What are you thinking about?

[minutemancl]

1 hour ago, RaidersAreOne said:

I'm going to be a dad!

Best thing in the world. Congrats!

[OkeyDoke21]

16 hours ago, ET80 said:

Congratulations! It's a lot, but it's worth it.

I thought you hit Minuteman with a killer dad joke when I first read this.   

[bigbadbuff]

17 hours ago, RaidersAreOne said:

I'm going to be a dad!

Congrats! My little girl is about to turn 8 months.

My biggest recommendation is to completely zone out the people that say “get ready for no sleep” or “for your life to be over” stupid comments like that. 
 

It’s a lot of work and patience, but it’s easily the best feeling in the world when you get to hold the little one, and see them hit there milestones along the way. Enjoy every second of it

[OkeyDoke21]

37 minutes ago, bigbadbuff said:

Congrats! My little girl is about to turn 8 months.

My biggest recommendation is to completely zone out the people that say “get ready for no sleep” or “for your life to be over” stupid comments like that. 
 

It’s a lot of work and patience, but it’s easily the best feeling in the world when you get to hold the little one, and see them hit there milestones along the way. Enjoy every second of it

This.  The highs absolutely demolish the lows.  

[minutemancl]

1 hour ago, bigbadbuff said:

Congrats! My little girl is about to turn 8 months.

My biggest recommendation is to completely zone out the people that say “get ready for no sleep” or “for your life to be over” stupid comments like that. 
 

It’s a lot of work and patience, but it’s easily the best feeling in the world when you get to hold the little one, and see them hit there milestones along the way. Enjoy every second of it

And you'll never understand "they grow up so fast" until you have one.

I swear, overnight, my little boy turned into a toddler. There's a line from Tully (good movie; watch it with your wife a few months after you have your kid) that will always stick with me: "Say goodnight. She'll be different in the morning". You will wake up to a different little person every morning, and you won't want to miss any of it.

[naptownskinsfan]

Credit card companies go hard in the paint.  I’ve spent the past couple years paying down debt.  A few months ago, I took a credit card balance transfer offer from one of my Chase cards and had it direct deposited into my bank account.  I used it to pay off the balance on another Chase card and consolidate all of my credit cards onto one card (minus a smaller balance on another.). 

I’ve now paid off the balance on the smaller one, and I paid off my second Chase card monthly- this past month I had two dental expenses and my taxes so it was a higher balance than usual.  Chase surprised me with a credit limit increase- nearly 50%- on the one that I used the balance transfer on.  

That can be dangerous for someone who doesn’t know about paying off debt.  I know it would have been dangerous for me a few years ago.  

[flyers0909]

On 4/21/2024 at 3:48 PM, RaidersAreOne said:

I'm going to be a dad!

Congrats!  We're expecting our first in July.  I can't wait but we just got back from our "babymoon" and I'm realizing 3 months isn't a lot of time left!

Edited April 22 by flyers0909

[minutemancl]

6 minutes ago, flyers0909 said:

Congrats!  We're expecting our first in July.  I can't wait but we just got back from our "babymoon" and I'm realizing 3 months isn't a lot of time left!

It's gonna feel like forever, especially for her. I don't know geographically where you're located, but 3rd trimester in the summer is supposedly hell. Make sure you get some box fans lol.

[MWil23]

On 4/21/2024 at 3:48 PM, RaidersAreOne said:

I'm going to be a dad!

Best piece of advice I can give you is that most men can be fathers, but it takes a real man to be a dad. Enjoy it. My oldest is 9 and it seems like just a snap of the fingers ago she was asleep in my arms.

[TOUCAN]

Why didn’t they just call the movie “Ralph Wrecks The Internet”?

[bigbadbuff]

25 minutes ago, MWil23 said:

Best piece of advice I can give you is that most men can be fathers, but it takes a real man to be a dad. Enjoy it. My oldest is 9 and it seems like just a snap of the fingers ago she was asleep in my arms.

I take this to heart every day. My dad was/is the type that thought because he was providing for the family that it was enough, and now that I’m an adult and have a child of my own I realize that isn’t nearly enough. I don’t have much of a relationship with my dad because of it. I don’t remember one time him saying he loves me, or playing catch in the back yard, and he was one of those people that just made me feel dumb if I didn’t know how to do things that a parent is supposed to teach you how to do.

It makes me want to be the best person humanly possible for my daughter and be as involved in her life as I can and help teach her and help her grow into the best version of herself…whatever that may be and how ever she wants that to be. The support you provide and the relationship you build with your kids at the young ages is what lasts a life time.

[ET80]

9 hours ago, TOUCAN said:

Why didn’t they just call the movie “Ralph Wrecks The Internet”?

I thought they did...

[Tugboat]

On 4/21/2024 at 1:53 AM, minutemancl said:

House is already on it, thankfully, and really nice. Has all the space we'll ever need. I'm just enamored by the lot, specifically the huge backyard that is lined with huge beautiful trees at the back.

Speaking of that, I'm going to need a riding mower now. There's way too much grass to cut with the push mower. Anyone have recommendations?

 

I was gonna say...congrats but that 3/4 acres sounds like a nightmare to me.  😆  Not just because personally, that ain't my scene.  But also...that's right firmly across that awkward middleground that crosses the threshold from push mower...to ride on mower.  But not by enough to justify something substantial.  But you seem to know that already.

So i'll tell you this.  Get a zero turn mower.  Period.  Whatever extra it costs vs the comparable normal ride-on type.  It's worth it.  It will save you so many hours over it's lifespan.  Even if it's just a lower-end lightweight model.  That's probably all you'll need.  And the zero turn thing not only makes it quicker in the tricky corners and stuff (less weedwhackering or hand mowing to clean up) but they're just straight up faster and smoother and give a better cut in the straightaways too.

 

And not one of those weird go-kart looking things with a steering wheel either.  Skid steer zero turn.  That's what you want.  And when your eyes bug out at the pricetag being a thousand or two bucks more...think of it as an investment based on the number of years you're going to live there, and what your time is "worth" to you...and then think about it as basically cutting a normal ride-on mower time in half.  Every time.  Not an exaggeration at all, once you get the hang of it...and that doesn't take long.

 

I say that as a retired former professional mower of grass.  As well as someone who finally converted my old school dad to the idea and he was stunned at how much faster it gets done.  There's a reason you never see municipal maintenance people or quality landscape companies out there puttering around on a normal ride-on mower.  Or maybe you do, idk...but you shouldn't.

 

Definitely note deck size too.  Some of them are gonna be awkward if it's too narrow. You want a deck a little wider than the rear wheel track.

 

But also, don't buy some weird total "off brand" sideshow unit.  They all cost a decent chunk of change and at that point, you might as well just get one that won't break all the time and be impossible to find parts for.  I think even Home Depot sells like...the budget version Deere ones.  Cub Cadets.  Weird knockoff Toros built in China maybe totally separate from the rest of their turf maintenance equipment that is top tier.  But i'd bet any would be fine.  Or just go find the nearest tractor dealers and work out a nice financing plan with them on an entry level model.  They'll steer well clear of the crap.  Husqvarna make some too i think?  Kubotas are all more "heavy duty"?  Craftsman used to make okay lawn tractors, no idea if they still do because i've never even seen one since Lampert murdered their distribution network for profit.  Half these things use the same parts and motors in the quality ones anyway.  In their budget ones.

I fear i've said more than anyone could possibly care about mowing lawns now.  Thanks.  And you're welcome.

 

 

[TOUCAN]

2 hours ago, ET80 said:

I thought they did...

NOPE. It’s among the biggest disappointments in my life. They call it Ralph Breaks the Internet. You know, because his name is “Break It Ralph”

[minutemancl]

2 hours ago, Tugboat said:

 

I was gonna say...congrats but that 3/4 acres sounds like a nightmare to me.  😆  Not just because personally, that ain't my scene.  But also...that's right firmly across that awkward middleground that crosses the threshold from push mower...to ride on mower.  But not by enough to justify something substantial.  But you seem to know that already.

So i'll tell you this.  Get a zero turn mower.  Period.  Whatever extra it costs vs the comparable normal ride-on type.  It's worth it.  It will save you so many hours over it's lifespan.  Even if it's just a lower-end lightweight model.  That's probably all you'll need.  And the zero turn thing not only makes it quicker in the tricky corners and stuff (less weedwhackering or hand mowing to clean up) but they're just straight up faster and smoother and give a better cut in the straightaways too.

 

And not one of those weird go-kart looking things with a steering wheel either.  Skid steer zero turn.  That's what you want.  And when your eyes bug out at the pricetag being a thousand or two bucks more...think of it as an investment based on the number of years you're going to live there, and what your time is "worth" to you...and then think about it as basically cutting a normal ride-on mower time in half.  Every time.  Not an exaggeration at all, once you get the hang of it...and that doesn't take long.

 

I say that as a retired former professional mower of grass.  As well as someone who finally converted my old school dad to the idea and he was stunned at how much faster it gets done.  There's a reason you never see municipal maintenance people or quality landscape companies out there puttering around on a normal ride-on mower.  Or maybe you do, idk...but you shouldn't.

 

Definitely note deck size too.  Some of them are gonna be awkward if it's too narrow. You want a deck a little wider than the rear wheel track.

 

But also, don't buy some weird total "off brand" sideshow unit.  They all cost a decent chunk of change and at that point, you might as well just get one that won't break all the time and be impossible to find parts for.  I think even Home Depot sells like...the budget version Deere ones.  Cub Cadets.  Weird knockoff Toros built in China maybe totally separate from the rest of their turf maintenance equipment that is top tier.  But i'd bet any would be fine.  Or just go find the nearest tractor dealers and work out a nice financing plan with them on an entry level model.  They'll steer well clear of the crap.  Husqvarna make some too i think?  Kubotas are all more "heavy duty"?  Craftsman used to make okay lawn tractors, no idea if they still do because i've never even seen one since Lampert murdered their distribution network for profit.  Half these things use the same parts and motors in the quality ones anyway.  In their budget ones.

I fear i've said more than anyone could possibly care about mowing lawns now.  Thanks.  And you're welcome.

 

 

This is the best advice I could have ever hoped to get on the topic.

Are you saying Cub Cadets are garbage, or they're fine? They seem to be the most common entry level 0 turn mowers available near me.