u/Bonkers35

Hi everyone,
I’d like to share the biggest project I’ve ever built.
Over the past several years I designed and built this full-size mechanical riding horse completely from scratch.
My goal was to recreate a realistic riding motion using woodworking, mechanical engineering and a simple drive powered by a standard drill.
Every part of the mechanism went through multiple prototypes before I was happy with the final movement. It took countless hours of designing, rebuilding and testing, but seeing it finally work made every setback worth it.
This project taught me more than any other build I’ve ever done.
I’d really love to hear what fellow makers think.
If you have any questions about the mechanism, design process or construction, I’ll be happy to answer them.

Duck breast broccoli and pasta with a tomato sauce.

I’ve always wondered why men never complimented each other. I always see the girls lifting one another up by hyping them up. It makes me wonder why can’t we do that?

I always felt like it’s because some people think it might make them come across as “gay” or think its “gay” to compliment you fellow man. Which doesn’t even make sense your telling me I’m into guys if I just tell a dude “hey bro you’re looking fantastic today”

When I go to the gym and I see a guy who looks like their working hard to better themselves or flexing in a mirror i’ll always say something like “hey man you physique is amazing keep it up.” I’ve never had a bad reaction doing this if anything every time I do it the guy seems super appreciative and dabs me up or fist bumps me.

I even had the experience of this being done for me. I was just trying to flex in the mirror and feeling bad about having a little body fat and a guy comes in and says “damn dude save some ladies for the rest of us” like do you know how much that made my day?

The girls always talk about the wonders of womanhood how to they cherish each other and are there for each other through their lived experiences. Why can’t we do the same? We don’t need to be stoic and hide from one another APE STRONGER TOGETHER!

Anyways next time you see a guy who dressed up nice or a dude who just caught your eye let them know that you see them. That they aren’t invisible and that someone out there appreciates the way they look.

And in case you needed to hear it chin up king I’m proud of you 👑

Oysters and Lobster roll.

So for context I (21M) and my gf (21F) have been dating for almost 3 years now. My parents are both somewhat conservative immigrant parents. When I first started dating my girlfriend my parents kept trying to tell me its ok if I only stay with her short term for fun because they don’t think shes the right girl for me.

As time went on my parents would continuously ask me “so when are you going to leave this girl” when I already had developed feelings for her and discussed wanting to have a long term relationship with her.

Go to more recently the fights I’ve been having constantly with my parents keep getting more out of hand and what my parents keep saying keep getting more and more desperate. For example my dad told me “you should just try other girls and if this girl really loves you she will wait for you” in a clear attempt to get me to break up with her. My mom and dad would constantly argue that since we have different cultural backgrounds it wont work out between us and keep citing divorce statistics in the US.

For more context I’m middle eastern born and lived in the US. My girlfriend is adopted Chinese into a hispanic family also lived in the US her entire life.

I’ve explained to them that culture has nothing to do with values, beliefs, or interests. To me culture really isn’t that important since I was hardly around it growing up.

Now my mom tries to claim that I need to wait till 30 to have a house or a wife because “men aren’t mature until 30” and that I shouldn’t be with a girl the same age as me because “women age and mature faster then men.” My sister (25f) tries to defend their actions by saying its just a cultural thing and they’re saying anything out of desperation.

I’ve resorted to holding my ground and telling them I’m fine with following their advice when it comes to many things in life but who I date and decide to marry is ultimately up to me whether they like it or not.

I’ve also been saving up for a house (I graduated college and have a really nice job). I’ve wanted to use my own money to buy a house since high school so I can have a place to invite my friends to hang out and stay over occasionally.

The most recent issues have been my mom keeps insisting on trying to use my money to “buy a house for me.” It sounds nice but the stipulation for getting said house is of course you guessed it marrying to right person or after they die. When I was in college they bought a house thats under my name to take advantage of first time home buyer benefits that I had. I told them multiple times I was uncomfortable with them doing this and I didn’t want them to buy me a house. Go figure after I cave and let them do it my mom tries to get me to fork over money for the mortgage. (I’m currently paying the HOA and utilities on the house that I dont live in).

I made it clear I do not want the house and will transfer it to them after a year. Now my mom wants to buy another property and use the money I’ve been working hard to save for a downpayment to buy it. When I argue with my parents saying I dont want their help and I want to buy my own house independently my mom always blurts out “you’re not living with that girl.” So everything just feels like it’s financial manipulation to force me to not be with my girlfriend. My sister even calls me selfish saying she was ready to give them money (to buy a 5th home) just because they asked.

I feel like theres a big difference in helping family when they need money vs when they just want money to buy random investments. But my sister claims that it’s a cultural thing that we dont do individual money its all shared money between family.

I am also super honest with my parents but my mom keeps hounding me for “hiding things” from them and being dishonest which is the opposite of true. My parents and sister keep claiming when they talk to me I’m always “tense” as if I haven’t been hounded for years about this topic and keep getting borderline manipulated by my parents.

I’m just so tired of all of this. My parents have not once met my girlfriend and shes actually super nice, smart, and pretty. She has also graduated from college and has a nice job. They refuse to see any good side to her just because of her background and it feels like I have to walk on eggshells around my parents about the topic of my girlfriend since it always turns into my parents yelling at me. It makes it worse they always try to say my sister is better and I should be like her but she doesn’t live with them anymore and also lies about her relationships.

I just don’t understand how I can have my life put together and be happy and that can’t be enough for my parents…

P.S. sorry if my writing and story telling sucks theres just so much thats happened and I’m so mentally exhausted

Edit: to add salt to the wound my gfs parents and entire family have met me and love me. Her mom has gone to say she fully supports us getting married.