Greetings and a kindly harrumph, When I reached the impertinent age of 10 the basic living stipend I was used to and expected each week came to an end. The edict from on high was proclaimed with the quite firm words, 'Want spending money? Get a job.' I was not a happy camper. I resented this looming impoverishment plus the utterly unfair loss of my cherished leisure. Worse, my attempt to negotiate a reasonable fee for my weekly chores was refused with that eye-rolling 'give me patience' look. With hanging head, I tramped around the neighborhood to knock on doors. Never figured to start a lawn mowing business, or that it would fill my pockets with more than the ol' stipend. Got me a rep, diversified into newspaper delivery and became a steady customer at the hobby shop. Those two lasted until I got a shot at the big time... bagging groceries at the local market. See, some ranches were outside town and a tip for packing 10 bags and hauling 'em out to the truck was as much as I usta get for a job pushing that lawn mower. Years later, I started a design business and enjoyed the work for nearly three decades. Been lurking a while and the range of topics discussed is impressive. What's also impressive is how many active posters there are and how long they've been around. No doubt it takes a while to learn who's who and where they stand. Where do I stand? For a long time I chose who best represented my views at the ballot box. More recently, however, the choice has become which spineless sellout will do the least harm. I see Democrats and Republicans as two sides of the same sorry coin. These H. L. Mencken quotes may clarify. My vigilantly grumpy 2¢.
Thanks, Pieces of Malarkey. Nope, no one mentioned that particular policy. You're the first. So what'll be for you... a shot of whiskey? Coffee? Lemonade? A beachfront getaway with airfare? Thanks, FatBack, and hello to you, too.
Uhh... did you want the old 12 or the 14? Word is the aroma on the 12 is a bit lighter yet sharper, so that's what I sent. Hope that'll do.
Welcome, grumpy geezer! I remember when I raised the topic of compensation for weekly chores with my dad. He was graciously open to the idea, as long as I was open to the idea of paying him for my weekly room and board.
Thanks, Hotdogr. Yeah, at that age parents have the inside track at one-upping what a kid thinks is a clever request. I like your dad's style.
Welcome! New members are always good. Especially grumpy ones. This joint is overly cluttered with folks overjoyed with US politics and how adroitly the political parties are addressing the business of the country. The ensuing mass joviality and good humor wears on a body. A bit of grumpy will help balance things out! Love your intro post. I can identify with your childhood. I was abused in much the same manner. Again, welcome and have fun.
Greetings and welcome to this forum, You seem to have survived what sounds like the usual childhood abuses and come out unscathed and wiser for the experience. What sort of design work do you do? I'm a semi-retired blacksmith who has designed and made ornamental wrought iron gates, furniture, wine racks with wrought iron grape vines, reproductions of Elizabethan, Civil War and Colonial artifacts, wrought iron African animals, full size human figures comprising a jazz band, cannons, sculpture, sign brackets, full sized human skeletons for Halloween, props for movies and on and. on... Re: Yes, there are almost countless topics up for discussion and if you don't find something that interests you, you can start your own thread. I think that you will like it here and look forward to reading your thoughts. Enjoy yourself,
Welcome! You'll find every stripe of political position here. Keep your cane handy and use as necessary, they can be a persistent bunch....
Hi 557, That mean new grumpy members are subject to more political abuse than old grumpy members, but it's done with joviality and good humor? Lol, gimme a link 'cause that's where I wanna post! Glad you relate to my harrowing experiences of childhood abuse. I got to visit it again, at each passing age/phase, while raising my son. Was an amazing time, with lotsa fond memories from the other side of that 'abuse.' A great book we both read when he was about 12 and had both of us pointing fingers and laughing: "Get Out of My Life, but first could you drive me and Cheryl to the mall?" Thanks for the welcome, 557.
Appreciate your welcome, Grau. I think so, yet reality has a way of rudely intruding now and then, and the usual culprit is CRS. Cool work! I had fun in highschool G-Shop doing small metal projects... making a plumb bob, a decorative sheetmetal box w/ hinged lid, arc and flame welding. I've always enjoyed hands-on work. After retiring I spend a few years with Habitat For Humanity doing HVAC and plumbing. The business I started was merchandising design for home furnishings retailers. After an initial in-store visit, I'd design a set of plans for the style and price point of the goods they sold. Think of it as vignettes of staged rooms with spotlighted highlights and shadows to create drama and interest, while wandering through a maze with enough line of sight to easily see into the surrounding vignettes. The design tends to keep shoppers in the store longer, offer visual ideas of what their home might look like and often sales with more than one item... a sofa, chairs, tables and lamps instead of just a sofa. I'd meet the owner at a wholesale market, get a budget and buy accessories (lamps, wall art, tabletop decor, etc) for the new plan. When the accessories arrived and construction nearly done, I'd fly in for a week or so and work with staff/employees to get the showroom set up for the grand opening/reopening. Went back every six months or so to redo the store's merchandise mix and get the showroom set up for a spring/fall ad event. I liked a retailer's feedback of a 6%-12% increase in their average sale six months later. I also enjoyed shopping the wholesale accessory market with a $5-$10/sqft budget, which made factory reps happy to see me. It's a small industry and retailers/reps knew or knew of each other around the country, which got me word of mouth advertising And what may be hard to imagine these days is almost all my jobs were done with a verbal agreement and a handshake. I think I will. For the moment, however, seeing my last post clear moderation after 10 others had posted and the thread had moved on to the next page, well... lol, I found something new to be grumpy about. I know the 'mod hold' is normal and only for a while. It's just learning how stuff works here. Thanks, Grau.
I get to use a cane? Is a length of 2x4 allowed? I've been getting an eyefull of 'every stripe of political position,' with some a good deal more effusive than others. If wishes were horses... but it comes with the territory. Thanks for the welcome, Collateral Damage.
My observation on PF is you can pick a tribe/party and post based on that tribe’s approved ideas. Then half of PF takes you to task. My experience on PF is you can reject tribalism and just post based on the facts and logic and reason and be taken to task by everyone from both tribes. There is a bit of humor but we could use more. Sounds like an interesting book. Learning hard work pays off at a young age is a great thing. I ended up working off the lion’s share my tuition for my education starting in about 4th or 5th grade. Best return on investment so far in my life. Thanks for raising good kids. Don’t have my own but having well raised kids is one of my passions. If everyone who makes the little devils cared enough to raise them right many of societies worst problems wouldn’t exist.
It is. I let my son read it first. Wearing that knowing smile as he finished a chapter he'd say, "They sure got your number!" I did the same with him when I read it. The 'terrible twos' is when kids discover the word 'No!' and learn how to use it. The pre/early teens is a much more sophisticated terrible twos, and given the emotional hormonal changes and social angst, they learn to use 'No!' very effectively. I know you've seen it. The book is an excellent and fun intermediary for both kid and parent to understand each other's frustrations. Although my membership is only a few days old, I had a month or so of lurking to see how threads evolved. While I agree with your observation, I've never been a joiner for the sake of approval or the comfort of fitting in. Which means I'll risk being taken to task by everyone from both tribes. Why deprive half when I can give all of 'em a shot? Should I find a few like-minded souls along the way I'll consider myself fortunate. Yup, it really is a fine thing. I didn't start paying tuition and books until college. Took longer to finish yet the accomplishment of earning my way to graduation felt great. I have the same passion and completely agree with you. Alice Miller, an author, became very important to me when my son was 13 months. The first book I read, "The Drama of the Gifted Child," was a gift. I bought five more. The book was ignored or given so-so reviews by peers (psychiatry) but became a runaway best seller with everyday people in Europe. The two paragraphs at her website give the gist of her thinking and the focus of her books.
