Minor rant thread. Post your rants o' the day here!

When the kids were younger, they could go whole hog on Halloween candy for about 24 hours and then we'd take it all, dump it into a big trunk, and they could have an occasional treat out of it until it aged out and we threw it away. 

My eldest's birthday is just a week or so after Halloween.  When she was around 7 or 8 we had a big party for her with a bunch of her friends and their parents.  After the cake and ice cream and whatnot, I threw open the lid to the trunk and hollered "anybody want some candy!?".  The kids were thrilled.  The parents were mortified.  I loved it.

In reply to wae :

Unrelated, I am deeply envious of your shop facilities, specifically the running water.  Specifically specifically the toilet.

AngryCorvair (Forum Supporter) said:

The winter.

It is coming. 

In reply to FJ40Jim :

It was 19F at 8:00 this morning. 
 

My backflow prevention device blew out while we were at church. There was a 2" layer of standing water in my downstairs bathroom and girl's bedroom. 
 

I now have half of a functional house. berkeley.

Pete. (l33t FS) said:

In reply to Antihero :

I make my living off the evening news

Just give me something, something I can use

Exactly 

Just a quick snippet from a local news channel that hints to why my auto insurance is so berking expensive.

I really, truly hate it here. 

mtn said:

stuart in mn said:

Every year the media is flooded with stories about Halloween candy, and how to minimize how much the kids eat.  I heard an 'expert' this morning on the TV recommending handing out candy that you don't like.    It happens once a year people, let the kids eat too much candy for one day.  It's not going to kill them.

My wife the Dietitian says that there should be no restrictions on Halloween candy - how much, when, doesn't matter. Let them do what they wanna do.
 

Exceptions for diabetics, if there may be allergy considerations, medication interactions, etc. 

Nice. I'd like to see the research on that. That's pretty much where we landed this year. We both woke up and the kids were like "can we eat our candy now?"

Suuuuure, why not?
 

My minor rant is what's up with all the trunk or treats? When I was younger I thought they were invented for the nervous parents to feel safe about the kids not roaming the streets, but they started on like Thursday this year and places are having them pretty much every day EXCEPT Halloween. I think roaming a neighborhood is better, more exciting and fun, but OTOH less walking while dressed as a homemade vending machine is less walking while dressed up as a homemade vending machine. 

In reply to Pete. (l33t FS) :

When we were looking around, my brother put a lot more importance having a bathroom as part of whatever we were going to rent than I did.  I'm glad I didn't try to fight him on that because he was 100% right.

Watched a guy lose his bike at the big end today. Basically fell across the trap at 151mph. He won. And he was conscious and communicating before being hauled out in the meat wagon. 
 

I don't do well with near misses these days. PTSD, maybe from my own close encounter? Idk. Even knowing he survived, the whole day was pretty soured. Nauseous ever since. 
 

rant 2. Opposite of recon's. Got home, tired and stinky, wanting a nice glass of water and a shower. Neighbor apparently had a plumbing thing and the whole building had water turned off. Super. 

In reply to Appleseed :

Having a kid is incredibly stressful.  Unfortunately you have to be parents first, parents second, and husband and wife a distant third.  You just have to put your heads down and get E36 M3 done, which doesn't leave much time or energy for couple things.

If you can make it out the other side, it does get better.

In reply to wae :

I sacrificed land for a private bathroom just for me when we were house hunting. (Sharing a single bathroom house with 3 women? No berkeleying thank you) This has greatly improved household relations with us coming up on 8 months without the upstairs shower. Wife is still pissed it's not done, but, fully functional second bathroom reeeeally cuts that anger down. 

In reply to RevRico :

The number of available bathrooms in my house has been cut in half. I now have one bathroom for eight people. It's gonna be a bit rough, methinks.

Aaaand apparently the neighbors flooding plumbing is now our problem too. Adjacent walls have water coming through. Carpet is going to have to come up. Great. 

It's October so you know what that means.  Yep.  Endless 45 degrees days with rain.  Made even worse with soaking wet leaves you can't pick up that are a constant tripping hazard. 

In reply to P3PPY :

Here the trunk or treats started taking off because most of the people in my area are commuters so there aren't many people home after school to hand out treats. If you run an organization it also helps get families in to find out about you. We did one yesterday for my gf's Y. They had a good turnout even though it was E36 M3 weather and got some interest in their after school programs. 

jimbob_racing said:

I constantly struggle with anxiety and depression.  I often feel like I don't matter or make a difference. 

Recently finished a book with my kids, "The Kingdom of Kind".  There's a prince in the book who (essentially) suffers from depression.  He has all the riches, ways to entertain himself, etc, but he is unhappy.  To summarize a long children's story, he finds through his journey the 3 keys to happiness:  Gratitude, Acts of Service, and Work.  

Based on some other peoples' here responses, and my own experiences, I would say that's a fairly good recipe for happiness.  

Be grateful for what you have.  Think of something every day to be intentionally grateful for.  

Help others - even small things bring joy to the giver and the recipient.

Work - Physical labor gives the body purpose, and makes healing sleep more natural.  

In reply to volvoclearinghouse :

I had a small epiphany the other day around my feelings of anxiety and inadequacy. I was on my morning run, listening to Steely Dan's 'Aja', and thinking about the significance of what that album is trying to say.

More fodder for sort of my "positive nihilism", but also the value of... it's easier for me to internalize that something is positive when it's communicated by a jaded artist, not sappy or rose-tinted.

So... the album Aja is full of themes of the hollowness of romantic notions of success and whatnot. Fake friends pretending to care. In particular the song "Home at Last" is very much about an artist who has "made it" but isn't fulfilled, and I interpret as realizing they are ultimately the cause of their own torment and suffering. This helps put into perspective my own drive to make it "big" in my field.

Then there is the title track, "Aja". It is uncharacteristically positive, hopeful, and sincere for Steely Dan. It still has that touch of cynicism - it continues that theme of people who don't care pretending to and being outwardly nice ("Up on the hill / they think I'm okay / or so they say"). But the heart of the song is about a genuine romance and having a true partner who you can turn to at the end of the day ("Aja / when all my dime dancing is through / I run to you").

I think they are saying something using that song as an album title. That *this* is what's important. The artist cares about their art and it bring them joy. But all the accolades and outward praise - all the trappings of "success" - don't mean anything. It's the one person who genuinely cares that's truly important.

It spoke to me and what I've been wrestling with. Maybe other people here will be able to find some value from it.

People who complain about spring clamps probably put them on like this, then wonder why they leak.

Put 'em back on where they came from!

P3PPY said:

mtn said:

stuart in mn said:

Every year the media is flooded with stories about Halloween candy, and how to minimize how much the kids eat.  I heard an 'expert' this morning on the TV recommending handing out candy that you don't like.    It happens once a year people, let the kids eat too much candy for one day.  It's not going to kill them.

My wife the Dietitian says that there should be no restrictions on Halloween candy - how much, when, doesn't matter. Let them do what they wanna do.
 

Exceptions for diabetics, if there may be allergy considerations, medication interactions, etc. 

Nice. I'd like to see the research on that. That's pretty much where we landed this year. We both woke up and the kids were like "can we eat our candy now?"

Suuuuure, why not?
 

 

Not sure that the research exists specifically for halloween candy, but think about the possibilities. Either they pig out and get sick - no big deal for their health and they learn something. Or they spread it over a long time - everything in moderation. Or they eat it in bulk over a short amount of time but not enough to get sick... and then its gone and Mom and Dad aren't buying more. So no big deal. 

It is candy. They're kids. My 3.5 year old has survived on nothing but pancakes, crackers, Reeses, cupcake frosting, and about 7 blueberries and 4 orange slices for the past month. She's fine. Don't overthink it. 

As to the research though, I'll ask my wife for it, but I know the gist of it is do not restrict kid's and their access to food or else you risk creating or exacerbate eating disorders. 

In reply to Duke :

I talked to SWMBO about it. I'm not at freak out levels, not even close, but this is a E36 M3load of weight to carry. Everyone thinks, oh it's just 50 pounds, not realizing that everybody else is thinking the same about their 50 pounds. I'll carry it all till it crushes me.

In reply to Pete. (l33t FS) :

I don't like them, but I don't think I've ever had one leak. I have seen them destroy a plastic housing because the clamping pressure is too great for the housing, though

Appleseed said:

In reply to Duke :

I talked to SWMBO about it. I'm not at freak out levels, not even close, but this is a E36 M3load of weight to carry. Everyone thinks, oh it's just 50 pounds, not realizing that everybody else is thinking the same about their 50 pounds. I'll carry it all till it crushes me.

It gets emotionally exhausting, and coupled with physical exhaustion, it's crippling.  I'm glad you talked.

It will improve a couple notches when the child can entertain themselves without supervision for an hour or two at a time, and can make a snack for themselves.  Usually around that time you gain the first real ability to reason with them - as opposed to just bargaining - and that helps too.

Why?  Why do people bring these to me?  Go to the berking porsche dealer!  

“I'm tired, boss. Mostly, I'm tired of people being ugly to each other."

Me too, and me included.

In reply to mtn :

"As to the research though, I'll ask my wife for it, but I know the gist of it is do not restrict kid's and their access to food or else you risk creating or exacerbate eating disorders. "

Disagree.  As parents, we are responsible for our kids, and their eating habits, and setting in place habits they will carry with them their entire lives.  We very much restrict what the kids eat, mostly by not having E36 M3 in the house.  The funny thing is, because we try to instill good eating habits in them, by example, when the giant bag of Halloween candy arrives, it sits on top of the refrigerator and they maybe request one piece of candy every couple of days.  There's no gorging, no diabetic shock, no wild and crazy sugar swings.  The other day at Lowes, a man at the checkout offered my kids a piece of candy from his bucket, and they both, without prompting from me, politely refused.  Even after I gave them permission to take a piece each, they asked me if I was sure!  

Yes, kids' bodies consume a LOT of calories, and to some extent they can kindof eat whatever and survive.  But it's not ideal, and our goal for our kids is slightly higher than simply "surviving".  Agree with the earlier poster, that a bit of candy on Halloween, Easter, and Christmas isn't the whole issue, it's what happens the rest of the year that makes them future candidates for behavioral and physical health problems.  "Binging" is not OK, that's not healthy.  Food's main job is to keep us healthy, and that needs to be the mindset that shapes our diet.