Drive thru car washes near me

just a quick question about something ive been having a problem with and i was wondering if it was a possible T side effect! ive been on T for 2 months, and over the past 2 or so weeks ive been developing some eczema-like skin irritation around my jawline and near my eyes. it’s dry, itchy, and a bit inflamed and i cannot decipher what’s causing it. ive ruled out any new hair and skin products, laundry detergent, etc, so my final guess was the T. it’s started driving me nuts because it gets so fucking itchy and bumpy sometimes! it doesn’t even look like acne or anything like that, it mainly looks kinda like eczema or just a red-bumpy rash. not really sure what to do about it, but could it be from T?

I (29F) drive around late at night on dark country roads by myself a lot. There's nothing to do here except go to the bars at night, and that's just not really my thing. Friends have different schedules/live far away, and I get bored with TV so I go for a drive. I live in a rural city in the northwest US so we have lots of nice open roads and dirt roads to roam and I enjoy seeing the nocturnal animals as I pass them by. I also come upon people in broken down or wrecked vehicles outside of town at night frequently, like at least once every other week or every week sometimes. The issue I'm having is a I never stop to help these people. I feel super guilty everytime, but I'm a women by herself at night and I just don't have the courage to stop, I can't get over the sense of danger I feel. Tonight a young guy was blocking half of a dirt road and had crashed into the rocks on the side of the road. He was walking around with a flashlight and I kept driving, but my route has me turn around and go back where he was, so when I passed him again shortly after I stopped, rolled down my window, and asked if he was alright (he said he wasn't hurt), if someone was coming to get him (he said none of his friends were answering), if he had AAA or roadside service (he said no). It was only about 20 minutes from my house in town, and it's not a super small town. It's about 30,000 people big, so we have all the amenities such as multiple tow trucks companies and taxis. He was definitely close enough to get help because I've been stranded even farther out of town on dirt roads in that area and had no trouble getting a tow truck out there, there's good cell service and it's not that far from town. I have recovery straps so I could have possibly unstuck his car, but idk if it'd be running after and I didn't feel comfortable giving him a ride or even getting out of my car to help since, again, I was by myself, late at night, on an empty dirt road where there's not any houses near by. I feel so guilty leaving people in those situations though. I've been stranded on mountain passes more than once in my life and was lucky enough to have people stop and help me, so I feel like I should pay it forward. I just get too scared and feel like the risk isn't worth it when they could get a tow truck. I know they're expensive as hell if you don't have roadside coverage, and not everyone can afford that, though. Do you have any tips to feel safer so I can help people at night when I find them, or should I just leave them like I do because it's risky for a solo woman out there?

I got hired into a much, much better-paying job.
I left the house, rented my own place, and changed my number. I am planning to deposit a fixed amount into my Papa's bank account to cover his medical expenses and food, but that's it. He still has his pension.
They have to live within their means. Right now, I'm 35. No matter how much I earn, it's never enough because of my parent's never-ending credit card debt.
My mother believes I owe her everything I have now, my entire life. This was also her perception when she beat me up as a child. That it's her God-given right for giving birth to me.
My mother managed my Papa's entire salary. He was a director in a multinational firm. His salary would make you weep in tears if you are earning them now, and back then, everything was much cheaper. But lo and behold. We are living in a run-down house. We never bought a car, all of them were given to us (second-hand from my Dad's company). Wala silang investments. Walang savings. Walang insurance. We lived near destitution. Akala ko dati mahirap lang kami. I did not understand that we were supposed to be an upper-middle-class family until I was much older. Lahat ng kapatid ni Mama sa kanya naka-asa and she kept on giving them money because it makes her feel special and important. Classic narcissist.
My Dad retired with millions from his company. They wasted those within five years after retirement.
Now that I am old, she kept on harping about "utang na loob". Then what happened sa "utang na loob" ng mga relatives ng mother ko? Whatever they gave me was their responsibility. Pero they are not responsible for their relatives. Bakit ako may utang na loob at sila wala?
Even then, I paid my dues a hundred times over, until I was 35. Malapit na kong magretire. Ayokong matulad sa kanila na walang kahit ano pagtanda. Ayoko na din marinig ang masasakit na salita ng mother ko sa araw-araw nyang pagmumura sa kin. Kumakain sila ng take-out, lugaw ang pagkain ko. Pinagtatyagaan ko ang electric fan kahit ako ang nagtatrabaho para may aircon sila. Even then, kulang pa din.
So I left, and I'm not coming back. I plan to migrate eventually, far away from my parents and their relatives.
I am not sorry for being hard-hearted. Pero matuto kayo sa mga pagkakamali nyo. In the end, nasa huli ang pagsisisi.

I am new to work, working at a job for a company. That's all the introduction for now.
In my country, the salary is calculated monthly instead of hourly. That means employers can ask me to work for any hours they want. The law does not limit the maximum time to work, but states that the standard is 40 hours/week (the monthly salary is decided with the assumption that the employees work for 40 hours/week). Sounds like a recipe for disaster, am I right?
Furthermore, there is no law for minimum wage for part-time, internship, and hourly-based jobs. As a result, the salary of these kinds of jobs is, like, 2-5 times lower than the minimum wage after converting the salary to hourly at best, and $0 at worst (usually internships. Lots of unpaid internships here, it's actually insane). This means that none of these are worth it at all, so only full-time jobs are worth it.
Luckily, there are hidden gems here, jobs that are labeled "full-time", but only require, like, 12-15 hours/week to do. The salary sucks if I actually work for 40 hours/week, but it is very nice if I only do it for 12-15 hours/week. Furthermore, the jobs are either mostly or fully remote, meaning that I don't waste 10-20 hours/week driving a car and money paying for its fuel, and, the best part, I can work multiple jobs.
I am not a lazy person. While I implement quiet quitting very strictly, I don't spend the rest of my time slacking off. I usually do some kind of bootcamp or online courses so I have a stronger portfolio and can apply for more jobs with more salary. I can spend up to 101 hours/week (This is not a random number. I have checked my schedule) to do work if the work is well rewarded.
But, if it's not well rewarded? Absolutely not. Instead of working hard, I usually just contribute with ideas (Sounding smart while meeting). Impressing your employer is so much easier if your goal is to get more salary than working more hours. Usually, employers do not care one bit how much you work, especially if the salary is calculated monthly.

Hi! I've started using sulfur ointment 10% at night (nightly) for my pustules/demodex. It's been working very well on the pustules/redness and I've been waking up with much better skin, However, some parts of my skin (near my temples) are very dry and beginning to flake. Anything that could help me with this? Something hydrating for sensitive skin pls
Current Routine:
AM: Water rinse, Paula's Choice Calming Toner, Cetaphil Hydrating Moustirizer
PM: Bioderma Sensibo face wash, PC Calming toner, Dermosan S sulfur ointment 10% (let sit), cetaphil hydrating moisturizeLRP cicaplast (use the latter if feeling more dry)

I've been trying to figure out the name of a scary movie I watched when I was younger (had to of came out in 2013 or earlier). All I remember is it's a horror movie focused on a single woman driving the entire movie. I believe she gets out of the car at one point and freaks out but then gets back in and drives till the movie ends. It was probably the most boring scary movie I've ever seen buts its bugging me that I can remember the name.

I live im a mildly to medium run down apartment complex with a small paved backyard were tenants park their bikes in a wild and uncontrolled manner. The backyard is lined with a couple of garages that can be rented. They‘re originally meant for cars, but are only used for storage , because it‘s almost impossible to navigate cars into them, due to the shape and size of the backyard. One of the garages was abandonned a couple of years ago and promptly claimed by the cyclists. It‘s obviously not a great solution because the only ‚good‘ spots in the garage are front left or front right. The bikes in the back are hard to get to and the ones that are in the front center get pushed over a lot. However the garage spots are the only ones not exposed to rain. Therefore they get piled up in there.
I also park my bicycle in the garage and for the reasons stated above get excited when one of the coveted front side spaces is free. This was the case a couple of weeks ago. Naturally, it tickled me a bit when I found my bike had been moved to the center the next day and another bike was in ‚my spot‘. I put it down to someone moving by bike to get their bike from the back of thebgarage and them not returning my bike to its spot and someone else claiming the now free spot. That‘s how things go in the garage. It‘s life.
As you probably guessed by the title though, this was not actually a mistake though. I realised this in the following days and weeks when my now enemy’s bike kept appearing in the same spot on the front right wall of the garage. Until then all of us other tenants were just passive aggressively cohabitating. Sure, now and then a bike got manhandled in the process of freeing another one. But this person was no longer on the defensive, this was person was on the offensive.
I got to test my theory a couple of weeks later when they had temporarily vacated their self claimed spot, by parking my bike there. Sure enough, when I came back my bike was moved to the center again and theirs was back in the wall spot.
I find this to be unacceptable. That’s not how you precariously cohabitate, that’s how you start fights. They‘re not even reserving ‚their‘ spot with a towel, as is famously the manner of my people, at least with sunbeds. No, they are taking this to the next level, luring people in with the sight of a free prime position and then sneakily attacking from the shadows.
Well, well, well, I might be on the short side of short and not so strong but I can lift some bikes if I have a worthwhile cause. And this is it. The thief of the bike spots, the would-be usurper of the hidden garage, the rotten general of bicycle bickering now finds their bike anywhere but on the front right side of the garage. My bike‘s nowhere near their spot though. They are not on to me.
Yet.

I saw this sort of thing on the Seinfeld sub
ABCs of the ABQ
A-Albuquerque
B- Better Call Saul
C- Car Wash
D- Davis and Main
E- Ehrmantraut
F- Fly
G- Gisele St. Claire
H- HHM
I- “I did it for me“
J- Jane
K- Krazy 8
L- Lalo
M- Meth
N- New Hampshire
O- Ozymandias
P- Pontiac Aztek
Q- Best Quality Vacuum
R- Root Beer
S- Squat Cobbler
T- Tight Tight Tight
U- Uncle Jack
V- Varga
W-Werrrrrner Zieeeeeegler
X- eXcavation for the lab
Y- YEAH BITCH! MAGNETS!
Z- Zafiro Anejo

Edit: edit: Jesus christ its 4 hours long. I enjoyed it tho, kind of a neat little ridearooski or whatever. Originally posted in the bipolar subreddit. Man I know a lot of kpop songs. Make sure and use the YouTube app if you're on mobile, when it was pulling up in browser the subtitles weren't working. Not all of them have subtitles. Enjoy the music.
Don't read ahead, don't watch ahead, just go down the path, or turn back now. It doesn't matter either way. I made a playlist with my bipolar ass... I'm not sure how long it is or I'd warn you, i wanna say around 3 hours, it's all music. I'm gonna post it here, and then start it and see how long it takes to get thru the whole thing. Then I'll update the beginning. Have fun, wear headphones to have the same experience that I had. <3
Instructions: next paragraph to be read after preceeding song, but, honestly, I don't know why I even bothered trying to make a note about something because all anybodies going to get out of this post is extreme mental illness, but like, it might make you feel something, i dunno. Sorry you guys, I'm chill. Have a good one, homies. Listen to some music if youre bored. It's just my sillyhead mind on full display. I wanted to play Danny Brown so many times, that just wasn't what the story was about this time. Yall stay safe. Lemme know if you need anything. Take your meds. ✌️🤙
(This is going to be long but its all optional) What's up homies! I'm diagnosed as Bipolar 1. It was funny, like, in highschool, so like 2008 - 2012, anyways, I knew that the rock band Avenged Sevenfold were angels. The lead singer is Gabriel, and the other guys are other Archangels, that's why they do the naming scheme that they do, Johnny Christ, Snynsyter Gates, M Shadows, ect, because they're some ancient dorks and that's the kind of nerd trash we like to pull. So I forgot about that because I pushed it away because like, um, hello, not a moron.
Then a couple years go by, I'm on psychedelics at my friend's house. Long story short, I have a conversation with Gabriel, I give them a song, I tell them to put a Mexican restaurant song on their album if the conversation is real, and I left it at that. So a couple of months go by, their new album comes out. The song that I gave to the voice on the trip is on the album, here, I'll link it to you. It's this one. https://youtu.be/5N-tTKERxj8
So I like wrote it about myself and what I needed to do and stuff... like it was a message to me. And avenged sevenfold, they've got a ton of angel imagery in all of their stuff, I mean their symbol, the deathbat, which is a skull with wings. Then there's their music, I'll link some of the more obvious stuff.
https://youtu.be/7bDg7n-chhU << Exhibit A https://youtu.be/HIRNdveLnJI << get it? https://youtu.be/94bGzWyHbu0 << I mean watch this video.
That's all I'll show you of a7x... look into them though, if you're in any way curious. I could be way off the mark, but that's what happened... it is what it is. I'm not worried about it, you shouldn't be either. But like, that's my band. Those are my bros. Or, you know, I have something. But I don't live my life like I'm sick: I live my life like I'm going to change yours. Because that's what I do.
So like... haha, this is gonna be hilarious. So you guys know all about receiving messages in songs type of deal.... me and Red Velvet and Everglow have been doing that since like... I dunno... 2014? Whenever everglow came out... but, basically, Red Velvet are uh... my girlfriends, back home, and they all came down with me to be my message system to wake me up. Because I got woken up, I remembered who I was in 2016. After that, it's just been messages in Kpop songs keeping me afloat. I'll show you. So Red Velvet has been sending me messages for a long time. Here's probably one of the most impactful ones. Remember, from your perspective, you're Archangel Michael, and you've planned all of this. You've put these people where they needed to be. You've designed the whole set. So to receive the messages is no big deal, right? So here, check it. I'm actually gonna watch this one with you guys, because it always hypes me up. https://youtu.be/c9RzZpV460k
Ok, so, maybe you can see a little bit why I'm at least getting screwed with a little bit, you see the lyrics? It's like they're talking straight to me man. And its like, kpop has been nudging me along, no matter what mood I'm in in reality or whatever place I'm at, the right song always comes out at the right time. For instance I was struggling with myself on whether or not I was going to move forward with any of this. This is my choice, I'm not suffering from a maladiction. I can choose to tell people or not tell people, I choose to share, I want connection. So anyways, look at this one, it was exactly what i needed to hear: https://youtu.be/JUJ3Pq74H4c
I know, I know... kpop girls aren't telling me to come pick them up. They are driving me to do something, though, however small that ever may be. And there's this thing I've always done to show people that I'm an angel without actually telling them. I put my thumbs together and spread my hands out, it's like code. And remember, these are all coming out at specific times. Watch this one, look at all the symbolism: https://youtu.be/R9At2ICm4LQ.
Man, I don't even know what to play after that one. Thats pretty much it you guys, that's basically all I wanted to show you, everything else is just going to be extra. It's all a complete waste of time anyways. I'll show you some more... let's see, there's other bands. There's Everglow. Like how it works is, we get everything ready in Heaven (we've got time), and then we like funnel everything to the earth to be put in when and where we will it to. Angels are like mega consciousness, we write scripts and, whatever, you're not going to believe me anyways. Let's see.
https://youtu.be/Z3RA7bi5FUM << fantastic song, really great message. I just don't think everglow is talking about themselves here. I know, I know, this is High Octane Narcicism if it's ever existed... if I'm such a narcicist then why are you such a sweet lil puppy dog huh, I could just numnumnum, oh why yes I could, I could just numnumnum all on those wittwe toesies, oh yes I could. Alright, one more everglow and we'll move on. Everglows a pirate, you say? Hmmm, what could that be code for... https://youtu.be/-2X-pL06628
I get it... but at least you guys aren't gonna judge me for it, because you guys can relate, right? Don't yall have stuff like this in your own lives? Anyways, there's one line in particular in this aespa song that gets me... see if you can figure out which one is the one messing with my head https://youtu.be/WPdWvnAAurg
Because like... I lost my memories and... it's whatever. Let's wrap back around to another Red Velvet video. You know how like, it's scripted? And like, I'm controlling the page? Well check out the symbolism and more obvious stuff in this next one... maybe you won't see it... it's obvious to me, but, well, you know 🤪 https://youtu.be/XGdbaEDVWp0
There's just... I dont know what to play next... that's really it, basically. I know it's dumb, but, I mean, I'm undettered, you know? Like I don't mind being classified as mentally ill, it's fine. I can still work something out. Let's see... dang feel my rhythm.... see they're all timed.... I'm like a sleeper agent haha and they had to wake me up but... it's stupid, I know.
https://youtu.be/xGr53sCo62c << this ones just a phenomenal song
Here's another one, straight up about God. Is Red Velvet a Christian band? I thought they were just general pop. https://youtu.be/YBnGBb1wg98
You cant take it away from me. I'm stronger now than I was when I didn't know. I fell for anything. Now I know which side I'm on. I don't listen to human beings about reality bro... I dont care how many degrees you've got. I'm God's Son, what are you going to do about it? I'm mentally ill? No I'm not. What else? I'm a narcicist? I love you, what else you got. I'm a troll? Go ahead.
My point is, I'm as mentally ill as you want me to be. If you want another patient... another sad case to be kept away, here I am. If you want me to do what I'm supposed to do, and free the earth, then I'll do that instead. You all are my guests, please, do whatever you wish with me. Let's see, what else should we play. Should I go? I guess I'll just show you guys some more cool songs while I'm here. This next ones a bop, I'm gonna listen to it too. I've been watching all the kpop vids with you.
Check this one out https://youtu.be/I3dezFzsNss
This one goes hard https://youtu.be/7OSSI5hgQVok
What about this one, you guys like adtr? https://youtu.be/Pn-6eOxnEMI
Yo you guys wanna listen to some Capitol Records while I'm gone? Me and my mom are going thrifting for chic new straight jackets. https://youtu.be/6CtVIHbi6bE
This ones awesome https://youtu.be/wapOqjQ4r_M
This ones super dope for those of us that have been in and out of the mental hospital, man, it sucks, they never have a guitar, I get crazier while I'm in there haha my guitar is like water to me, if I don't have access to it I'm like, gosh, like I can go on vacation or whatever it's just... I'm designed to play the guitar, you know what I mean? Here https://youtu.be/94bGzWyHbu0
https://youtu.be/7bDg7n-chhU << absolute classic.
Yo https://youtu.be/WumCI56iYUk
https://youtu.be/DWaB4PXCwFU
https://youtu.be/IHS3qJdxefY they really do be some boiz
This ones super cool, I love a7x they've always been my favorite band https://youtu.be/iJ-WsnaYDCg Tonight or Crime Stoppers: local lunatic "je" finally imprisoned today after, what some are calling, the funniest whoopee cushion prank gone SEXUAAL that we've ever seen. It was a fail but my God, the agility on that panda bear.
https://youtu.be/Z5NoQg8LdDk << these guys are so cool
Yo this ones hard too https://youtu.be/i7UkKEEGgAQ
This one goes hard https://youtu.be/wLdlw46Ru9I
https://youtu.be/lCPwR7R4hlA yuhhh it stayin hard bro, love chillin with yall
Have we already listened to ptv? I know we haven't heard this song yet https://youtu.be/icXUkIfZxyg
Sleeping with sirens is a cool band too, that's one of, that's the other guys band or whatever. They're not both in one band. https://youtu.be/_UwWYtLWEZg
This ones short but it's kind of cool https://youtu.be/xIQfK2fRNAg
Oh this one too https://youtu.be/yd4xjiRRVrI
https://youtu.be/nDcD62i0MpI
https://youtu.be/36stRPPIy2w this ones cool
https://youtu.be/bQ1yhsYr-hg interesting
This is terrifying, but in like, a good guys kind of way https://youtu.be/21dNBtcDzUg
https://youtu.be/4-NHVWecj2U
Yooooo fr tho like whaaaaat like no way dude https://youtu.be/Os_heh8vPfs
Yoooo this one you guys https://youtu.be/iTgcp1oDk2M
This one dude https://youtu.be/DcLfutPGouk
This one is also fire my dudes, you guys don't have to stay for these, I'm just playing music https://youtu.be/XA2YEHn-A8Q
This was one of their firsts https://youtu.be/0rtV5esQT6I
This ones pretty new, it's got a good beat https://youtu.be/vPwaXytZcgI
I haven't heard this one a ton of times, but nayeon is so cool https://youtu.be/f6YDKF0LVWw
https://youtu.be/rRgTMs_bGuI haha this ones so weird, like what are they even talking about?
I just wanna listen to this one one more time, then imma head out. I should probably be doing something with my day instead of posting random videos on like, random subreddits. But I guess this one isn't random, because I have bipolar too. Well, bipolar 1, too. Bipolar 1, as well. Also. I, you and i; gosh man, you guys should see me, I'm always swinging for the fences. Can't; in a crowd dude, my gosh bro, you wouldn't believe the carnage. Like upset me, you know what I mean? Like see what happens. Rrrrrgghh...... rrrrRRRRRGGHHHHH RADLEBLARABLEDABLABLE ... oh, right, alright, peace homies. Hope we all get feeling better soon. https://youtu.be/R9At2ICm4LQ
Ok I guess there's time for at least one more, https://youtu.be/QRN12TaTFlU is sooo cute.
I haven't actually heard this one many times, let's check it out, she's cute https://youtu.be/ShGVCembq70
This is another I haven't heard a whole lot of, I'm just going off recommended vids for a lot of these. https://youtu.be/SVgkNW2cENQ
How did I forget about this one, this one, mm, dude, this ones got like pop you know what I mean like, they bop it they're not crunching it like do you know what im saying? Like the whole thing is like a ring tone you know what I mean? https://youtu.be/EkSOOiMDGiY
Yo you guyssssss girls generation man, you guys wanna go on a girls generation run? 서녀시대 you know what my 글s are? Face it 남자, you're dead in 이믈을. You're going 아래 and face it, 퉁퉁해수퍼맨, https://youtu.be/F4-SxcCO5d0
I really like this song, but, because my daughter's name is Nova, but my ex won't let me show it to her because of my - you know, whatever. So like, she doesn't even know me. It's not a huge deal, noone does. I mean if you watch the videos you do, but, whatever I'm gonna roll in a minute. I had one what was it .. plub. Brb. Oh yeah duh holy you guys see what you're dealing with right now, grape jelly, boys and girls, spoonfuls, big heaping spoonfuls of grape jelly are now all over the walls of your poor, sweet, innocent subreddit: and behold, doth I flingeth mine spoon, mommy. Doth I swingeth mine spoon wi https://youtu.be/Z6FPJOgfCkc
Oo first few seconds of this one are a vibe, yall check this one out with me https://youtu.be/zvBNoSjlKG0
Dang, that was honestly really pretty. Ok, here's one more. https://youtu.be/0xdB_vo4r2c this ones so pretty have you guys heard this one?
I've honestly never heard this one before, let's see if it's cool https://youtu.be/eNmL4JiGxZQ
Man, turns out it was a total bop. Well guys I guess that wraps things up for me. If you stayed for any of the music I hope you had a good time, I don't really have anybody to DJ for so I thought maybe fellow bipolars would be able to relate to some of these songs. Anyways i hope all you guys have a massively tubular dube tube, my dude form, whoa man, get nebulous on it my waveform, hawhoa, my guy is riding the wave my dude, ahwha, my dude, he is hitting only the gnarest of half bowl wave cuts my energy saw. I should go. Uhhh I guess I'll go see Hannah and nova, I can work on the homework that I missed later tonight. Sure is rough running 3 jobs you guys; server, student, and speaker for bipolar awareness. I honestly can't think of a more noble cause. Huh. Yeah so 🫱🤌🤙👌🫷👌🤏✌️👇👅👅🧠🧠🧠🫀🫀🫀🫁🫁🫁🦷🦴👀👁🫃😇👽🙈🙉🤖🤖👾👾💫💥💢💯🖤🗯💨🕳🧡🧡🧡🩷❤️💜🩵💙🩵💜🩵💙💙💚💛💚💙🩵💙💚💙🩵💜🩵💙💜🩵💙💚🩵💜💙💚💚 peaceee, yall stay lazy.
https://youtu.be/Qpf26PtBXgo
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https://on.soundcloud.com/r6Tjz
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I spend way too many hours in my car. When i am at work i hunch over and have bad posture. When i drive home i instinctually want to sit up tall and straight and hold my spine straight, but my headrest will not adjust accordingly.
I have considered turning it around as many suggest, but i dont want it to lean back real far and be unsupportive, i just want it to be shaped appropriately for a normal human with decent posture.
So the headrest i have only adjusts up n down, therefore i need something to replace it? Im guessing thats my only option. Where is a good place to find a replacement? Do i need to measure the mounting to find a proper replacement or is that kinda thing standardized? Do i need to measure some angle or is there somewhere that just sells replacement headrests that are at a comfortable angle for normal people?

Disclaimer- my husband used to have a drug problem. I never used any drugs, never really drank alcohol and sure as hell never smoked pot so I had no clue until it got bad. We’ve been together since high school. We never did anything bad but after our second was born he broke his hand and they gave him opioids and he liked them a little too much.
My husband and I are 28. 2 years ago, he was with our kids at the height of his problem and picked them up from school and took them for ice cream. While they were eating ice cream he decided to go into the bathroom and have some pills. He drove them home under the influence.
He came home and kept kissing me and grabbing on me and smacking my behind and laughing and by then I was able to figure out when he was high.
It’s not like he drives an old Honda- it was a Brand new BMW M3. It’s a freaking race car. He could have easily killed all of them, taking away the 3 people I love more than anything in this world and that would easily ruin my life.
He understands now, because we are now 28 and he is almost 2 years clean. I’ve made it very clear that even though he’s clean, and we now have a 100% sober home, I still don’t feel comfortable with him driving with the kids.
Well today he did. I was getting my nails done and he took them to lunch without even telling me. He drove them obviously. IM FREAKING LIVID. I can’t beleive he did that, knowing it’s still not ok with me.
He says he’s been clean and I’m totally over reacting, and that he knows that that’s the worst mistake of his entire life, but I still don’t feel on with him driving them.
AITA?

So I'm currently 20 and trying (emphasis on trying!) to get my driver's license. I'm lucky to go to college in an area that's very transit-friendly, but I live with my parents during the summer and they've been.... extremely insistent that I get my license. Pragmatically, I can understand why, it's a good life skill to know and could save your life someday, etc. That said, there are very few things I've experienced in my life that feel worse to me than being behind the wheel. I feel constantly hyperaware that the smallest mistake could genuinely result in people dying; I've never been particularly spatially or kinesthetically aware, and the constant awareness of the speed limit, the lanes, whatever's in your left mirror, whatever's in your right mirror, top mirror, haha you were so busy checking mirrors that you forgot your turn signal — I can't handle it! Every time I drive, I realize every ten minutes that I've completely neglected some critical aspect of driving — I haven't checked my blind spot in forever! When was the last time I used my turn signal? Oh god! — because there's just. too. much. of. EVERYTHING. I know it doesn't sound like a lot but it just feels impossibly overwhelming. There's so many small aspects — how long it takes to come to a stop, how wide your turn is — where it feels like the car is fighting me; it feels unnatural. I've taken around four driving lessons, totaling to approx. 7 hours of the road — many of my peers have had around 5-10 hours of lessons in their pocket and passed the test on their first try. It feels like I'm only getting worse now that I know how much you constantly have to be aware of and how dangerous something as relatively "slow" as 40 mph feels when you're in the drivers seat. I ended my first lesson honest to god hyperventilating and sobbing as the instructor said that if I didn't know how to do this, I'd be powerless if my parents were dying and I couldn't drive them to the hospital — which, true, but I'm now even more freaked out. I ended my fourth lesson an hour ago, also hyperventilating and sobbing from panic and terror. I can barely make a proper left turn; when these instructors ask me to attempt busy main roads, huge intersections, and freeways, I can't fathom why someone like me should ever be on the road when so, so much can constantly go wrong. And yet I guess I just have to?
That got long and likely sounds very childish. I think I'm still kinda coming down from a panic attack. Logically I know the best cure is practice, but being on the road just feels. I don't know. It feels awful, and every minute I spend out there is another opportunity for my negligence and indecision to actually kill someone. I've seen people advise practicing it with someone safe — to put it briefly, my parents are the last people I'd want to be alone in a stressful situation with. So um. Help?

I've been trying to figure out the name of a scary movie I watched when I was younger (had to of cam out in 2013 or earlier). All I remember is it's a horror movie focused on a single woman driving the entire movie. I believe she gets out of the car at one point and freaks out but then gets back in and drives till the movie ends. It was probably the most boring scary movie I've ever seen buts its bugging me that I can remember the name.

i knew this long before my recent and hopefully short career in retail, but those bastards that bitch the most about everything being made these days being junk is the main reason its junk. people will drive across the city to save $5 on a $200 purchase.
i recently shared a story about a dude who spent all day trying to find the cheapest can of spray paint for his car, that dude was so proud to return that paint to my store because he found it for 70 cents cheaper some where else and said he had been looking all morning and had a few more stops before he considered his mission complete.
if people quit being cheap about it maybe the quality can come back.
this scenario makes me feel like i am trapped working in a pig pen with a bunch of idiot greedy short sighted pigs who will destroy everything in their path to save a dollar then bitch when it breaks in 6 months and treat us all like garbage in the process.

Hey everyone, I am considering getting a Certified Used Toyota vehicle sight unseen. I am hoping a can still do a PPI but am wondering if this is a trustworthy thing to do? The idea of a PPI and it being certified help ease my anxiety, the car has spent the majority of it's like in Florida so I'm just wanting a PPI for flood damage. I've already test driven the same vehicle near me so I know I like the car itself. What does everyone here think? Can I trust it? Also, in case I can't find a local mechanic, is Lemon Squad trustworthy for PPI? My anxiety just worries me that I'll get a "bad" mechanic to do my PPI and they won't actually check something for me or just something going wrong

New driver here, trying to get my license asap for an apprenticeship I'm on a waitlist for, but my driving experience has sucked. The people who've taught me to drive don't live in the same household as me, so schedules to practice are very inconsistent. I end up having weeks in between lessons which I think is seriously screwing me up. I'm going to start pushing for weekly lessons, but just thinking about driving I feel super ashamed and awful, like that feeling of ruining something and waiting for when you have to inevitably explain it to your parents.
Most of my driving experiences have been bad. I've yet to crash, but I've hit curbs, nearly scraped other vehicles, been honked at, yelled at, berated multiple days in a row (thanks driving school), you name it. I just don't feel confident, and often when I make mistakes I just get yelled at in the moment and never get an explanation of what I did. It doesn't help that my current teacher is dramatic in general.
I've been told multiple times I'm trying to control the car too much, but at no point have I been given guidance on how to not do that. It really feels like I'm repeating the same bad experience each time I drive. I make the same mistakes each time, but never get advice how to fix them, or designated practice to work on those particular mistakes.
I actually quite hate driving. Everytime I think about having a lesson my stomach hurts. I'm only learning because it's required for my future career, but often I feel too preoccupied with not crashing to actually learn.
I guess I'm wondering how do I put these feelings aside and actually get better at driving? I'm just ready to get my license over with, but driving school was really traumatic and since then (January of this year) I've felt quite bad about myself when I think about driving.
Any advice on how to get in the right mental headspace would be greatly appreciated, since I seriously doubt I'm gonna make any progress at this rate.

This gonna be a long one but I figured id share my story after lurking here for a while to let everyone know that making good money, creating independence, and enjoying your business can all happen in a short amount of time!
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I was a young lad back at the age of 17 trying to figure out what i was going to do with my life. I was barely getting through school, was more interested in working and making money. I was on a program where my senior year i only attended school 3 days a week and only went until 12:00pm. This gave me the opportunity to go work my awful part time jobs at car washes and car dealerships detailing cars. It was at this time i thought i could start a little side gig selling mobile detail service in my neighborhood. It took off and i started really getting client and making some money but nothing that would justify full time work when i graduated. I also did not really enjoy the work. I was always good with my hands, i worked on my own cars, built my own ramps and what not when i rode BMX bikes growing up and walls always able to create and see drawings in my head for assembly and put them to paper. I was set to graduate halfway through my senior year so i could start working.
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My Father has been in the commercial glazing industry for his entire life, at the time of my graduation he had been at a very large midwest privately owned commercial glazing company as a project manager. He hesitantly despite knowing about my pot smoking and partying habits got my foot in the door and got me an interview and a job in the fabrication shop fabricating the glazing systems to go out into the field for install. I started out as the low guy on the pole just freshly turning 18, getting put with the grumpy ass old men to assemble frames and caulk all of the system dams for water control. I hated it. After about 2 months i got the opportunity to run the fabrication and assembly for a small commercial storefront project with 2 helpers in the shop. This meant i got all of the cut specifications, field an assembly drawings, and details. I essentially had to start with raw full length stock materials and cut, layout and install the clips and brackets, build the frames, caulk and weap, pack and ship the project. This is when i realized that i could actually do something with this because by this time i had essentially learned the ins and outs of every commercial glazing system on my own in my freetime from product manuals so i could at least set myself apart from the other guys in the shop. I finished the fab job 2 weeks ahead of schedule without any mistakes that had to be corrected in the field. I worked in the shop for another 2 weeks and the operations manager decided i should go to the field to learn the installation process since i had progressed quickly.
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I started in the field the same way i did in the shop, they where testing me to see if i could handle the vulgar, raw, and miserable world of commercial construction field work. I spent 3 months on a large curtainwall and storefront installation project. I started by caulking dams on curtain wall that had to be stick built in the field. I then go promoted to setting glass and running oil covered vinyl all day to hold the glass into the system. They then bumped me up i got to sit in a boom lift all day and caulk ssg glazing systems. I at this point met a girl in a the state i was from on vacation and because things weren't going well at home and i kind of hated what i was doing i decided to move there.
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I moved to this new state and secured a position at a company that built and installed their own residential and commercial glazing systems. Conservatories, folding glass walls, skylights, and more. The position i took was a field laborer traveling to install conservatoires throughout the northeast. I started with a crew of roughneck guys and quickly found my pace and was learning the system quickly, managing my tasks on my own, and the big thing was i became the go to guy for layout with the foreman. I really enjoyed layout and was damn good at it. After 7 months traveling i didn't like being on the road and by coincidence got a call when i was in Maine that next week from the management team that they wanted to bring me into their massive fabrication and manufacturing facility to better learn the system and the preparation process for everything before it got to the installers.
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I went home and started working in the assembly department, essentially all of the parts for the structures where cut, pre drilled and prepped and the assembly team built the structures in the facility to ensure everything was going to work in the field. this really gave me the full up and up on the entire process of the system they produced and used. After 2 months i was brought in and offered a position in estimating.
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I joined the estimating team and spent 6 weeks learning every in and out of their entire product lineup, pricing structure, how to assemble professional estimates and proposals and i learned intermediate level AutoCAD drafting. I essentially would get a project on my desk and draw the structure as it was to be built in cad then used the drawings to create my takeoff and bid the job. i did this for 6 months before i realized how awful the management, staff, turnover, and moral was within this organization. I made the dumbest move i could have ever made and left a job paying 70k a year to an uneducated almost 20 year old with no other employment lined up.
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i did end up securing a position as a senior pm at another small commercial glazing company that set me up for failure by allowing their estimator to underbid every large project but ridiculous amounts of money before i arrived without anyone noticing. so every job that cam across my desk was a disaster from the get go. I spent 9 months putting out fires, managing gc relationships that where toxic due to the position i was put in etc. But i did learn critical project management procedures and how to deal with emergencies on the fly and client management in tough scenarios.
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Fast forward a bit and i moved back to my old state with said girl and take a job at a failing commercial glass company as a field/shop laborer and stayed for 3 months. I Left and took an opportunity to try residential glazing by installing custom glass shower doors, i ran my own truck did 3 installs a day with a helper and did this for 9 months. I had an opportunity come up to work with one of those 1 day bath install companies that advertise religiously. I had just built my first home, my fiance was unemployed and i needed more cash badly.
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I met with their operations manager and it was all layed out that i would be an employee but only would be payed a percentage of the cost of the sold job for the bathroom upon completion of install. I essentially had all control in my hands to make as much or as little as i wanted but it was all up to me. Despite the lack of a safety net i took the risk and accepted the offer. i trained with another installer for 2 weeks and set out on my own. Typically these companies sell these jobs for 8-11k depending on the exact scope and accessories. 2 man teams where typically doing a job in 12 hours or basically a day in a half and the jobs where all over the state. I thought there had to be a more efficient way to do it because i got 10% of the job sold price as my pay. by the time i paid for a helper, my fuel, and what not 800-1100 in 2-3 days wasn't enough. I let my helped go and decided i was going to do it on my own. After spending weeks trying new methods to get faster and create a better product i was doing install on my own in 8-10 hours and clearing 3-4k a week gross before taxes and fuel expenses. I was hungry to be successful and finally make good money. This continued for about 5 months until they hit a sales dead period and there wasn't enough work to keep all 4 install crews busy but maybe 1 job a week and i approached my operations manager about another opportunity in the company. Patio conversions
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Essentially this was a window and door, bath, and conversion company. These conversions consisted of taking existing covered porches and patios and turning them into 3 season or 4 season rooms. so you got the whole package. layout, framing, insulation, windows and doors, electrical, hvac, and interior and exterior finishes. these job paid big. on average a job takes 5-10 days and pays out 8-16k dollars to the installer. of course i had a couple helpers but i was absolutely crushing it after only a couple of months. This is where i really started to learn the ins and outs of commercial construction.
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One day i was approached on a Facebook page about a gentleman with a residential remodeling company near me that was looking for an operations manager. they specialized in high end luxury remodels and also made their own cabinets. I met with him and decided even though the operation seemed small and mismanaged i could make it work. I took a pay decrease so i could work less hours and be home more as my fiancé had just had our daughter and the other company didn't even let me off to go to the appointments.
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What i didn't know was that the owner of this business was the slimiest most Narcisitic, ego fueled person i have ever met in my entire life. He was running a GC business with the expectation that every sub, employee, etc was going to be a LEGEND and create only the most perfect unmatched quality product when given low Quality materials, piss poor planning, awful schedules and communication, etc. I quickly learned that i was going to be burned if i didn't think of something quick because the castle was under siege and i saw what was coming. i am 21 at this time. Well inevitably the following week i as an operations manager trying to keep a sinking ship afloat and out in the field tearing up tile from an under slab plumbing leak from before i was at this place, trying to rebuild an entire kitchen in 3 days by myself and i just was over it. Told him that i was putting in my notice and was done. I get called into the office that Friday and was told i was being let go, i was given a personal check for my weekly salary of 1000 dollars and made to sign a non compete and hold harmless agreement if i wanted my pay. i was paid as a 1099 under the table so he wasn't responsible for costs associated with employees. Basically i set myself up to get screwed. i signed everything took my check and left. Check bounces, im broke, he wont pay and im jobless with a fiance and a 6 month old. This was the lowest i had ever felt in my life and i literally was about to loose everything.
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It was at this time my wheels started turning and i realized that all of these residential companies i worked for had multiple things in common. The client communication was terrible, their execution was terrible, and their image was awful. They looked all shiny and great during the sales process but as soon as they had a contract and a check the client experience didn't matter. So i thought to myself, i know construction now, i now a fair amount project management and business operations, and i see a hole in the market. so i started my company with the little money i had left. i registered with the state, bought a logo from someone on fivver, made a facebook page, a wix website, and started marketing.
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This was great but it takes time to pickup traction and get jobs, i wasn't going to make money being a handyman so i needed supplemental income with flexibility in my schedule. I connected with a local fence contractor who was small and needed and installer who got paid by the linear for building fences. The money was decent but the work was hard and labor intensive. But it gave me a chance to hire a couple guys and teach them how to do it so i could start jobs and leave the jobsites to run estimates for my company. After many free estimates and 1:00 am mornings in the office writing quotes i just wasnt getting the jobs i needed. I needed a way to make sure someone wasn't tire kicking before i spent time and money doing a free estimate. So i started charging $200.00 for an in home consultation and bid package which would be credited to the client in full if they used us for the project. This was not well received due to me not being able to present it correctly in the pitch over the phone but when i did holy shit it worked like a charm. my conversion rate on estimates went form 16% to over 65% in a matter on 3 months.
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I started getting good big jobs in good neighborhoods, i started finding really great subs and built my list. I started building brand image, internal documents, repeatable procedures for every job etc. this went on for a year and a half and i finally made 85k take home my first full year in business. Then the covid thing happened.
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I thought everyone is freaked out and doesn't want us in their homes for estimates etc. how do i difference myself and create a luxury experience for clients without being intrusive during the lockdowns. i had started modeling basic things in SketchUp and new there was a lot of opportunity in 3d rendering. so i shifted our model and we became a design build firm. So essentially we are selling a design and rendering package to clients with a bid so that they can see what their project would look like before we ever go under contract. The rendering sells the job no matter the cost as long as you have the correct client base and are pre qualifying well.
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I had a friend i grew up with that had gotten an architecture degree and was doing SketchUp 3D modeling, renderings, and 2D architectural drawing sets for a shed company as a freelancer and we can up with pricing and decided i was going to pursue this model. So i learned how to be a sales wizard and started selling $1,500-$5,000 design packages over the phone before i ever stepped foot in someones home. we designed and went through the process and send them a price. if they use us they get a full credit applied to the job for the amount of the design if not they own the drawings and information. I was making 50% GP on designs for jobs that never sold just to go out and measure and spend some time going through it with my designer. Our close rate on paid design bids sent went to 86%. This was the end of year 2 going into year 3
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Year 2 Gross Revenue was $364k
Year 3 Gross Revenue was $597K
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This is all on my own using subs, no in house staff, off the shelf management software, no paid marketing. Just Facebook groups, referrals, and subs.
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In June of Year 3 I streamlined my process. I farmed out all business management (bookkeeping, Payroll, Phones, Etc.) and created a concrete repeatable process and procedure system that would be used on every job to ensure consistent management and quality. I hired a project manager and got him trained to manage all of the subs and all aspects related to the field and installations.
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I am Proud to say that at June 1 of 2023 at 26 years old with only one Employee we have contracted and collected deposits on $848,000.00 worth of work, our schedule is booked until the middle of September and we are on track to hit just over 1.1 mil in total revenue at an average gross profit of 47%.
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I have no formal training in business management, project management or anything to get me to this point. i have spent countless hours researching, reading, failing, and fixing everything in my business. its a cut throat game but if your willing to work your ass off and never quit, do amazing work, and make sure you prioritize client experience start to finish you will have people waiting years for you to do their job.
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We are booked through April of 2024 for outdoor projects. Find a hole in the industry in your service area and take full advantage and change the remodeling or building game so us contractors can be looked at as professionals who have earned our ability to enjoy what we have worked for instead of drunk hacks in a shitty pickup.
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Thanks for listening to my Ted Talk, get to work!

“MOM!” I screamed till my lungs held no air and my throat bled, I raced across the field and grasped the sheet metal roof with my entire palm, cutting my flesh and shredding my skin against the hot sharp edges. I pulled with all my might, raising the roof barely an inch before I collapsed in tears and reached for my moms hand. Her eyes were cloudy and tears ran down her face. “Its ok my son, its all gonna be ok, you need to find your father now” I nodded and wrapped my arms around her head “Ill be right back mama, dad can get this off of you, im sure of it” A jeep raced by and stopped with a screech as the tires left small skids along the tarmac, the base captain stood up from the drivers seat and screamed to me “Lets go! We gotta get you outta here” I leapt into the back sat and clung to the pole, standing atop the back seat as the captain slammed his foot against the pedal and raced across the runway. “No good on the escape cap, I gotta get my dad, my moms trapped under the barracks” He looked back at me for a second and I looked down to him, my hair flowing in the wind and sweat pouring down, mixing with the blood that ran down my cheek. “Good god kid how are you even standing right now?” I veered and scanned the horizon, my eyes falling upon a set of distant lights dancing across the sky. I pointed up to the darker of the two massive vehicles that were locked in mid air combat “Up there, thats dads machine, whos he fighting?” The base captain looked up and leaned forward squinting his eyes and falling silent as he did. He stopped the jeep and sat there, mouth open, eyes glued to the sky. I shook him and repeated the question. “Yo, theres no time for this, who is that?” The captain shook his head and spoke calmly “Theres plenty of time kid, none of us are surviving this…here” He reached down and grabbed a folder from the passenger glovebox, the wind flipping the top as he handed me the bundle of papers. I flipped through until I recognized a file photo. It was almost the exact same design as my fathers machine, the most powerful in the world, but it was darker, and there had been a skull painted on the visor of the mechs gigantic head. It held a long flat edged blade and from the look of the picture, it was taken only seconds before the gory demise of whoever took it. “So the reapers made his way to american shores. So what? This changes nothing. Dad can take him” I leapt out of the jeep and made a beeline for the nearest hangar as the captain shouted from behind me “Hey kid! Get back here, what the hell do you think youre doing?” I barreled into the hangar doors, taking no time to feel the pain my shoulder was now in from having smacked the thick metal door. I wrenched with all my might and threw open the rolling entrance shutter. The lights flickered on as the eyes of my own machine stared back at me, offline and still in desparate need of repair “Im getting in, no time for chitchat captain I need you to give me startup” He shook his head as he leapt out of the jeep and walked toward me “Youre only 11, getting in that machine could kill you, or worse it could actually start up and become a big ass metal coffin. Do you think your parents would want that?” I spoke under my breath for a moment “Better a metal coffin covered in weapons then a wooden one covered in bullshit” He huffed at me “God where do you get this nerve…Oh wait…right…son of the admiral…Alright screw it, were dead either way, get up in the cockpit” I smiled at him and pulled myself into the chest high compartment, sitting in the seat and buckling the main cross belt. “Strapped in captain, starting sequence, can you disconnect me?” He nodded and sprinted around the back of the machines tall legs, pulling the various diagnostic cables and wrenching the stilts from its knees. I looked at the gaff tape I had put inside, following the sequence I had mapped out when i first got the machine, switching the core on and letting the fans spin up. The captain yelled over the noise as the machine whirred to life and stood up. I heard his voice come through the internal speakers “Damn, guess your repairs actually got somewhere. Listen, your internal batteries only good for about 15 minutes, get your mom and then swing back here, if you want any semblance of a chance then youre gonna need a rechar-” I pushed the gears forward and exploded out of the hangar, banking right and hitting the air brakes. The machine flipped forward and threw the wings into gear, sending me rocketing across the tarmac, now 100 tons heavier and 2000 times stronger. I slid to a stop next to my home barracks and knelt down, letting the scanners pinpoint my mother and allowing the hydraulics ample time to adjust before gently grabbing the roof of the building, and pulling up slowly. The captains jeep screeched to a halt next to me as he raced from the car and knelt down beside my mother. He inspected her body for a moment before falling to his knees entirely. I threw the roof and opened the hatchway, launching out of the cockpit and hitting the ground hard next to them. “Shes ok right?” The captain shook his head and put his hand on my shoulder, the smoke stung my eyes as the various fires filled the air with toxic fumes. “There wouldnt have been anything to do, she took too much force from the collapse, im sorry” I shook my head as tears flowed from my eyes “Shes just fucking with us. Mom! Wake up! Youre funny like this but nows not the time weve gotta go and help dad” I shook her shoulders, first gently, then more forcefully as I tried to wake her. I flipped her and her glossy lifeless eyes stared at the sky, still crying. “Shes gone kid, im so sorry” I let out a sob as I knelt down and put my head on her chest “Its not your fault, its mine, I shouldnt have left her, we should have never been attacked” He put a hand on my shoulder and gently rubbed my back “I should have been more aware, im the captain here, its my job to be aware” I rose and gently put my palm over her eyes, closing them with my hand and taking a deep breath through stifled sobs. “You do your best, all the time, its why we respect you. I need you to watch after my mom now, I need to go help dad make sure this doesnt happen to anyone else” He stood up and put his hands up, pushing me back softly and speaking in a low tone “No way kid, you need to grieve, i cant let you back in there in the condition youre in, Ill pilot, or ill call reinforcements, youll be no match” I smiled and moved past him “Id rather bite it in the sky with my dad then sit here and stare at my mom, I cant idle captain” He nodded and bit his lip in thought “Ok…ok…then maybe I can help better. Here, face me” I turned toward him and took a deep breath “We dont have time for this man come o-” He yelled “Face me soldier” I turned fully and stood at attention, my face inquisitive “Ok, ok, what” He brought his hand up to his torso “Ensign Rath, repeat after me and follow suit” I brought my hand up to my own torso and made a fist just as he did “Yes sir” He smiled wide and spoke with authority “I, Ensign Rath” I nodded and repeated “I Ensign Rath” “Accept the rank of Lieutenant O3” I smiled wide and nodded “Accept the rank of Lieutenant O3” He nodded and continued “And vow to use the weapons this rank has been assigned to take on the greatest of threats” The plan clicked in my mind and I continued to follow suit “And vow to use the weapons this rank has been assigned to take on the greatest of threats” As I finished he saluted me and spoke solemnly “It is with great honor and harrowing guilt that I now present you the rank of Lieutenant O3 in the united states naval defense office. I present you with temporary access to the associated weapons in upgrades, and I now release you into the arms of whichever god you so worship, Suit up, and fight like the warrior spirits that have fallen before you” I shook his hand and nodded, feeling pride replace my guilt as I saluted and turned toward my machine. I leapt into the cockpit and stood tall, the captains voice came over my internal speaker “Im heading to valhalla, Hit the skies and get in the fight, ill send a support pack in 2 minutes with 2 hours of extended run time and all the other things youll need to throw down alongside your father. This bases continued operation now relies on the two of you, I know youve had limited training, and some of the controls might even be too far for you to operate properly, but youre a warrior now” I took off into the air, engaging my thrusters and cutting through the clouds like a fiery razor. As rain hit my screen and the distant clap of thunder rolled through, I scanned the surroundings for my father and his machine. I didnt have to look long till he barreled into me while recovering from a glancing blow. “RATH WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING UP HERE” My fathers booming voice shook my brain and rattled my core “Im here to support” He raised his shield and deflected another swing from the reaper, filling the sky with sparks as the flat blade cut across his defense “Get out of here now, where is your mother?” I fell silent as he grabbed my machine with his own and jetted away “Rath! Answer me, why isnt she watc-” I heard him realize, I could feel his heart sink as we stopped in the midst of an anvil cloud, and i could barely see his form in front of me. When a pilot takes his hands off the controls, the machine typically centers its arms to avoid unintended movement, and I could only see the silhouette of his wings as a deep breath came over my intercom “Im so sorry my son, I should have been down there” I shook my head and spoke softly “Then wed all be dead pops, just like the captain you were doing your job as best as you could. Weve got all the time in the world to mourn later, but right now weve gotta make sure this bastard cant pave the way for his friends” I felt the support pack collide with my machine and the cockpit lit up bright as I watched my uptime increase “You make a fair point son, alright, normally id tell you to hit the ground but today I suppose we'll make an exception. Did you receive proper clearance?” The packs armor crawled along my frame and locked in, covering the various dents and scrapes that had been so characteristic of my mech. The improved wings swung into place and I heard the lift fans spin to max. I moved my throttles forward and emerged from the cloud, the full shroud of my machine now dispersed and the new world open to me. “0-3 lieutenant Rath reporting for duty sir, happy to serve alongside you” He spoke calmly “Congratulations my son, your mother would be beyond proud” I reached behind me and remove the tall mace that came standard with almost all lieutenant support packages, but as the flat bulky blade came into view, I noticed a strange sigil on the shielding of the weapon. “Hey dad, any clue what this thing is?” I turned the mace toward him and he flew close “A gift from your mother, you werent supposed to see it for several years but it seems she finished it early. It was a sort of bug that used to be all over the place around here…called a butterfly. You loved them as a baby” I nodded and smiled “Ok, I wanna use this gift for a long time, you think we can beat this guy?” He huffed “Me and you? Were gonna turn him into a monument and stick his armor on display for the world to see” The sky split with lightning as the reaper crossed our paths and came to a stop just a few hundred yards away. As his machines deadly red eyes glowed antithesis to the bright morning sky, a foreign voice filled my cockpit. It held a thick baltic accent, and I knew it could only belong to one man. “You armor is shiny, new, you are young, inexperienced. I let you live, you escape, you till your friends, I kill you later, once you make others fear me” When I had built my machine, I had done so from scratch. I had added and removed things I felt would make me stronger then others, and while I was no heavier due to improved armor, I had still clocked in as the fastest machine in history. The rotors in my arms couldnt survive more then a few hits, the joints in my wrist werent durable enough to deliver full power trikes, but the engines that drove me could surpass all known aircraft and every recorded vehicle in land or air. “Come kill me now, I wanna see your face when I cut your armor in two” He grunted loudly and screamed at me as he flashed across the sky, drawing his blade and splitting the sunlight with speed. I held still and took a deep breath, before swinging, making contact with his arm and spinning mid air. I watched as the skull icon shattered beneath my mace and the sword glanced well below my feet. My father followd the strike with his own mace and drove his engines forward, propelling them both back into the lower sky. I tailed close behind, remembering the eyes of my mother as life escaped her body. With tears in my eye I screamed back “Youl pay today, and youll go broke!” I swung again and again as my father drove the two mechs faster and faster. I pulled the head from the reaper as my father pummeled it. I held it by a braid of cables and met my father in the air over and over. We blocked blows and chipped away, moving faster and faster as my arms grew sore and my voice grew hoarse.I felt my fathers full strength meet my own as we punched at the same time. My mechanical fist shattered inside the reapers torso and I heard a scream as his comms went silent. We watched together as his armor fell from the sky and exploded upon impact, sending a shockwave across the surface as the sound of the boom finally reached us. “Son, take her in for a landing, I know that seemed quick but youre most likely nearing your suits limit” I looked at my counter and noticed a dark red second screen, I had 1 minute and 45 seconds so I turned the engines off and entered a freefall, plummeting toward the earth before pulling them full plast and hovering just above the bases concrete landing pads. I watched my father gracefully swing downward and rocket toward the ground, spinning his feet once he hit the grass and disengaging his wings. His machine came to a halt just a few feet from his designated hanger and I dropped my own armor the ground, kneeling and leaping from the cockpit as i did so. I collapsed as I hit the pavement and my father came running over. He caught me before I could hit the ground and held me up by my arm. He was bloodier then I was but still moving with unparalleled strength. I coughed as he helped me hobble toward the runway before the captain parked next to us in his jeep and helped get me into the seat. My father sat in the passenger seat and leaned his head back, closing his eyes as I did the same. “You did good today son, get some rest and well take care of everything, youre too young for all of this, I'm so sorry” I took a deep breath and curled up in the back seat “Me too dad…me too”

From the ages of 8 to 12, I have been r***ed by four relatives who are older than me on different occasions. Back when I was 8, I had no idea what was being done to me. I didn’t even know what is the concept of intercourse and I was just being constantly assaulted not knowing what is being done to me because of my innocence, I was just a child.
I was born in a large family and my parents never payed attention to me due to how busy they were with my siblings, I had 3 brothers older than me and 3 sisters younger, making me the middle child. Growing up I wasn’t taught anything in life, not even to brush my teeth as a child or drive a car as a teenager and let alone what is sexual assault and how to prevent it. (Now I’m suffering from teeth loss and luckily I taught myself how to drive & got my license this year)
When I reached the age of 11, I began to realise that I’m being sexually assaulted and what makes the final assaults the worst is that they happened while I’m now aware of what is sexual assault and that I’m being used, I tried to fight and scream but they always overpower me as I was smaller and younger. On the final incident which was back in 2012 (when I was 12), I was kidnapped by one of these men when I was going to the grocery store at 12 AM. The crazy thing is to this day, I don’t know which one of them was the kidnapper. After the man took me to a deserted place, he strangled me & shoved my head to the ground throughout the entire process. The only memory I have from that year is me returning home trying to hide my tears so that my family wouldn’t notice how traumatised I was. After a few day, I began to think it was a dream (tried to convince myself) and I did. I was so traumatised to the point I got delusional and kept forgetting everything. Then, I lost complete memories regarding the years between 2012 and 2014.. I can’t remember a single thing from those years and the timeline always seems foggy to me.
I remember when I was 11, I decided I had enough, I told my mother about one of the incidents, she simply replied with “I’ll talk to your dad and we’ll do something” .. she never did. And I didn’t talk to my dad first because I knew he would blame me for the incidents with his anger issues and he would hit me as usual. Ever since that day, I lost complete trust in my parents. And I never took them seriously in my life EVER again.
Now, I’m 23 years old. I still have depression and self-hate and lack of motivation to do anything.. my mind is just filled with hate, regret and sadness, due to that, my career is ruined because I graduated college with horrible grades and no one wants to hire me. Whereas the people who assaulted me are leading a wonderful and successful life and all of them started a family of their own. I often fantasise about hurting the people who wronged me. I haven’t attended any family gatherings in the past 5 years and I never will. I do not trust a single human in this world and haven’t had a single spontaneous conversation in my adult life where I showed my real-self. Ever since I’ve known adulthood, it feels like I’m just living to wake up, eat, sleep. I do not see myself making it to my thirties.
How can I make things better for myself? Thankfully I’m on my way to becoming a teacher!

I was bored so i was thinking, know what maybe i'll try to do something like what KC did and do a roadtrip. So i planned on doing 3 days and hit few casinos on the way.
I was planning on doing the roadtrip after i finished my job and start at night (so there's less traffic) time preferred before midnight, but by the time i finished packing it was already 2am and instead of sleeping in and going the morning, i instead just decided to go ( i mean it's prime time no traffic so why not just go).
I reached my 1st Casino stop and their tables were closed because i got there too late. So a lil disappointed and a lil bit mentally unstable, i just decided to plop myself down onto a slot machine and max bet a couple hundred here and there.
Drove to my next Casino and of course, a lot of the tables were closed and i saw a Spanish21 table, i'm not seeing any Blackjack table, guess they don't have it so might as well. At the table, guy to my right just some random guy small betting, then few minutes later guy to my left joined and he was doing the whole "pretending he's a ploppy garbage" how he talks and how he was mildly betting. The count of 10's was high, i did big bets 3 hands and he split 7,7 and he got stiff hands and hit them busting both his hands getting 10's on each stiff vs dealer 6... So there, I lost my whole bankroll after that stunt he pulled. After i lost all my money, confirmed that he was counting after 1st time he bet big was after that round which further increased the 10's A's ratio remaining. What sickens me even more about this was that guy on my right was signaling to the guy on the left what the count was.
With money gone, I'm already there, so might as well go sightseeing whatever else was in the casino. and 2 minutes later i saw a Blackjack table open (Yeah you heard right, all i had to do was walk 2 minutes longer to get to an open blackjack table) ... Then went to cashier did Cash Advance $3,000.
Played on the Blackjack table alone . And just like that as expected oh wow, got most my money back. Throughout the whole thing, the pitboss took an interest in me, so i thought know what, lets give her a show, the count was obviously a little bit negative just after the last round so i decided to table MAX 4 hands and BAM! got all my money back Net Zero.
After that round, nearing the end of the shoe, the count was high, and i just decided to leave. Could've went to a motel and sleep, I'm sleep deprived, a little bit of a headache, but instead I just went back home, 10am in the morning driving back and as expected traffic = trash, lots of excessive brakes during the drive .
___
So basically, i gave up on the whole thing in less than 8 hours. Lots of improvements to be done here.

I’m 20 ( f ) just finished my sophomore year of college . I’m thankful to be able to attend college by means of receiving a foster care tuition waiver and other aid I’m eligible for due to being able to file as independent since my mother lost custody of me then I went into foster care at 13 then at 17 years old I moved in with my biological grandmother and her husband who is my step grandfather. The foster care placement I was in those 4 years was very abusive like I wasn’t allowed to use the same fridge or bathroom as everyone else in the house the women who fostered me had a whole separate but equal ordeal in her house and lots of other things wrong but the foster care system is so corrupt the possibility of going to an even worse foster home if I left sooner was terrifying . But my grandparents TOXIC . Like it was nice to tell people I live with biological family and have basic rights like being able to use the same stuff as everyone else . My grandparents especially my grandmother tried to scare me out of going to college and doing other adult things like driving . She cried and made me feel really bad when I left even though I’m blessed to have the state paying for me to go live a better life at a good school in a safer area where my education will get me out of the cycle of poverty as both of my parents were high school dropouts and my 18 year old sister is not completing high school . Me being in college is a different and better path than what most of my immediate relatives took in life . Well flash forward I’m home for the second summer of my college career . I was in a nice apartment style building during my sophomore year and since I will be moving to a different apartment complex nearby in August my contract with where I was residing goes up at the end of July so I would have had to leave at some point . Since I go to school in a small college town most people leave after finals end even if they have a lease over the summer because it gets really boring after the semester ends and also a lot of folks I go to school with actually have a loving caring healthy family . Last summer when I was at home I got a seasonal job I really enjoy that I came back to for this summer . At this time I really do need the money too . But after only being at this house for about 2 weeks I’m already so done and over it . I’ve barley unpacked my stuff because it’s hard to get comfortable and I lack the motivation to settle in here . Some of my grandmothers behaviors I have to deal with at 20 are her expecting me to tell her in detail where I am going and who with , not being able to talk about dating , trying to “ help “ with every little thing even if it’s just with finding leftovers in the fridge and despite the fact I tell her to stop she don’t , she always finds reasons to go in my room and the most recent was I left a pair of my underwear and a sock behind by the dryer so she had to go out of her way to go into my room and put them in my underwear drawer , other reasons are trying to say I forgot to turn off my air conditioner and she’s scared that will use to much power or cause a fire . The invasiveness of my grandmother and a comment my grandfather said is what has drove me crazy the most so far . I literally got rear ended by another car while on my way back from hanging out with my friend in the middle of the day and when I called to let my grandparents know my grandfather said “ that’s what happens when you take unnecessary trips “ . I still try to go out quite often despite the fact my grandparents expect me to not really do anything if it don’t involve me going to work or taking them places . I really need to unpack some of my stuff and get somewhat organized but it’s so hard to do when I’m so unhappy here .