What's your current headache?

I went to the Pets of PPCB thread 'cause I needed it — things are going from bad to worse:

Neighbour hit our car-parked-in-front-of-my-Mom's-driveway because at the time I was shovelling the driveway so I could park in it.​
It's a fender-bender but our car will be written off because a new bumper, taillight and repainting the rear passenger door will be at least half the cost of what the car is "worth". It was a reliable economical vehicle, until the stupid 20-something in her barely-damagedJag SUV decided it was okay to have a glass of wine, smoke up or do both before driving her friend home (with that aforementioned interruption of hitting our car). The amount of time and energy needed to deal with insurance, adjusters and I simply won't find another comparable car for price quality features etc — at this time of year...​
​
Went to my basement workshop in the furnace-room to work on an urgent pedal project and the sump had backed up making a rather large mess... project boxes on the floor and more, carpets, etc were all soggy and... still cleaning it up.​
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Family drama, family health issues, much brother BS too much so...​
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Stuff that needs to get done isn't getting done for the above and other reasons... frustrations...​
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Then I come here and Bricks' situation is reminding me how hard it is to find work... lots of friends have been forced to start up their own company because they've aged out, aren't hireable for that or other illegitimate non-concerns... I guess I have to go "freelance" again and chase hard for jobs only to have to chase harder for getting paid and still being ripped off (happened so often I quit freelancing)...​

It's snowing again, been snowing since last night, snowing hard, much shovelling to do...
I suppose my reading other people's problems have made mine-own tribulations seem mild... nonetheless...

I'm going back to the Pets thread, right after I walk my dog in the blizzard.
 
I haven't received a holiday bonus. I've been at this job over ten years and have always gotten one, and it's always been given out the start of the week before Christmas. This year I kicked ass and, also, the company has had its best year yet. My boss always goes on about how he has so much money. I needed the bonus to catch up. It's infuriating. When the market turns again I'll be looking for a new place to work.

Yesterday I left home to go to work and there was a squirrel outside my front door scurrying away with one of his legs not working. I got closer and he ran away using only his front legs - his hind legs and tail had been paralyzed. There were tracks in the snow from where he'd been dragging himself across the street and from my neighbor's yard. He must have slipped on an icy tree branch and landed on his back.

The natural course of things will hopefully see a hawk put him out of his misery soon, but it really sucks to see an innocent living being lose everything in a freak accident. I have a huge soft spot for animals and this made me so angry.
 
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Feral Feline said:
I went to the Pets of PPCB thread 'cause I needed it — things are going from bad to worse:

Neighbour hit our car-parked-in-front-of-my-Mom's-driveway because at the time I was shovelling the driveway so I could park in it.​
It's a fender-bender but our car will be written off because a new bumper, taillight and repainting the rear passenger door will be at least half the cost of what the car is "worth". It was a reliable economical vehicle, until the stupid 20-something in her barely-damagedJag SUV decided it was okay to have a glass of wine, smoke up or do both before driving her friend home (with that aforementioned interruption of hitting our car). The amount of time and energy needed to deal with insurance, adjusters and I simply won't find another comparable car for price quality features etc — at this time of year...​
​
Went to my basement workshop in the furnace-room to work on an urgent pedal project and the sump had backed up making a rather large mess... project boxes on the floor and more, carpets, etc were all soggy and... still cleaning it up.​
​
Family drama, family health issues, much brother BS too much so...​
​
Stuff that needs to get done isn't getting done for the above and other reasons... frustrations...​
​
Then I come here and Bricks' situation is reminding me how hard it is to find work... lots of friends have been forced to start up their own company because they've aged out, aren't hireable for that or other illegitimate non-concerns... I guess I have to go "freelance" again and chase hard for jobs only to have to chase harder for getting paid and still being ripped off (happened so often I quit freelancing)...​

It's snowing again, been snowing since last night, snowing hard, much shovelling to do...
I suppose my reading other people's problems have made mine-own tribulations seem mild... nonetheless...

I'm going back to the Pets thread, right after I walk my dog in the blizzard.
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What car was it? I speak vroom
 
falco_femoralis said:
What car was it? I speak vroom
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Nothing special, bland-grey Chevy Cruz.

It'll be impossible to replace, though. Dad got it new for a song through some insurance claim and careful negotiations with a dealership (they thought they'd make up for my Dad hammering them down in price on the backend of payment-installments... Dad paid cash, Mom hardly drove it before it became "mine".

It's never a good time for an accident, but during the holiday rush...
 
Feral Feline said:
Nothing special, bland-grey Chevy Cruz.

It'll be impossible to replace, though. Dad got it new for a song through some insurance claim and careful negotiations with a dealership (they thought they'd make up for my Dad hammering them down in price on the backend of payment-installments... Dad paid cash, Mom hardly drove it before it became "mine".

It's never a good time for an accident, but during the holiday rush...
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I know how you feel. My gf was rear ended in her 2002 Avalon and the lady who hit her was trying to say they shouldn't contact insurance because my gf's car was old and supposed to be beat up!
 
falco_femoralis said:
I haven't received a holiday bonus. I've been at this job over ten years and have always gotten one, and it's always been given out the start of the week before Christmas. This year I kicked ass and, also, the company has had its best year yet. My boss always goes on about how he has so much money.
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Someone needs to Cousin Eddie his ass!

That ain’t right. Qualify for bonus + company winning = get your bonus. Do you know for sure it’s not coming? I would bring it up.

After years at the company I finally climbed my way up into a position that has a bonus as part of the compensation. But they moved the payout from before Christmas to March. :rolleyes:
 
jcpst said:
Someone needs to Cousin Eddie his ass!

That ain’t right. Qualify for bonus + company winning = get your bonus. Do you know for sure it’s not coming? I would bring it up.

After years at the company I finally climbed my way up into a position that has a bonus as part of the compensation. But they moved the payout from before Christmas to March. :rolleyes:
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March bonus for me as well. Makes it leaving a company in January impossible!
 
falco_femoralis said:
I haven't received a holiday bonus. I've been at this job over ten years and have always gotten one, and it's always been given out the start of the week before Christmas. This year I kicked ass and, also, the company has had its best year yet. My boss always goes on about how he has so much money. I needed the bonus to catch up. It's infuriating.
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jcpst said:
I would bring it up.
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I agree that you should bring it up, but do it carefully/properly. First, keep it simple - just ask about the company bonus, e.g., has it happened or has it been delayed? Let the boss answer. Don't say or act like it's your "due", as that gives the boss the opportunity to avoid answering and instead attack w/ "it's a bonus not a guarantee". And if they say you indeed were not given a bonus, then ask what should you conclude from this answer given that you and the company both had banner years. And again let them answer. Draw your conclusion privately, don't vent. They might even think about it and come back later - likely not, but you never know. I am one that believes in not burning bridges. But definitely think through other options (and work them out in advance & quietly, before leaving) if the answers are unsatisfactory - because it's a tricky job market right now for most people. My 2 cents...Good luck.
 
Falco I feel your pain. I moved to a house a while back (and have since moved to the city) that had lots of squirrels and when my wife moved to our house in CA for the winter and took the dog with her I befriended the local squirrels. To the point where I left them a bowl of nuts every morning and they would wait for me to come home at night to feed them. They got so comfortable that they would climb all over my Carhartt jacket and take food from my hand, which would totally freak out the neighbors, as I was generally covered in a half dozen squirrels. I had to back it down when the dog came back (he would lose his mind so it was an accident waiting to happen). I've since moved to the city but I miss my little pals.
 
I had an existential crisis last night and came to grips with the fact that the NE555-based high voltage supply I've been using for 7+ years isn't good enough for the tube project I'm working on, so I stayed up until 3:30AM designing a new flyback power supply that can actually do the work I've been pretending NE555 can do.
 
darwin999 said:
I agree that you should bring it up, but do it carefully/properly. First, keep it simple - just ask about the company bonus, e.g., has it happened or has it been delayed? Let the boss answer. Don't say or act like it's your "due", as that gives the boss the opportunity to avoid answering and instead attack w/ "it's a bonus not a guarantee". And if they say you indeed were not given a bonus, then ask what should you conclude from this answer given that you and the company both had banner years. And again let them answer. Draw your conclusion privately, don't vent. They might even think about it and come back later - likely not, but you never know. I am one that believes in not burning bridges. But definitely think through other options (and work them out in advance & quietly, before leaving) if the answers are unsatisfactory - because it's a tricky job market right now for most people. My 2 cents...Good luck.
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I brought it up to him in a respectful manner and and it seemed like he blew me off at first, but they came thru a few days later. Whew. It got testy there for a bit
 
vigilante398 said:
I had an existential crisis last night and came to grips with the fact that the NE555-based high voltage supply I've been using for 7+ years isn't good enough for the tube project I'm working on, so I stayed up until 3:30AM designing a new flyback power supply that can actually do the work I've been pretending NE555 can do.
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I am tenting my fingers in anticipation for the DIY board for MOAR POWER.

(I jest. Good luck figuring it out!)
 
pbrommer said:
I am tenting my fingers in anticipation for the DIY board for MOAR POWER.

(I jest. Good luck figuring it out!)
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I found a device that should work (it's running fine in LTSpice) and ordered boards for a prototype, but flyback converters don't seem to be very DIY-friendly, especially if you're not into SMD.
 
vigilante398 said:
I found a device that should work (it's running fine in LTSpice) and ordered boards for a prototype, but flyback converters don't seem to be very DIY-friendly, especially if you're not into SMD.
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Ewww. SMD.

Not that I can’t, or won’t. I need more practice and equipment.
 
jwin615 said:
My feelings about squirrels

View attachment 108623
All cool until they eat all your tomatoes off 18 plants and break into your attic.
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Or move into your classic car for the winter and make nests out of the chewed up upholstery. Spring surprise!

Apparently they don't like to shower, 'cause they'll leave your car alone if you throw in a few bars of "Zest" soap, but only ZEST IS BEST. Dove doesn't cut it.





PS: Ooops — IRISH SPRING soap... manly, yes, but squirrels hate it, true...
 
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