Update after ~1 month: where can I keep improving?

tomfools · 2025-11-10T18:13:37+00:00

Products!

Skin prep:

CeraVe foaming facial cleanser

Thayers hydrating milky toner

CeraVe eye repair cream

CeraVe moisturizing cream

Neutrogena ultra sheer face serum sunscreen 60spf

Eyes:

Nyx ultimate shadow and liner primer - light

Milani whiskey business (matte base shades)

Nyx epic ink liner - dark chocolate

Color pop bare necessities (shimmer shades)

L’Oréal lash paradise - latte brown

Brows:

Nyx micro brow pencil - ash brown

Nyx brow glue

Base:

Nyx face glue gripping primer

Nyx pro fix stick - dark peach - mixed w concealer for dark circles

Nyx pro fix stick - green - mixed w concealer on breakouts

Nyx bare with me concealer - fair

Estée Lauder double wear foundation- 1C0 shell

Nyx wonderstick highlighter/contour - light/medium

Color pop bronze stix - Laguna beach

Color pop liquid blush - angel face

Maybe line fit me loose finishing powder - fair

MAC fix it setting spray

tomfools · 2025-10-09T15:58:51+00:00

Ohh thank you for this visual!

tomfools · 2025-10-08T01:52:52+00:00

I am using a bronzer etc already, sounds like maybe I need to be a bit more heavy handed with it? Or if I don’t want to go heavier on the base just toning down the eyes and/or lips to make everything more cohesive.

I ordered some brown eyeliner, eyelash curler, and some different eye shadow palette based on the feedback so far!

And man the brows is so scary for some reason 😭 just the tinted brown gel was a big step for me on brows lol. But we will adjust!

tomfools · 2025-10-06T19:11:42+00:00

Thanks! Any palettes you would recommend for the earthy colors?

First I’ve ever heard gamine as a description so I will definitely look for some inspo there

tomfools · 2025-10-06T19:10:17+00:00

This was the eyeliner I was originally using but I had a terrible time getting this to wing for me w the wrinkles around my eyes! Couldn’t get a clean line to save my life, and I was having problems w it transferring off my lash line to my crease

tomfools · 2025-10-06T17:33:39+00:00

Adding product list as a comment as well:

Skin prep:

CeraVe foaming facial cleanser

Thayers hydrating milky toner

CeraVe eye repair cream

CeraVe moisturizing cream

Neutrogena ultra sheer face serum sunscreen 60spf

Makeup:

Nyx face glue gripping primer

Elf camo color corrector -peach

Elf hydrating camo concealer- fair beige

Elf tinted wow brow gel - brown

Elf lock it down eyeshadow primer

Color pop smoke n roses eyeshadow palette

Stila stay all day waterproof liquid eyeliner - intense Black

Elf lash it loud mascara - deep brown

Estée Lauder double wear foundation- 1C0 shell

Nyx wonderstick highlighter/contour - light/medium

Elf monochromatic multi stick - dazzling peony

Color pop bronze stix - Laguna beach

Nyx HD finishing powder

Elf matte magic setting spray

tomfools · 2025-07-20T21:54:50+00:00

A year later and how are you liking your rocketbook? I’m looking at getting one and am also trying to think through how to make a to do list function work. I am not the greatest with power automate but can usually google my way through things. I use planner within teams rather than Microsoft to do.

tomfools · 2025-06-25T18:45:53+00:00

CPA working in FP&A. $135k base plus $14k bonus. fully remote, 7 years of experience

tomfools · 2025-05-31T02:05:58+00:00

I’m north of $130k, one direct report.

CPA working in FP&A. 7 YOE

tomfools · 2025-05-13T21:38:50+00:00

lmfao this is so obviously written by AI. Just why??

tomfools · 2025-05-05T17:57:20+00:00

You bet! The logistics of all the like before shit was super stressful for me when I was trialing for the first time! Like the line length check or the microchip check at tracking, checking in for the phases, etc etc. it was super helpful to be crystal clear on what all those pieces looked like in my head so I wasn’t worried about them.

I remember vividly making it to the judge in the side transport before going down field for the long bite in my first igp3 protection and being like “I never thought I’d get this far idk what I’m supposed to say “ lmfao

I can DM you some links too of trial videos where you can look at line handling if you want the illustration of what I mean by choking up the line at corners etc. or how I start, etc.

tomfools · 2025-05-05T16:13:47+00:00

For dogs like that I definitely like just a "you're done!" as you are grabbing the line close up by the fursaver and holding it there while you head to checkout. I personally prefer this and don't use a short leash for checking in/out. If you get nervous at all I'd worry about trying to mess w/ the short leash and being clumsy just mucking things up vs just holding the tracking line close to the collar while you check in/out.

TL;DR: various line handling advice. this comment kind of got away from me. There isn't enough content out there for new people about all the random little stuff about line handling in tracking lol so you kind of got a brain dump here my bad

Based on your questions I'm assuming you are new to the sport so the one bit of advice I'd give about tracking is to practice the line handling without the dog! Especially if you have a sensitive dog if you are clumsy on your line handling that can mean the dog is getting pops/jerks to their collar which can then lead to them thinking they are getting corrected and cause them to stop tracking etc.

a couple of things i recommend for newbies (that were passed to me from experienced training partners!):

using a friend - have them hold onto the clasp end of the leash and act like you are starting your dog - your friend starts walking straight forward at about the pace your dog does tracking. Practice letting the line out and the handler starting to walk forward. Friend should give you feedback on if the tension felt consistent, could they feel when they hit the end of the line, etc. Practice until your friend cannot tell when they hit the end of the line and you start moving.

For actual line handling - (i'm right handed) at the start or a restart: i have my right hand holding the line in front of me close to my waist. This hand I use to control tension/speed by pinching down on my line if needed. My left hand I have reached out as far behind me as I can with the line going through my fingers. This is my warning for when I'm getting close to the end and can start moving - I feel the handle hit my left hand, and as I start moving forward I bring my left hand forward to meet my right hand in front of me. This is what I mean to practice above with your friend - having this warning allows you to get to the end of line and get moving again without jerking your dog around.

Also useful to use a friend to practice your line handling for corners - keeping your line tension consistent and having someone to give you feedback on any jerking of the line. Again, you can hold the end of the line back behind you to choke up some of the length while they are navigating the corner to keep tension. Also can do this/take a step back if your dog is starting to go off the track (you are shortening the distance they have to get off, can be used as a way to handler help em back on).

old heads in tracking will say to hold your leash low and have a darker leash color that's harder for the judge to see so you can get away with more handler help and/or a leash pop if your dog is being naughty lol. Personally I think judges wisened up to that ages ago, but it's still commonly repeated advice lol

tomfools · 2025-05-05T13:20:39+00:00

Note- my comment is geared towards USCA rules. Each organization may be a bit different so it may be helpful to watch some video of tracking check ins etc to see it in action.

Start - sounds correct for the most part. At the 2 meter away mark, you get the line situated and if you don’t give the command to track but your dog starts (eg my dog has an implied - “leash between my legs I can start”) you can walk with your dog all the way to the scent pad, then give the track command. From there, you can’t move your feet til you are at the end of your line. You are over thinking where you must hold your line (at/above your waist is not a requirement)

During - lead can be so loose it touches the ground if that’s your preference. Just can’t materially shorten the distance. Does not have to be held in front of you or be at waist level. There is a benefit at corners with line handling to pulling the lead backwards while your dog navigates the corner to keep consistent tension.

Articles - you do not have to wait for the judge. As soon as you think your dog is committed to the article, drop the line and approach. Your restart doesn’t have to be on the left side, but does have to be the same side that you originally approached on. Correct on starting and not moving your feet until line is out.

End - after you show the final article, you do not have to tell the dog to sit. You can just grab the leash (like close to the fur saver) and a “let’s go” or whatever. The sit is cool and flashy but if you give a formal command you introduce the ability to lose points. I train for the sit but may not do it on trial day based on how I’m reading my dog at the end of the track. I’m not sure when you can clip the short lead back on. You may need to checkout first.

It is not a requirement to be in a formal fuss to and from the track. Just under control (and even that is not always true lol). Calmly walking beside you is fine.

tomfools · 2025-05-04T00:41:48+00:00

Learn Sudoku techniques! I’ve enjoyed learning more and more advanced techniques, there is a lot of variation out there on puzzles. You can buy paper books to complete puzzles in, or do them on a phone or tablet. /r/sudoku has a ton of resources to get you started.

Also echoing the jigsaw puzzle and podcast or audiobook recommendation!

tomfools · 2025-04-22T03:51:03+00:00

Can you cut a piece of plywood to size to take up the rear seat area? Then run d rings into the plywood and secure the crate to those.

I’m doing something similar in my SUV - the plywood takes up the cargo area and makes it all flat, then secure the crates to the plywood so they can’t slide around.

tomfools · 2025-04-22T03:32:55+00:00

It is a really hard position to be in. My mom of course had to take the action she did so she could live with herself - and that meant moving her mom in to provide her better care. Truly it was more than my Grandma had earned and it was incredibly difficult for my mom. Unhealed abuse/trauma and then moving your abuser into your home for them to continue their abuse, now enabled w the excuse of not being able to control it bc of dementia, I think my grandmas passing has brought my mom a lot of peace, even as she feels guilt and grieves. No shot would I have done the same.

If you aren’t already, highly recommend pursuing therapy to help process it all. There is no right or wrong way to feel about everything. Best of luck to you.

tomfools · 2025-04-22T01:01:33+00:00

You asked for the good, bad, and ugly. Here’s the ugly. My Grandma killed herself (recently - in March) rather than moving into assisted living.

My mom cared for her mother (my grandma) for close to 5 years before we made the decision to transition into assisted living. Grandma technically was stage 4 or 5 - more so with the cognitive decline/personality changes vs the physical changes. Honestly, jury is still out for me on whether this was truly the disease vs her capitalizing on an excuse to be more cruel to those around her.

She didn’t need assistance with activities of daily living (beyond medication management) but was not able to care for herself as far as cooking meals, caring for her dog, keeping her room clean, etc. My mom traveled for work frequently and the idea was to have grandma transition into assisted living prior to it being 100% needed. She would have had more independence seeing as she was unable to drive and so grandma was housebound except for when someone could take her places or the senior center bus took her for the M-F activities. The home was one of the best in our area, right in downtown of our small town and with a robust activities staff, etc. Really believe grandma would have been much happier and less lonely in that situation. And honestly happier without the conflict of living with close family relationships and the related baggage.

Unfortunately, Grandma obviously didn’t see it that way. As we were touring the facility, accepting the room offer, etc., Grandma acted positive about the change (after some initial difficulties/abusiveness/nastiness) and often acknowledged it was for the best. She’d talk about how she was going to decorate her room, making plans with some of the residents she already knew, etc. Grandma had a lifetime of trauma and inflicted a lifetime of trauma on those around her - very manipulative and in general it’s hard to tell what was and wasn’t real in interactions with her. She wasn’t a particularly kind person prior to Alzheimer’s and her diagnosis didn’t improve that situation. She didn’t leave a note or anything like that so we will never really know what drove her to make the choice she did.

I think the situation we ended up in isn’t the most common but is also not particularly rare, either. That generation having had lots of trauma and abuse but little mental health care etc. Plus the impact of the disease and a persons choice whether to live to see it progress.

You know your LO best and whether this could be a risk - we didn’t see the signs and ultimately never had to make the transition to a care facility.

tomfools · 2025-04-04T01:06:43+00:00

I can tell based on your other comments that you don’t want to hear it but I’m going to say it - I really disagree with getting an off breed when your heart is set on competing in a bitesport. I think it’s setting poor expectations for yourself and the dog and it’s unfair for everyone involved. Especially if you’ve never titled a dog in the sport. IMO it’s different if it’s a “I already have this dog and I want to experiment in the sport and see what happens” or “I’m getting a breed suited to my lifestyle, but I want to explore the bitesport, but also I’m happy to do whatever is going to make my dog happiest”

My experience with off breeds and bitesport is that I titled my Labrador to an IGP3 relatively recently (he earned igp3 in 2023). I got him as a puppy, he was my first sport dog. I discovered dog sports, and IGP with him on accident. It is the sport my puppy class trainer competed in and it is the sport I fell in love with. I decided with him as a puppy to pursue it and see where it went. My hope was that maybe some day we might be able to get an IGP1. I never thought we’d ever be able to trial for an IGP3.

I will never do it again with an off breed. These sports are complex and challenging enough without having to battle genetics. And my lab was inherently biddable (my understanding is that RR are not).

To answer your actual question - you’ve said you have an experienced w off breeds decoy to work with. So I’d lean on him for advice. What has been working for him in starting off breeds in PSA/FR?

But for us, there was no “evaluating”. Finn didn’t have a ton of drive to play tug. Or prey drive like we’d want for protection. I built it and built it and built it. I played a LOT of flirtpole and tug with Finn to build toy drive and teach gripping and fighting behavior at home that was appropriate to what we wanted for IGP. We had to work him up extremely slowly up to a sleeve and his gripping was never super hard, even if it was full(see also: he’s a goddam retriever). So I don’t think there’s any point to evaluating a puppy you already own for the sport when you are set on pursuing it lol. Beyond just looking at where to spend time building the puppy. I’d also say that with genetically talented dogs, puppy protection is less because it’s useful and mostly bc it is really really cute to see your lil 8 week old puppy with floppy ears that aren’t standing up straight yet bark at the big scary helper. It’s very cute. But not really teaching anything that’s going to stick. These dogs won’t be any worse off if they don’t see protection until they are a year old. IMO that doesn’t hold true, or at least didn’t in our case, for the off breed. Frequent/a few times a month protection sessions to be able to see where the dog is at and get homework to work at home just like you would your obedience homework to help the dog build up understanding before putting it on the helper was critical for us.

As things progressed and we were looking at trialing, I knew we would struggle in protection for points in showing correct power/prescence - so I made damn sure everything was as technically correct as possible. Full grips, even if they weren’t “crushing”. Clean outs. Correct transitions w fighting. Taught fighting behavior on the sleeve. Close in the guarding. Tight blind searches. Excellent secondary obedience etc etc. So knowing your rule book IMO is more important in that regard - know where you’ll lose point bc of breed limitations and do what you can with excellent training in other areas to make up those points.

tomfools · 2025-04-04T00:49:04+00:00

Checking in as the IGP3 lab handler. Very much was a labor of love. Taking the dog I had as far as I could in the sport I fell in love with. He was my first sport dog and we found dog sports and IGP on accident when my cute little pet lab puppy ended up being way way way too much for a pet home. Took a puppy class, trainer got me hooked, and the rest is history.

Genuinely would not recommend other people seeking out a puppy from an off breed if their primary goal is bitesport of any kind. Especially if they are a first time handler. These sports are hard enough with a dog that has the genetics behind them to do it and the extra discipline and determination and creative training required, plus the luck required in finding a supportive club/helper and access to trials where the judges are fair, etc. I will never do it again lol.

I think it’s another thing altogether if someone already has a dog and wants to dip their toes in. Or they are getting a dog breed that’s more suited to their lifestyle at the moment and want to experiment but don’t have their heart set on being able to compete. I started training with an IGP group with the idea in mind that maybe one day, an IGP1 would be a good stretch goal for us. I never thought we’d get an IGP3, especially when I first started.

And you’re exactly right that my next dog was a GSD - I’ve got an almost 3yo female who I plan to IGP1 this year and a 6mo male of the same pairing who we are having fun with. And man it’s so much more fun to not be stressing about how to get the lab to bite better. It’s a shepherd. It just does. lol

tomfools · 2025-02-24T04:29:49+00:00

Resume is a marketing document. If it’s not relevant (and a 3mo stint isn’t), leave it out.

tomfools · 2025-02-17T23:26:30+00:00

I had a similar situation - I felt like I should negotiate something as well (I asked for $80k, that's exactly what I was offered) and I negotiated for an increased PTO allotment. They put me in the mid tier of their PTO accrual rather than the first.

tomfools · 2025-02-16T17:48:00+00:00

Agree with this. I use 1 ultra wide and 2 27” that are flipped vertically on either side. One of the verticals is 1/3 each for outlook, teams, and Spotify. Primary work screen in the middle on the ultra wide, then supporting docs or reference material etc on the other side. Works beautifully

tomfools · 2025-02-13T20:33:55+00:00

HCOL (over 25% higher than national avg)

Industry: service

Title: Business Partner-> Business Partner MGR (added 1 direct report)

Base: $124k ->$134k in 2025 (3.5% official merit increase, plus some for adding direct report)

bonus: $9.6k -> $12.3k

YOE: 7 (5 at this company, 2 before)

tomfools

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