You Know What Really Grinds My Gears? Now with 3x more gears...

[flamesfever]

Originally Posted by GordonBlue

I hate when my spouse wants something we don't really need, just because it's free.

If it's something we don't need and it takes up space, I don't want it.

I think a successful marriage depends on giving each other their own space.

[powderjunkie]

Originally Posted by Minnie

Sounds like my MIL but it's my husband who can't say no. Half the time it was some ancient old report cards or birthday cards or some picture he drew when he was 3; the other half of the time, it was random things, like your blanket example. I finally just told her that she may as well save herself the packing space because I toss every last bit of the flotsam and jetsam (papers, cards etc) into the recycle bin, the second they leave. My husband couldn't care less about the flotsam and jetsam and we have no room for it. The random items, she was told, get donated to a thrift store, the same day they leave. We may have finally cured her of bringing this stuff - she now calls before they leave to come for a visit, to ask if such and such is something we could use or would like and only brings it if we say yes, and the flotsam and jetsam that has more of a nostalgic feeling for her than it ever will for my husband or I, she keeps in her giant floor chest. We'll still have to deal with the chest'o'flotsam and jetsam when she dies, but at least a good portion of it has already hit the recycle. If I didn't like the giant floor chest so much, I'd just set the thing alight when the time comes...

Hey now, one person's flotsam/jetsam is another's detritus.

[Sainters7]

Originally Posted by flamesfever

I think a successful marriage depends on giving each other their own space.

100%. I was with a shift worker for 11 years, it's ruined my ability to be with someone who's always around in the evenings. Someone invent tinder for shift workers (and shift worker aficionados) please.

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

Originally Posted by TorqueDog

Kids. Free to get, upkeep is a nightmare.

Life is stressful and thought-consuming enough without them.

Don't know how people manage it. Already doing it by the skin of my teeth without the demands of dependent and impressionable little people added to the fold.

I see the allure, but only in an alternate universe where we actually have the time and mental capital to give to offer some little buggers.

On the other hand, I can absolutely see why parenting accelerates the aging process lol.

[GordonBlue]

Originally Posted by MoneyGuy

^for example?

a relative offered a princess style 4 poster queen sized bed.

what the #### are we going to do with that? we don't need a bed.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by TorqueDog

Kids. Free to get, upkeep is a nightmare.

Maybe I'm lucky but my boys have been pretty easy to bring up for the most part. They are easily my best accomplishment in life.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Maybe I'm lucky but my boys have been pretty easy to bring up for the most part. They are easily my best accomplishment in life.

Yeah I echo this with my human animals.

Both work way harder in school than I ever did.

The girl is in 3rd year BSc with a 3.90 GPA.

The boy is on the honour roll at school.

I mean i put it all down to me involvement in their lives......but yah good for them

[Ashartus]

Originally Posted by powderjunkie

Twice in the last two days I've approached intersections as a pedestrian just as a traffic light turns yellow...which should have been perfect timing for me to get a walk signal (but seconds too late for my hitting the button to do anything), but instead I got a 'DON'T WALK' while the cars travelling the direction I am going have a green light.

In one case there was no turning traffic to worry about so I knew I was fine to go, but the other case was bi-directional green with no oncoming traffic at that moments and cars wanting to turn left across my path. But I'd technically be jaywalking to proceed, and I'm not taking any chances when pushing my kiddo in his stroller.

What ####ing idiot designed this stupid ####ing system that makes no ####ing sense? What even bigger ####ing idiot made a ####ing idiotic decision to turn this ####ing moronic system back on after COVID settled down?

It makes no sense to require pedestrians to push a button at 99% of intersections. The only exception is if a green signal would be shorter than the minimum necessary time for a pedestrian to cross. Which was definitely not the case in either of my situations.

I like to walk or cycle as often as possible because it is generally more pleasant and relaxing than driving, but I don't think anything makes me more apoplectic than stupid ####ing designs like this.

At some intersections the pedestrian crossing button affects the timing - either making the light change earlier or having the light change last longer. I agree though if there is enough time to cross the walk light should go on automatically.

[Geraldsh]

We have a light by the high school that changes the moment you hit the button. Someone must have studied the demographics and knew how patient teens are.

[OutOfTheCube]

Originally Posted by TrentCrimmIndependent

Life is stressful and thought-consuming enough without them.

Don't know how people manage it. Already doing it by the skin of my teeth without the demands of dependent and impressionable little people added to the fold.

I see the allure, but only in an alternate universe where we actually have the time and mental capital to give to offer some little buggers.

On the other hand, I can absolutely see why parenting accelerates the aging process lol.

I think a lot of this depends on what you do for a career. I work a 9 to 5, that, once I'm off work, I just go home and don't have to think about anymore. But once I'm home in the evenings or weekends, my attention shifts to the kids and taking care of their needs. I don't go home and just relax, instead of working long hours or bringing my job home, I'm a parent instead. Also, my wife doesn't work full time, just part time evenings, so she's always available for day time needs (and quite a few evenings as well) -- though with the price of everything going up she's had to pick up a lot more shifts recently.

But then having lower-stress jobs that afford more attention toward parenting some with a bit lower incomes as well.

People that work crazy long-hour high-stress jobs (sometimes both parents) and also try to parent, I'm not sure how they do it either.

[flamesfever]

Originally Posted by OutOfTheCube

I think a lot of this depends on what you do for a career. I work a 9 to 5, that, once I'm off work, I just go home and don't have to think about anymore. But once I'm home in the evenings or weekends, my attention shifts to the kids and taking care of their needs. I don't go home and just relax, instead of working long hours or bringing my job home, I'm a parent instead. Also, my wife doesn't work full time, just part time evenings, so she's always available for day time needs (and quite a few evenings as well) -- though with the price of everything going up she's had to pick up a lot more shifts recently.

But then having lower-stress jobs that afford more attention toward parenting some with a bit lower incomes as well.

People that work crazy long-hour high-stress jobs (sometimes both parents) and also try to parent, I'm not sure how they do it either.

There's different ways to skin a cat. When my wife taught school (grade 2), a lot of the kids were being looked after by grandparents, allowing the parents to make the two incomes necessary to support the family.

[CliffFletcher]

Kids can be tiring. But for me, anyway, they’re the good kind of tiring. The reward I get from raising them is far greater than any sense of accomplishment I’ve gotten from a job or hobby. I get bummed out thinking of how quiet and empty the house will feel once they’ve moved out.

[flamesfever]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

Kids can be tiring. But for me, anyway, they’re the good kind of tiring. The reward I get from raising them is far greater than any sense of accomplishment I’ve gotten from a job or hobby. I get bummed out thinking of how quiet and empty the house will feel once they’ve moved out.

The thing I missed most, when the kids moved out, was all the noise and confusion around the dinner table. It was so much fun.

When you see them happy and succeed in life, you say to yourself "I must have done something right".

[Ashartus]

It seems every morning on Glenmore I see multiple large semis or tandem dump trucks merging onto the road then barging their way straight to the far left lane while going well under the speed limit and traffic speed. There is absolutely no reason for them to be in the left lane.

[Scroopy Noopers]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

Kids can be tiring. But for me, anyway, they’re the good kind of tiring. The reward I get from raising them is far greater than any sense of accomplishment I’ve gotten from a job or hobby. I get bummed out thinking of how quiet and empty the house will feel once they’ve moved out.

Originally Posted by flamesfever

The thing I missed most, when the kids moved out, was all the noise and confusion around the dinner table. It was so much fun.

When you see them happy and succeed in life, you say to yourself "I must have done something right".

I hope they know this. I’d have done anything to have been told something like this.

[GordonBlue]

Originally Posted by Scroopy Noopers

I hope they know this. I’d have done anything to have been told something like this.

I know what you mean. I've scoured the memory banks and can't remember one time my dad said I'm proud of you, or I love you.
Wasn't a lot of positivity from him.

[Doctorfever]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

Kids can be tiring. But for me, anyway, they’re the good kind of tiring. The reward I get from raising them is far greater than any sense of accomplishment I’ve gotten from a job or hobby. I get bummed out thinking of how quiet and empty the house will feel once they’ve moved out.

Tiring is a good word.

Thinking of how much of my time they consume outside of work it gets pretty crazy. Never mind the time I have to take off work because of their activities (I guess, sometimes I choose to take this time off work to be there).

This weekend alone, I have 11 hours scheduled Saturday and 6 hours on Sunday. Just “scheduled” activities, that doesn’t include any time we spend hanging out (which of course, every parent does this all the time). At least 3 evenings during the week are eaten up by them. Usually 4 evenings, sometimes all 5.

I wouldn’t change it for anything, I’m with Cliff that I know I will miss it when it ends. But kids do consume most of my time outside of work. I knew this when I signed up, so no complaints. It sure makes you look forward to holidays and summer, since we all get a bit of a break there.

[chemgear]

Originally Posted by TrentCrimmIndependent

Life is stressful and thought-consuming enough without them.

Don't know how people manage it. Already doing it by the skin of my teeth without the demands of dependent and impressionable little people added to the fold.

I see the allure, but only in an alternate universe where we actually have the time and mental capital to give to offer some little buggers.

On the other hand, I can absolutely see why parenting accelerates the aging process lol.

I can't recall the thread but there was a poster here that talked about their kids and they had basically thrown in the towel for one of them. They had done a decent job raising one of them but basically him and his wife was just waiting for the other one to turn 18 and move out. Something like "it is what it is".

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

Kids can be tiring. But for me, anyway, they’re the good kind of tiring. The reward I get from raising them is far greater than any sense of accomplishment I’ve gotten from a job or hobby. I get bummed out thinking of how quiet and empty the house will feel once they’ve moved out.

It's already happening with our oldest pretty well living at his girlfriend's and it does bum me out as I miss him. I'm kind of okay with the idea of my younger one living with us for as long as he needs as he's kind of my little buddy and we watch a lot of shows and movies together.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by Scroopy Noopers

I hope they know this. I’d have done anything to have been told something like this.

They do.