Hotels near gilbert az

My wife and I are planning to be in Munich for one night in October 2023. I have one remaining 35k FNC that I'd like to use. The soon to open Residence Inn Munich Central is in a good location for what we want to do. I have a few questions about booking new hotels.

1. Can I expect it to actually be open by late October 2023?
   
2. Can I expect it to be priced within 50k so I can use my 35k FNC? The 2 Residence Inns near München Ost are priced at 25k and 32k, so I'm hoping this one will be within my range.
   
3. When can I expect it to be bookable?
   

I realize that there might not be much information available on this hotel yet, but if there is any, I'd be interested.
Thank you!

I’m more just trying to understand what the social norms are and if it’s wrong of me to think that my brother should have notified me or reached out to me?
So last month (to the day) I was on vacation with my brother and our friends, we were discussing the upcoming wedding we’re both going to this coming weekend.
I live 3 hours away in another city so he asked me where I was staying when I was in town and offered to let me stay at his house after the wedding. Of course i agreed, my first ever niece is about to turn 2 and I don’t get a ton of opportunities to go home for the weekend and spend time with her.
So that was last month. Last Friday my mom calls me having just stayed with my brother for the week and asks where I was staying for the wedding. I tell her I was planing to stay with bro and family. She informs me thats not possible. she spoke with my brother about the wedding and he he said he and my SIL had a hotel for the night near the wedding and that niece is staying with other other gramps and gran.
So, a little confused I reached out to my brother and asked what was up. He said that since he hadn’t heard from me, that I hadn’t reached out to confirm the plan to stay at his house, they decided to change their plans to stay at the hotel near the wedding for the night. But that they can change the plans back if I did still want to stay at their place.
My mom made it very clear that I dropped the ball here due to my poor (or lack of) communication. It’s something I’ve always generally struggled with when it comes to plans and time management in general (life long medicated ADHD). Anyway, I know i could and probably should have reached out to reaffirm the plans to stay. In my mind based on the conversation we had it felt like we both were in agreement that “yeah of course why wouldn’t I stay?” And that the matter was settled.
Is it inconsiderate, now that they have a child, to assume that was the case?
What I really am wrestling with is why wouldn’t he just reach out to check in when they were discussing possible plans for the hotel? Is the ball purely in my court as a guest.
My brother made it seem like because they didn’t hear from me they went ahead and made other plans. Which would totally understand if our same conversation were had more than just a month ago and there was less certainty of my guests intentions. But this is my best friends wedding and they’re very close with the bride too. Non of us would ever live it down if missed this wedding.
What is considered “too much time” to have lapsed before our conversation doesn’t carry weight?
So AITA for letting 3 weeks lapse and not confirming sooner than a week before the wedding? Just trying to not make the same mistake and also determine what are some reasonable expectations. Also AITA for believing he should have notified me of his changed plans?

Hello! Never having been to west palm, I wanted to ask if it would be better to book a hotel within walking distance to Ithink or a hotel on the beach if we plan to go to a show there? It would only be for one night- is the area around the amphitheater a nice place to stay? Any hotel recommendations, either near the venue or on the beach? Thanks in advance!

My boyfriend is missing in Quito. He is not well (having delusions). The US Embassy is aware he is missing. If anyone finds him, please notify me and take him to the US Embassy. They have a passport waiting for him. He was last seen at "HOTEL VIEJA CUBA" near La Niña & Diego de Almagro. His name is David and he does not have a phone, passport, or money. He desperately needs help! Thank you!

Hi
I was hoping for some input on my Italy itinerary as I've changed some places around. I'm heading with my spouse and 3 teens in late September. We're flying into Venice, staying overnight and heading to Valle di Casies in Northern Italy for 5 nights and heading back to Venice for the last night. We are hoping to do some hiking in the Dolomites, see some castles and lakes and some scenic drives.
Day 1 sightseeing in Venice
Day 2 driving to Valle di Casies near Dobbiaco. Stock up on groceries at San Candido, dinner San Candido and if time see Welsberg Castle
Day 3 Tre Cime and Paternkofel via ferreta to summit. If time quick stop at Lago di Braies on way back to hotel
Day 4 Cinq Torri Rock climbing and refugio, drive by Passo Giau afterwards if time
Day 5 Cable cars to Seceda and shorter hike to Pieralongia, explore Ortesei and if time drive through Santa Maddalena
Day 6 Novacella Abbey, monastery /and winery, Bruneck town and climbing museum if time check out a couple more closeby castles in area
Day 7 Any last attractions we didn't have time for then drive back to Venice and sightseeing in Venice walking around and gondola etc
Does this itinerary logistically make sense? Forget anything? Too busy? Recommendations? Switch around anything?
Thanks in advance

Last year, there was about a month or so where I couldn't work. I had an ulcerative colitis flare-up up and I ran over a loose manhole cover that popped open and put my car in the shop. I tried to reason with my apartment complex's staff, but they singled me out because of my bipolar disorder and had me evicted. In addition to the charges I owed them, they gave me an additional "early move-out fee" and I spent 4 months living in hotels. My debt got so out-of-control that I was forced to move back to my hometown, where job opportunities are nowhere near as good as where I was at. I've been driving for Uber on a regular basis, but my debt currently sits at $20k and I'm not trying to spend 1 to 3 years putting my life on hold cleaning up this mess. I also can't take legal action against this apartment, because if I lost my case, I'd have to pay for all their court costs (this was in the lease) and the last thing I want to do is give them access to more money they don't deserve.
As for my request, I will take anything I can get right now. I know a lot of people are struggling right now (and not a lot of folks have an extra $20,000 lying around) but team work and empathy can make miracles happen. Thank you for letting me be a part of this group and giving me a platform to air my grievances. This means more to me than you know and I am grateful for this second chance.

TLDR – The Jetpack is quite good for certain kinds of travel, offers some handy features, is not of particularly robust construction, and has a few minor design issues, but I like it for its intended use.
Now that I have completed about 40 dives with my Oceanic Jetpack, including many local dives and a few significant trips – I think it is time for a full review. I am not in any way affiliated with Oceanic – this is my review, and I’m going to give you both positives and negatives. My primary recreational dive gear includes an OxyCheq 18lb Mach V wing (no STA), on an aluminum backplate with a standard “Hogarthian” harness. Aside from the Jetpack and Accel fins discussed here, plus an FDX10 regulator I bought almost a decade ago, I don’t own any other Aeris/Oceanic products. I will also tell you up front that I have no plans of ditching my well-loved BP/W – but I now have another handy option for lightweight travel. The Jetpack has been available for about a decade now, originally under the Aeris brand, and now under Oceanic. They are no longer listed on Oceanic’s website, as the Biolite is their current flagship travel BC – but you can still readily find Jetpacks for sale. The list price is around $600 USD, but you can often find them for closer to $500, or even less. When they first came out, I wrote them off as a gimmick – not at all suitable for a Serious Scuba Diver™ *cough*. I only decided to buy it because I found a good deal on one, and I had some annual scuba budget to burn, and thought it might be handy for solo trips. However, as gimmicky as they are, I find they do fit an important niche: ultralight dive travel. All your dive gear trip can be packed in a lightweight backpack which can fit under an airplane seat! Cool, idea in theory – but how well does it works in practice?
First, let’s talk about what you get. The concept is this – a BCD that turns into a backpack. The actual implementation of this is a back-inflate BCD which allows you to remove the cummerbund/waist band and stow it, along with the wing, cam bands, inflator, inside a zipped compartment for travel. You can also stow other wet gear in that zip-up space when you disembark from the dive boat. It also comes with a semi-dry backpack to stow the rest of your gear. The backpack snaps onto the BCD portion for travel, but also has its own straps so it can be worn separately as just a nice lightweight day pack.
When my Jetpack arrived, and I opened the box, I was happy to see it came with two non-dump-able cam-band weight pockets, as well as the two quick-release weight pouches on the waist. I don’t know their official capacity, but you should be able to add around 10lbs on your hips, and another 6lbs on the cam-band. It also came with an appropriate length LP hose, which seems to be the standard these days, and is much appreciated. When all is said and done, you basically have a standard BCD which just packs up very cleanly, and a good backpack.
For the primary intent of this system – travel – it is quite a good system. I can fit my boots, regulator, and a shorty wetsuit (the wet stuff) in the BCD compartment, and the rest of my gear, including a small (SeaLife) camera and lights in the backpack portion, with room left over for clothes, snacks, and other travel necessities. While trudging through airports, I have found myself wishing they had included a mesh water-bottle pocket on one side like most backpacks have these days, but it isn’t a deal-breaker. I have now travelled to two Caribbean islands, and to Hawaii with it – and in all three cases I did not need to check any dive gear. My visit to Hawaii was a one-week solo business trip, and I didn’t check anything at all! My dive gear, laptop, camera, various batteries and electronics, and travel snacks all stayed in the Jetpack, while my clothes, fins, and other various necessities went into a roll-aboard suitcase. I managed to fit a week’s worth of business attire, casual attire, and all of my dive gear into my carry-on allowance! Beat that! For the other trips mentioned, I chose to check bags since I was traveling with family, and they were going to check theirs anyway – but for the first time in a while, my bags weren’t overweight since all my dive gear was carried on!
One word of warning – the backpack doesn’t fit “real” dive fins. Oceanic advertised the Jetpack with their Accel travel fins, which I went ahead and purchased when I ordered the BCD itself. I require the X-Large Accel fins, and they don’t really fit in the backpack. At least, not if I want to fit anything else in it. I imagine if you don’t have giant feet like me, you might be able to get away with packing your fins in the backpack. A quick note on the super lightweight Accel fins: I’ve worn them for every dive I’ve done with the Jetpack – I am mostly happy with them for low-current, easy, tropical diving. They aren’t quite big enough or stiff enough to provide the power I’d want for anything more advanced. I’m not giving up my Jet fins any time soon, but I will continue traveling with the Accel fins when it makes sense.
The biggest plus for the Jetpack, as far as I’m concerned, and every bit as important as the ease of travel – is the fact that I am just carrying a single, compact backpack onto the dive boat. I have ranted many times before about how much I loathe dive gear bags. On a cramped dive boat, big gear bags are a pain for everyone. There is no such thing as a dive gear bag that doesn’t suck (fight me!) I have tried everything from cheap mesh duffels to expensive fancy name-brand gear bags – and they have all let me down in one way or another. Even if gear bags weren’t a problem, carrying ONLY a backpack onto the boat – and nothing else – is so utterly wonderful I can hardly describe it. You are bound to get questions about it on the dive boat (“Are you renting gear? No? Well, where is yours?!”)
Above all, the Jetpack helps keep your space on the dive boat neat and tidy. I find that when I get on the boat, I’ll set up the tank with BCD and reg, clip my mask to a d-ring with a double-ender, stow the fins, don my wetsuit and boots… then the only “loose” item remaining is a small, handy semi-dry bag to stow odds and ends (phone, car keys, hat, sunglasses, dry clothes, etc.) The backpack easily stows under your seat or in a dry box on the boat – and even if it is somewhere wet, your stuff will stay (mostly) dry. No more mess, no more gear scattered around the boat, no more getting in the way of other divers, no more fighting over stowage space for gear bags. At the end of the dive, everything quickly stows back into the backpack configuration. With a Jetpack, you’ll probably be the first diver to be set up and ready to dive - and be the first one off the boat at the end of your trip.
Now let’s discuss fit, configuration, comfort, and in-water performance. The Jetpack is easier to adjust to different sizes than many BCDs - the shoulder straps, chest strap and cummerbund/waist strap are almost infinitely adjustable. As a BP/W fan, I usually take this for granted – but I know many jacket BCDs have limited size adjustment. I'm a big dude, and the fit is perfect for me... but my skinny 10-year-old son can comfortably wear it too after some minor reconfiguring. Setup and teardown are every bit as easy as they show in the YouTube promotional video (https://youtu.be/r9y5MOKn\_iM).
Now, after all this praise, there are also a few questionable design choices I’d like to discuss. The first ones that come to mind is that the zip-up compartment cover for the BCD rolls up and stays with the BCD when you dive. I prefer less “stuff” on my BCD which causes drag or can get snagged/tangled. It seems to me they could have just made the cover panel zip all the way off. Once you unzip the cover panel, you roll it up and Velcro it under the wing, and also Velcro the edges of the zipper compartment out of the way.
The other problem with setting up the BCD is installing/removing the waist strap. Let me be clear, it isn’t hard to assemble – but it does require some dexterity. To get around this, I have been happily wearing it, even in the airport, with the waist strap still attached. The weight pockets just become snack pockets while you are flying! Plus, if you leave the waist strap attached, setup on the boat goes from a few minutes down to a few seconds.
The biggest issue I have with the Jetpack is a lack of good attachment points. For instance, it is missing shoulder d-rings (likely to save weight and cost), which was very nearly a deal-breaker for me. What they give you instead is some fabric loops which are useless unless you are attaching something with a carabiner (known by ScubaBoard afficionados as “suicide clips”, but I don’t really want to have that fight here.) The loops might work for XL bolt snaps as well, but I prefer to use smaller bolt snaps unless I am wearing thick gloves. The good news is that you can add your own d-rings to the 1.5” webbing on the shoulders. I did that on mine (currently using 2” sliders until my 1.5” ones arrive in the mail) and replaced the inflator strap with a bungee loop while I was at it. Good to go! The second related issue here is that the hip d-rings suck. I keep my SPG clipped at my left hip, and the clip point on the Jetpack isn't quite where I like it. It also it isn't readily adjustable – without changing the fit of the cummerbund. If it were just the placement, it wouldn’t be a big deal. Unfortunately, it is also a flat plastic d-ring which flops around where it is stitched in, instead of a snug metal d-ring held by a slider. This makes one-handed SPG clip-off a bit trickier than it should be, which is annoying.
While diving, the BCD is, well... just a BCD. It works. The controls are exactly what you expect. The inflator hose is a pull-to-dump style, which is handy, but I mostly use the bottom (butt) dump - which is also fine. It has more lift than anyone would ever need for a single tank, although I expect it will almost exclusively be used with AL80s. I don't care for bungees on my wing, but they make sense on the Jetpack, given its purpose. If they bother you, they can be removed. It isn’t as stable as my beloved BP/W – no surprise - that's just the nature of a lightweight travel setup. Yet, it is still a back-inflate style BCD though, so I can deal with it a little floppiness (is that even a word?) and had no trouble getting my trim dialed in. Overall, it was comfortable on the surface, and (more importantly) while diving.
Next - the quality… The construction is very lightweight as expected, but that makes me a little worried about how well it will hold up. In the year I’ve had it, and the 40ish dives I’ve done with it, I haven’t had anything break/teafail/etc. but I still have some concerns. The most obvious weakness is the little fiddly Velcro hook-and-loop bits, such as the straps to hold the rolled-up cover while it is in BCD mode (and which hold the inflator when in backpack mode.) If those fail, you’ll be left with a huge waving flag of fabric during a dive. There are better options than Velcro for this component - perhaps some stainless grommets and bungee loops. In the 40 or so dives I’ve done, I have had no issues other than minor fraying of the edges of some of the Velcro, but we'll see how it looks after a few years. Simply put, like any lightweight travel BCD, you need to be gentle with the Jetpack. Unlike other travel BCDs, though, the Jetpack will be carried unprotected through airports, tossed in overhead bins, and dropped on hotel floors.
The last and final complaint I have is the construction of the shoulder straps. On any BCD, when the actual weight-bearing shoulder strap is separate from the padding, it is destined to be a little awkward. To make the BCD as adjustable as possible, the shoulders straps of the Jetpack are constructed from soft 1.5” webbing, with pads underneath the strap, which tuck into pockets below the shoulder strap attachment point. Generally, this works well – however, sometimes the shoulder pads slip out of their pockets. This mostly occurs when I don/doff the BCD, or when I have it packed to carry off the boat. The fix would be to add a pad of Velcro inside the pockets where the pads tuck in. I feel like Oceanic could have also used normal 2” stiff webbing. That might lessen the problem with the shoulder pads and make it possible to put on standard 2” sliders and d-rings.
Finally – for the price point, you can absolutely get a “better” BCD. You can certainly find a lightweight travel BCD for about the same price. Yet, you won’t find something else with these features - above all, the ability to walk on/off the dive boat with just a compact backpack. The Jetpack isn’t perfect – the construction could be a little more robust, and there are some design changes I’d love to see Oceanic make if they ever re-release it. It can’t and won’t replace my BP/W for most of my diving needs, and I never expected it to. It has a very specific purpose, perhaps even more specific than a typical “travel” BCD. However, the Jetpack allows me to pack up all my dive gear into a compact backpack for travel, which is a fantastic and mostly well-executed idea.

This weekend I am going with a party of 6 to Universal and wanted to know any affordable good hotel options that aren’t too rough?
Last time I went to Orlando I stayed in the Springhill Suites at Marriott Village near Disney World and it had to be one of the worst experiences I’ve had at Orlando and I’ve stayed at a good share of hotels in the area always between $100-$180/ night. The hotel had a real foul smell because of the carpet. It was listed as a suite with 2 sofa beds and we only had one. The A/C was also broken and our phone in the room didn’t even work to call maintenance. The complimentary breakfast I didn’t expect to be extraordinary (I personally love complimentary breakfast) but it was almost inedible, I think the only think I could stomach were the sausage patties.
I have stayed at Marriott’s and Hilton’s with my partner closer to Disney and have never had an issue, in fact have had great service! and breakfast! Any recommendations for a good stay for a large party closer to Universal? I’m a bit nervous since I’m booking for a large group.
I looked into Drury but they are a bit pricier than what I was expecting and noticed another Springhill Suite closer to Universal area but I’m hesitant. If anyone has stayed there maybe with a good experience?

My ex bf (30M) broke up with me (30M) on 5/5 this year. We were together for nearly 8 years since December 2015. We had a long discussion that night. I asked him about the reasons. He explained that he didn't like how I was treating him. He said his feelings for me has changed since he only associates bad emotions with me. The next day (5/6, Saturday) he said he needed time to think alone. He said he would go to a hotel for a few days to think about things. Then I found out on Sunday that he actually went to the mutual friend's place, had dinner together, and messed around together. He came back home Sunday morning, saying that he was still deciding on things. He had packed his luggage but left it at the mutual friend's place. If he wanted to come back, he said he would tell the mutual friend to bring his luggage back. Again we had a long discussion. I told him that I am really committed to changing the bad behaviors I exhibited towards him such as criticizing him and being too harsh on him. However, he ultimately still decided to leave.
I decided that I would go to therapy on 5/8 just to figure out more about myself. I learned that internally I had a negative mindset and was projecting things on to him. Then on 5/10 I decided to come out to my mom, who never knew that I was gay. It felt such a big relief after coming out to her. It went surprisingly well. She accepted me for who I am and said she would support me. I took these big steps partly for myself but also to show him that I can really take the actions to change and not just simply saying that I can change.
He stayed at the mutual friend's place for a few days. He came home for 3 days in the work week from 5/10-5/12, saying that he had a better work set up here since he works fully remote. We had a lot of discussions when he was back. I told him I am committed to working on the issues together. We were together for 8 years and although unmarried, I feel taht there is an unspoken commitment between us to go through the hard times together rather than running away. I told him it is also part of maturing and growing where we are able to deal with tough issues and get through them together as a couple.
On 5/11, there was one point I broke down and acknowledged all the things he has done for me. I praised him for his contributions and showed him that I can provide him more positive affirmations. I guess he felt really guilty and couldn't hold it in anymore. He told me he cheated on me 4 times throughout the 8 years. We had an open relationship, but it was one way (meaning we agreed on just for me). I asked him throughout the years if he wanted to do things with other people, but he would always say no. So it was shocking to me that he went behind my back and lied for so many years. The phrase "cheating" is also what came out of his mouth describing the situation, not just the way I am perceiving it.
Throughout the rest of May, he stayed with the mutual friend. They basically started dating. My ex bf basically said everything is perfect with this mutual friend. He feels that they align on everything, and it is just very easy going. He said the dynamic between them is different than the dynamic between us. I explained to him that of course the dynamics are different, because we are comparing apples to oranges. The dynamic between us has evolved into mature love where we have a partnership and support each other through life. There are definitely things to work on, but our dynamic is not the same as the dynamic where two people just met and it is only about excitement, passion, and instant gratification. I explained all this to him and more. However, he still could not change his mind.
I was also very hurt by the mutual friend since he lied to my face for months about being interested in my ex bf. We met this mutual friend earlier in 2023. I started to sense some things between the two of them since they talked a lot through Snapchat. I couldn't trace what they had talked about since it was on Snapchat. Both of them gaslit me for months. I have confronted my ex bf once about being too close to this mutual friend. He reassured me that they were just friends and nothing else. The betrayal from the both of them really hurts me. I also did find out this mutual friend was a cheater in his previous relationship.
I also did talk to his first ex that he dated for about 3-4 years in the late teens/early 20 years. I learned from his first ex that he also cheated in the relationship with a mutual friend that they had. His first ex was surprised to find out that he still hasn't changed and repeating the same behaviors as before. I tried reaching out to his second ex that he dated for nearly 2 years, but he didn't want to talk and I respect that. I was his third bf with the longest years of relationship.
He moved out on 5/27. He found his own apartment. I told him if he really leaves, then I would not want to speak with him anymore nor be friends whatsoever. I don't see any qualities in him to be friends since there is no honesty and commitment to work on things. I did go on a vacation for 5 days after he moved out. But I still feel very depressed and terrible. I don't know what to do. He was my best friend, my rock, my favorite person, and most importantly my romantic partner. Now my life feels empty. I know it's a big world out there with a lot of people, but I think he is the best person for me after being with him for about 8 years. I would also never do the things that he has done to me. It just feels so cruel.
Questions: How should I move forward? Is there anything else I can do to hopefully get him back ( I am currently in no contact with him whatsoever)? Will those two last considering that they were both cheaters and started off dating now through cheating and lies? I am Aries. Ex bf is Sagittarius. Ex mutual friend is Virgo.
Thank you.

Edit: shortened it up a bit and added a TL;DR; Quit job due to shitty raise after 2 years of freezes. New Job bait and switched role and ended up having ageist ladder climbing manager who sucked at their job. Got worked into the ground and had long awaited vacation cancelled the morning of...waited for manager to leave and resigned while throwing them under the bus and getting them demoted so hard they haven't changed roles/titles in 12 years.
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I was told to crosspost my comment in another subreddit here as folks may appreciate it here. Got a solid response with the folks talking about an a-hole boss demanding an employee work over a pre-booked vacation. I'll add a bit more context here, but this was about 12 years ago when this all went down. Since then, I went back to work for a previous employer where I was unceremoniously let go for reasons (maybe another post), but have since been working for almost 10 years at another company (folks of this subreddit are not a huge fan of them but they have probably treated me the most humanely and respectfully as I've ever seen). That said...on with the story!
In 2010, after the wonderful failings of the job market leading to salary freezes and sub-par raises, I had gotten my 3 year performance evaluation at my employer at the time. After having been promoted twice, but not getting salary increases due to freezes, I received a whopping 5% increase and told "this was an amazing increase for doing so well"...Sufficed to say, I was not very happy and started shopping around. My manager was sad, but his boss told me to "do what you gotta do, no other company out there will pay you what you're saying is market". Being young, motivated, driven, and damn smart, I went out there and in under 2 weeks I had secured an interview, gone through the process and had an offer in hand. I actually got more than I was asking...nearly a 35% increase in base salary. Took the offer, stuck to my guns of not dealing with counter offers, put in my notice, worked right through to my last day and left on good terms (important later).
The new job was great, I was working in a similar role as a L2 Support Technician but for a different class of product than what I used to work on at my previous firm (middleware). Turns out it was a bit of a bait and switch because 3 months after I joined, my new employer transferred me to the sister team of the support group I was on to support the new version of their middleware product. Prior to this version, the middleware was a free service and as such, received a free service's level of support...No SLA's, Best Effort Service with a small but knowledgeable support team. It seemed like a good opportunity so I didn't complain much.
Within 3 months we were getting overrun by tickets, chats, and calls all day every day... By the end of the 7th month we had 3 senior techs leave...now it was me, my manager, 1 other senior tech and 3 fresh-faced L1 support techs who moved into our team as 'promotions' on the US Team. I had also received a fairly sizable raise and promotion despite only being there for 6 months...which I should have taken as a huge red flag...Our Asia team was down to 2 people and having serious staffing issues due to the real need to take breaks and step away like humans...So my manager started scheduling me and the other senior tech for alternating 'double shifts' to help support APAC hours and 'reduce our ticket backlog'. We were assured that 'help was on the way...just a few weeks'. After a few weeks, the other tech complained because he has family and kids, and now it was just me working doubles...Literally would work from 830am to about 530pm, take an hour or 2 off, and then work from 730 to 430am and then repeat the next day.
My manager at the time was over double my age...by the time of the story. I was working doubles for like 2 months straight due to the staffing issues but I thought it was a light at the end of the tunnel since I had a 2 week vacation coming up. My manager had it out for me as the next promotion I could get was for her job...So she had it out for me regularly by denying my vacation requests or planning her time off after I'd put mine in. Her rationale to put me on the evening and night shifts was in her words "you're a young man and it's more productive to work and advance your career than go out partying and drinking while the rest of us have families and children to spend time with". This time though, since I hadn't been on vacation for months, and my hours worked were racking up she begrudgingly agreed because it was about to start raising flags to higher management that I hadn't been on continuous leave for a while.
Excited for this, I had booked flights, hotels and a bunch of other things to relax...I was originally planning on going with my girlfriend, but the work hours and stuff pretty much killed that relationship...
The night before my flight there was a major outage and series of issues, and as a Senior on the team, myself and a few others had to come in at like 3am. Despite being really new, most of the former folks quit, leaving me the most senior asides the boss after a few months. 8am rolls around, I'm packing up to go home after fixing the issues and the boss walks up and says "I've cancelled your leave request due to the issue, we're going to need you in to cover for the next week or 2 and you can look into taking time off next month."
I say that, "no, I'm going on vacation...this is non-negotiable"...which she did not take well...she flips out saying "I have the next 3 days off, and that means you are required to cover. You do not negotiate. What I say, goes. Go home, you can freshen up but you need to be back in the office by 11am so I'm not late for my bookings."
I don't really know what came over me...something just kind of broke in me. So I just said OK. packed my bag up and went home. I got into the shower, washed up, shaved, combed and gelled my hair and pounded a 5 hr energy. I hadn't ironed my suits in months and most of my shirts were either wrinkled from being worn a bunch or had the crisp fold wrinkles from being pulled out of the package from the department store across the street and immediately being put on so that I could have a different short on from the day before. So I pulled out a clean shirt, and ironed my best suit and threw it on. I hadn't slept in over 36 hours but I never felt so goddamned awake and locked in in my life.
I got on the subway and walked into the office and landed at my desk around 10:59am...I intentionally spent a few minutes in the lobby getting some tea to make sure I got to my desk at exactly 11am.
Fun fact about this company...they are very much paranoid about competition, so if you quit...you immediately get into your exit interview and then get sent home with 2 weeks PTO/Severance + payout of any remaining vacation time. Usually no counter offers, just exit interview, pack your stuff, and enjoy your 2 weeks PTO.
My boss had a smug grin on her face, packed up her stuff on seeing me sitting down and left for her 3 day vacation. I waited a few minutes, told my 2 junior co-workers that I was sorry for leaving them hanging and then proceeded to print out my resignation letter, walked over to her boss and requested an immediate skip-level and requested if we could get a conference room to talk. When we got into the room, he was asking me why I was so late and that he had been checking my morning badge ins and was concerned that I was routinely coming in 2 hours late and that our working hours were 830am to 530pm. Upon hearing this I told him he probably doesn't have the full story and that before I went into it, that I needed to tender my resignation. He was shocked to say the least, but wasn't even remotely prepared for when I told him to check the "out of hours" badge ins and badge outs which is when he realized I had been working 18+ hour days for the past 2 or 3 months straight. Every "Day" of PTO only counted for an 8 hour shift...to take a full day off I had to burn 2 'days'. But every double shift earned me 8 hours of comp time which was tracked under a different allocation...His jaw dropped when he saw they owed me almost 80 days of Comp Time.
After calming down, he let me know that he apparently didn't know half of what was going on...and begged me to stay on and that I could immediately take time off as soon as she returns. I just said, "I'm done...i'm burned out, and i'm exhausted...and it shouldn't have gotten to this point." Once he realized there was nothing he could do, he said, "hey...do you mind if we order in lunch and do your exit interview and you can just lay it all on the table? I'm willing to listen, and we can have HR in to make sure your concerns get addressed." After the 3 hour exit interview where I proceeded to throw my boss under the bus about how poorly managed the team was and why there was so much attrition, they tallied my severance and I went home with effectively 3 months worth of pay from all the PTO/OT they owed me.
I left, made my flights for vacation that evening and laid out on a beach for a while and more or less just slept when i got back from vacation. I went and got drinks with my old boss who got me a position back at my old company for almost the same amount I was making at the new company, and tbh I took it. It was a bad idea in retrospect, but I wasn't really the same after that.
That said...I'm in a healthy and recovered space now. I've been at my current job for 9 years with a number of big promotions, I make over double, almost triple what I was making at those jobs and I have a management team that encourages us to take time off and has not denied a vacation or time off or even a mental health day request in those 9 years. I also only work 40 to 50 hours a week. compared to 80, 90 or 100hr weeks I was doing...
But that required me to take the steps to say "no" to my bosses and managers and setting boundaries. Good management will respect those boundaries and work with you if there's a conflict.
Anyways, enough proselytizing...what happened to my manager?
Well, within 2 weeks of me leaving, she was demoted. I didn't get too many details but she was pretty much trying to maximize her bonus by getting stuff done with as few staff-hours as possible. She found a loophole that she could allocate comp time which was not being tracked and was using that to bundle staff hours into...almost like a overtime ponzi scheme? I don't know how she didn't get fired but I can tell you this...it's been 12 years and she still has the same title...the equivalent of a 2 or 3 year employee getting their first promotion. So Get Wrecked i suppose?

My ex bf (30) broke up with me (30) on 5/5 this year. We were together for nearly 8 years since December 2015. We had a long discussion that night. I asked him about the reasons. He explained that he didn't like how I was treating him. He said his feelings for me has changed since he only associates bad emotions with me. The next day (5/6, Saturday) he said he needed time to think alone. He said he would go to a hotel for a few days to think about things. Then I found out on Sunday that he actually went to the mutual friend's place, had dinner together, and messed around together. He came back home Sunday morning, saying that he was still deciding on things. He had packed his luggage but left it at the mutual friend's place. If he wanted to come back, he said he would tell the mutual friend to bring his luggage back. Again we had a long discussion. I told him that I am really committed to changing the bad behaviors I exhibited towards him such as criticizing him and being too harsh on him. However, he ultimately still decided to leave.
I decided that I would go to therapy on 5/8 just to figure out more about myself. I learned that internally I had a negative mindset and was projecting things on to him. Then on 5/10 I decided to come out to my mom, who never knew that I was gay. It felt such a big relief after coming out to her. It went surprisingly well. She accepted me for who I am and said she would support me. I took these big steps partly for myself but also to show him that I can really take the actions to change and not just simply saying that I can change.
He stayed at the mutual friend's place for a few days. He came home for 3 days in the work week from 5/10-5/12, saying that he had a better work set up here since he works fully remote. We had a lot of discussions when he was back. I told him I am committed to working on the issues together. We were together for 8 years and although unmarried, there is an unspoken commitment between us to go through the hard times together rather than running away.
On 5/11, there was one point I broke down and acknowledged all the things he has done for me. I praised him for his contributions and showed him that I can provide him more positive affirmations. I guess he felt really guilty and couldn't hold it in anymore. He told me he cheated on me 4 times throughout the 8 years. We had an open relationship, but it was one way (meaning we agreed on just for me). I asked him throughout the years if he wanted to do things with other people, but he would always say no. So it was shocking to me that he went behind my back and lied for so many years. The phrase "cheating" is also what came out of his mouth describing the situation, not just the way I am perceiving it.
Throughout the rest of May, he stayed with the mutual friend. They basically started dating. I was also very hurt by the mutual friend since he lied to my face for months about being interested in my ex bf. We met this mutual friend earlier in 2023. I started to sense some things between the two of them since they talked a lot through Snapchat. I couldn't trace what they had talked about since it was on Snapchat. Both of them gaslit me for months. I have confronted my ex bf once about being too close to this mutual friend. He reassured me that they were just friends and nothing else. The betrayal from the both of them really hurts me.
He moved out on 5/27. He found his own apartment. I told him if he really leaves, then I would not want to speak with him anymore nor be friends whatsoever. I don't see any qualities in him to be friends since there is no honesty and commitment to work on things. I did go on a vacation for 5 days after he moved out. But I still feel very depressed and terrible. I don't know what to do. He was my best friend, my rock, my favorite person, and most importantly my romantic partner. Now my life feels empty. I know it's a big world out there with a lot of people, but I think he is the best person for me after being with him for about 8 years. I would also never do the things that he has done to me. It just feels so cruel.
Questions: How should I move forward? Is there anything else I can do to hopefully get him back ( I am currently in no contact with him whatsoever)? Will those two last considering that they were both cheaters and started off dating now through cheating and lies? I am Aries. Ex bf is Sagittarius. Ex mutual friend is Virgo.
Thank you.

Our schedule and sections are gamified by how many people we sign up for a newsletter.
We’re a corporate-adjacent restaurant in a large city near the entertainment district; as in, we’re a large brewpub less than 1 mile away from: - the symphony building - a general [medium-large] music venue - a ton of hotels surrounding the large ‘[warehouse] center’ venue used for corporate/tradeshow events - a new sports stadium
Needless to say; there is no consistency - which is fine. I’ve cultivated a personality for every type of table at his point but something that’s become apparent is that I need to cheat on par with my peers to get better sections and schedules.
We have these dumb little ‘sign up for our newsletter & get $10 reward on a [physical] gift/points card’ forms that we are supposed to give to guests and we’re rewarded with how many we can get in a period. I’ve started swiping tons of rewards cards to activate dozens of them and run a script my older brothers boyfriend threw together to fill them out with junk-data.
I keep it realistic; but I’m sitting in the ‘top 5’ for activations and always get to choose my schedule/sections which is great.
I know it ultimately doesn’t mean anything and the data is worthless either way as it’s seldom going to result in future conversions but it feels unethical and management doesn’t care if it’s fake - just that numbers are met.
Do you do anything ‘unethical’ but harmless at work to stay afloat? My GM knows is junk but he literally does not care. He’s an amazing manager.

EDIT for clarity: The businesses I have listed are in close proximity to the event and I either have not visited or don't have enough insight to know whether or not they and their staff/clientele would present a safe environment for all. I'd love to know whether or not the businesses on this list are safe spaces for the LGBTQIA community in Springfield. I know we have many inclusive, awesome, places, but for this event, I need to know my friends can walk/short drive from our event to get lunch or coffee or a place to stay that is completely safe and accepting.
Hey all, just looking for a bit of advice. I'm hosting an event this fall that is super-inclusive and I'm wanting to compile a list of locations where all attendees will feel safe. Many folks will be coming from across the US and Missouri, as we all know, is currently up to know good when it comes to the safety of queer folks. I am a queer person in a cishet passing relationship, so my idea of safety and inclusivity is likely skewed. If anyone has any intel on the following businesses, I'd sure appreciate it, especially in reference to trans/nb folks. This is the list of close businesses that I am unsure about. If you have info on the inclusiveness of these businesses, please let me know:

• Kingdom Coffee
• Black Lab Coffee
• The Press Coffee & Juice Bar
• Starbucks at The Brentwood Shopping Center
• Luck Cat Boba Tea & Taiyaki
• Starbucks in Price Cutter on East Battlefield
• The Big Biscuit
• Bambino's on Battlefield
• Cellar & Plate
• Amazin' Asian
• Catrina's Modern Mexican
• Dublin's Pass on Battlefield
• Nearly Famous Deli
• The Sub Shop
• Bellacino's
• Cheddar's
• Red Robin
• Gettin' Basted
• McAllister's on Primrose
• Galloway Grill
• The Rock
• Jimmy's Egg on Battlefield
• Señor Julian
• Yoshi Jen
• The Vīb Hotel
• Any Hotels to AVOID?

On June 5, 1968, Robert F. Kennedy was shot by Sirhan Sirhan at the Ambassador Hotel), and he was pronounced dead the following day.
Kennedy, a United States senator and candidate in the 1968 Democratic Party presidential primaries, won the California and South Dakota primaries on June 4. He addressed his campaign supporters in the Ambassador Hotel's Embassy Ballroom. After leaving the podium, and exiting through a kitchen hallway, he was mortally wounded by multiple shots fired by Sirhan. Kennedy died at Good Samaritan Hospital) nearly 25 hours later. His body was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
Sirhan, a Palestinian who held strong anti-Zionist and pro-Palestinian beliefs, testified in 1969 that he killed Kennedy "with 20 years of malice aforethought"; he was convicted and sentenced to death. Due to People v. Anderson, his sentence was commuted to life in prison in 1972 with a possibility of parole. As of April 2023, his parole request has been denied 17 times.

Hey all, I’m going to be driving in to see Ed Sheeran’s concert at Rogers Centre this month. I’m coming in from east Ontario and the drive is long. I don’t really want to book a hotel near RC, as a right around that area is looking super costly.
So I’m thinking about maybe booking one somewhere much less expensive, east of the city.
What are best options for cost effective/safe way to either a) book hotel further east and take some form of transit in? Where should I park (thinking hotel May have parking included, but then need to get to transit?) and what transit cost effective/safe ways can you take in and out close to Rogers Centre?
And how long will it take to get to the transit spots on way in, and after the concert on the way out?
Or b). those of you who live much further east of the downtown core - what would you recommend?
I have in the past driven all the way in, found parking - paid $$$ and as I recall it takes quite a while to get out?
But I don’t really want to drive all the way back home as that would prob be heading back into middle of the morning …
If there are other potential solutions that are easy, safe and cost effective to go in out to Rogers Centre/ this concert and open to hear the details & appreciated!

Stoked to be going to the Saturday show in Chicago and looking for pro tips. I plan to take the red line to the venue and am driving from Winona, MN Friday so I’ll have all of Saturday to enjoy. I Want to get hotel near the red line for easy transport to and from. Any recommendations for hotels, affordable dining(bonus if it’s vegan), close by things worth checking out during the day? All tips, tricks, and suggestions are welcome! Thanks y’all 🙏💜🎶🌸🐢

Hey all, I'm feeling down lately and struggling to understand my girl and her reactivity. I just want to vent a little in the hopes of feeling better. I adopted her with 11months and she is 3yo now - a malinois mix to my post-adoption surprise, we have been with trainers since I got her home. But I want to focus on the now.
Her main issue is strangers around and in our home. She goes crazy, to the point I muzzle her for the hallway and until the entrance. Once we gain enough distance she is 99% of the time okay, I moved about 6 months ago and with the 3 trainers she has meet was amazing... In an environment far away from home. We went to crowed places and she showed no reactivity towards people... But at home she is so different.
With dogs she also varies, she can get harsh on marking others but she went consistently to a doggie daycare with 10-20 dogs and another dog hotel with no issues, she has so much fun with dogs. And also off lead on a big field playing with me. The happiest videos I have of her ar in those instances. On the lead she is a hit and miss.
I struggle a lot because since her reactions scalated towards people around the home, less off lead time and interactions I gave her due to struggling to trust her. Thing is: she is always the happiest off lead, either playing with me or with other dogs. Since we moved 6 months ago and she doesn't have her daycare or group clases, she has been having less of that. We now live with another dog and they play sometimes. But I feel like I'm failing her due to the fear I have of her crossing the line of biting someone / another dog - it would break me if that happened... But the precaución I have causes us to have less free and happy moments. She can play with ALL kinds of dogs at the daycare, but with me it seems like 50/50 she snaps at them. She can meet someone away from home with no apparent issues, but if someone unknown comes near the building where we live she just wants to rip them apart.
It's a duality that I struggle to understand. I just want her to be happy and free, but it seems like the more time passes the more I have to restrict her freedom as a precaution. It makes me feel awful.

Passed the PANCE on the first try and hoping that my stats/scores this past year may give you some help with studying for the exam and maybe relieve some anxiety.
Psych EOR: 433
Peds EOR: 405
IM EOR: 419
FM EOR: 441
EM EOR: 475
Surgery EOR: 440
Women's Health EOR: 407
PACKRAT (taken 2 months before graduation): 172
EOC Exam (taken about 2.5 weeks before exam): 1570
ROSH PANCE Q Bank: 90% complete, 76% correct, 89% probability of passing, 501 predicted score
NCCPA Practice Exam A: lower 1/3 all in the green
PANCE score: 515
I mostly used Rosh Review to study and I would say that getting the PANCE Q Bank from Rosh was definitely worth it for me. I did the 60-day access and used it to also study for my EOC exam in addition to the PANCE. I took the PANCE about 1.5 weeks after graduation and studied for a good 8 days using Rosh Review, reading the descriptions in most questions and taking notes on them. I followed the PANCE blueprint and started by going through the largest percentage of questions (Cardiology, Pulmonology, GI, etc) and working my way down to the lowest percentage of questions (Derm, Heme, ID, etc). I would say that I did about 350-400 questions a day from Rosh and split them into 60-minute intervals of 60 questions to mimic the PANCE. I took the NCCPA practice exam A 2 days before the PANCE and that did give me some reassurance, but I felt pretty bad about it when I was taking it and thought it was difficult. I heard that practice exam B was more in line with the current PANCE, so that might be worth looking into.
The day before the exam I stayed at a hotel near where I was taking the PANCE since it was a bit far, and went over the notes I took from the Rosh topics that I felt I struggled with. I didn't really use Pance Prep Pearls too much other than to look at useful charts. I did get the Final Step review book at the start of the clinical year and it has lots of high-yield quick questions and went through the book the day before the exam just doing some quick review of high-yield topics (here is the link: https://wallacedm.lpages.co/tfs-20-package/) and listened to the digital version when I was driving around the week before my test. I also think that Cram the PANCE is a great resource for high-yield review and I'd recommend watching these videos with questions and explanations, especially in the topics that you feel weakest in (here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/@cramthepance).
The night before the exam I was a little nervous and liked to just do some light review. I tried to go to sleep at a reasonable time but didn't sleep the best the night before. I woke up about 3 hours before my exam and had breakfast, caffeine, and did some light review. Make sure to get to the testing site at least 30 minutes before your exam start time and bring all the things that are needed including valid ID forms, snacks, water, etc. If you get distracted easily like me, you can ask for earplugs or headphones to block out some noise. I took a 5-10 minute break after each section to stretch my legs, go to the bathroom, and grab water. This prevented me from getting too fatigued during the exam. I did the same with my EOC exam.
After finishing the exam, I didn't feel great to be honest, which is crazy to think given my score. BUT it's a big test and it's easy to get overwhelmed when it means so much to you and you feel you're not doing well or marking a lot of questions. Just take a deep breath and try to relax and remember that you know this stuff and that you have come this far with the knowledge that you have and you are good enough to be able to do this. Happy to answer any questions, and good luck to everyone!

Indianapolis took another step towards constructing a new hotel in the Pan Am Plaza. Local ABC affiliate news story:
Indianapolis City-County Council votes yes to $625M funding of Signia Hotel
Bottom line: The city has been approved to borrow $625 million in bonds for the project.
For locals, there are controversies - Indianapolis Business Journal story on concerns - but 800 new rooms next to the ICC and Crowne Plaza would be a great thing for us overnight attendees from out of town. That hotel would be the second biggest one downtown next to the JW, and presumably it would eventually be Skywalk connected too, given it's location.
Drawback: This is evidently still firmly in the planning stage. I found no real estimates of the start of construction, much less the hotel opening. And let's be honest: There's a lot that can derail this.
But if it goes through, 800 more rooms, likely connected, would be a damn good thing.

Hi all, I'm super excited but also nervous, as I'm currently finalizing a 2 week Japan itinerary. I've been to Japan before with my wife, but that was many years ago without kids.
My 2 girls are 7 and 4 (turning 5 during the trip). Both of them, especially our older one, have been looking forward to a Japan trip for a while. Unfortunately, the only times we can go are July or August, so we have chosen mid July in the hopes of slightly better weather.
We plan to base ourselves in Tokyo (6 nights) and Osaka (6 nights) only, with a 1 night stay in Hakone somewhere in the middle. I want to make sure that we are absolutely not rushed and have plenty of down time due to the summer heat and possible rain. We plan to start most days late after rush hour, so around 9.30-10am. Here's the current itinerary and I would greatly appreciate any critiques!
Day 1 - arrive Narita ~3pm. Purchase Pasmo or Suica at Narita. Head to Hotel in Shibuya > Dinner.
Day 2 - Meiji Shrine > Yogogi Park > Lunch > Kiddyland Harajuku > (optional) walk around Harajuku > Dinner > Back to hotel
Day 3 - Sanrio Puroland. Both my kids are huge Sanrio fans.
Day 4 - Akasuka/Sensoji > Lunch > Ferry to Toyosu > Teamlabs Planet > Dinner > Hang around Odaiba after sunset for a bit > Back to hotel. I'm a little worried about this day and am open to suggestions. Akasuka/Sensoji is not a must have as I don't think the kids would appreciate it that much, and both my wife and I have experienced the area before. I'm also reading mixed reviews about Teamlabs Planet, so consider this day as a flexible day.
Day 5 - Disneyland
Day 6 - Disneysea
Day 7 - Hotel check out. Ship most of the luggage to Osaka hotel. Head to Hakone. Planning to reserve either 9.20 or 10am Romance Car. Hakone day 1 route will be: Lunch > Open Air Museum > Owakudani (short stop) > Boat ride to Motohakone > check into ryokan near Motohakone.
Day 8 - Ryokan check out. Hakone Shrine > Hakone Checkpoint > head to Odawara Station to catch afternoon Shinkansen to Osaka (either the 2 or 4pm direct fast trains). Check into Osaka hotel > Dinner. Our Osaka hotel is right next to Namba station.
Day 9 - Nara
Day 10 - Osaka Castle > Lunch > Kids Plaza Osaka > Dinner
Day 11 - USJ/Nintendo World.
Day 12 - TBD. Considering a day trip to 1 or 2 specific sites in Kyoto, but my wife and I have been to Kyoto before and I don't think the kids would like it. Same as the Akasuka/Sensoji day in Tokyo, open to suggestions here!
Day 13 - Most likely no fixed plans/shopping day as this is our last day.
Day 14 - Fly back home.
Thanks in advance!

Flying into Seattle on Sunday evening to start our honeymoon and beat the heat!
I saw there's a light rail connecting the airport to near our hotel (Warwick, train stops at Westlake). 0.4 mile walk. We'd be getting to the station around 2100 Sunday.
Is it safe to walk up 4th Ave that time of night? I've seen mixed reviews; some say the area is perfectly safe and well patrolled, others say there are aggressive homeless everywhere.