This was my noob project. I had no idea what I was doing. I purchased a second hand ryobi circular saw and went to town. The base is an old pallet with mdf plywood that I scored from a neighbor. This is how it stands five years later. I know that I need to replace some rotting boards and fix the reinforcement for the huge door. Overall, I'm happy with the outcome of this project.
I needed to divert our exterior water outlet to two other parts of the house.
I have an old childhood friend where we have been talking back an forth about jobs. This man has spent the his entire career in software development. He's super smart, and is looking to transition into SCADA based on previous conversations with me about what I do. Trades are the last bastion of being paid. This is typically an accidental career, not something someone said "hey I want to install and maintain physical security systems". This is both a PSA and a gratitude that I stumbled on a career path that others strive for.
I've been on this earth for some time but not a whole lot of time. I want you to know that I see you. You are the rough, "redneck", cousin of Texas. A cousin without the gun violence and more grit than a Texan can pull through teeth. I've been to Bali and worked hand in hand with your Navy. I just want you to know that I love you, or based on the Aussie navy chief stationed on my boat "I love you cunts"! Hey, y'all keep doing you and I strive to add that attitude and awesomeness to my little Texas town day by day.
Quick recap, we live next to a very nice family that has a "problem" child that likes to get physical. We'll call her "Pob". She's punch me in the groin for making a fart joke, the parents had zero accountability for the situation. I let it go. Cut to, an event recently, my kid won a plastic sword from our local arcade place. Keep in mind the children in the story range from six to eight years old.
When we got back she was playing with Pob and another neighbor kid. They we're playing "ninja" and my child knows not to hit as she's in martial arts. Later on, while I was doing yard work, I hear an agonizing cry of pain. I pop my head up, and my kid is bawling. I tell her to go inside. I get the plastic sword from Pob and the other neighbor kid. I reviewed the footage from my camera system and Pob super smacked her in the back multiple times when she was picking flowers after the "ninja" game stopped. It left welts on her back. Afterwards, my wife went into "mom" mode to talk to Pob's parents. Things got settled. We agreed to "southern waving" but the kids are not to play with each other.
Come the next day, according to my kid, the other neighbor kid's mom is a special ed teacher. She decided to pull my kid and Pob out of class to have a discussion on the events. Apparently, she forced my kid to apologize. Later that day, I picked up my kid and she told me what transpired. She was confused as to why she was being forced to apologize. I asked her if she asked for clarification and she said "I didn't want to get in trouble". I got pissed as this neighbor used her authority for force my kid to apologize for something completely outside her jurisdiction. I talked to my wife about it, but she told me not to act as we live in a small town.
This is where the AITAH question part starts to come into play. I'm in IT and specialize in physical security and surveillance systems. I knew about a bill passed in my state that requires audio and video surveillance in special ed rooms and it also outlines a process for parents to request video evidence of supposed grievances. After the allowable time lapsed to request evidence, via text, I asked my teacher neighbor how do I go about requesting evidence and I cited the bill name and number afterwards, I dropped the fact that everyone in my neighborhood is aware of my profession and that I personally stood up these systems in some of the more affluent adjacent school districts when I was a technician. Afterwards I told her not to talk to my kid about this subject at school anymore.
At some point I'm going to have to tell my wife or she is going to find out. AITAH? The household with the teacher neighbor stopped being friendly after my single sided text exchange. I know for a fact that she read the message but hasn't replied back.