Author Topic: I'd love some lemonade, but all I have are these stupid lemons and sugar  (Read 12632 times)

Gerard

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Reading wall of shame posts reminded me of this: A few years back, I was watching a questionable charity call for donations, featuring a rural family with a large hole in their roof, through which rain apparently poured on a regular basis. Then, in a longer shot, you could see a large piece of plywood, ideal for covering the hole, leaning up against the house. Now possibly the charity had just brought it over to later repair the home, but it seemed equally likely that the poor befuddled homeowners had never considered putting the plywood over the hole.

This struck me as idiotic, but there are probably things in my own life just like this, where I can't see a solution that's right in front of me.

So I thought I'd ask you all: Have you been in situations like this? Are you now, but haven't realized it? Does "man, child care is expensive" and "if only there was some way to earn money while staying home" qualify? Are the connections easier to see when it's someone else being the idiot?


AZDude

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Often you see the solution, but its hard work so you do not want to do it. Like the roof. I've done roof repair, it sucks... Especially in the summer. Having a charity hire a professional roofer to come fix it up sounds much better than getting up there and hammering.

And of course, sometimes people just overcomplicate things. "I can't do that, I have never repaired a roof before." or "If I try I will probably fall and break my neck" and thus they never try to solve the problem.

AMandM

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Often you see the solution, but its hard work so you do not want to do it.

This.  I'm there now.
Personally, my house is cluttered with stuff... and I'd love to get a bit of extra cash.

Also, it's not financial, but way too often:
"Man, I'm tired"  and "I stayed up late last night reading forums."
Having typed which, I'm gonna log off now!

11ducks

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I know I feel better when I exercise daily, even a simple 30 minute walk. Did I go today? Nup. Lazy. Luckily most days I do. However, the prevalence of obesity tells us that most people don't do the simple, easy things (eat well, move, don't smoke) that will significantly increase life quality and length.

mountains_o_mustaches

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My own experience that comes to mind is from when I was still in school.  I was staying up furiously studying for finals / completing final projects and papers - so was basically living on a diet that primarily consisted of coffee.  As the days went by I noticed a back pain so started to take ibuprofen.  As time when on the pain became more excruciating, so of course just took more ibuprofen.  The pain got severe enough that I thought I had appendicitis and went to the doctor only for them to tell me that my stomach lining was inflamed - likely from the 6+ cups of coffee I was drinking per day and all the ibuprofen I was popping.  Whoops...

MgoSam

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I know I feel better when I exercise daily, even a simple 30 minute walk. Did I go today? Nup. Lazy. Luckily most days I do. However, the prevalence of obesity tells us that most people don't do the simple, easy things (eat well, move, don't smoke) that will significantly increase life quality and length.

I hear ya! I'm on the road for the next few days and so went on the treadmill to walk. I've been doing muay thai for the past few months and I know I should have been walking/jogging in addition to help flush out my legs but I've been so tired from the workouts that I skipped it. Now I remember how great it has been, and it only took 20 minutes. The same 20 minutes I would have spent watching the TV in my hotel room otherwise.

sparkytheop

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Your title just reminds me of something I say fairly often, when I'm hungry now and don't feel like cooking... "I don't have any food in the house, just ingredients." 

I do mostly from-scratch cooking, and I'll go to the fridge and find my son has eaten all the leftovers.  One easy way to solve this?  Cook a bunch at once and freeze in individual servings.  I used to do it often, but am out of the habit and need to get back into it.    I'm reminded of this when people say how hard it is to cook for just one, or they don't like eating leftovers more than once, or that just buying freezer meals makes it easier (one even added "to eat healthy"), even though they know it is a lot more expensive.

I almost did a run to the store for one item (hamburger buns), but sucked it up and tried a new recipe to make them with items I had in the pantry.  In a weird twist, I was just too lazy to go to the store!

MrsPete

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I see my students do it all the time: 

I'm failing your class, and I need it for graduation!  What can I do? 

You can do your reading, keep up with your homework, and write that report that was due last week.

But the reading is so hard, and I have to work.  I don't find that the homework really helps me, and at this point the report is only worth half credit. 

Still, those are the things that will help your grade.

It'd take me so long to go back and read the first half of the novel.  I'm already so far behind.  I did half the homework -- okay, two questions, and it was hard.  Couldn't I get full credit for the report now?  I could have it in by Monday. 

No, the things that will help your grade are reading and doing your work.  No, you can't have full credit for a report that was due a week ago. 

Couldn't I just make a poster for extra credit?  I have one that I made for history last year! 

No. 

I just can't catch a break.

coolistdude

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Your title just reminds me of something I say fairly often, when I'm hungry now and don't feel like cooking... "I don't have any food in the house, just ingredients." 

I do mostly from-scratch cooking, and I'll go to the fridge and find my son has eaten all the leftovers.  One easy way to solve this?  Cook a bunch at once and freeze in individual servings.  I used to do it often, but am out of the habit and need to get back into it.    I'm reminded of this when people say how hard it is to cook for just one, or they don't like eating leftovers more than once, or that just buying freezer meals makes it easier (one even added "to eat healthy"), even though they know it is a lot more expensive.

I almost did a run to the store for one item (hamburger buns), but sucked it up and tried a new recipe to make them with items I had in the pantry.  In a weird twist, I was just too lazy to go to the store!

My wife and I talked about this recently. I was telling her that when I was a kid, I used to look into the fridge, freezer, or pantry and complain that there was no pre-made food. Now that I'm an adult, I am like my parents, looking for ingredients. I think the reason is that I'm too lazy to make most recipes, with the exception of brinner. With brinner, I'm all about carmalizing onions, chopping mushroom and green pepper, etc. All it took was trying different things and realizing what was fun to cook.

+1 about cooking a bunch at once. The wife prepares dough, bags sauce and cheese and then purchases/grows the toppings we want (safe mushrooms, bell pepper, etc) and bag's em to make a single pizza. It takes about 20 minutes to make and tastes fresh. You just have to make sure to pull the ingredients out prior to dinner time so they have a chance to unfreeze.

ketchup

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Often you see the solution, but its hard work so you do not want to do it.

This.  I'm there now.
Personally, my house is cluttered with stuff... and I'd love to get a bit of extra cash.

Also, it's not financial, but way too often:
"Man, I'm tired"  and "I stayed up late last night reading forums."
Having typed which, I'm gonna log off now!
"Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work."

Related: "I have no food in my fridge!  Only ingredients to make food!"

MgoSam

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I have NOTHING to drink in my house except portable water.  Sadly this thought came to me recently, although it's cause I eliminating drinking anything other than water, tea, and coffee.

JoRocka

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Your title just reminds me of something I say fairly often, when I'm hungry now and don't feel like cooking... "I don't have any food in the house, just ingredients." 

I do mostly from-scratch cooking, and I'll go to the fridge and find my son has eaten all the leftovers.  One easy way to solve this?  Cook a bunch at once and freeze in individual servings.  I used to do it often, but am out of the habit and need to get back into it.    I'm reminded of this when people say how hard it is to cook for just one, or they don't like eating leftovers more than once, or that just buying freezer meals makes it easier (one even added "to eat healthy"), even though they know it is a lot more expensive.

I almost did a run to the store for one item (hamburger buns), but sucked it up and tried a new recipe to make them with items I had in the pantry.  In a weird twist, I was just too lazy to go to the store!

My wife and I talked about this recently. I was telling her that when I was a kid, I used to look into the fridge, freezer, or pantry and complain that there was no pre-made food. Now that I'm an adult, I am like my parents, looking for ingredients. I think the reason is that I'm too lazy to make most recipes, with the exception of brinner. With brinner, I'm all about carmalizing onions, chopping mushroom and green pepper, etc. All it took was trying different things and realizing what was fun to cook.

+1 about cooking a bunch at once. The wife prepares dough, bags sauce and cheese and then purchases/grows the toppings we want (safe mushrooms, bell pepper, etc) and bag's em to make a single pizza. It takes about 20 minutes to make and tastes fresh. You just have to make sure to pull the ingredients out prior to dinner time so they have a chance to unfreeze.

I eat sauteed veggies and scrambled eggs with a small side of bacon- easily 5 nights a week. I only batch cook 1 x a week and I eat that for lunch. eggs for dinner is my go to- I don't have time to cook at night- and it's to much work.
Plus. Eggs are delicious.

Johnez

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^Love me some eggs, easy and versatile, plus protein and prices finally coming down here in California, yay!

My contribution-I have a messy house but am bored, what do I do?

Ugh...off to do laundry and vacuum.....

I'm a red panda

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I have NOTHING to drink in my house except portable water.  Sadly this thought came to me recently, although it's cause I eliminating drinking anything other than water, tea, and coffee.

At least you can table that water anywhere you want...

;)

TheGrimSqueaker

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Related: "I have no food in my fridge!  Only ingredients to make food!"

Holy bleep. I've heard the same "no food" complaint from my daughter and her friends. What they mean is that there's no prepackaged Obesian crap and they have to do something like put a sandwich together or turn on a burner. One of my daughter's friends took it upon herself to lecture me about how I should have "more" snack foods around the house, because two to four servings a day of "chips" aren't enough. I acquainted her with the well-stocked fruit drawer. Hilarity ensued, at least on my side.

BlueHouse

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Related: "I have no food in my fridge!  Only ingredients to make food!"

Holy bleep. I've heard the same "no food" complaint from my daughter and her friends. What they mean is that there's no prepackaged Obesian crap and they have to do something like put a sandwich together or turn on a burner. One of my daughter's friends took it upon herself to lecture me about how I should have "more" snack foods around the house, because two to four servings a day of "chips" aren't enough. I acquainted her with the well-stocked fruit drawer. Hilarity ensued, at least on my side.
Please please please tell the parents of this friend. That is such obnoxious behavior it needs to be stopped. Yes, I recognize that the parents are probably to blame to begin with, that is why I suggest telling them- for the shaming! 

TheGrimSqueaker

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Related: "I have no food in my fridge!  Only ingredients to make food!"

Holy bleep. I've heard the same "no food" complaint from my daughter and her friends. What they mean is that there's no prepackaged Obesian crap and they have to do something like put a sandwich together or turn on a burner. One of my daughter's friends took it upon herself to lecture me about how I should have "more" snack foods around the house, because two to four servings a day of "chips" aren't enough. I acquainted her with the well-stocked fruit drawer. Hilarity ensued, at least on my side.
Please please please tell the parents of this friend. That is such obnoxious behavior it needs to be stopped. Yes, I recognize that the parents are probably to blame to begin with, that is why I suggest telling them- for the shaming!

I read that as my daughter simply spinning her friend and playing her off against me. At that age they fear laughter more than parental wrath. So laughter it was.

maco

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Your title just reminds me of something I say fairly often, when I'm hungry now and don't feel like cooking... "I don't have any food in the house, just ingredients." 
When I was a teen, we'd complain to my dad that there wasn't anything to eat when we got home from school. The fridge, freezer, and chest freezer were packed to bursting, but fridge cleanouts never happened, so a lot of it was past its date or freezer burned, and it was impossible to find anything without emptying the entire fridge onto the kitchen floor, then trying to cram it back in. (ok, that still describes his kitchen...who knew you could be a hoarder inside the fridge?)

Anyway, he'd respond "what are you talking about? There's filet mignon in the freezer!" And we'd stare at him like "are you serious? We want to be able to put food in our faces as soon as we get home from school, not stick a frozen steak on the counter to thaw so that it can maybe be eaten 6 hours later!" I finally got him to keep some ramen around.

WildJager

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I was rewatching Arrested Development today, and this gem reminded me of this thread.  Not very funny if you haven't seen the show (you should, half the premise is financial idiocy, perfect for this community!), but in context with the acting it's hilarious.

Oscar: I have lemons, I make lemonade.
Michael: That’s a very positive attitude.
Oscar: But I hate the lemonade business, I hate the grind. You have to grind so many fucking lemons.

sheepstache

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Your title just reminds me of something I say fairly often, when I'm hungry now and don't feel like cooking... "I don't have any food in the house, just ingredients." 
When I was a teen, we'd complain to my dad that there wasn't anything to eat when we got home from school. The fridge, freezer, and chest freezer were packed to bursting, but fridge cleanouts never happened, so a lot of it was past its date or freezer burned, and it was impossible to find anything without emptying the entire fridge onto the kitchen floor, then trying to cram it back in. (ok, that still describes his kitchen...who knew you could be a hoarder inside the fridge?)

Anyway, he'd respond "what are you talking about? There's filet mignon in the freezer!" And we'd stare at him like "are you serious? We want to be able to put food in our faces as soon as we get home from school, not stick a frozen steak on the counter to thaw so that it can maybe be eaten 6 hours later!" I finally got him to keep some ramen around.

Maybe he was expecting you to think ahead and pull the filet mignon out in the morning before you left for school?
(Though I get what you're saying about hoarder-fridge.)

accountingteacher

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My FIL overspends each month, and, unless he can continue to borrow against the equity left in his home, he will be in foreclosure within a few years.  He is also a pack-a-day smoker which we think coss him about $300 a month.  One day he actually said , "if I could just find another $300 per month I'd break even."  Face palm.