Adulting is Hard

[Wayne Gray]

We all have our thing, right?  What's that one goofy thing you think you should be able to do, but for whatever reason, you just can't.  I'll start.  Keep this to yourself - it's a secret.

My husband has to even up my beard.  No matter what, I will invariably miss a spot, or get it uneven, or just... whatever.  I shave and think "This time.  I've got it this time!"
He comes into the bathroom, looks at me, shakes his head and picks up the razor.  I stand there; shoulders slumped as he purses his lips in quiet judgment of my ineptitude.
I've only been wearing a beard for about fifteen years.  Maybe I'll get it, one day?

[mollyhousemouse]

mine?  i don't "girl" very well. 
i can't use a curling iron, wear high heels, or do my nails. i can't braid my hair. had to buy a book to teach me how to do Daughter's when she was small. there are many days when we get home, if i've put my hair up,  i have to hand the scissors to Phil so He can cut the rubber bands out of my hair to let it down.
i know how to use mascara, and some blush, but that's the extent of my makeup skill. (luckily enough, Phil doesn't like for me to wear much makeup)
i don't own stockings, or pantyhose.  i have a tendency to snag and rip them so they don't last past one wear.
so yeah, that's my thing...

[Wayne Gray]

11 minutes ago, mollyhousemouse said:

mine?  i don't "girl" very well. 
i can't use a curling iron, wear high heels, or do my nails. i can't braid my hair. had to buy a book to teach me how to do Daughter's when she was small. there are many days when we get home, if i've put my hair up,  i have to hand the scissors to Phil so He can cut the rubber bands out of my hair to let it down.
i know how to use mascara, and some blush, but that's the extent of my makeup skill. (luckily enough, Phil doesn't like for me to wear much makeup)
i don't own stockings, or pantyhose.  i have a tendency to snag and rip them so they don't last past one wear.
so yeah, that's my thing...

That's all right.  "girling" is probably overrated anyway!

[Reader1810]

5 hours ago, mollyhousemouse said:

mine?  i don't "girl" very well. 
i can't use a curling iron, wear high heels, or do my nails. i can't braid my hair. had to buy a book to teach me how to do Daughter's when she was small. there are many days when we get home, if i've put my hair up,  i have to hand the scissors to Phil so He can cut the rubber bands out of my hair to let it down.
i know how to use mascara, and some blush, but that's the extent of my makeup skill. (luckily enough, Phil doesn't like for me to wear much makeup)
i don't own stockings, or pantyhose.  i have a tendency to snag and rip them so they don't last past one wear.
so yeah, that's my thing...

Same.

And I’ll raise you not being able to mow the lawn in a straight line.  

This was a long time ago, but the need to do it has not come since then, so my skill - or lack there of - likely remains the same.  I was sure I was walking in a straight line, but seeing the parallel wavy lines from one side of the yard to the other (neat as a pin, they were) from an upstairs window after I was done told a different story. 

So, that’s my thing. There’s probably more, but it’s one entry per person, right?  

Edit: And yes, I was an adult at the time. *sigh* 

Edited April 28, 2019 by Reader1810

[Reader1810]

Oops, can’t even create a post properly tonight. Yea, me!  

Edited April 28, 2019 by Reader1810

[Former Member]

I can’t learn a second language. I’ve taken two years each of Spanish and Japanese, plus a year of French, but while I can remember a few words in each of those languages (including counting from 1 to 10), I cannot carry on a conversation in anything but English. I feel pathetic when I communicate in English with people here who speak two or more languages fluently!

On the other hand, people are always surprised that I can (and have) changed a tire on a car. Of course, it’s a useless skill since I haven’t owned a car in a decade (I’d love to, but cannot afford the costs). I don’t know why I look so helpless…
;–)

[Mikiesboy]

when i become an adult i'll let you know... lol... there is one thing that still makes me shake my head ...

i remember when i finally, after much pushing from nephew and Husband, to get a smartphone.

i was enjoying having one. And since i take the bus i installed a transit app. now instead of just waiting, i could see how long i would be waiting!

i remember looking at the app and i could see southbound but not north. tried everything i could think of to find the northbound buses.

gave up and called nephew. "how do i find *&^* northbound buses!"

"uncle tim ... just swipe right"

seriously?

i can still hear him laughing ....

[Former Member]

2 minutes ago, Mikiesboy said:

i remember looking at the app and i could see southbound but not north. tried everything i could think of to find the northbound buses.

The app I use offers several different pages to use when checking arrival times. One is location-based and tells you about all the buses in the area. This means both directions show up, plus other irrelevant lines as well. Another lets you check just your favorites, so this means you get to see a bunch of stops besides the one you’re at. (There’s also one that lets you search to find a route to your destination.) They all rely on the GPS on the bus functioning, something that isn’t always true. And the predictions will often increase when the bus is delayed for whatever reason.

Supposedly they use the same info as the transit agency’s own electronic arrivals sign, but there’s one line that’s consistently ‘Departing’ a minute or two before it arrives at the stop! But the last time I took a bus, the electronic signs were off and there was a paper sign saying the power was out. That made me wonder who forgot to pay the utility bill – and also seemed to match their maintenance on the buses themselves.
;–)

[Reader1810]

47 minutes ago, Mikiesboy said:

i can still hear him laughing ....

Oh tim, you are a treasure 

Don't feel too bad, though. A friend of mine switched from a Blackberry to a touch screen phone. Watching him stab the the screen rendered me speechless. I had to intervene before he broke the screen his stabs were so forceful. 

Edited April 28, 2019 by Reader1810

[Brayon]

Cooking. I can do simple stuff, or anything that's two or three steps. But if it anywhere near moderately or highly complex, fuhgeddaboudit.

[Wayne Gray]

Additionally, I have a terrible sense of direction.  I mean, terrible.  Spatial problems or puzzles of all sorts drive me mad.  Organic Chemistry was nightmarish.  I can't "turn" molecules in my head, or fold them into new shapes.  I have to use models.  Up until that point in my academic career, I had aced every science class I had taken.  I passed Ochem simply because of my lab skills, and acing that portion of the course.  I've never been so happy to have a "C" in my life.

Weirdly, I have an excellent sense of time.

So, I can tell you exactly how long it is that I have been lost.

Edited April 28, 2019 by Wayne Gray

[CassieQ]

20 minutes ago, Wayne Gray said:

Additionally, I have a terrible sense of direction.  I mean, terrible.  Spatial problems or puzzles of all sorts drive me mad.  Organic Chemistry was nightmarish.  I can't "turn" molecules in my head, or fold them into new shapes.  I have to use models.  Up until that point in my academic career, I had aced every science class I had taken.  I passed Ochem simply because of my lab skills, and acing that portion of the course.  I've never been so happy to have a "C" in my life.

Weirdly, I have an excellent sense of time.

So, I can tell you exactly how long it is that I have been lost.

I am much the same way.  Chem classes were nightmares but I could handle Physics no problem. 

(I also got lost in my own house once).

[MacGreg]

Like @BHopper2, cooking and I have never gotten along well. Over the years, I've mastered some recipes, but for the most part, I wing it or don't bother cooking at all. Up until a couple of weeks ago, I couldn't properly hard-boil an egg. Getting the timing right was impossible, the yolks were always over or under cooked, so I stopped trying. Recently, while on a job, I overheard a homeowner telling someone her trick of baking eggs to hard-boil them. I mentally took down the recipe, tried it at home, and received the PERFECT hard-boiled eggs. I made egg salad and relished it for 2 days. It only took me 30+ years to figure that shit out.

[Puppilull]

I'm completely useless at social niceties. You know, those little things people seem to expect of a grown woman (less of men, I've discovered). I say seem, because I just can't get a hang of it. Things like buying flowers when going to dinner, sending a card, calling just to say hello, remembering who's who in my kids' classes, remembering family situations of coworkers. It's all a mystery to me how anyone can keep this in their heads. I even had to learn how to email nicely (meaning I write what I want to say and then go over the text adding sweetness to it). 

I do like to get the occasional flower and card, but I don't miss it if I don't. Sometimes they make me feel uneasy, since I know it means I should reciprocate and I know I will forget.  

So I guess I never learned how to play nice or rather niceties. Some of you know my abrupt side and I can't stop it. I rarely intend to be mean. Just to the point, perhaps.  

[Former Member]

36 minutes ago, Puppilull said:

So I guess I never learned how to play nice or rather niceties. Some of you know my abrupt side and I can't stop it. I rarely intend to be mean. Just to the point, perhaps.

That helps me to understand one of your characters better…
;–)

[Wayne Gray]

@BHopper2 and @MacGreg, cooking used to be this huge mystery to me as well.  I'm not sure when it happened, but now I find myself loving it.  There's always food in my stories!

[MacGreg]

1 minute ago, Wayne Gray said:

@BHopper2 and @MacGreg, cooking used to be this huge mystery to me as well.  I'm not sure when it happened, but now I find myself loving it.  There's always food in my stories!

You and tim, both, and I applaud you for it. 

I'm sure you've noticed very little food in my writing. Predominantly whiskey, beer and cigarettes. Tells you something about my love of cooking.

[Brayon]

2 hours ago, MacGreg said:

Recently, while on a job, I overheard a homeowner telling someone her trick of baking eggs to hard-boil them. I mentally took down the recipe, tried it at home, and received the PERFECT hard-boiled eggs. I made egg salad and relished it for 2 days. It only took me 30+ years to figure that shit out.

Sharing is caring! May I have that Recipe please?

10 minutes ago, Wayne Gray said:

@BHopper2 and @MacGreg, cooking used to be this huge mystery to me as well.  I'm not sure when it happened, but now I find myself loving it.  There's always food in my stories!

Same, I used to burn Water. But, I'm slowly getting things.
Like Mac said, tim uses food too in his stories. It was one of my Beta Reading notes on Changes, Again that I loved how he uses food in his stories.

[Former Member]

My mother made sure that all three of her sons learned how to do at least basic cooking. She was the eldest of five sisters and no brothers who ended up with no daughters. She was a kind of feminist even though she would have rejected the term since she was a religious conservative Republican (she grew up as a Free Methodist).

I’m no gourmet chef, but I keep myself fed without relying on microwaved frozen dinners and takeout.
;–)

[Wayne Gray]

2 minutes ago, MacGreg said:

You and tim, both, and I applaud you for it. 

I'm sure you've noticed very little food in my writing. Predominantly whiskey, beer and cigarettes. Tells you something about my love of cooking.

I thought perhaps was more an indication of your love of whiskey, beer, and cigarettes.  🙂

FYI, Jamie Oliver's recipes are almost always very good, and pretty easy.

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/jamie-oliver/crispy-and-sticky-chicken-thighs-with-squashed-new-potatoes-and-tomatoes-recipe-2011976

I typically split it into halves, and we have leftovers.  It's delicious, easy, and will knock the pants off of your date (I have lived experience here).  I was very impressed by it.  Yes, there are a few steps, but it's worth the effort.  Also, if you're not a fan of tomatoes you can sub in lemon juice (you just need some sort of acid taste).

You already conquered the toughest thing in the world in those perfect boiled eggs.  This will be no problem.  😋

[Former Member]

I’d cook more if I didn’t have to clean up afterwards. Old studio apartments don’t have dishwashers installed (no room or connections for the machine). I don’t have a housekeeper to clean up after me either.
:–(

[MacGreg]

10 minutes ago, Wayne Gray said:

You already conquered the toughest thing in the world in those perfect boiled eggs.  This will be no problem.  😋

Lol, I never said I aspire to be a first-class chef. Not everyone possesses the joy of cooking.

[Former Member]

2 minutes ago, MacGreg said:

Not everyone possesses the Joy of Cooking.

There are many booksellers out there who would love to sell you a copy!
;–)

[MacGreg]

13 minutes ago, droughtquake said:

There are many booksellers out there who would love to sell you a copy!
;–)

Touché, droughtquake.

[MacGreg]

@BHopper2

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Use a muffin pan; place an egg in each opening (or however many you want to make)
Bake for 30 minutes
Place eggs in an ice-water bath for 10 minutes.
Voila.