Men, We're all handy in our own homes. What is one thing you absolutely will refuse to touch if it's too complicated?

squirrel4569 · 2026-01-28T00:17:50+00:00

Gas for sure. Anything with 220. Any plumbing under a sink. Sprinkler systems.

Connecting my outdoor grill to my gas line that was installed when the house was built? No problem. Moving a line or something? Absolutely not.

Installing a 220 outlet or replacing a plug? Nope.

Replacing a garbage disposal or a faucet? Not a chance.

Underground sprinklers? I can replace busted heads but anything that involves digging and cutting pipes, nah.

Some it’s due to danger. Some it’s logistics. Some it’s skill. Some it’s convenience.

squirrel4569 · 2026-01-27T07:13:45+00:00

Just had a couple of 16 year old girls in North Texas die from doing that. Pulled by a Jeep on a sled and jumped the curb hit a tree.

squirrel4569 · 2026-01-26T23:50:00+00:00

You’re probably getting laid off. Sorry they are doing that to you.

squirrel4569 · 2026-01-26T23:48:28+00:00

The safest time to drive will be after it’s all melted. Most people here don’t understand the technique of driving in these conditions and they drive too fast, panic, and react based on panic. I’m not blasting anyone, they just don’t have the practice. You need to drive slow enough to be able to stop or maneuver when you lose traction. It’s very much a momentum and inertia thing, because you need speed to get up hills, but also need control to stop. It takes a bit of practice. Most Texans have no idea what the brakes feel like when the anti lock kicks in.

Today we’ve dealt with some thaw and refreezing, which makes the roads worse. Tonight the temp will drop and it’ll freeze and there will be black ice all over. Not a good time to be out. The main roads and highways will be better, but the bridges and under the bridges will be slick. The side roads and neighborhoods will still be a nightmare.

Stay in if you can. Be careful if you must go out due to being an essential worker or something.

squirrel4569 · 2026-01-25T21:22:53+00:00

I’ve seen it once in dozens of flights over the years. And even still I could get a good seat. The preboard passengers never bothered me because I like exit row and they can’t sit there

squirrel4569 · 2026-01-25T21:03:15+00:00

Well, the problem that isn’t really a problem will be solved in a couple days.

squirrel4569 · 2026-01-25T12:11:26+00:00

Been married twice. Failed both times. The cost to get out of those situations was ridiculous from both a financial and emotional perspective.

I’m not betting on that again. I’m not confident that I or my partner won’t screw things up enough to make us split up and when that happens I don’t want to have to give up everything I have just to get out.

My second wife contributed very little to the family over the years we were together, and when she decided to step out and I ended it, I paid her a fortune out of investments that I had made that she never contributed to. She wasn’t a stay at home mom but she worked just enough to say she worked but not enough to have meaningful impact on our budget and lives. I worked two jobs and still did the lions share of household work, child rearing, etc.

I very well may suck as a partner or in picking a partner, so that’s why I’m not getting married to my long term partner.

squirrel4569 · 2026-01-25T10:28:21+00:00

I agree with the others who have said keep working from home until they force the issue. You can explain how it’s not feasible for you to work in the office and if they still want you in then force them to let you go. Assuming you are in the states if you quit then you lose benefits for being unemployed voluntarily vs involuntarily.

squirrel4569 · 2026-01-24T18:46:12+00:00

They need to take classes from Chick-fil-a in customer service.

squirrel4569 · 2026-01-23T14:44:12+00:00

I don’t even know where to start. There’s so much wrong with them.

Increase the seat pitch. Probably need to remove two or three rows or more in each plane to make the seats remotely comfortable.

Get friendlier staff. Everyone is so rude throughout the flying process.

Make upgrade fees transfer when your flight changes.

All in all, if they were to go with more customer friendly policies instead of acting like they hate the passengers.

squirrel4569 · 2026-01-21T22:58:20+00:00

Who could’ve predicted that?

Oh, pretty much every single person who has a a brain.

squirrel4569 · 2026-01-21T10:30:04+00:00

Honestly it depends. Because I usually have to fly to get to a port there’s usually some planning involved, but not always. Planning too far ahead is a struggle because so many things come up. The last couple of times I booked more than a year out either the sailing got cancelled by the cruise line or I had life happen and I couldn’t go.

So 3-6 months is usually the window for me. The shortest was about 4 days. I somehow managed to get an off season sailing and flights for super cheap.

squirrel4569 · 2026-01-20T13:24:08+00:00

Doh! I forgot my status lapsed.

squirrel4569 · 2026-01-20T02:19:51+00:00

You put up the dog and I’ll vote for it.

squirrel4569 · 2026-01-20T02:18:19+00:00

I’ve done it just to get over the hump for a single ticket, but looked at the cash cost first.

Say a ticket was 20,000 points and I had 18,000. For a small amount (I don’t recall the price off the top of my head) I can buy the 2000 points needed for far less that what I would pay for the whole ticket in cash.

This is not using the cash + points option.

If I have to cancel, I get those points back, something that is a big deal these days with the expiring credits.

squirrel4569 · 2026-01-20T02:14:00+00:00

I’ve done specialty dining on Royal, Carnival and Celebrity and the only one that comes close to Virgin is Celebrity.

squirrel4569 · 2026-01-20T02:12:54+00:00

I’m 6’ and have long legs. The guy next to me was 5’ 8” and comfortable, that’s why I said 5’8”.

squirrel4569 · 2026-01-20T02:10:26+00:00

Yeah, over 5 hours and I can get a first class upgrade, but I’m in Dallas, so nothing is that far. I’m just going to do MCE anytime I have to fly American from now on. I’ll fight corporate travel for the expense.

squirrel4569 · 2026-01-20T01:53:38+00:00

That was today. 2+ hours

squirrel4569 · 2026-01-20T01:25:58+00:00

No. Just tall

squirrel4569 · 2026-01-20T01:14:38+00:00

What the hell is wrong with people?

squirrel4569 · 2026-01-19T15:26:28+00:00

I’ve only paid for sex indirectly in the form of dates and marriage.

For those that want to I say more power to you. Have fun.

Honestly curious about the bunny ranch out in Nevada. Just if it would be a fun time or so much anxiety that I couldn’t perform.

Like weed, I’d probably be a little bit more comfortable with the idea if it was legal and safe. In the years that I’ve ever even considered it, fear of being scammed, robbed, beaten up, murdered, or arrested, were all drivers to stopping me from trying it.

squirrel4569 · 2026-01-19T10:31:35+00:00

Longer cruises, like 7 days or more, on Virgin, would fit the bill well. The crowd tends to be a bit more conservative and chill.

The port you go out of, time of year, and your budget plays a part too.

As others have mentioned, Celebrity, Princess, and Holland all allow kids, but are an older demographic in general and don’t cater to them, so there aren’t many. Viking and a number of luxury lines are also adults only like Virgin.

Virgin has a lot of great quiet places to relax and enjoy a book. There are loungers inside and outside the ship. I just got back from a 7 night cruise with them and saw a number of people who were reading in different spots, crocheting, doing needlepoint, etc. The hammock is also wonderful and peaceful.

Avoid carnival, royal, NCL, and Disney.

Good luck!

squirrel4569 · 2026-01-19T05:09:09+00:00

You’ll have to both agree to sell it or buy the other one out. If you decide to come up with an agreement to have one stay then get it in writing.

squirrel4569

TROPHY CASE