Venting Thread

[JMarkJohns]

My pool has a clog in the line. I had already planned on upgrading the older motor system, so I did but it isn’t dislodging the clog.

So, now we are going to use a pressure jet bladder gizmo that you feed through the pipe. If that doesn’t work, there’s a reverse pressure procedure that typically dislodges clogs.

If that doesn’t work, it’s excavating and replacing, so, good bye tax return. :/

Overall, it needs it and I’m not unhappy to do it. As I mentioned, I had been planning on swapping motor since January.

But right now the circulation is not good so pool is looking pretty gross.

$15 pressure jet bladder nozzle attachment worked!

I was ready to excavate and spent upwards of $2000 more and the fucking $15 hose nozzle fucking worked! Hahaha

[JMarkJohns]

I don’t know why people in new positions of authority always gotta overstep and rock the boat. Recently this is exactly what happened when my community college voted in an interim Division Chair.

For 7 years I have helped build a Public Speaking program in South County for ESL students. It wasn’t easy, took incredible amounts of dedication, and was a collaborative process with the Dean of South County and constant feedback from students and advisors.

When we first started, our first attempt didn’t even have 5 students for the class to officially make.

Now, I teach 2 courses full capacity (24) every semester, including 2 in the Summer. It is a machine. I am specifically requested every semester for these courses by the Dean of South County every winter and summer.

Well, after being elected in January 2022, by end of February 2022, this new Division Chair had 100% removed me from all of these classes, against the wishes of the Dean.

He had a young educator he wanted to try, and he flat out refused to listen to me in my requests for explanation, and, almost flat refused to listen to the Dean.

Nevermind I’m an award-winning Public Speaking professor who uses Public Speaking every day professionally.

Nevermind I’ve been a highly sought after collaborator and innovator of a course that didn’t exist before me, and who those in control of South County doubt would be successful without me.

Nevermind I have 7 years of incredible student and faculty evaluations, am beloved by the leadership of not just South County, but the Community College.

When the Dean threatened to take this decision up the Administrative ladder the Division Chair relented and gave me back my classes, but then bitched about how I am an adjunct and not guaranteed any courses, then said he didn’t like how pushy I was. Hilarious, given I spoke to him one time, and simply explained how things were, what we had done, and implored him to speak to the Dean of South County.

The Dean, Tuesday, called me and told me to watch my back with him. She feels this isn’t over yet.

Wonderful. So, because one dude has an agenda, 7 years of hard work can be flippantly undone? The dude is a fucking interim Division Chair from a sub-program outside the department that houses my courses.

Never had even a hiccup with this and this dude in 2 months almost undoes it all.

What a bunch of bullshit.

[EastCoastCat]

That sucks JMJ. Watch your back as it sounds like this new Division chair has his own agenda. I hate when "new management" comes in and immediately wants to change everything, even areas that are already working. It's that "I must justify my position" thinking that's the difference between effective Leads and earth scorchers.

I have always had the mentality if things ain't broke don't fix it and only focus on problem areas.

[JMarkJohns]

Within the last 2 years I have collected 5 different community awards, including one for leadership. I’ve created 2 courses for the college that are absolutely humming when you also add the Military Leadership in Public Speaking course. Beyond my success, I can think of half a dozen examples of my Public Speaking students going on to excel in public speaking… Including the Dean Of South County, who was one of my first students when she was an advisor and needed to take a course to help make her more viable for leadership roles within the school.

3 years ago the Division Chair and President gave me carte blanche to explore new program partnerships with some of the under-served ESL students, children of migrant workers, and I developed 8 week courses meant to be offered Oct-Dec and Jan-March when they are available. While these never happened due to Covid, the foundation of them is used in Summer school offerings.

But if I dig in and bring this to his attention, he’s got the perfect dismissal: I’m being pushy.

It’s hilarious and sad the flex some people feel they gotta employ. Fix the shit that’s broken, like the fact the Main Campus Public Speaking position has had 3 full-time hires cycle through in the last 8 years.

Oh, I’ve been recruited by the Vice President to apply for the position 2x now, but I’d would be a $30k paycut from what I make collectively now, so, no thank you.

[Chicat]

Middle managers gonna middle management.

Reminds me of when I was the top regional salesperson with a book of business that was millions of dollars ahead of some of the national reps and I was then given a manager who then fired me to “bring in new blood”. If they had let me go on being successful the question would have been “why did we hire a sales manager?” So he had to upset the apple cart to show his worth.

Meanwhile, the four people he hired to replace me have all quit and from what I hear, sales went down and still haven’t fully recovered in the five years I’ve been gone. But I’m sure upper management is happy they didn’t just settle for the status quo.

[EastCoastCat]

Middle managers gonna middle management.

Reminds me of when I was the top regional salesperson with a book of business that was millions of dollars ahead of some of the national reps and I was then given a manager who then fired me to “bring in new blood”. If they had let me go on being successful the question would have been “why did we hire a sales manager?” So he had to upset the apple cart to show his worth.

Meanwhile, the four people he hired to replace me have all quit and from what I hear, sales went down and still haven’t fully recovered in the five years I’ve been gone. But I’m sure upper management is happy they didn’t just settle for the status quo.

Karma is a bitch!!!

[JMarkJohns]

When I met with the guy to ask what happened and if it could be changed he told me the deadline was the previous day.

3 weeks later it was changed.

I don’t want to call the dude a liar, but, dude fucking lied.

[azgreg]

I'm so glad I'm down to single digit years for retirement.

[dovecanyoncat]

Beware the "It's time to do something even if it's wrong" type.

[azgreg]

Two day in a row now I've come into the office and it 58° and the AC is blowing hard.

[Carcassdragger]

I'm so glad I'm down to single digit years for retirement.

Me too. I'm at about 2&1/2 more years. Can't stand any more than that-regardless of finances.

[UAEebs86]

I'm so glad I'm down to single digit years for retirement.

Me too. I'm at about 2&1/2 more years. Can't stand any more than that-regardless of finances.

That's almost exactly where I'm at. Trying to decide when enough is enough. Might have to do 2 more years after that, maybe part-time, for health insurance.

[scumdevils86]

It's almost comforting knowing millennials won't be able to retire despite dual incomes and very frugal living

[UAEebs86]

Learn to live on 90% of your salary, throw it all into index/target funds, and you'll be fine.

Time is on your side. Time in the market is the most important factor.

[dovecanyoncat]

If I had it to do over I'd use a Roth IRA instead of a traditional IRA. I don't know if the Roth would have worked with the SEP-IRA the way it did for me, but in hindsight, it was the years I contributed 25% of my adjusted gross income that really made a big difference. All my cronies laughed at me back then.

Hehehehe

[ASUHATER!]

Learn to live on 90% of your salary, throw it all into index/target funds, and you'll be fine.

Time is on your side. Time in the market is the most important factor.

We can't even live on 110% of our salaries

[Chicat]

My financial advisor has us both retiring at age 60 (we are 45 now), not taking SS until age 67, and still leaving money to our kids even if we live well into our 90s which I kind of refuse to believe. That just doesn’t seem remotely possible.

But if so, I should probably stop destroying my liver.

[84Cat]

My financial advisor has us both retiring at age 60 (we are 45 now), not taking SS until age 67, and still leaving money to our kids even if we live well into our 90s which I kind of refuse to believe. That just doesn’t seem remotely possible.

But if so, I should probably stop destroying my liver.

You don't see it until you're in your later 50's/early 60's. All of a sudden you have 7 figures in your account and 8-10% return starts to equal above $100k/year. Your generation will probably want $2-3 million+ to retire comfortably

[Chicat]

My financial advisor has us both retiring at age 60 (we are 45 now), not taking SS until age 67, and still leaving money to our kids even if we live well into our 90s which I kind of refuse to believe. That just doesn’t seem remotely possible.

But if so, I should probably stop destroying my liver.

You don't see it until you're in your later 50's/early 60's. All of a sudden you have 7 figures in your account and 8-10% return starts to equal above $100k/year. Your generation will probably want $2-3 million+ to retire comfortably

He’s got us pegged at $2.6M at retirement and $6.8M at age 90.

You’re right. I don’t see it now. It seems unfathomable.

[dovecanyoncat]

My financial advisor has us both retiring at age 60 (we are 45 now), not taking SS until age 67, and still leaving money to our kids even if we live well into our 90s which I kind of refuse to believe. That just doesn’t seem remotely possible.

But if so, I should probably stop destroying my liver.

You don't see it until you're in your later 50's/early 60's. All of a sudden you have 7 figures in your account and 8-10% return starts to equal above $100k/year. Your generation will probably want $2-3 million+ to retire comfortably

He’s got us pegged at $2.6M at retirement and $6.8M at age 90.

You’re right. I don’t see it now. It seems unfathomable.

In one of my annual review calls to my man (in 2017, I was whining about Trump among other things) he said I needed to plan on living another 40 years. I was 60 at the time. So, yeah.

He also warned about taking too much off the table and getting killed by inflation. Time works both ways: on the way up (growth) and on the way down (inflation). As long as you're alive you're in the game whether you like it or not.

[Merkin]

I retired at 62, and started taking SS then to go along with my traditional state pension. Like my dad said who also collected at 62, he might be dead at 65 and not get anything from SS. Although he is quite well at 88. He also gets a pension from IBM.

The only money I am leaving to my kids is the equity in my house, which is substantial being in Cali.

[Longhorned]

For me, the thought of retiring is like the thought of having all of my cartilage removed. Seems painful to do and nothing good can come of it. I want to be an extremely aged professor who asks everyone to say that again.

[Chicat]

I fear retirement because I have no hobbies and very few interests.

Maybe I’ll learn to cook and get morbidly obese.

[Longhorned]

Yeah, where am I going to get a hobby? I half wonder if I'll sleep all day.

[JMarkJohns]

I fear retirement because I have no hobbies and very few interests.

Maybe I’ll learn to cook and get morbidly obese.

It’s not that I don’t have hobbies, but I am “objects at rest stay at rest” incarnate.

Im in the middle of working 165-180 hours last week, this week, next week. I have 7 events, 2 out of town, 3 of which I am helping organize, I’ve done radio, TV, newspaper each week, Ive spoken at 2 Rotary groups, I’ve dealt with ongoing school bullshit, ongoing pool project, I’m going to Deftones in Phoenix Saturday (3rd out of town trip), and I took a bunch of Easter Photos last weekend that will be processed in the free hours. All told, I’ve probably had 8 hours each day for myself, and I have slept majority of those, save for a few random days where my body said, nope, power nap.

But I swear to you, if I get up on a Saturday and don’t have to do shit that weekend, I’m ordering pizza and wings or a bunch of Chinese and not leaving my house while watching The Wire or The West Wing for the umpteenth time while typing on my phone for 48 solid hours, and, if Monday wasn’t work, I’d probably continue. And it’s not because I’m even tired. I’ve always been this way.

I will either die working or die 2 years after retiring from boredom and a heart attack.

[scumdevils86]

Is cooking, curating and making cocktails for my wife, light container gardening, and hanging with my kid considered hobbies? Because if I'm not sleeping or working that's all I do. I don't even watch tv more than about 3 hours per week.

[dovecanyoncat]

You're all sick fucks and you're all going to Hell.

[JMarkJohns]

I’m sure I’ll talk myself into travel. The smartest thing I could do is sell my physical home for a mountain piece of property and an RV, then just explore. That would actually be right up my alley, but who knows if that’s even gonna be doable in 20-25 years with gas prices and the move to green vehicles.

[Chicat]

Is cooking, curating and making cocktails for my wife, light container gardening, and hanging with my kid considered hobbies? Because if I'm not sleeping or working that's all I do. I don't even watch tv more than about 3 hours per week.

That’s four more hobbies than I have.

[Merkin]

My dad has the same retirement hobby I do, buying crap at garage sales, and flipping them on eBay. It's actually pretty lucrative. Takes me about 15 minutes to photograph and list. Keeps my dad active, he is 88 and living on his own.

One thing about retirement, time goes by 4 times as fast.

[Chicat]

One thing about retirement, time goes by 4 times as fast.

That’s why I’ve decided that my retirement hobby will be micro-dosing Ketamine.

[azgreg]

Is cooking, curating and making cocktails for my wife, light container gardening, and hanging with my kid considered hobbies? Because if I'm not sleeping or working that's all I do. I don't even watch tv more than about 3 hours per week.

That’s four more hobbies than I have.

Get yourself a table saw and don't look back.

[Merkin]

Is cooking, curating and making cocktails for my wife, light container gardening, and hanging with my kid considered hobbies? Because if I'm not sleeping or working that's all I do. I don't even watch tv more than about 3 hours per week.

That’s four more hobbies than I have.

Get yourself a table saw and don't look back.

But no drinking while operating! My neighbor lost ends of 4 fingers on a table saw when sober, and had done fantastic woodwork his whole life.

Had to drive himself to the hospital too, his wife was too upset to drive.

[Chicat]

Yeah, I think I’m good on a table saw. I’d like to be able to jerk off in my later years.

[CalStateTempe]

Let’s go to the return of the electric light show at Disneyland she said. It will be fun!

Holy shit…dealing with the mess of humanity after today just to wait for 2hrs on the sidewalk for some damn Christmas lights makes me want to fight something right now.

At least at California adventure I can get drunk to deal with this mess. Disneyland, why I only god know, remains dry to this day.

[UAEebs86]

LOL CST

Been there, done that, got the t-shirt and wore it out.

[scumdevils86]

My wife and I swear we're never doing Disney with the kid

[Alieberman]

I haven’t ever been to Disney with my kids and they are now teenagers

Best Dad Ever

[Longhorned]

My kid 5 year-old read me the riot act and now we've reserved multi-day passes in July. The worst part of it is she'll never want to do anything else after she's experienced Disneyland.

We're taking a sleeping car on an overnight train from Tucson to LA, renting a car, and staying at the Disney hotel thingy. At least it only cost five thousand dollars.

[Merkin]

Used to go all the time to DL when my kids were little and it was pretty inexpensive. Very rarely saw the parades. Always a great time to get on the rides that normally have long lines.

Just came back from Disneyland/California Adventure a couple weeks ago with my daughter, son in law, and grand kids.

Set heat records, think our 2nd day was 101. But lines were not long, so it was good.

Still had the 3rd day on our pass to go later in the year, probably fall.

Have to say though, food is a lot better now, and a lot more reasonably priced.

[ASUHATER!]

Honestly outside of seeing the Galaxy's Edge star wars land I have 0 desire to go to Disneyland ever again. It's so beyond ludicrously expensive that it's just not worth it. Doing it "cheap" for like 2 nights and 3 days with 2 adults is a like $1500 easy. Just not worth it. But the fiance really wants to go at some point. I'd rather save money for our eventual trip to Europe

[dovecanyoncat]

I'd rather stick my dick in a blender.

[Chicat]

I'd rather stick my dick in a blender.

The stick your dick in a blender ride is a 3-4 hour wait during the busy season. Can I interest you in It’s a Small World instead?

[UAEebs86]

I'd rather stick my dick in a blender.

The stick your dick in a blender ride is a 3-4 hour wait during the busy season. Can I interest you in It’s a Small World instead?

Is that with a Fast Pass?

[dovecanyoncat]

I'd rather stick my dick in a blender.

The stick your dick in a blender ride is a 3-4 hour wait during the busy season. Can I interest you in It’s a Small World instead?

If time is critical it sounds like a toss-up between that or a trip to the glory hole at Buc-ee's.

[CalStateTempe]

Well I survived paying tribute to the mouse.

The Anaheim hotel, non renovated rooms are the tits. Cheap and 5min walk to the door.

I love my kids. They are more cynical than they should be for their age.

My 7yo said all the Animatronic things were “robots” and “ok” and asked my grown women were playing “princess Dress up” regarding the Princess characters.

My 5yo said all the animals on rides were “fake”.

They both loved the roller coasters, and fast rides so we are all good.

But it was surprising to see how jaded they are at such a young age. Lol Making daddy proud

[84Cat]

We did the cheap Anaheim motel and took the shuttle everyday. The room had a water leak and since they were sold out, we couldn't be moved to another room. Worst motel I've ever stayed at. Our kids never wanted to go back to DL after going 3 days in a row.

[Alieberman]

We did the cheap Anaheim motel and took the shuttle everyday. The room had a water leak and since they were sold out, we couldn't be moved to another room. Worst motel I've ever stayed at. Our kids never wanted to go back to DL after going 3 days in a row.

Is this like the old parenting trick of getting your teenagers crazy drunk/sick in hopes they will never drink again?

I like it

[Merkin]

We stayed at the Best Western immediately outside of the gates. It was $300 a night for 2 queens, but well worth it since my daughter also stayed there with her 2 and 4 year olds, so great having a very short walk to give them breaks. Also came with hot breakfast which was nice for her 4 and my 3 that came. Breakfast adds up fast.

[CatsbyAZ]

After paying off my car back in December, the Georgia based financer was supposed to release the title to me, now the sole owner. But in two months of follow up calls to their Georgia offices they finally admitted the title was lost.

It isn’t so easy to simply replace by reprinting; the title document must be reissued through state bureaucracy. To top it off nobody is sure which of four states holds the title – Arizona, where the vehicle was bought; Georgia, where the vehicle was financed, Virginia, where the vehicle was at one point registered, and California, where the vehicle is now registered.

The California DMV was no help. So I went to one of those overpriced private DMVs where they couldn’t trace my title to any of those four states. The next option they offered (which the California DMV had no clue of) was to apply for a new title by declaring a lost title through obtaining an "Auto Title Bond" which after so many months/years automatically converts to a standard California title as long as the three other states don’t impose a claim during the duration of the Auto Title Bond.