My UO: Starbucks is totally crap. They must seriously be geniuses at marketing or something though because they can't brew a good cup of normal coffee to save their life yet they're the coffee shop on ever corner. It honestly blows my mind.
@runsomewhere oo i love starbucks! i'm a yankee who can't stand Dunkin though lol. I only drink latte's so I prefer paying a little more to get a consistent hand-made fancy coffee than the inconsistent yet machine made crap latte from DD - you would be shocked how many times I've gotten just a cup of hot milk from DD... smh
my UO: showing up and doing the bare minimum does not get you a gold star and raise! While I agree it sucks that my company pays vastly below market standard and has not given even a minuscule cost of living increase in over 5 years...I'm sick of the people who think staying off the "naughty list" is enough to get a top marks review, that's the basic expectation.
@runsomewhere 110% agree with you!! I used to work for a competitor coffee shop, which trained you on the history of coffee, including roasting beans, how to pour a good espresso shot, etc. They said Starfucks (not a typo) burns their beans and let's their espresso shots sit too long, adding to the bitter taste. We did a comparison of different coffee from different shops (starsucks, coffee bean, Tully's, and a few others). Starfucks rated last. It was obvious why, too.
There is this local shop called Bodhi Leaf Coffee Traders. It is the best coffee and lattes I've ever had. If I can't make it there, my next go to is Coffee Bean or 85°.
@gingerbride26 I totally agree that Starbucks beats DD 100%. I like Starbucks for a latte or cappuccino, and maybe an ice coffee occasionally. Their regular hot coffee is always burnt though. DD is only for desperate times. My top choice is one of the two independent coffee places in my town, both of which make way better coffee than Starbucks. I try to save money and only drink coffee at home/work. I have a close relative who works for the company that makes Nespresso machines, so I get those for free, and have one at home and one on my desk at work. The pods are expensive but the espresso is dam good in my opinion.
@wildtot I could not agree more about dogs in strollers/purses/etc. Dogs need exercise, not to be pushed around in a stroller! I also hate when people just bring their dog into a store or restaurant and act like they're entitled to have their dog there. I have a dog, I love my dog, but I do not treat him like he's a human and expect him to be welcome everywhere.
Maybe that is my UO....I don't like when people overly humanize their pets. My brother in law and his wife are obsessed with their dog, and constantly send my husband videos of him performing "tricks" and pictures etc. Yet, they never ever ask to see photos of their nephew who they've only met once when he was just born. They never ever ask about him or how he's doing, but expect us to want to receive constant updates on their poodle? I don't know, I just don't get it.They are in town this weekend, and my H's brother texted him to ask if we want to come over to where they're staying so we can meet the dog. Like, how about, "let's get together so we can see our nephew"? Then he followed up to let us know that unfortunately we will not get to meet the dog, because his wife is taking the dog to meet some other family member that day, since that person has not met him yet, and also because they're nervous about whether he will like being around a baby. Okay, that's fine, I promise we were not about to drive 3 hours on a Sunday to meet your dog, we actually just wanted to see you...Meanwhile, when my husband first told him we were having another boy, his response was to send my husband a video of their dog. No reaction whatsoever to the baby news.
@wildtot the dogs in strollers and purses is super common in my area. While I don't mind it it is silly, especially the high end dog specific strollers. We were shopping downtown with my MIL who moved out of state like 12 years ago last weekend and we saw a guy pushing 2 yokries in a fancy looking dog jogger. Not a stroller, a jogger. MIL is a dog lover but she just about died laughing.
@gingerbride26 I pretty much only drink my coffee black so you can really taste when it's bad. I feel like Starbucks piles on the flavor syrups and extras but they can't manage a cup of normal coffee. I'm not sure if I've had Dunkin but it sounds like they are doing it wrong lol.
I do agree with you on the work attitude.
@zombiehoohaa Yes!!! It always tastes burned and bitter! I haven't heard of the places you mentioned other than Coffee Bean which I like. My favorite is Philz by far, followed by Blue Bottle.
I can see both ways on the humanizing pets thing. My dad's best friend and his wife couldn't have kids. So her therapist suggested a getting a dog and treating it like a baby. They got a shi tsu. It ate people food and didn't really know how to act like a dog bc they treated it like a human. But it helped her cope with infertility so I guess whatever works. However, I do think it is sort of silly sometimes.
@zande2016 lol yes emergencies only - I looked at the nespresso. I had the mr coffee version of an espresso machine with milk wand at home and loved it to death (literally). I've been making do with Columbian roast and espresso pods for my Tassimo but it's not the same without the steamed milk. I keep going back and forth between replacing the mr coffee with the same level machine knowing i will kill it well within 2 years but only spend $50....or go big on one of the $1500 machines...seems so much but that's 323 venti's ... In the mean time i'll just keep throwing 6 splenda and 6 half-n-half in my work coffee to make it drinkable....
@wildtot I also hate when people bring dogs in stores and such. It has more to do with rule following for me, you aren't entitled to you emotional support yorkie in the store just a legit service dog, and you are taking advantage of the fact that no one is allowed to ask.
@moguippy I understand that, when a couple cannot have kids they may humanize their pets, but I guess it's more the way they act like their dog is more important than our child. I just don't/can't see it that way. Like my brother and sister in law are empty nesters and I know they fill the void with their pets, and they totally humanize them too, but it's not the same level...they still show interest in their nieces and nephews. Sure they post on social media like crazy about their new cat, but they don't act like us meeting their new cat is more important than seeing their nephew. FTR my H's brother and his wife don't have any fertility issues, they do plan on having kids eventually.
@SmashJam while this doesn't upset me personally, I will say that I cannot remember the last time I was in a Whole Foods or Target and didn't see dogs that were not official service dogs. It's so common here no one even notices.
@smashjam I agree it is more about entitlement and rule following. Like, what about health code violations? My husband used to manage a restaurant and people would bring their dogs in all the time, and he wasn't allowed to challenge them if they said it's a service dog. Meanwhile, if the health inspector came in, he'd still get a violation, and that violation would directly impact on his ability to earn his quarterly bonus. So your entitlement just took money out of my family's pocket. Don't get me wrong, I am all for service dogs when they are needed and are truly service dogs, but this was definitely not a service dog.
If someone is bringing their non-service dog somewhere where pets aren't allowed then yes they are dumb. I don't think my dad's friends ever brought their dog anywhere like that. They just treated her like a legit human. We went over for dinner one night. They cooked everyone steaks and cooked the dog it's OWN steak. And apparently they did this every night with whatever they were eating. It was weird. Plus I was bummed the dog didn't know how to play bc I love dogs and wanted to play with it lol. In my region I very rarely see dogs in stores. But I have seen the occasional dog in a stroller/purse bag thing
@gingerbride26 - do you mind posting the link to the model you had on Amazon? I'm going to add to my wish list! I prefer lattes as well, but have a Keurig at home at the moment. I just use creamer in my coffee when I make some, although I do like the Keurig Starbucks latte mixes too.
@runsomewhere Yes, Starbucks is bad. We call them Charbucks because it all tastes burnt. I guess if you're gonna add 16 tablespoons of sugar to it you won't notice, but yuck.
@zande2016 Your BIL is weird. Just saying. I mean my dogs are my babies right now, but even I know how weird it would be to ask someone if they wanted to come over and meet my dogs but I can't be bothered to meet their human!
My UO, is that I loathe, with every fiber of my being, participation ribbons and the idea of not keeping score with sporting events for kids. Sorry, but no. Learning how to lose or come in second place is an important life skill. Just like learning how to be a gracious winner is important. Sports should have nothing to do with hurt feelings. Sorry, I guess DH and I are just accepting ahead of time we're the mean parents.
My UO, is that I loathe, with every fiber of my being, participation ribbons and the idea of not keeping score with sporting events for kids. Sorry, but no. Learning how to lose or come in second place is an important life skill. Just like learning how to be a gracious winner is important. Sports should have nothing to do with hurt feelings. Sorry, I guess DH and I are just accepting ahead of time we're the mean parents.
@gingerbride26 I think the Nespresso would be a good compromise between the Mr. Coffee and the $1,500 one. We've had one of ours for over a year and it's going strong, and the other one has the milk frother attached so you can make a latte with just one push of a button (I think it's called the one touch). Of course my husband or mom lost the tube that connects to the milk compartment, which I am quite pissed about
@MichelleAG05 Happy to share! it was a housewarming gift 6 years ago so I'm not 100% sure if it was This one - just machine which is only $35! or if it was This one - starter set which is $60. It looks like the only difference is the cups/pitcher - which honestly I never use the cups it came with and i prefer to use a glass pyrex measuring cup so I can SEE the froth and feel the warmth on the bottom. It doesn't even specify bars of pressure - so not a high quality machine but it go the job done. The recent reviews make it sound like the quality isn't what it used to be :-/ but then again, if you make 10 latte's you've saved money from Starbucks runs!
edited to reduce new post - @zande2016 that does sound nice, we have the tassimo single cup but the milk froth is a separate pod so I just make iced latte's with it in the summer because...lazy. also super frustrating they broke it!
I can understand service dogs and for emotional support but there are rules and regulations to that. Taking a random pet into a grocery store sounds so unsanitary to me.
@runsomewhere yes! Totally agree. I celebrate DSs efforts but not everything will come with a reward. They need to learn how to deal with failures, disappointments and how to overcome them.
@zande2016 Your BIL sounds ridiculous. And super weird. I mean I post funny pics of my dog on my Instagram and talk to her all the time, but I definitely don't get upset when people haven't "met" the dog yet. MH sometimes wants to bring to dog to family lunches and I have to remind him that other people are not as obsessed with the dog as we are.
@noideawhatshesdoing YAAAASSSSSSS!!!!! For ALL of the reasons you mention. PLUS - they provide no real long-term satisfaction to the child, just a temporary feeling of not having failed. I played a lot of sports as a kid/teenager. I finally made my mom throw out all the participation trophies and ribbons because they meant NOTHING to me. I kept the lacrosse game ball I got for scoring 3 goals in a winning game and kept the cheerleading trophy for a contest our squad won. ETA: Also, losing makes you work harder the next time and think about what you can improve both individually and as a team. I want my kid to fail and then get back up and try again. And if you work as hard as you can at something and can't do any better at it, it's still a good life lesson. Because, as hard as I work at it, I'm never going to be good enough to be a professional ballerina. It's best to learn your limitations.
Lurking lurker from ttgp - Hi friends we created a general U/O and on the chit chat board. We miss our old friends and looking to make new ones. Today we kicked it off with a U/O thread. Hope you'll join us. All are welcome.
@beanship exactly! I kept my team trophies from the end of the soccer season because they represented the season and were a memento. I wouldn't have played as a kid if no one kept score because what would the point have been? And kept the medals I won at Taekwondo tournaments, but dang it, I earned those suckers and they meant something because there were lots more times I lost a match. I never kept any of the tournament participant ribbons, and my cheer squad sucked so no way was I going to hang onto the participant ribbon from the state competition to remind me how badly we sucked! Lol. I had a few things I was good at, but tons of things I sucked at, or was on a team that wasn't as good as another.
@beanship@noideawhatshesdoing my BIL is 100% one of the weirdest and most ridiculous people I've ever met. Well his wife is too, and the two of them together...I can't stand them in case you couldn't tell lol
@beanship exactly! I kept my team trophies from the end of the soccer season because they represented the season and were a memento. I wouldn't have played as a kid if no one kept score because what would the point have been? And kept the medals I won at Taekwondo tournaments, but dang it, I earned those suckers and they meant something because there were lots more times I lost a match. I never kept any of the tournament participant ribbons, and my cheer squad sucked so no way was I going to hang onto the participant ribbon from the state competition to remind me how badly we sucked! Lol. I had a few things I was good at, but tons of things I sucked at, or was on a team that wasn't as good as another.
Do you have any kids in sports? We just started Tball and it's ages 4-6. They don't keep score and everyone gets to hit the ball off the tee. They also all get to go all the way around the bases. It's really so they develop their love of baseball and learn the general rules of the game (pitcher throws to first, 1st, second, third base, what happens when you hit the ball, what all the positions are, what a home run is, etc. -so it's less theoretical to them). I actually like how it's set up so no one gets super frustrated and doesn't want to continue. I agree once they get to a certain developmental age they should switch to scoring, etc. - which is 7 for us - but I think how they do it is really great.
@noideawhatshesdoing I do believe in always keeping score (because the kids will, and so will the parents, lol). Participation trophies going to every team in a league for being in the league IS dumb in my opinion, but within the team itself I do kind of believe in valuing every person's contribution to the team, and I guess that's kind of a team "participation" trophy. DH was like, "Making the team is your trophy!" lol, but I played in a softball rec league as a kid where no one got denied, and I had one coach who did player awards like, "Best cheerleader" and "highest on base percentage" and "highest batting average" and shit like that, and so if we didn't win that year we still kind of got "participation" awards from him and that was cool.
@Lelo2006 I don't have a kid in sports, I'm a first time mom. But I did raise my younger brothers, sat through every single game and practice t-ball through highschool baseball. (I'll spare you the long history). I do coach my 5 year old niece's soccer team (well as much as one can coach 5 year olds) and even she thinks it's silly that the adults won't keep score because the kids definitely do. Same experience with my other niece when she was about the same age and playing basketball, she didn't see the point if there wasn't a winner. She's not a competitive person, but there was a winner and a loser in everything else she played, so to take away a winner and a loser in sports didn't make sense to her so she didn't want to stick with it. I realize my brothers and my nieces are a different experience, but I just really don't think my perspective on the subject will change.
I will agree that with 4-6 year olds there should be more focus on learning the game and having fun, but the score is part of it.
@SmashJam My H also says things like "Making the team is your trophy!" He's still never beat his dad in a game of one on one basketball either, not even when he was little because his dad doesn't believe in letting a little kid win just because it's a kid. Seems harsh, but I think DH is better for it.
I guess my UO is that I don't care about sports, trophies, or in general being competitive, lol. I'll let DH teaching our kid all about being competitive. I'm gonna be the one that plays the game for pure enjoyment vs winning.
I do loathe entitlements and medals for participating. It is important to teach them to be ok with losing but also, and most importantly, to be gracious when winning. Too many arrogant a-holes in this world already!
I love dogs and pets in general but I'm definitely not the type who overly humanizes them. A friend of mine has two chiuauas and they are her babies, like seriously they are treated like kids. To each their own, once again...
Starbucks, I like it and I own their machine because one of my best friends works for them but it's not the best coffee ever. That can only be found in Italy, of course!
@noideawhatshesdoing - I completely agree - I see that as the root cause of my UO. There's nothing wrong with MEETING expectations, like there's nothing wrong with losing a game, but not everyone is a winner and you need to do the extra oomph to get the prize. Very unreal expectations of real life.
Ironically there was a dog in a stroller on my FB news feed last night and i died laughing. We've thrown the 5 lb shih tzu-yorkie mix in the back/bottom basket of the kid stroller when he can't keep up on 5-6 mile runs, but he starts on the pavement until he needs a break.
Re: UO Thursday
My UO dogs in purses, strollers, or even doggie wearing.Why?!?! If they are injured fine, but just because i think it’s silly.
my UO: showing up and doing the bare minimum does not get you a gold star and raise! While I agree it sucks that my company pays vastly below market standard and has not given even a minuscule cost of living increase in over 5 years...I'm sick of the people who think staying off the "naughty list" is enough to get a top marks review, that's the basic expectation.
There is this local shop called Bodhi Leaf Coffee Traders. It is the best coffee and lattes I've ever had. If I can't make it there, my next go to is Coffee Bean or 85°.
@wildtot I could not agree more about dogs in strollers/purses/etc. Dogs need exercise, not to be pushed around in a stroller! I also hate when people just bring their dog into a store or restaurant and act like they're entitled to have their dog there. I have a dog, I love my dog, but I do not treat him like he's a human and expect him to be welcome everywhere.
Maybe that is my UO....I don't like when people overly humanize their pets. My brother in law and his wife are obsessed with their dog, and constantly send my husband videos of him performing "tricks" and pictures etc. Yet, they never ever ask to see photos of their nephew who they've only met once when he was just born. They never ever ask about him or how he's doing, but expect us to want to receive constant updates on their poodle? I don't know, I just don't get it.They are in town this weekend, and my H's brother texted him to ask if we want to come over to where they're staying so we can meet the dog. Like, how about, "let's get together so we can see our nephew"? Then he followed up to let us know that unfortunately we will not get to meet the dog, because his wife is taking the dog to meet some other family member that day, since that person has not met him yet, and also because they're nervous about whether he will like being around a baby. Okay, that's fine, I promise we were not about to drive 3 hours on a Sunday to meet your dog, we actually just wanted to see you...Meanwhile, when my husband first told him we were having another boy, his response was to send my husband a video of their dog. No reaction whatsoever to the baby news.
@gingerbride26 I pretty much only drink my coffee black so you can really taste when it's bad. I feel like Starbucks piles on the flavor syrups and extras but they can't manage a cup of normal coffee. I'm not sure if I've had Dunkin but it sounds like they are doing it wrong lol.
I do agree with you on the work attitude.
@zombiehoohaa Yes!!! It always tastes burned and bitter! I haven't heard of the places you mentioned other than Coffee Bean which I like. My favorite is Philz by far, followed by Blue Bottle.
I can see both ways on the humanizing pets thing. My dad's best friend and his wife couldn't have kids. So her therapist suggested a getting a dog and treating it like a baby. They got a shi tsu. It ate people food and didn't really know how to act like a dog bc they treated it like a human. But it helped her cope with infertility so I guess whatever works. However, I do think it is sort of silly sometimes.
@zande2016 Your BIL is weird. Just saying. I mean my dogs are my babies right now, but even I know how weird it would be to ask someone if they wanted to come over and meet my dogs but I can't be bothered to meet their human!
My UO, is that I loathe, with every fiber of my being, participation ribbons and the idea of not keeping score with sporting events for kids. Sorry, but no. Learning how to lose or come in second place is an important life skill. Just like learning how to be a gracious winner is important. Sports should have nothing to do with hurt feelings. Sorry, I guess DH and I are just accepting ahead of time we're the mean parents.
edited to reduce new post - @zande2016 that does sound nice, we have the tassimo single cup but the milk froth is a separate pod so I just make iced latte's with it in the summer because...lazy. also super frustrating they broke it!
@runsomewhere yes! Totally agree. I celebrate DSs efforts but not everything will come with a reward. They need to learn how to deal with failures, disappointments and how to overcome them.
@noideawhatshesdoing YAAAASSSSSSS!!!!! For ALL of the reasons you mention. PLUS - they provide no real long-term satisfaction to the child, just a temporary feeling of not having failed. I played a lot of sports as a kid/teenager. I finally made my mom throw out all the participation trophies and ribbons because they meant NOTHING to me. I kept the lacrosse game ball I got for scoring 3 goals in a winning game and kept the cheerleading trophy for a contest our squad won. ETA: Also, losing makes you work harder the next time and think about what you can improve both individually and as a team. I want my kid to fail and then get back up and try again. And if you work as hard as you can at something and can't do any better at it, it's still a good life lesson. Because, as hard as I work at it, I'm never going to be good enough to be a professional ballerina. It's best to learn your limitations.
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I will agree that with 4-6 year olds there should be more focus on learning the game and having fun, but the score is part of it.
@SmashJam My H also says things like "Making the team is your trophy!" He's still never beat his dad in a game of one on one basketball either, not even when he was little because his dad doesn't believe in letting a little kid win just because it's a kid. Seems harsh, but I think DH is better for it.
I do loathe entitlements and medals for participating. It is important to teach them to be ok with losing but also, and most importantly, to be gracious when winning. Too many arrogant a-holes in this world already!
I love dogs and pets in general but I'm definitely not the type who overly humanizes them. A friend of mine has two chiuauas and they are her babies, like seriously they are treated like kids. To each their own, once again...
Starbucks, I like it and I own their machine because one of my best friends works for them but it's not the best coffee ever. That can only be found in Italy, of course!
Married: 6/27/2008
DS: 3/14/2010 Planned, PG first try
M/C 6/2012
DD: 4/22/2013 Planned, UnDx Infertility, PG on our own
BFP: 10/28/2016 Unplanned, HUGE SURPRISE!
M/C 12/12/2016
BFP: 10/27/2017 Unplanned, HUGE SURPRISE
EDD: 7/2/2018
Ironically there was a dog in a stroller on my FB news feed last night and i died laughing. We've thrown the 5 lb shih tzu-yorkie mix in the back/bottom basket of the kid stroller when he can't keep up on 5-6 mile runs, but he starts on the pavement until he needs a break.