Battle Kitten: Ascension

[fleaball]

Aaaaand back to rage. So Lyft gives you credits toward your rental cost if you meet certain quotas, and it’s based on the number of days you have the car. They’ll prorate it if you rent later in the week or return it early, but NOT if your car is in the shop and Hertz is just being a jackass about it. Because in that case the car is still rented out to you. (?!) So this week is going to be barrels of fun. I also have to go back tomorrow and fight with them because Lyft charged me for the entire week even though Hertz said they weren’t. Because Hertz has to tell the Lyft guy to put it in the system that they’re refunding me. In the meantime, that gets added to my credit card balance and the eventual refund gets deposited to my bank account as a “bonus” on my next paycheck. Which will be fun for taxes. Arrrrrrrrgh. Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad this is an option while I’m looking for a job. But I don’t know how other people do this shit full time because it’s so much more trouble than it’s worth. And honestly every time I’ve been there it’s been overwhelmingly people who ask for explanations in Spanish or Portuguese. If they get screwed over, how do they argue or fight for what they’re owed if I’m having this much trouble as a native english speaker with no fucks left to give?

[Wobbegong]

3 minutes ago, fleaball said:

But I don’t know how other people do this shit full time because it’s so much more trouble than it’s worth.

Probably by using their own cars instead of renting, if that's an option. (I know it is with Uber but I don't qualify because my car does not have enough doors.) 

[fleaball]

13 minutes ago, Wobbegong said:

Probably by using their own cars instead of renting, if that's an option. (I know it is with Uber but I don't qualify because my car does not have enough doors.) 

That's an option, but there are people who rent full-time as well. I've had drivers here and in DC talk about they'd been doing it for months how great it is because you don't have to pay for insurance and you don't have a car payment so long as you do the required number of rides, etc. There have been people at my location who come in to renew for like their 6th month in a row (you can renew weekly but after 28 days you have to go in so they can check in the computer whether the car needs service). At that point the question becomes, what the fuck am I doing wrong that all of these people love it but I keep having issues?

[fleaball]

Pandora tried playing Christmas music on one of my stations. OLD Christmas music, even, so it didn't even fit with the pop-y station. I'm just gonna call today a wash and go back to bed.

[Bean Sidhe]

*hugs* Get some sleep. hopefully tomorrow is better.or later tonight when your alone at the house

[fleaball]

Welp, decision made for me. PepBoys guy called to say they didn’t have the right size part for something so it won’t be ready til tomorrow afternoon. The part won’t even get there til 1:30 or so. I’m not going to go in and fight with Hertz about getting my money back until I actually have the car back, so probably not tomorrow. Thursday I scheduled that job test thing for 2, so not then. I guess I’ll be spending Friday afternoon wasting time trying to talk to someone. Why isn’t there a heavy sigh emoji? (jk I hate 95% of the emojis on this site)

 

Time to go stare at the other jobs I have bookmarked and figure out what to apply to next based on what will pay most and/or be least likely to make me want to play in traffic. (Also, life would be so much easier if companies posted at least a minimum salary. It would save everyone time and effort. That way people wanting more wouldn’t bother applying for something only to be surprised during an interview, and people who knew they need at least a $X to live on could find options.)

[fleaball]

Asking the audience: anyone have ideas for filling, portable, non-dairy snacks? If I’m going to make up for the last 4 weeks of barely driving and also try to rebuild to the point where I’m not flat broke, I need to be putting in a lot more 8-10 hour days while doing a lot less of the “getting takeout and buying shitty snacks” thing. A few weeks ago I was considering cheese sticks and Greek yogurt in a little cooler, but my body is currently in its “if you even LOOK at a cow I will end you!” phase so that’s entirely off the table. I’m thinking pb&j in a whole wheat wrap for sure, but the other things I can think of are just fruit, which can get sticky and also produce smelly trash, and trail mix/nuts, which I enjoy snacking on but don’t really ever make me feel satisfied. Ideally I just want to be able to drive around for a while and take breaks when I want without having to worry about being hungry or where I’m going to get food. 

[Countess D'If]

 

[Countess D'If]

 

[Wobbegong]

Veggies + spread works well -- things like carrot sticks, bell pepper spears, and celery work great for the veggie half, and spread can be anything from hummus to almond butter to pate. 

 

Jerky is also an option, although most jerkies are full of sugar from the flavoring. 

 

You can also prep salads ahead of time and dress them on the go with just some olive oil and vinegar (I usually use red wine, but balsamic and apple cider work as well). Some people suggest prepping salads in mason jars, but I find the ingredients don't mix well when you shake them, so I usually use a tupperware with a tight-fitting lid instead. 

[Bean Sidhe]

Have you thought about dried fruit? I take dried apriocts in my lunch most days since its quick and it ups my potassium intake? Could you do like wheat thins or something as well?

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

2 hours ago, Bean Sidhe said:

Have you thought about dried fruit? I take dried apriocts in my lunch most days since its quick and it ups my potassium intake? Could you do like wheat thins or something as well?

Careful with portions on dried apricots. Too many can make my digestive system...overly enthusiastic.

[fleaball]

5:30 - Hey Dad, they just called to say my car would be ready at 6. Could you give me a ride? I can totally get an Uber if you have plans. “No it’s fine, I have stuff to do and I have to go back to work but I can do it.”

 

6:05 - I came down 15 minutes ago and I’m still here waiting. 

 

eta: he hears me going up the stairs. “I’ll be down in five minutes!”  The shop just called again to say it’s ready. I should really just Uber on principle but I don’t want to spend the money. 

 

It should be noted that this is the same man who threw a giant fucking tantrum one day because we’d told my mother we’d be at the hospital “around 11” and we got there at 11:07 and “I fucking HATE being late!!!”

[fleaball]

19 hours ago, Wobbegong said:

Veggies + spread works well -- things like carrot sticks, bell pepper spears, and celery work great for the veggie half, and spread can be anything from hummus to almond butter to pate. 

 

Jerky is also an option, although most jerkies are full of sugar from the flavoring. 

 

You can also prep salads ahead of time and dress them on the go with just some olive oil and vinegar (I usually use red wine, but balsamic and apple cider work as well). Some people suggest prepping salads in mason jars, but I find the ingredients don't mix well when you shake them, so I usually use a tupperware with a tight-fitting lid instead. 

Salads aren't super car/on-the-go friendly. Veggies occurred to me but I don't want to worry about keeping them cold. (Should have said that. Sorry.) 

 

11 hours ago, Bean Sidhe said:

Have you thought about dried fruit? I take dried apriocts in my lunch most days since its quick and it ups my potassium intake? Could you do like wheat thins or something as well?

9 hours ago, Tanktimus the Encourager said:

Careful with portions on dried apricots. Too many can make my digestive system...overly enthusiastic.

Mmm dried apricots are really good. But yeah I could easily eat an entire bag and that would end badly for everyone. Maybe I'll sneak a few into trail mix or something though.

 

[Wobbegong]

3 minutes ago, fleaball said:

Salads aren't super car/on-the-go friendly.

Really? I've never had any trouble with them as on-the-go food, as long as dressing is stored separately (so it doesn't get soggy). I wouldn't be able to eat a salad while driving, but you... probably shouldn't be doing that anyway...? 

 

3 minutes ago, fleaball said:

Veggies occurred to me but I don't want to worry about keeping them cold. (Should have said that. Sorry.)

When I was in school it was popular to bring them in lunches and they'd easily last for several hours without refrigeration before being eaten. They'll get gross if you leave them sitting in your car for days, of course, but same-day should be fine. Do you only like to eat them cold or something? 

 

Another option I was thinking of was soup in a thermos. Although I'm not sure how filling it is, since I've heard the act of chewing is essential for signaling to your body that it should expect to be filling up. 

[fleaball]

Jesus. Fucking. Christ. I have been on my father for two months to decide whether to keep his AAA membership or check on whether his insurance or his car offer roadside assistance. The AAA membership under my mothers name expired on November 15. 10 minutes ago, he calls me and asks if I’m out driving because he’s at a library and his car won’t start. The ignition will not turn it hasn’t turned several times before but he didn’t get it checked out so now I have to drive 20 minutes to go try to make it work. And help with my AAA will cover him. I am so angry. I thought giving him that massive list and washing my hands of everything would mean I wouldn’t have to deal with the consequences. Obviously I was wrong and this is still my problem. 

[fleaball]

Le sigh. So for the record we both tried the thing where you turn the steering wheel and magically it lets you turn the key. He was working on it for 10-15 minutes before I got there and I tried it several times myself while he was busy taking all his police stuff out of the back of it. No dice. I had texted him at a red light to see if he had roadside assistance through Subaru or his insurance company. I have no idea what he googled but he said Subaru didn't offer it. (I don't think he even knows what insurance company he has.) I google on my phone, oh look, when you type in "Subaru roadside assistance" you get results. Call them, get an older lady who likes to talk. She starts telling me "oh well I have a Toyota and that happens to me all the time. You just have to turn the wheel really aggressively and then it should work." Okay right. We've done that. And I don't exactly want to break anything else. Try it again a few times to placate her and magically it works. My father is pissed because now he feels like an idiot. I ask the lady if this is a known issue with this car because it's happened to him way too often recently given that the car is 2.5 years old. She says no, but it's a known issue with her Toyota? Had to struggle to get her off the phone. 

 

So now he's pissy because he had a car problem that I fixed (it was luck but whatever), and because he cancelled the overtime he was going to do because he didn't think he'd get there in time, but it turned out he probably could have but it was too late to call and ask for it back, and because he should have called AAA and didn't have it, blah blah he can't do anything right and the world is against him. I went to get gas for him because I didn't want to hear anything more about it. And I came back to a pity party and I'm just so done. I'm so tired of this. 

[fleaball]

Random unsettling thought: what the reason I have so much trouble picking rewards (material or otherwise) for hitting goals is that I was taught at some point that I just don’t deserve rewards? Boooo. 

[Bean Sidhe]

21 hours ago, Tanktimus the Encourager said:

Careful with portions on dried apricots. Too many can make my digestive system...overly enthusiastic.

True, I tend to take half a serving with lunch. but a whole bag of just about any dried fruit might have issues.

 

11 hours ago, fleaball said:

Salads aren't super car/on-the-go friendly. Veggies occurred to me but I don't want to worry about keeping them cold. (Should have said that. Sorry.) 

 

I just throw mine in an insulated lunchbox with an icepack and they are fine all day.

 

11 hours ago, fleaball said:

Mmm dried apricots are really good. But yeah I could easily eat an entire bag and that would end badly for everyone. Maybe I'll sneak a few into trail mix or something though.

 

There you go. I just can't eat trail mix, ever. Since every one I have ever seen has nuts in it. So I forget such a thing exists

[Bean Sidhe]

3 hours ago, fleaball said:

Random unsettling thought: what the reason I have so much trouble picking rewards (material or otherwise) for hitting goals is that I was taught at some point that I just don’t deserve rewards? Boooo. 

 

 *Hugs* This I get. I had the same thing last night. Sadly, I don't have a way out of that thinking yet

[Bookish Badger]

14 hours ago, Wobbegong said:

I've never had any trouble with them as on-the-go food, as long as dressing is stored separately (so it doesn't get soggy).

 

2 hours ago, Bean Sidhe said:

I just throw mine in an insulated lunchbox with an icepack and they are fine all day.

Ditto. Except I don't store the dressing separately, I just put the dressing on the bottom of the container, then the heavier stuff like meat, eggs, veggies, and then the lettuce on top. Give it a quick stir and snarf when ready to eat.

 

Costco has a brand of protein shakes called Premier Protein that aren't too bad. I mean, no protein shake actually tastes good but these taste ok. They're shelf-stable so no refrigeration necessary, and it's easy to guzzle them down quickly if you're pinched for time. They're even pretty filling.

[Wobbegong]

6 hours ago, fleaball said:

Random unsettling thought: what the reason I have so much trouble picking rewards (material or otherwise) for hitting goals is that I was taught at some point that I just don’t deserve rewards? Boooo. 

I also was reflecting on this last night. I have kind of a debilitating mix of "I don't deserve rewards for things I work hard on" and "I do deserve rewards for things that are effortless." People always praised things that came naturally to me and ignored or put down anything I put real work into. So now I'm like, "I can just sit here and be fine, but if I work it'll be a pain and nothing good will come of it anyway." 

 

Sometimes I'm really surprised at how well I function as an adult. I've said it before, but you, me, and Bean all need to figure out a way to be a little nicer to ourselves. 

[NeverThatBored]

You can make homemade protein or granola bars too! There are lots of neat looking recipes out there for every dietary preference.

 

Those drinkable applesauce pouches aren't filling on their own, but you could also pack those as part of a box of snacks for the day or something. 

[Sylvaa]

@deftona does a really fun snack box idea that you could incorporate pieces into. Carrots and hummus (I know this would require a lunchbox with a way to stay cold, but that's not hard) or guacamole, make your own snack mix, ants on a log, rice cakes, freeze grapes and use them as "ice".

 

Also, you could always pack food that isn't easy to eat while driving and take a break. I mean, I get that you need the income and all that, but dear lord woman - even jobs let you have breaks! You could park somewhere and walk around too, which might help with soreness (coming from the woman who drives almost 6 hours straight Monday and Thursday). 

[fleaball]

Thought of the day: what if I just don’t go to this test thing? Woke up late, cat slept on my jacket while I was in the shower and I didn’t have time to iron it, this is time I could be out driving, and I just don’t wanna do it. Also it’s dumb and I’m dumb so there’s no point. I should just stay home. 

 

Spoiler: I’m going. I’m two stops away on the train. I just still don’t wanna do it. 

 

I’ll get back to you all later. Too many posts to reply to on my phone.