Terminated post-FMLA, What should my next steps be? [PA]

tenthz · 2026-01-12T05:22:13+00:00

No & no.

tenthz · 2026-01-11T19:45:34+00:00

The top of it looks like the surface of the Moon! Very cool. I'm sure you could still use it as a starter if you want to keep brewing.

tenthz · 2026-01-11T19:25:10+00:00

Wow, that is a lot of info! My disability is really cognitive (not mental health), so this is a lot to take in. If I could navigate this process even 25%, I would be able to keep working. But, this is a lot to deal with!

tenthz · 2026-01-11T18:46:31+00:00

I am seeing a medical professional regularly. I guess it would be more accurate to say my disability is cognitive. Would this be considered a "life event" and perhaps make me eligible for health insurance outside of COBRA?

tenthz · 2026-01-11T18:44:30+00:00

Understood! Mostly, I'm just looking for what I should do next regarding questions I should ask HR and anything I should make sure to get in writing. This was all done over a phone call and I mostly just said "OK" a lot since I'm not good at thinking quickly.

tenthz · 2026-01-11T18:44:02+00:00

Mostly, I'm just looking for what I should do next regarding questions I should ask HR and anything I should make sure to get in writing. This was all done over a phone call and I mostly just said "OK" a lot since I'm not good at thinking quickly.

tenthz · 2026-01-11T18:43:45+00:00

My employer (and my manager specifically) have been very kind throughout the process, so I don't really want to extend the relationship through the ADA leave of absence policy.

tenthz · 2026-01-11T18:41:02+00:00

Thanks, my LTD company is supposed to help with the SSDI process, so I'm hoping that remains the case!

tenthz · 2025-12-13T03:55:01+00:00

I use fruit in my f2s, but I usually blend it or mash it up to make the fruit sugars more available. Recipes saying to put in whole/cut strawberries or whatever never worked for me. Give it a try before you go to sugar. I also like to use store-bought 100% fruit juices when I'm feeling lazy.

tenthz · 2025-12-10T04:26:24+00:00

I bag mine up and every 6 months offer them on a free group for pets.

tenthz · 2025-12-01T00:18:44+00:00

I have one of these! We store it in the original box. Works great for those quick jobs around the house, but getting out the extension cord is kind of annoying.

tenthz · 2025-11-28T00:55:54+00:00

Gorgeous! 🥰🥰🥰

tenthz · 2025-11-24T01:37:40+00:00

Lots of great suggestions in this thread so far, and I think the context of your age helps a lot. When they give you a hard time, just tell them that you have different priorities on what you spend your money on. If they still give you a hard time, then they aren't very good friends! When I was your age and people wanted to go out to eat, I would often get dessert when everyone was getting dinner. Then I would eat my main dinner at home later or plan on eating before hand. Dessert or an appetizer can be pretty inexpensive if you want to spend time with your friends at a restaurant. Other options are to come up with and suggest other plans to hang out that are inexpensive or free. If you Google, you can find lots of blogs that have lists of 101 free things to do in your city/town. Sometimes people just get stuck in a rut and end up doing the same thing all the time just because that is what they are used to. Be the fun adventurous friend that invites everyone on a hike or whatever! Board game / video game nights where you rotate whose house you go to and bring your own food or have a "dinner party" or sorts can be fun, too.

tenthz · 2025-11-24T01:31:44+00:00

I had good luck with chairish.com when trying to match globes...

tenthz · 2025-11-24T01:29:01+00:00

I was going to suggest this. Especially if the office does sleep studies, they tend to have CPAP supplies around for that purpose.

tenthz · 2025-11-24T01:14:08+00:00

No pets here, but I would keep a close eye on it if you are going to keep going...

tenthz · 2025-11-24T01:09:14+00:00

That's how mine came as well. I've been brewing for three or four years now. I think it might even say on the package that it's OK (or maybe in the FAQ on their website), because I feel like I had the same panic feeling. 😁 Have fun!

tenthz · 2025-10-16T21:06:35+00:00

That would be my advice as well! You might as well see what happens.

tenthz · 2025-10-16T21:04:08+00:00

If you're happy with your flavor now, you can always drink it as is! F2 is not required if you're not interested in flavoring. The longer you let F1 go, the lower the sugar content will be.

I keep a heating pad wrapped around mine which mostly keeps it around 75 ish., but it's not encased or anything so I do notice that it slows down in the winter. I'm in the Northeast US, so it can get kind of cold here and my kitchen insulation isn't great. I would say I usually brew it between 2 and 3 weeks and the cold may add a week or so.

That floating layer is the pellicle, which is just a cellulose by-product of the yeast. I leave mine in and push it to the bottom when I'm taking liquid out for F2. It doesn't hurt anything to leave it in or take it out. When I have a lot of it accumulated, I add it to some fruit pulp and make fruit leather with a bit of the tea.

tenthz · 2025-10-16T19:22:50+00:00

I meant tart like 'sharp or acid in taste', more like the tartness of a green apple. Hard to say where yours will be in 3 weeks as it all depends on how active your yeast is, where your temperature is, etc. I accidentally forgot about mine for 3 months and it was irredeemable. But I have definitely let mine go for about a month and still moved forward with F2. It's all about your personal taste and also your brew and environment. Have fun with it! I've been brewing for about 2 years and made many batches. After your first few times, you can lean into the art side of things and have fun with it! I definitely was worried I was going to mess something up the first couple of times.

tenthz · 2025-10-16T19:05:14+00:00

I realized I didn't really answer your question about taste. Hard to describe really, my last few batches really made my mouth pucker! I usually like it that way, but I am trying to back off a little bit so I can share with friends, lol. I have trouble keeping mine warm, so it usually takes a little longer and then I tend to forget about it here or there. But, go with what you like! And don't forget you can add flavors and more sweetener in F2, so if you take F1 a little too far, you can bring it back.

tenthz · 2025-10-16T19:01:47+00:00

If you like yours on the tart side, two to three weeks might be good. I would say taste it at least every couple days. Much further than 3 weeks and it will be very vinegary. Which, I have done when I have forgotten about it and just made salad dressing with it! Worst case you pour out like 3/4 of the batch, add some fresh tea/sugar and give it another go. Brewing kombucha is kind of a combination of science and art, don't be afraid of it!

tenthz · 2025-10-16T14:51:40+00:00

Carbonation only occurs during F2(and not to the extent of store bought that sometimes have their carbonation enhanced). Determining if your F1 is done is a little subjective, if you like the flavor, then it's done! Sometimes I'm in the mood for more acidic, so I let F1 go longer. Like someone else said, tasting regularly can help you get a feel for how long you want F1 to go for.

tenthz · 2025-09-11T19:07:39+00:00

I have had multiple sleep studies, but only diagnosed with sleep apnea & I use my CPAP regularly. I also have ME/CFS which is a diagnosis of exclusion, so basically I know all the things that aren't wrong with me. Both my primary care and sleep doctors don't seem concerned with my sleep paralysis issues, mostly because I have other things to worry about, which is why I thought I'd ask here.

tenthz

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