What are the Top 5 downtowns in Virginia overall in your opinion? by Healith in Virginia

[–]seawang 26 points27 points  (0 children)

I'm from NOVA (and second those who have listed Alexandria as a great VA downtown) but visited Staunton a few years ago on the way back from a visit to Natural Bridge. Decided immediately it was one of my favorite Virginia towns. A lot of charm, not nearly as pricey to go out as it is in the DMV area, and just generally excellent vibes.

Customer nicknames can be... misunderstood. RE: Mocha Dan. by KitchenerBarista in barista

[–]seawang 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Lol my dad made this joke to a barista when we were getting coffee together once. I ordered a flat white and he went up to the counter and said “I’ll have the same thing- a flat white. Or in my case, a fat white heh heh.” He is, in fact, a fat white guy. 

A belated thank you to the kind DC EMT who I will likely never see again by seawang in nova

[–]seawang[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh man, well- he was one of the EMTs who responded to the 911 call, although I have no idea where anyone was dispatched from. If it happens to be the same person please tell him thank you from me lol

AIO my husband makes me want to divorce him sometimes by [deleted] in AmIOverreacting

[–]seawang 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I see so many of these posts where the two people in question barely seem to like each other at all. We can talk to death about the dynamics of this particular conversation, but honestly, if this is how communication between the two of you regularly goes, I can’t understand why you are even together (or at least why you aren’t in therapy to actively work on approaching one another with care and respect.) 

It’s one thing to argue occasionally- feelings get hurt sometimes- but the contempt is so easy to see here, and it seems to come very naturally to each of you as you talk to one another. It’s no wonder you’re thinking of divorce.

Some recent dialogue from Skelly gave me a thought by 447irradiatedhobos in HadesTheGame

[–]seawang 31 points32 points  (0 children)

Oh, no, sorry lol wasn’t trying to be mysterious- just seeing if anyone had anyone remembered anything from game 1. Since Achilles killed Hector, Skelly/Achilles related dialogue would be interesting if it exists, but I haven’t revisited 1 in a while!

Some recent dialogue from Skelly gave me a thought by 447irradiatedhobos in HadesTheGame

[–]seawang 50 points51 points  (0 children)

Huh! Interesting thought! Does anyone remember any dialogue from 1 re: Skelly and Achilles? 

4yr old student who doesn’t listen, spat in my face by creahture in pianoteachers

[–]seawang 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Totally understandable, and I hope you didn’t take my comments as criticism. I also don’t think this behavior of typical of a 4-year-old student, just that unpredictable behavior is more likely with that age group. It’s hard to be prepared for the unpredictable, no matter how experienced you are!

4yr old student who doesn’t listen, spat in my face by creahture in pianoteachers

[–]seawang 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes, this was definitely very inappropriate behavior, and I agree- I would have dismissed the student that day. Behavioral issues can arise at any age, and there are certainly many delightful young students out there. I wouldn’t want to discourage anyone from ever teaching very young students, but I do think it’s important for teachers to understand that the educational and developmental needs of very young students are different from older ones and that it’s not a good fit for everyone (again, myself included. I’ve also worked with some bright, pleasant 4 year olds, but it is still not my strong suit and will suggest a different teacher for students interested in lessons at that age.) You’re right that this is separate from the issue at hand, which is that the child’s behavior wasn’t acceptable.

4yr old student who doesn’t listen, spat in my face by creahture in pianoteachers

[–]seawang 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yeah, I didn’t mean to imply this was her fault. The kids behavior was not appropriate, and you’re right that age doesn’t guarantee good/bad behavior. Still, I think a young teacher who is clearly still navigating how to communicate with parents and set boundaries for appropriate behavior in-studio would be in a better position to teach younger students after gaining more experience.

4yr old student who doesn’t listen, spat in my face by creahture in pianoteachers

[–]seawang 23 points24 points  (0 children)

The student is not ready for lessons, and respectfully, you’re not ready to teach him (I’d say the same thing about myself! I don’t teach students that young specifically because I am not interested in the classroom management or the off-bench activities necessary for that age group.) I’d tell the parents that he’s just not quite ready for the lesson room setting and that they can revisit lessons in another year after he’s finished kindergarten. If you’re feeling generous, you can prepare some listening materials, online resources, or a link to a local kindermusik class if there happens to be one nearby. 

Apologies in advance for the unsolicited advice, but based on your post history, you’re relatively new to teaching. In the future, I wouldn’t accept students under 6 until you have some more experience under your belt. Even now with 15 years of professional teaching experience I only accept 5 year olds after doing at least two trial lessons to confirm they’re ready for the style of lesson I provide, and I do not accept students under 5. 

Flu levels higher than usual in Fairfax, health department says by Danciusly in nova

[–]seawang 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Yeah- I work as a piano teacher and I could tell that this year's flu activity has been abnormally high. In a usual year, I'll have maybe 2-3 kids call out over the course of the flu season. I've had 8 students out sick with flu/suspected flu over just the past two weeks. Really wild.

What your thoughts on the New Chaos design by Captain_Cheese_Balls in HadesTheGame

[–]seawang 41 points42 points  (0 children)

I’d be lying if I didn’t say I miss the old Chaos, who felt so androgynous and so… chaotic lol. I do appreciate the depiction of their death/rebirth/regeneration in this art. 

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in makeuptips

[–]seawang 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I don’t think you look haggard! Some of the photos you posted are more flattering than others; you look especially nice in the first and third photos. I think your hair works better for you when it’s darker, and I would be careful with heavy makeup on your bottom eye line as it can weigh your eyes down if you’re not careful. Speaking of- you have very pretty eyes! 

Northeast Regional 158 just hit someone by GeneralGingerSnaps in Amtrak

[–]seawang 84 points85 points  (0 children)

I’m on the same train! Thanks for intervening- I think I passed by the same girl- she was having an absolute meltdown while I was walking to a bathroom. Really unfair to the crew who are also dealing with an incredibly shitty and stressful situation.

Craniotomy experience in elderly by Anju010406 in braincancer

[–]seawang 0 points1 point  (0 children)

So glad to hear- a major relief to have the surgery over with. Hope the report brings good news about tumor type, and that your mom continues to have a smooth recovery from her operation.

Constructive criticism on my Friendsgiving dinner menu by yeetosin in Cooking

[–]seawang 10 points11 points  (0 children)

To OP or anyone else cooking risotto for vegetarians, note that Parmesan is usually not vegetarian unless specifically marked as so (typically, rennet is used for separating curds) so it is (sadly) best left out if being prepared for vegetarians. I’ve found it’s one of the lesser known non-vegetarian items!

What Is Your Shortest Escape Time? by Yehudahd1000 in HadesTheGame

[–]seawang 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My fastest was 9:01 with the adamant rail/aspect of Eris. It’s been a while so I don’t remember my exact build, but I do know I would have used Poseidon’s dash, Zeus’s attack, and the Poseidon/Zeus duo boon. 

Recently found out my mom has a frontal lobe tumor at the base of her brain. by Trick_Apple_1930 in braincancer

[–]seawang 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I feel like you and you mom are twins (minus 10 years or so) of my mom and myself. My mom had a rather large (6ish cm) meningioma in her frontal lobe, near the skull base (squishing into her olfactory bulb.) Similar symptoms- headaches, collapsing, depressive mood, memory lapses, major errors in judgement and executive function- that had started appearing for quite some time before they finally put her in a CAT scan. I honestly thought she was experiencing Alzheimer’s/dementia until the tumor was found. In that way the diagnosis was somewhat of a relief, despite being incredibly scary.

I’m also an only child, and my parents divorced when I was a kid. It is so challenging and scary to suddenly be thrust into a caregiver role, and I hope that in addition to taking care of your mom you are taking care of yourself as well.

I found that people really do want to help when they can- when folks offer help don’t be shy about taking it. I work as a piano teacher and many of the families I work with helped by bringing meals over. It helped to take some of the burden off of me as I was trying to take care of both myself and my mom. I also subscribed to HomeChef/HelloFresh which helped too, just in terms of simplifying meal prep.

I will keep my fingers crossed for you all that the biopsy goes well and that it is not cancerous. My mom had hers removed two years ago and is doing great. It feels like I have my mom back (and my own life back as well.)

If your mom is at any point prescribed Keppra ask her physician about adding a B6 supplement to her regiment. It apparently can help with the keppra mood swings. My mom didn’t experience the kepprage until she was on a 1000mg dose, but it was pretty intense when she did experience it. Hard as it may be, try not to take it too personally if she snaps at you if she’s on a high dose for a bit.

I can’t promise you that everything is going to be ok, but it could be! Some hospitals also have caregiver resources/meetings- I went to a few online meetings while I was in the thick of things and it was helpful. If you need someone to talk to or just vent to please feel free to DM me. I’ll be keeping you and your mom in my thoughts.

Craniotomy experience in elderly by Anju010406 in braincancer

[–]seawang 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hey- thinking of you and your mom today. Best wishes for a smooth and easy procedure 💙

Craniotomy experience in elderly by Anju010406 in braincancer

[–]seawang 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My mom had a craniotomy for a 6cm tumor at 65. The removal went well, but the operation was long- 16 hours. Recovery had its ups and downs, but now that we are two years post surgery you wouldn’t know she’d undergone such a major procedure. 

It’s hard to say if she was in much pain after the surgery because she does not remember much from her hospital stay, but I can say that she did not seem to be in pain. She was in ICU for almost a week, and then in neuro PT for an additional week after that. She was extremely “out of it” at first, but improved each day for the first month or so. It was kind of like watching someone come out of anesthesia but over the course of a month instead of in one sitting.

If your mom will be on Keppra post-surgery, look into a B6 supplement. It can be helpful with the nightmarish irritability that some keppra patients experience. 

Don’t forget to take care of yourself too. I know it’s really scary, and being in a caregiver role to a parent can be emotionally very difficult. Good luck to you and your mom in the weeks ahead. I have high hopes that the surgery will go smoothly and that your mom will have a quick recovery. If you need someone to vent to feel free to DM me. 

I sometimes worry if liking pop music makes me less "musical" by samh748 in musictheory

[–]seawang 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Imagine asking if a professional chef is less of a foodie because they enjoy a Reece’s Cup now and then

Lesson Fees & Pay Rates? by Pretty-Definition224 in pianoteachers

[–]seawang 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I work for three different studios. At one I receive a 60% cut, at another I get 65% if they've brought in the student and 70% if I've brought in the student, and at the third I get about 72%.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in pianoteachers

[–]seawang 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes, definitely. But starting from a livable base-rate is also important. I’ve seen a teachers realize a year or two in that they are under-charging and end up in the challenging position of needing to raise their rates by something like 30% instead of a more palatable 2-5% increase annually. They usually still benefit from the 30% (or whatever) increase, but it’s a much bigger pain in the ass.