tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post4413682085521290403..comments2024-03-28T02:36:30.029-04:00Comments on Jungle Red Writers: I'm Walking on Air With My New Frigidaire, or, What Do Real Grown-ups Buy?Jungle Red Writershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16646429819267618412noreply@blogger.comBlogger54125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-35258834334694513602017-04-02T14:06:18.089-04:002017-04-02T14:06:18.089-04:00While pretty much any purchase you can make when y...While pretty much any purchase you can make when you are making your own money can make you feel like an adult, it is the biggest ones that really cement that "adulthood" status. A home, a car, big medical expenses, kids of your own.<br /><br />Or sadly, when you have to bury a parent. I've now lost both of mine and given that I essentially had to use part of the life insurance money that came to me to pay for my mother's services, any lingering "when do you OFFICIALLY feel like or become an adult" feelings are gone. <br /><br />I lived with my mom after the passing of my dad 11 years ago and we made it work to keep the house. And now that responsibility is solely my own. Funny how you never really feel ready for that kind of thing.<br /><br />I know that while everyone else was dealing with grief when my dad died, it was up to me to be the adult and keep things focused as we prepared to say goodbye. Though a bit of timely tension breaking humor was something I provided as well. When the funeral home guy suggested a coffin style by mentioning the glazed finish on it, I couldn't help but comment that glaze belongs on a donut not a coffin.<br /><br />Adulthood has its benefits but it does have a definite down side. The purchases come at a cost like it or not.Jay Robertshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11409350742317719903noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-70382685309736884282017-04-01T16:27:44.923-04:002017-04-01T16:27:44.923-04:00"Anyhow, the Hooligan looked at me with one e..."Anyhow, the Hooligan looked at me with one eyebrow higher than the other and a voice full of sixteen year old wonder and declared, "I am being raised by an eight year old. It's all coming into focus now." So, yeah, still waiting on that whole adulting/grownup thing to kick in. Not gonna hold my breath."<br />First, your kid is brilliant!<br />Second, I, too keep waiting. Although there's this odd older woman who keeps looking out of the mirror at me...<br />Libby DoddUnknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03967590242114956411noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-85415136310355318122017-04-01T16:17:54.366-04:002017-04-01T16:17:54.366-04:00I'm not sure anything has had a lasting adult ...I'm not sure anything has had a lasting adult effect, but one of the most satisfying was having a mortgage-burning party for our first house. I accidentally set off the smoke detector by standing too close, but it was worth the moments of awful noise. :-)<br /><br />janetAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-91308678931544585652017-04-01T15:15:41.758-04:002017-04-01T15:15:41.758-04:00We've been known to do that, Kaye. Nothing li...We've been known to do that, Kaye. Nothing like brownies for the entrée!Ingrid Thofthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04063912686011336076noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-85686130535985735212017-04-01T15:00:06.086-04:002017-04-01T15:00:06.086-04:00I'm loving all these fun stories and comments....I'm loving all these fun stories and comments. Every so often Donald and I will have dessert for dinner. Not after dinner, but instead of dinner. Like Apple Pie with Ice Cream Dinner. And one of us will always say "isn't it fun being a grown-up and eating what you want when you want?"Kaye Wilkinson Barley - Meanderings and Museshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07486129009717476920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-67595261807344798672017-04-01T14:35:44.368-04:002017-04-01T14:35:44.368-04:00Another biggie for me was buying my own furniture....Another biggie for me was buying my own furniture. When we moved into this house (my third) we still have hand-me-down living and dining room furniture. The 60's sofa and the handmade mosaic tile table were my mom's, the dining room table a friends. I bought exactly what I wanted. The dining room furniture I still adore twenty years later. That first adult sofa long ago went to sofa heaven, but we've had a very grown-up (expensive) leather sofa and armchair for more than ten years now, I and intend to keep them until they resemble the venerable aged Chesterfields in English novels.Deborah Crombiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16988750789088153601noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-13387380787852616342017-04-01T14:30:13.762-04:002017-04-01T14:30:13.762-04:00Ingrid, I have done Thanksgiving and Christmas sev...Ingrid, I have done Thanksgiving and Christmas several times now, and I suppose it does make you feel like a grown up. But it's also exhausting!! Much more fun when it was my mom and grandmom doing the cooking...Deborah Crombiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16988750789088153601noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-56464524355980345902017-04-01T14:27:57.511-04:002017-04-01T14:27:57.511-04:00Celia, the tires were astronomical!! And anything ...Celia, the tires were astronomical!! And anything that needed to be replaced cost twice as much as an ordinary sedan. Plus, we had by that time two German shepherds, so definitely not practical. But, sigh, I still miss the car.Deborah Crombiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16988750789088153601noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-28109926908457683102017-04-01T14:24:54.635-04:002017-04-01T14:24:54.635-04:00Ann, congrats on the car!! You should have the car...Ann, congrats on the car!! You should have the car you want. Glad Julie talked you into it:-)Deborah Crombiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16988750789088153601noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-2882144600961587292017-04-01T14:17:45.658-04:002017-04-01T14:17:45.658-04:00I'm with Rhys. Not growing up. Just today we w...I'm with Rhys. Not growing up. Just today we were at the Walmart and I walked all the curbs. Hey, maintaining balance is an important adult skill! Kaithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07758348842858993203noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-67844778142371520412017-04-01T14:12:51.224-04:002017-04-01T14:12:51.224-04:00I remember getting a Sears credit card back in the...I remember getting a Sears credit card back in the '70s for just that reason. Once that was in place, I could get American Express, necessary to have to rent a vehicle on vacation. I make it a point to pay in full every month, but it's good backup and avoids having to carry too much cash.Storyteller Maryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03807705866873141004noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-48213394450553189852017-04-01T14:07:29.063-04:002017-04-01T14:07:29.063-04:00Oh Hank, I have on rare occasions said, "Don&...Oh Hank, I have on rare occasions said, "Don't tell me the total" when making a purchase (though they always do when it's time to sign the credit slip). It's a freedom to splurge gained by being mostly careful and responsible. Paying of the mortgages, first the condo and now the house, felt very liberating. I hate debt and interest, which feels like paying for no return value, and I love the bewilderment on the car dealer's face, "Who did you say you are financing this through?" No one. A friend told me that credit card companies raise the interest rates on people who can't repay quickly enough . . . seems usurious to me, like the mortgage companies taking people's homes after accepting bailouts from the taxpayers. Closing the Bank of America mortgage and other accounts felt righteous. Enjoy the grown-up and not-so-grown-up adventures. Hugs <3Storyteller Maryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03807705866873141004noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-58477431563918294432017-04-01T13:59:50.025-04:002017-04-01T13:59:50.025-04:00I definitely don't consider myself an adult (I...I definitely don't consider myself an adult (I'm 30), but the fact that I'm so jealous of your new stove is telling me otherwise. I get so excited planning out my next big kitchen purchase (eyeing you, Le Creuset dutch oven...)<br /><br />Oddly enough, the thing that made me really, truly feel like an adult happened about two months ago: I got my very first credit card. <br /><br />I only had debit cards when I was younger because my mom was adamant about only spending money I actually had (my family is really strict when it comes to loans and debt), and then after I graduated university, I spent years teaching abroad and continued using only debit cards. When I came back to the States, the fact that I was in my late 20s and had zero credit was somehow worse than having bad credit. So it wasn't until two months ago that I was finally approved for my own credit card. Holding it in my hand was just so...momentous.Mia P. Manansalahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10769140102638604922noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-53726825557136191962017-04-01T13:45:24.330-04:002017-04-01T13:45:24.330-04:00I don't drive either! I live in Chicago, where...I don't drive either! I live in Chicago, where public transportation is easily available, so I've never felt the need to learn. I told my husband the only way I'd get a license is if we had kids (still not sure if that's ever gonna happen) or moved somewhere where reliable public transport didn't exist.Mia P. Manansalahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10769140102638604922noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-70840860277336411872017-04-01T13:18:49.426-04:002017-04-01T13:18:49.426-04:00PRE-paying. As in advance. Not re-paying which sou...PRE-paying. As in advance. Not re-paying which sounds like I didn't do it properly the first time. Which would be very unadult-like. :)Aimee Hixhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06045158961269334826noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-59415095535840904312017-04-01T13:17:57.641-04:002017-04-01T13:17:57.641-04:00I suppose re-paying The Girl's college educati...I suppose re-paying The Girl's college education made me feel about as grown-up as I think I'm ever going to get. <br /><br />Buying a house definitely made me feel more like a little kid - What? They're actually going to let me be in charge of a house and, like, everything? Are they crazy? Who do I call when I don't know how to house properly? Is there a book class? Where are the ADULTING CLASSES?!?!?!<br /><br />I felt the very least adult ever as I was signing the final insurance papers to check out of the hospital with a three-day old. I most firmyl experienced buyer's remorse that day on the tortoise-like highway drive home with me in the backseat wondering if we could stop off somewhere and buy one of those dental mirrors and did all babies breathe that quietly. HA! And I was an aunt of six by that point.<br /><br />Mostly, I feel adult when I remember that Being an Adult isn't an actual thing. That there are lots of ways to be mature and responsible and that some of them are decidedly unhealthy. That sometimes choosing the Not Adult option is the most adult thing you can do.Aimee Hixhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06045158961269334826noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-63243139881466075342017-04-01T13:14:25.834-04:002017-04-01T13:14:25.834-04:00You'll love those heated seats up north! Not t...You'll love those heated seats up north! Not that my vehicles ever had them but my husband is one of those spare-no-expense types.<br />Pat Dhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12732230586783432052noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-73824175396494440512017-04-01T12:31:01.881-04:002017-04-01T12:31:01.881-04:00I love that! I've done the car thing - all by ...I love that! I've done the car thing - all by myself - and it is an amazing feeling!Jenn McKinlayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03214926031147370862noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-37407498952996028272017-04-01T12:29:49.002-04:002017-04-01T12:29:49.002-04:00Very smart, Joan! We've been replacing our app...Very smart, Joan! We've been replacing our appliances one by one as they die. My stovetop appears to be immortal...and brown, very very 1980's brown. Jenn McKinlayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03214926031147370862noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-80060677995956229052017-04-01T12:27:47.586-04:002017-04-01T12:27:47.586-04:00I have done the big family gathering for most of t...I have done the big family gathering for most of the holidays - it is so fun - but so much work! Definitely a grown up moment. Hey, maybe I'm more of a big girl than I thought!Jenn McKinlayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03214926031147370862noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-13861170017895663132017-04-01T12:16:51.588-04:002017-04-01T12:16:51.588-04:00Sonia, the original refrigerator that came with ou...Sonia, the original refrigerator that came with our house was a 1940's era GE with the rounded top and a door as thick as a tank. It was easily 50 years old and it still ran. Sadly, the amount of electricity it used was prohibitive. Like Gigi and her pink appliances, we sold it to a dealer.Juliahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09553268569509053159noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-68114717223016438832017-04-01T12:16:33.051-04:002017-04-01T12:16:33.051-04:00I think that's a great grownup moment, Ingrid....I think that's a great grownup moment, Ingrid. I remember how honored I felt the first time my grandmother told me to contribute something to a family pot luck. Only the adult women got to do that, so it was a rite of passage.Gigi Norwoodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00495357787099352860noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-83675759923450540362017-04-01T12:13:49.456-04:002017-04-01T12:13:49.456-04:00Triss, I remember that moment a year or so after R...Triss, I remember that moment a year or so after Ross and I bought our "forever" house (which we're still in.) The sudden realization that I had achieved the life I wanted was very moving.Juliahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09553268569509053159noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-3780618830132939262017-04-01T12:11:38.164-04:002017-04-01T12:11:38.164-04:00Gigi, I'm laughing out loud.Gigi, I'm laughing out loud.Juliahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09553268569509053159noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-61879524406273479222017-04-01T12:02:21.188-04:002017-04-01T12:02:21.188-04:00I was ecstatic. I loved having a skin care regime...I was ecstatic. I loved having a skin care regimen (I think before that I was randomly using Noxema, Sea Breeze and Bonne Bell 10-0-6 and no moisturizer - egad), and with the Laszlo, my skin never looked better ~Celia Fowlerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02138257308552361041noreply@blogger.com