Overheard at Work

[marion10]

I used to teach training classes for the Federal government- three day classes. I had a student who cam in from out of town with a government credit  card but his supervisor had not set it up right - so it was not activated. He gets to his hotel (about $150 a night) and cannot check in. All his credit cards are maxed out- so he call his wife and is able to charge one night to his room. He comes to my first day of class and at lunch tells me that there is not enough credit on his wife's card to do the next night - so he's flying back home ( government buys his ticket direct- so nomout of pocket). Couldn't believe it.

[arebelspy]

I don't often post here because I feel it's unnecessarily mean...

It may be in how you read the postings.  I almost never read this as mean.

It was surreal.

This is how I read them.  I wonder, and marvel.

I could totally see how one could read it in a nasty voice or something, but the voice I read it in is amazement.

Good story, thanks for sharing!   I love your recap line "I realized I was watching a man enslave himself in real time."

What a world we live in.  :)

[jinga nation]

Unrelated to the coffee purchase: She has a financed Honda Pilot and has mentioned that she loves having 3 rows even though it's only her in the car 99% of the time and she's already planning on a new car once her loan is up in 3 years.  She's looking at ~$60K SUVs.

I like having the extra rows for my imaginary friends and alternate personalities

These are my exact thoughts everytime someone says "minivans are the best vehicles."

"Me, Myself, and I can't get along so each of us needs our own row but we like to travel together, ALL THE TIME! It's my free group therapy session."

[economista]

I used to teach training classes for the Federal government- three day classes. I had a student who cam in from out of town with a government credit  card but his supervisor had not set it up right - so it was not activated. He gets to his hotel (about $150 a night) and cannot check in. All his credit cards are maxed out- so he call his wife and is able to charge one night to his room. He comes to my first day of class and at lunch tells me that there is not enough credit on his wife's card to do the next night - so he's flying back home ( government buys his ticket direct- so nomout of pocket). Couldn't believe it.

I work for the federal government and finances like this are more common than they should be.  I understand it with people who work for certain agencies where their positions max out as a GS-7, but with other agencies that have decent salaries it's ridiculous.  *Also a side note: I run the training budget for my agency and most classes are quite expensive.  If we have someone who doesn't finish a class and get full credit for it, we make them pay it back.  So by not staying, he likely ended up paying even more out of pocket.

When I started my job I was in an intern position and I was still in school so at the end of the summer I switched from full-time to part-time.  But, unfortunately, HR still kept paying me for full time and full checks kept arriving.  After the first one I notified my boss, timekeeper, and HR, but it still took them 8 weeks to switch me to part-time.  I knew that the extra salary wasn't mine so I saved it to give back to them once they asked, but my boss made such a big deal out of how I couldn't be expected to pay it back in 1 lump sum, and that is too much money for anyone to keep laying around, and I was just an intern and a low GS level so it was really mean for them to ask me to pay back the almost $2k they had over-paid me.  I kept telling her it was no big deal, but she actually offered to lend me the money.  She just couldn't understand how I was able to save the extra money.  It blew my mind. 

[lifejoy]

I don't often post here because I feel it's unnecessarily mean...

It may be in how you read the postings.  I almost never read this as mean.

It was surreal.

This is how I read them.  I wonder, and marvel.

I could totally see how one could read it in a nasty voice or something, but the voice I read it in is amazement.

Good story, thanks for sharing!   I love your recap line "I realized I was watching a man enslave himself in real time."

What a world we live in.  :)

I read them as reminders that without constant vigilance or practicing of good habits... I could totally wind up as a story in this thread! ;)
Friendly cautionary tales.

[Cassie]

My home office is also our guest room. It is probably used about once per month for guests.  Last summer I had 4 friends come for a week so we used the RV as a guest room too. I agree that most people don't have enough guests to have a dedicated room. When we were young and had a small car everyone started to say we needed a mini-van. No we didn't. Most of the time all 5 of us were not in the car at the same time.  Even when the kids got to be teens the 3 boys could still fit in the back seat. Just a waste to upgrade for stupid reasons. When all our kids were at home and we had guests we would have kids sleep on the floor in sleeping bags and the adults would get the beds. 

[ambimammular]

When we were young and had a small car everyone started to say we needed a mini-van. No we didn't. Most of the time all 5 of us were not in the car at the same time.  Even when the kids got to be teens the 3 boys could still fit in the back seat. Just a waste to upgrade for stupid reasons.

We used to hear a lot of the, "but what will you do if they have a friend come over and you pick them all up after school?" We've survived it thus far.

[Metric Mouse]

When we were young and had a small car everyone started to say we needed a mini-van. No we didn't. Most of the time all 5 of us were not in the car at the same time.  Even when the kids got to be teens the 3 boys could still fit in the back seat. Just a waste to upgrade for stupid reasons.

We used to hear a lot of the, "but what will you do if they have a friend come over and you pick them all up after school?" We've survived it thus far.

But... but what if you want to haul loads of lumber! Or full sheets of drywall? Or an entire football team! Or sleep a family in your vehicle? I mean really, one must buy a mini van for these everyday occurrences...

[Fomerly known as something]

I am grateful for my Mother's love of the mini-van in the 2000s after all the kids had left. 

How else was I to get a high end, bought for a fraction of the price couch, a kitchen table with 5 chairs, 2 chest of drawers etc, delivered over the years to me when they visited me.  There were a couple of really awesome old time furniture stores near my parents that had great overstock/rich people didn't like what was delivered sales.  The stores would have charged a ton to deliver out of state, Mom's mini-van delivered for free.

[SweetLife]

Overheard from a friend who works at the border ...

Friend: Where are you ladies going today?
Ladies: BINGO!!!
Friend: When was the last time you were here?
Ladies: Yesterday at Bingo!
Friend: So you must have won?
Ladies: NOOOOOO ... lost $400 and $200
Friend: How much are you bringing today?
Ladies: $200 and $100
Ladies: You are going to see lots of us right now ... it tax time ! All the cheques are coming out!

Friend when she told me: OMG you want to reach out and facepunch ! I just put my tax return on my quickly dwindling debt!!! :)
Me : Hurray!!

[mm1970]

I don't often post here because I feel it's unnecessarily mean... but I had an experience that needs sharing.

Coworker informed me that they're looking to sell their house and upgrade to a larger one (expensive in our area), because they're considering having a second child. Without provocation, I was informed that the house they currently own is a 4 bedroom, but they want each child to have their own room, have a dedicated guest room at all times, as well as have a home office (neither parent works from home on more than a once-in-a-blue moon basis) and thus need "at least" a 5 bedroom house.

While listening to this explanation, I realized I was watching a man enslave himself in real time.
It was surreal.

... 2 kids = 5 bedroom house. Wow. Yeah, your last sentence sums it up.

Also, how many house guests do people actually HAVE? Because at a certain point, it's cheaper/more reasonable to either finish the basement and put in a wall-hung bed, or shuffle people around for a night or two to make room for guests, or, wtf, pay a few hundred a year to put guests up in a local hotel when absolutely needed.

Like, we stuck a guest room in the corner of our basement because my sister is over literally every weekend we don't have other house guests (she's my best friend, she and my husband get along super well, and she's close with our kid, so... ) but I'm assuming most people with guest rooms don't actually have them in use 1-2 nights per week?

Yup.  When we were buying our house, we were visiting with my husband's parents.  I can't remember if they were visiting us, or us them (opposite coasts).  MIL: but where will WE sleep?

Me: On the sofabed in the living room!  Or in a hotel!  For the once every 2 years you guys come, I'm not spending an extra $100,000 for the extra bedroom. Can pay for a lot of hotels!

[pudding]

More like some of my friends than co workers.

Friend one, inherited from his father and spent it all on heroin! (yep he did that!)

Friend two has a business thats lost money for at least 10 years but he likes his business (it's in the entertainment industry)  so he keeps the same losing business model because its fun? and makes next to zero attempt at making it into a self sufficient money maker.

He had bought some great real estate and lucked out on skyrocketing property values.......so he took out as much equity as the banks and then private lenders would possibly lend him to prop up his money losing business (he told me he had 1/4 million dollars at credit card interest rates from a break your legs lender) when they wouldn't lend him anymore he sold one property, then another made at least 1.5 million profit from the 2 sales and a month later was talking about how he didn't have enough to pay back taxes?

He didn't like the house he bought because of the bathroom layout ???    so he rented a mega mansion a few blocks away and left the house he bought empty for over 2 years until the bank made him sell it.

He also rents a cabin on an island for 6 months of the year.

He rented a garage off an old guy I used to know... stored some stuff in it, he didn't pay the rent for months at a time, and I'd told the old guy he was OK... in the end he hadn't paid the rent for a year!!!!!!! it was due monthly... the old guy died, no one knew who the stored stuff belonged to so he lost it all.

Yet he complains constantly and I mean over and over about the stress from trying to pay the bills....

I have to vent sometimes as he drives me bonkers. I've know him for a long time, otherwise I think I'd just laugh my head off and walk away.

[horsepoor]

He didn't like the house he bought because of the bathroom layout ???    so he rented a mega mansion a few blocks away and left the house he bought empty for over 2 years until the bank made him sell it.

Congratulations, you just won this thread.

[zolotiyeruki]

Yup.  When we were buying our house, we were visiting with my husband's parents.  I can't remember if they were visiting us, or us them (opposite coasts).  MIL: but where will WE sleep?

Me: On the sofabed in the living room!  Or in a hotel!  For the once every 2 years you guys come, I'm not spending an extra $100,000 for the extra bedroom. Can pay for a lot of hotels!

I have a close relative that does this.  Went from a 4,000sq ft house worth half a million to a 900 sq ft house that she bought for $15k (and then renovated it with her husband).  She's more than willing to put up guests in a hotel when they visit, if they're not comfortable on their sofa.

[MgoSam]

He didn't like the house he bought because of the bathroom layout ???    so he rented a mega mansion a few blocks away and left the house he bought empty for over 2 years until the bank made him sell it.

Congratulations, you just won this thread.

Yup, lock this thread, it's game over.

[ducky19]

Glad to see this was unlocked! I haven't had too many stories to share, but this thread has provided me with hours of entertainment - keep 'em coming folks!

[Linea_Norway]

Yup.  When we were buying our house, we were visiting with my husband's parents.  I can't remember if they were visiting us, or us them (opposite coasts).  MIL: but where will WE sleep?

Me: On the sofabed in the living room!  Or in a hotel!  For the once every 2 years you guys come, I'm not spending an extra $100,000 for the extra bedroom. Can pay for a lot of hotels!

I have a close relative that does this.  Went from a 4,000sq ft house worth half a million to a 900 sq ft house that she bought for $15k (and then renovated it with her husband).  She's more than willing to put up guests in a hotel when they visit, if they're not comfortable on their sofa.

My brother in law has also told us that there are 2 houses with airB&B in their street and that visitors can stay there instead. Smart. Do I like it as a guest: not really. But that is not his problem.

[MgoSam]

Glad to see this was unlocked! I haven't had too many stories to share, but this thread has provided me with hours of entertainment - keep 'em coming folks!

Ha, me too! I was feeling a bit guilty when I saw that this thread had truly been locked.

[horsepoor]

Umm, yeah, me too.  I've been wondering if I should start a new one, but I don't have any good stories.  Now I can live vicariously again !

[Just Joe]

Coworker is this =><= close to not having anything to drive to work b/c their vehicle is worn out.

However coworker is very publicly chatting around our work area about buying a $15K big boy toy (motorized but not street legal)...

Very modest income, married single income family of four.

I just kept on moving. 

Edited for clarity...

[MgoSam]

but I don't have any good stories.  Now I can live vicariously again !

Yeah same here, all my coworkers tend be very frugal. There are two guys in the warehouse that eat out a lot, but as they each have at least two side gigs in addition to their job here I cannot in good conscience judge their spending choices.

[Spiffy]

When we were young and had a small car everyone started to say we needed a mini-van. No we didn't. Most of the time all 5 of us were not in the car at the same time.  Even when the kids got to be teens the 3 boys could still fit in the back seat. Just a waste to upgrade for stupid reasons.

We used to hear a lot of the, "but what will you do if they have a friend come over and you pick them all up after school?" We've survived it thus far.

But... but what if you want to haul loads of lumber! Or full sheets of drywall? Or an entire football team! Or sleep a family in your vehicle? I mean really, one must buy a mini van for these everyday occurrences...

Y'all stop with the minivan hate. I loved my old Volvo wagon, but you can't believe what you can fit in a minivan. I once fit in two huge rocking chairs at the same time. And for everyday use, it is pretty great. My 14 year old is already six feet  tall and growing and the two younger ones are well on their way, too. We fold one middle row seat into the floor and he sits in the "wayback" and can put his legs out and they reach the back of the front seat. I carry 3 tall kids, a trombone and a double bass in there all the time.

[BFGirl]

Yup.  When we were buying our house, we were visiting with my husband's parents.  I can't remember if they were visiting us, or us them (opposite coasts).  MIL: but where will WE sleep?

Me: On the sofabed in the living room!  Or in a hotel!  For the once every 2 years you guys come, I'm not spending an extra $100,000 for the extra bedroom. Can pay for a lot of hotels!

I have a close relative that does this.  Went from a 4,000sq ft house worth half a million to a 900 sq ft house that she bought for $15k (and then renovated it with her husband).  She's more than willing to put up guests in a hotel when they visit, if they're not comfortable on their sofa.

Most of my guests are staying with me for their convenience, not mine.  I have a sofa bed they are welcome to use and will share my bathroom with them, but done are my days of feeling that I have to have a bedroom just for the 1-3 times a year that I may have a guest in town. 

[StockBeard]

A coworker is trying to sell a "designer's" crib for $350, paid $500 for it.

We paid $25 for our crib, used. Our kids haven't complained that it was not "design" enough for them to sleep in when they were babies. Fingers crossed that our kids don't realize how awesome of a crib they could have had, had we spent 15 times the amount we did.

[lifejoy]

A coworker is trying to sell a "designer's" crib for $350, paid $500 for it.

We paid $25 for our crib, used. Our kids haven't complained that it was not "design" enough for them to sleep in when they were babies. Fingers crossed that our kids don't realize how awesome of a crib they could have had, had we spent 15 times the amount we did.

Sounds like your kids were really deprived!! ;)

[Linea_Norway]

Yup.  When we were buying our house, we were visiting with my husband's parents.  I can't remember if they were visiting us, or us them (opposite coasts).  MIL: but where will WE sleep?

Me: On the sofabed in the living room!  Or in a hotel!  For the once every 2 years you guys come, I'm not spending an extra $100,000 for the extra bedroom. Can pay for a lot of hotels!

I have a close relative that does this.  Went from a 4,000sq ft house worth half a million to a 900 sq ft house that she bought for $15k (and then renovated it with her husband).  She's more than willing to put up guests in a hotel when they visit, if they're not comfortable on their sofa.

My brother in law has also told us that there are 2 houses with airB&B in their street and that visitors can stay there instead. Smart. Do I like it as a guest: not really. But that is not his problem.

Linda what don't you like about it? We have one spare room (used as an office/storage) that we host guests in, but if there's more people than the house can hold, airbnb has been our go to. Would be interested to hear your thoughts on downsides to this.

My purpose is visiting them, not a bunch of strangers in another house. I might end up in a house with smokers. And I would not like to pay for it. BIL did not mention who would pay.
I would rather sleep on a mattrass on the floor in their house.
Last time we ended up visiting them only during daytime on our way to another location.

[dragoncar]

You guys I have a back yard, a sleeping bag, and a sky full of stars

[theadvicist]

You guys I have a back yard, a sleeping bag, and a sky full of stars

We actually often have people camp over. Kids especially love it. We usually limit it to summer, get a campfire going, and all have a brilliant time! They key is don't stop drinking until the tent is up :)

[DTaggart]

A coworker is trying to sell a "designer's" crib for $350, paid $500 for it.

We paid $25 for our crib, used. Our kids haven't complained that it was not "design" enough for them to sleep in when they were babies. Fingers crossed that our kids don't realize how awesome of a crib they could have had, had we spent 15 times the amount we did.

Sounds like your kids were really deprived!! ;)

LOL I had a co-worker several years back who was getting ready for the birth of his first child. He started telling me about the extremely high-end, fancypants jogging stroller he had just bought, and I shit you not, said something along the lines of how his infant child would "really know he was loved" because he had bought it such a nice stroller. I replied with "Wow, sounds pretty nice. (pause) So, what kind of stroller did you have when you were a baby?"

He looked at me like I was completely nuts and said "I don't remember!" Then, after a brief pause, said "Oh...."

[cheapass]

I shit you not, said something along the lines of how his infant child would "really know he was loved" because he had bought it such a nice stroller.

Everybody knows how much you love your kids is directly proportional to the amount of money you spend on them.

[BJacks]

The coworker I posted about earlier is still having problems.

Over the weekend her husband had some tattoos done. They had to come up with $500 to pay for holding the house they're going to rent once their house closes. She had to borrow money from her parents in order to pay it. They've known that this would be happening for over a month. She actually told him before he had it done that he would regret it (financially) but he whined and complained because 'he never gets to do anything for him'.

Apparently her sister would only be willing to loan them the money if they all went through their last months bank statements together.

She bought me a coffee and a doughnut on her way back from pumping which was really sweet but all I could think was honey you are broke!

Yesterday she was to tired to make the grilled cheese sandwiches that she had planned for dinner so they got pizza delivered. $40. Grilled cheese!

I also found out that they're going to invest $15,000 from the sale of their house in the realtor/contractor husband and wife team that they used to sell their house. Their reasoning was that it was worth the risk because they would just spend it if it was in their account. Using it to pay off more debt didn't enter into their minds.

It all just makes be really sad for her.

[Carless]

LOL I had a co-worker several years back who was getting ready for the birth of his first child. He started telling me about the extremely high-end, fancypants jogging stroller he had just bought, and I shit you not, said something along the lines of how his infant child would "really know he was loved" because he had bought it such a nice stroller. I replied with "Wow, sounds pretty nice. (pause) So, what kind of stroller did you have when you were a baby?"

He looked at me like I was completely nuts and said "I don't remember!" Then, after a brief pause, said "Oh...."

This is pure comedy gold.  Well done.

[Alfred J Quack]

You guys I have a back yard, a sleeping bag, and a sky full of stars

Did that at my granddad's with a 1 person popup tent. Woke up at 4am with a migraine and wet feet. English weather sucks!
Best tip if you do, the cold comes from the ground, not from the air! Having a 2cm airbed is not insulation and you'll wake up ice cold in mildly cold weather :s

Yup.  When we were buying our house, we were visiting with my husband's parents.  I can't remember if they were visiting us, or us them (opposite coasts).  MIL: but where will WE sleep?

Me: On the sofabed in the living room!  Or in a hotel!  For the once every 2 years you guys come, I'm not spending an extra $100,000 for the extra bedroom. Can pay for a lot of hotels!

I have a close relative that does this.  Went from a 4,000sq ft house worth half a million to a 900 sq ft house that she bought for $15k (and then renovated it with her husband).  She's more than willing to put up guests in a hotel when they visit, if they're not comfortable on their sofa.

Most of my guests are staying with me for their convenience, not mine.  I have a sofa bed they are welcome to use and will share my bathroom with them, but done are my days of feeling that I have to have a bedroom just for the 1-3 times a year that I may have a guest in town. 

My dad often sleeps over when he's visiting from England, we have a double bed in the attick. Only downside is that it doesn't have a door so open sound connection to the lower level (where our 3 bedrooms and bathroom is). Unfortenatly he also sometimes brings over his GF and they stay at a hotel, he's welcome and he knows it but appearently privacy with her exceeds our offer of free room and board :P

[Cookie78]

Yup.  When we were buying our house, we were visiting with my husband's parents.  I can't remember if they were visiting us, or us them (opposite coasts).  MIL: but where will WE sleep?

Me: On the sofabed in the living room!  Or in a hotel!  For the once every 2 years you guys come, I'm not spending an extra $100,000 for the extra bedroom. Can pay for a lot of hotels!

I have a close relative that does this.  Went from a 4,000sq ft house worth half a million to a 900 sq ft house that she bought for $15k (and then renovated it with her husband).  She's more than willing to put up guests in a hotel when they visit, if they're not comfortable on their sofa.

My brother in law has also told us that there are 2 houses with airB&B in their street and that visitors can stay there instead. Smart. Do I like it as a guest: not really. But that is not his problem.

Linda what don't you like about it? We have one spare room (used as an office/storage) that we host guests in, but if there's more people than the house can hold, airbnb has been our go to. Would be interested to hear your thoughts on downsides to this.

My purpose is visiting them, not a bunch of strangers in another house. I might end up in a house with smokers. And I would not like to pay for it. BIL did not mention who would pay.
I would rather sleep on a mattrass on the floor in their house.
Last time we ended up visiting them only during daytime on our way to another location.

I agree.

Also, if someone came to visit me I would be sad if they stayed in a hotel instead of at my house. Though at the moment I'd understand, because I got rid of my bed and am sleeping on the futon. There are no other bed options in my house besides an air mattress at the moment.

[Inaya]

Yup.  When we were buying our house, we were visiting with my husband's parents.  I can't remember if they were visiting us, or us them (opposite coasts).  MIL: but where will WE sleep?

Me: On the sofabed in the living room!  Or in a hotel!  For the once every 2 years you guys come, I'm not spending an extra $100,000 for the extra bedroom. Can pay for a lot of hotels!

I have a close relative that does this.  Went from a 4,000sq ft house worth half a million to a 900 sq ft house that she bought for $15k (and then renovated it with her husband).  She's more than willing to put up guests in a hotel when they visit, if they're not comfortable on their sofa.

My brother in law has also told us that there are 2 houses with airB&B in their street and that visitors can stay there instead. Smart. Do I like it as a guest: not really. But that is not his problem.

Linda what don't you like about it? We have one spare room (used as an office/storage) that we host guests in, but if there's more people than the house can hold, airbnb has been our go to. Would be interested to hear your thoughts on downsides to this.

My purpose is visiting them, not a bunch of strangers in another house. I might end up in a house with smokers. And I would not like to pay for it. BIL did not mention who would pay.
I would rather sleep on a mattrass on the floor in their house.
Last time we ended up visiting them only during daytime on our way to another location.

I agree.

Also, if someone came to visit me I would be sad if they stayed in a hotel instead of at my house. Though at the moment I'd understand, because I got rid of my bed and am sleeping on the futon. There are no other bed options in my house besides an air mattress at the moment.

The assumption here is that you really do have extra space for them.
Then again, we've slept 4 people in our 500' studio in addition to me, husband, and cat.

[horsepoor]

I agree.

Also, if someone came to visit me I would be sad if they stayed in a hotel instead of at my house. Though at the moment I'd understand, because I got rid of my bed and am sleeping on the futon. There are no other bed options in my house besides an air mattress at the moment.
[/quote]
The assumption here is that you really do have extra space for them.
Then again, we've slept 4 people in our 500' studio in addition to me, husband, and cat.
[/quote]

My in-laws stay in a hotel when they come to visit.  At first, I was offended, because we have a ton of space, and this would be unheard of on my side of the family.  Now, I appreciate it because, they are lovely people, but have some peculiar habits and requirements, and I can just enjoy their company for several hours a day, but not cater to their peculiarities.  They seem to feel more comfortable this way too.  My family members know how to make themselves at home and just adapt to the environment, so it's not stressful having them stay at our house.  There is an art to being a good houseguest that has nothing to do with bringing the right bottle of wine.

[mm1970]

LOL I had a co-worker several years back who was getting ready for the birth of his first child. He started telling me about the extremely high-end, fancypants jogging stroller he had just bought, and I shit you not, said something along the lines of how his infant child would "really know he was loved" because he had bought it such a nice stroller. I replied with "Wow, sounds pretty nice. (pause) So, what kind of stroller did you have when you were a baby?"

He looked at me like I was completely nuts and said "I don't remember!" Then, after a brief pause, said "Oh...."

This is pure comedy gold.  Well done.

Totally made me laugh out loud!

[dandarc]

LOL I had a co-worker several years back who was getting ready for the birth of his first child. He started telling me about the extremely high-end, fancypants jogging stroller he had just bought, and I shit you not, said something along the lines of how his infant child would "really know he was loved" because he had bought it such a nice stroller. I replied with "Wow, sounds pretty nice. (pause) So, what kind of stroller did you have when you were a baby?"

He looked at me like I was completely nuts and said "I don't remember!" Then, after a brief pause, said "Oh...."

This is pure comedy gold.  Well done.

Totally made me laugh out loud!

Clearly the dude didn't have a fancy jogging stroller, or he totally would have remembered it.

[golden1]

LOL I had a co-worker several years back who was getting ready for the birth of his first child. He started telling me about the extremely high-end, fancypants jogging stroller he had just bought, and I shit you not, said something along the lines of how his infant child would "really know he was loved" because he had bought it such a nice stroller. I replied with "Wow, sounds pretty nice. (pause) So, what kind of stroller did you have when you were a baby?"

He looked at me like I was completely nuts and said "I don't remember!" Then, after a brief pause, said "Oh...."

I wish I could think that fast on the fly. 

[ducky19]

A coworker is trying to sell a "designer's" crib for $350, paid $500 for it.

We paid $25 for our crib, used. Our kids haven't complained that it was not "design" enough for them to sleep in when they were babies. Fingers crossed that our kids don't realize how awesome of a crib they could have had, had we spent 15 times the amount we did.

Sounds like your kids were really deprived!! ;)

My kids slept in an orange crate. Oh wait, that was El Chapo...

[LivlongnProsper]

My youngests "crib" was made from a piece of shelving liberated from the garage. It was in my bathroom, half in my shower. Before that he slept in our room with us but he got to the point that if he woke up and saw us it was game over for any sleep. After the move smooth sailing.

[ozbeach]

We actually often have people camp over. Kids especially love it. We usually limit it to summer, get a campfire going, and all have a brilliant time! They key is don't stop drinking until the tent is up :)

for me, the key is not to start drinking until the tent is up!

[johnny847]

Finally have a story for this thread! (At least, I think it's my first).

I'm a grad student, so my "coworkers" are mostly grad students. Virtually all of the students in my college, engineering, are funded through a teaching assistant (TA) or research assistant (RA) position. As RAs, we get paid around $26k and have our tuition waived. This money comes out of a professor's research funds. TAs get paid somewhat less than that and also have our tuition waived, with that money coming out of the department's funds.

All professors here do their best to find funding for the students in their labs (they're hired as RAs). If a professor who is low on funding is approached by a student who wants him/her as a advisor, such a professor would simply say they don't have funding available and would instruct the student to find a different advisor. However, occasionally a professor has trouble finding funding for students after they've been hired (professors are not required to have 5 years of funding for a student on hand when they hire one).

One of my friends, unfortunately, is in that position. Her advisor wasn't able to find funding for her this semester. It happens sometimes. But here's the antimustachian part: her advisor recommended she not find a TA position, because it would slow her down from graduating, and instead just take out student loans.

Yeah. Take out student loans when a perfectly viable job is available (and my friend did disregard her advisor's advice and found a TA position). But remember, without a TA or RA position, my friend would not only have to pay for living expenses but also tuition, which is $14k a semester. Granted, TAing takes about 10-15 hours a week (though some classes will require closer to 20), so yes, it does slow her down from graduating. But seriously?

A cynic would say that the professor is being selfish. Before this incident, my friend told me several times her prof is trying to transition to an administrator role and wants to graduate her students as soon as possible.

[zolotiyeruki]

Yeah. Take out student loans when a perfectly viable job is available (and my friend did disregard her advisor's advice and found a TA position). But remember, without a TA or RA position, my friend would not only have to pay for living expenses but also tuition, which is $14k a semester. Granted, TAing takes about 10-15 hours a week (though some classes will require closer to 20), so yes, it does slow her down from graduating. But seriously?

Good for your friend!  I found TAing to be not as demanding as it sounds.  Even with a full course load, I was able to handle the extra 15 hours/week with no problem.

[mm1970]

Yeah. Take out student loans when a perfectly viable job is available (and my friend did disregard her advisor's advice and found a TA position). But remember, without a TA or RA position, my friend would not only have to pay for living expenses but also tuition, which is $14k a semester. Granted, TAing takes about 10-15 hours a week (though some classes will require closer to 20), so yes, it does slow her down from graduating. But seriously?

Good for your friend!  I found TAing to be not as demanding as it sounds.  Even with a full course load, I was able to handle the extra 15 hours/week with no problem.

My husband TA'd on TOP of RA'ing a few times (when they couldn't find a qualified TA), and ended up teaching the class many times when the prof was out of town.  Of course, that's going to happen when you are on the 7 year PhD plan.

[RWD]

But remember, without a TA or RA position, my friend would not only have to pay for living expenses but also tuition, which is $14k a semester. Granted, TAing takes about 10-15 hours a week (though some classes will require closer to 20), so yes, it does slow her down from graduating. But seriously?

That TA job works out to $47-$93/hour just for the waived tuition, assuming a 15 week semester... It would be insane to pass that up just to graduate a little sooner.

[johnny847]

Yeah. Take out student loans when a perfectly viable job is available (and my friend did disregard her advisor's advice and found a TA position). But remember, without a TA or RA position, my friend would not only have to pay for living expenses but also tuition, which is $14k a semester. Granted, TAing takes about 10-15 hours a week (though some classes will require closer to 20), so yes, it does slow her down from graduating. But seriously?

Good for your friend!  I found TAing to be not as demanding as it sounds.  Even with a full course load, I was able to handle the extra 15 hours/week with no problem.

I agree. Just because she has to spend 15 hrs/wk on other stuff doesn't necessarily mean it's a reduction of time spent on research by 15 hrs/wk. There's only so many hours in a day one can spend on the same problem before exhausting ideas for the day.

But remember, without a TA or RA position, my friend would not only have to pay for living expenses but also tuition, which is $14k a semester. Granted, TAing takes about 10-15 hours a week (though some classes will require closer to 20), so yes, it does slow her down from graduating. But seriously?

That TA job works out to $47-$93/hour just for the waived tuition, assuming a 15 week semester... It would be insane to pass that up just to graduate a little sooner.

Yeah, which is why I was surprised to hear her professor recommended loans. Until then I had never heard of any professor doing every thing they could to find funding for their students, and if that failed, finding alternatives - e.g. one of my friends' profs got my friend a summer internship because the prof couldn't find her funding and there's fewer TA positions available in the summer.

[RetiredAt63]

Having TA and/or RA on a resume is good too.

[arebelspy]

You guys I have a back yard, a sleeping bag, and a sky full of stars

Do you really?

A sky full of stars seems so rare nowadays, with all the light pollution.

[TheGrimSqueaker]

You guys I have a back yard, a sleeping bag, and a sky full of stars

Do you really?

A sky full of stars seems so rare nowadays, with all the light pollution.

All the more wonderful for those who have it. I camped out in Moab, Utah last summer and the stars were so thick and bright I couldn't see the dark spaces between them. I truly had trouble picking out the constellations. Mosquitos ate me alive, though: I did something dumb and camped by the river the first night. Didn't make that mistake again.