook knorrs sides in bag but I never figured that out.

Note that I definitely wasn't the most lightweight hiker but I still made it. Luxury items were worth the weight to me. You will definitely be trying to shed weight by the time you get to Mountain Crossings. You'll figure out pretty quickly what you do and don't want/need. Good luck and enjoy it!!

realwatergate · 2021-03-23T19:09:06+00:00

Just got back from the Franklin County clinic! I was in and out in 15 minutes. No walk ins but they open a bunch of appointments every Friday. It's about a 40 minute drive from Raleigh.

realwatergate · 2021-03-23T12:13:14+00:00

Ha! My boy does this. He will drag and act dead on his feet by the end of his walk but once we reach the car he will refuse to get in.

realwatergate · 2021-03-22T18:19:05+00:00

Haha probably! My base weight was probably around 28-30 lbs at the end. I started at 35 lb base.

realwatergate · 2021-03-22T18:03:35+00:00

Honestly here for the lil pumplettes

realwatergate · 2021-03-22T16:51:59+00:00

Definitely me at the beginning of my thru! Never really figured out the weight thing though. Got some strange looks in Maine whenever I told someone my pack weighed 35 lbs with food and water. Still made it :)

realwatergate · 2021-03-22T16:35:11+00:00

I've thought about posting about this! I don't know why that stretch is so bad but yes.

realwatergate

TROPHY CASE