[August craft/ maker /sewing thread]

I loved crocheting with chunky wool for this blanket for Dd.  It goes super quickly, so very satisfying.

[We hit the jackpot]

I'd go for the experiences on offer, so a trip sounds great!

[Is it worth it to pay for pre-booked seats on a 12 hour flight?]

5 minutes ago, Kuovonne said:

Can you get the tickets now without paying more to pick a seat, then decide later?

We've bought the tickets.  I now need to decide if it is worth paying extra for a pre-booked seat.  The flight is in a few weeks, and so far available pre-booked seats are about 30% filled and I expect the flight to be full.  We have learned from prior experience that we will probably have to check-in at the airport rather than online 24 hours prior to present visas at the desk (so will be some of the later passengers booking in as making the trip to the airport and back the night before won't be feasible).  Dh is not being very helpful as he says he doesn't really care where he sits.

[Is it worth it to pay for pre-booked seats on a 12 hour flight?]

4 minutes ago, Toocrazy!! said:

It depends on how much you care. Worst case scenario, you are both in separate middle seats. Would it bother you to fly like that? That’s probably what will happen. 

I know I'd need to get up to go to the bathroom a few times during the flight and I'd feel awkward waking someone up to do so (it is a night flight).

[Is it worth it to pay for pre-booked seats on a 12 hour flight?]

11 minutes ago, Pam in CT said:

(It IS substantially better on international flights where at least IATA rules apply. I hope yours is international.)

It's an international flight.

9 minutes ago, Bootsie said:

It would depend upon how much the tickers were, how crowded I think the plane is likely to be, what airline it is, and what the plane configuration is.  If it is 10% of a $800 ticket, I probably would.  If it is 10% of a $3000 ticket, I probably would not.  

The plane is likely to be very crowded at the time of year and day of the week.

International tickets (converted - US$1500 for two).

2 - 4 - 2 configuration.

ETA: Lufthansa/ Swiss Air

[Is it worth it to pay for pre-booked seats on a 12 hour flight?]

I definitely prefer isle seats and would prefer dh to be sitting next to me on a 12 hour flight, but is it really worth the 10% additional cost it would add to our flights?

What would you do?

 

[Lonely]

I was on a training course last week as part of a qualification that I'm doing through a state university. They included some equine therapy and it was a revelation to me how outcome driven I am and how difficult I find it to stay in the moment. The focus of the exercises were to build rapport and connection with the horses and that takes patience and just being quiet with them, without timelines or delivering a product.

Eta: so maybe just sit with the boredom and really feel your body, breathing, random thoughts etc. Really lean into it.

[Doctors are confusing sometimes]

Thinking of you Melissa.  

[Doctors are confusing sometimes]

Thinking of you Melissa.

[House updates]

Good luck!  I hope it sells quickly and at an amazing price!

['Change is always good'?]

16 hours ago, Jaybee said:

Sometimes re-orgs are just attempts for new leadership to make an organization reflect their ideas, and they don't always work. In the corporate world, they sometimes happen before the previous system has hit the "productive" stage, and it just rolls everything over again into the re-org turmoil. I believe there is a process that has to take place before a new system becomes effective, and part of it is that people have to understand it and get used to it before it can run smoothly and start seeing the benefits. The organizations that are constantly in re-org never reach that point of productivity, and it leaves people unsettled and unhappy, and never reaching the point of seeing the returns from their labor.

This is SO true for the corporate I work for.  We've had two re-orgs to try and "fix" previous re-orgs and all it does is cause more chaos. None of them were done with proper design or proper change management.  So, change just for the sake of it is definitely not always good.

On a personal level I think change that one chooses can be very enriching.

[How much are your kids' student loans?]

I work full time and my whole salary goes to university fees and their living costs so that our kids can graduate debt free.

[S/O Internal monologue: I'm stuck and could use some encouragement.]

Agreeing with Regentrude and Peter Pan to slowly declutter what you can now.  Even if you can do only one shelf of books or a crate at a time, that's progress. Set up a workstation to list and sell or box for donation as you go along.

Do you foresee that you will be stretched to pay your current mortgage from what Dh will be making?  It might be worth selling the house now and renting for a while before purchashing a smaller house, but you'd need to carefully evaluate.

How urgent is the need for a house with a master bedroom on the main floor?  If you foresee that it is imminent, then it might be a good idea to start looking for options sooner rather than later.

Would moving in with you be the only reason for your 2nd Dd to move?  It does not seem sensible if you foresee downsizing soon anyway.  

 

[Help me think this through (vacation/house selling)]

Another vote for staying close for a few days.  Closer even than 3 hours if there are dog-friendly places nearby.

[I didn't need another thing to make my life harder, AKA paperless billing]

In my country the postal system is basically non-functional and all bills are sent via email.  Cheques have been phased out (I last wrote one about 20 years ago), so everything is electronic. 

What works for us is to have a separate email account for all bills. As soon as I receive the bill, I pay it and move the email to its designated folder. I also make a copy of the proof of payment from my banking app and send it to myself to go into the folder. That way I know exactly what's outstanding in the inbox and have records in the folders.

We also have automated payments for all fixed monthly amounts like insurance, school fees, etc.

Whatever is needed for tax purposes is also kept electronically.  I do make a regular backup of the mail folder.

[Please pray for my husband Update]

Sending good thoughts and hope his medical team figures it out soon.

 

[Some positive thoughts please]

Thinking of you and hoping for a speedy recovery for Twin 1!

[I feel sad- extended family drama]

We grew up living two doors down from one set of cousins and 20 min from the other. We were in each other's lives all the time.

We all get on, but my siblings live all over the world. Dh is an only child.  My kids have grown up knowing only our nuclear family and the very occasional family holiday with one set of cousins.

It is sad that they don't have those connections.

[Some positive thoughts please]

Thinking of your son and you Melissa and hoping for the best 

[What happens in your country if someone can't be discharged from hospital?]

Here they put you out on the street. 

My mil was not able to go home and we needed to take leave from our jobs for a few weeks to care for her 24/7 while frantically finding her a place in a nursing home. Thankfully we were able to find a place and were able to afford it. 

[I just gave a stranger $5 worth of gas]

14 hours ago, kathyl said:

We saw something interesting yesterday.  Stopped at a red light with a couple cars in front of us.  Older skinny, rough looking guy sitting in the median with a sign that was blank.  Car in front of us gave him cash and he did a quick jig.  When he did that, another car handed him money.  Then he did another quick jig.  Then the light changed.  Never seen one quite like that one.  

That is very common here. You often see a troupe of dancers, in costume, faces sometimes made up, who have a complete routine going to entertain motorists while the traffic light is red. I prefer to give them something vs the regular beggars we also have at every intersection.

Eta: here's a YouTube link 

And another

 

[When My Last Kid Launches I'm Going To... [A Wishful Thinking Game for Homeschooling Parents]]

Youngest went to university this year, so we have an empty house. I will continue to work full-time to pay for the kid's studies. I enrolled for an Advanced Certificate in Financial Coaching in preparation for my encore career when I retire from corporate life. I've also started art classes.

If money were no object I'd be traveling around the world on the 5-year world tour.

[Renting out a room in your house]

Entertaining of guests

Sleepovers

Bathroom use (including use of towel rails, storage space)

Kitchen use (cooking time, meals, cleanup, food storage)

Cleaning expectations (communal areas, own room, bedding, oen washing, etc)

Use of outside areas

Use of parking

Utilities and wifi

Length of agreement and notice period.

[I think I made a mistake]

What is it that you think you "should" be doing? If you are tired of traveling and have the option to rest and just have time out to recharge, then allow yourself that indulgence.  

You will have the energy to do all of the "shoulds" with renewed vigor later.

[If you could have ANY job, what would it be?]

Travel writer 

Eta: Now that we're empty nesters I'd love to have the opportunity for a few years of sponsored travel!