I had such a parental fail this morning. I yelled at both kids. I yelled at my son because he refused to get dressed, and then refused to wear a shirt and insisted he was going to go to school that way. Oy! And then my daughter because, for the upteentn time, I found her waterbottle upside down in her backpack where it had leaked all over her schoolwork, math book, piano theory book, and the upholstered chair where it was all sitting.

sigh. Yes, annoying, but yelling doesn't fix anything. It only makes us late for the bus. It was driving away as I drove up, but luckily the driver was nice enough to pull over and let them on.

So morning of parental fail.

"Gluten-free" also means that the item was processed in a gluten-free facility, so is guaranteed to be free of cross-contamination. It's not that the tomatoes might contain gluten, but that they might be packaged at a facility that also packages bread on the same assembly lines.

It's part marketing because gluten-free is a Thing right now, but it's also a genuine health concern for people with celiac.

I've had a morning of decent human being and co-worker fail. When complimented on outfit, compliment the fuck back, woman. Also, don't be thirty minutes late for a meeting (aka, forgot entirely about 8:00AM start time), and I also suspect the carwash guy might be wondering about a tip, since I paid up front and didn't give him one. But I don't know if he sucks yet!

This week is just...I am not operating correctly.

When you say "true tea", you mean "unflavoured camellia sinensis", right? I was reading (what I consider) an odd tea instructions document that said that tisanes had to be brewed longer, because they weren't really tea. I don't think that's in the definitions anywhere, tea-brewing internet page.

"Gluten-free" also means that the item was processed in a gluten-free facility, so is guaranteed to be free of cross-contamination. It's not that the tomatoes might contain gluten, but that they might be packaged at a facility that also packages bread on the same assembly lines.

It's part marketing because gluten-free is a Thing right now, but it's also a genuine health concern for people with celiac.

But then everything should have that or not, and they don't. I'm willing to bet actual money that that particular label was 100% marketing, with an accidental side benefit.

Well it's bound to lead to confusion, having the name "tea" refer to both steeped drinks generally and to a particular leaf that is made into steeped drinks. Ah well. Since I like both teas and tisanes they tend to occupy the same place in my mental economy.

I found her waterbottle upside down in her backpack where it had leaked all over her schoolwork, math book, piano theory book, and the upholstered chair where it was all sitting.

Ugh! What a drag. I've been there. I recommend getting the kind of backpack which has an outside holder for water bottles.

It's freakin' gorgeous in San Francisco today. Even by San Francisco standards.

I recommend getting the kind of backpack which has an outside holder for water bottles.

I recommend getting the kind of kids who remember that those side pockets exist.

First world problem of the day - I need a new pair of Keens and the black ones I want are $30 more expensive than all the other colors, and I just can't bring myself to buy blue shoes.

So morning of parental fail.

I think the kids get to take some of the fail there, Burrell.

- t, I can relate to the not getting ahead. Since I seem to have little to no ability to actually stay on budget just by drawing one up and tracking my expenses (and then feeling bad at month end when I am over on several things), I am doing the Ramsey envelope system and I made up my discretionary spending envelopes last night.

Already over budget for the month on:

hone/lawn
eating out
personal care/beauty

I figure it may take me a few months to get things under control, but I hope I can get with it and stay on it.

Making up the budget and tracking in Mint did do some to get spending down. Electricity, water, eating out, clothing, and personal care/beauty have all gone down since a year ago. Still more work to go.

I am just floored at how I cannot get ahead when I know that people make a lot less. I have a mortgage lower than I could get a one bedroom apartment for. I have a car that is less than 10 years old, it gets decent gas mileage, and I have no car payments. I have just the one kid. No major medical expenses AND I have insurance. I just kind of do not get it. If my monthly mandatory expenses are about $1350 on the low end $1500 is probably average - and food (how is food discretionary?) is kept to 300-350 (the USDA thrifty plan based on US averages) per month, I cannot do anything outside of basic expenses (no gifts, no charitable giving, no clothing) and cannot save outside of 401K contributions - and make less than about $40K.

Poverty level is $15K?!?! for family of 2. How to the what?

I am just floored at how I cannot get ahead when I know that people make a lot less.

I am right there with you. And I have no dependents. (Besides the damn cats.)