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Sales of note for 9.30.24
- Nordstrom – Beauty deals through September
- Ann Taylor – Extra 30% off sale
- Banana Republic Factory – 50% off everything + extra 20% off
- Boden – 15% off new styles
- Eloquii – Extra 50% off sale
- J.Crew – 50% off select styles
- J.Crew Factory – Up to 60% off everything + 50% off sale with code
- Lo & Sons – Warehouse sale, up to 70% off
- M.M.LaFleur – Save 25% sitewide
- Neiman Marcus – Friends & Family 25% off
- Rag & Bone – Friends & Family 25% off sitewide
- Spanx – Lots of workwear on sale, some up to 70% off
- Talbots – Fall Cyber Monday sale, 40% off sitewide and $5 shipping
- Target – Car-seat trade-in event through 9/28 — bring in an old car seat to get a 20% discount on other baby/toddler stuff.
- White House Black Market – 40% off select styles
And some of our latest threadjacks here at Corporette (reader questions and commentary) — see more here!
Some of our latest threadjacks include:
- What to say to friends and family who threaten to not vote?
- What boots do you expect to wear this fall and winter?
- What beauty treatments do you do on a regular basis to look polished?
- Can I skip the annual family event my workplace holds, even if I'm a manager?
- What small steps can I take today to get myself a little more “together” and not feel so frazzled all of the time?
- The oldest daughter is America's social safety net — change my mind…
- What have you lost your taste for as you've aged?
- Tell me about your favorite adventure travels…
hoodwinked
I was recently promoted and just received my first pay check at the new rate. I called my boss because it’s not the rate we had discussed. He says that it is, unfortunately I don’t have anything in writting. Now he says they cannot offer me any more money.
Although the new position pays more than my last, I have to commute much farther to work. I told him that I would not have accepted the job at this rate because my personal expenses outweigh the raise. We had discussed this in our initial negotiaions and at that point he said he would have to go to his boss for approval to offer me more money.
I told him I did not agree the this pay rate and if that was the case I would go back to my old position. He says they already offered it to someone else and to give him until later this week to figure out what would work best for me.
I’m really frustrated by this situation and I don’t know what to do at this point. I don’t want to continue working at the lower rate but I don’t know what other option I have.
E
I am very sorry this happened to you. I am shocked and amazed by how often I hear things like this happening. My sister in law recently moved to a new position (at a new company) and in verbal negotiations they agreed on one number and then when her written offer package came, the number was $25k lower. They told her she must have misheard and there was nothing that could be done. She ended up taking the position at the lower rate, but has been pretty disgruntled from Day 1 and really has no loyalty to this new company.
Does anyone here pull these sorts of shenanigans with people they hire? This is something I would never, ever be okay with doing if I were in a position to negotiate someone else’s salary. Sure, now and again someone may in fact have misheard or misremembered, but there’s just no way that happens so often.
hoodwinked, I think you did the right thing by telling your boss. If he says there is nothing he can do, I think you should ask him if there is someone higher up you can talk to directly, or go to HR. If higher commuting costs are a big part of the concern, perhaps if they are unwilling to budge on salary maybe they would be willing to provide something like car service (or a company car with gas allowance). This might be far fetched (and also probably treated as taxable income), but worth a shot.
Anonymous
Happened to a close friend too. It’s so sleazy. I do know of one person (alpha male) who marched into the senior manager’s office and said, “This is what you agreed to pay me and you have to pay me X.”
It worked and they never disagreed again. YMM definitely V. Good luck.
Irish
Check your personal emails for further documentation. You might have an email you sent to your friend or significant other that says “yay, got offered new job with a 10k raise” or something like that. Any documentation is better than no documentation!
E
Inspired by the question above – When you verbally negotiate a salary and other benefits at a new position, what can you do to make sure the person you negotiated with doesn’t “forget” what was agreed to?
I am interviewing for a new job at a major financial firm. I am not at the offer stage yet, but if and when I get to that stage I would like to be prepared. I am thinking of negotiating salary, vacation time, etc. Once we’ve agreed, I am thinking of saying, “Do you mind if I write this all down and get you to initial that this is what we’ve agreed to?” And then also send a followup email with what was agreed to.
Does this sound okay, or is t too awkward to ask for their sign off on my sheet? Should I explain that I have a relative that recently had a bad experience where her negotiated salary was later denied, or is that TMI?
Anonymous
Or just email confirmation (home email, of course).
I had to sign a (no lie) 40-page contract and a 12-page waiver for my new job!
Duckie
I send an email to follow up on our conversation. E.g.: “It was a pleasure to speak to you today, and I’m delighted to be coming on board at the company. Just to confirm our conversation today, the position pays $85,000 per year with 1,900 minimum billables, 3 weeks of vacation, federal holidays off, and sick days as needed. Please let me know if any of this is incorrect.”
And I wait for a confirmation email before resigning or withdrawing any other applications.
Duckie
Oh – and I would not ask to write it down and have someone initial. That basically indicates a total lack of trust, and I’d be offended if a potential hire did that to me and worry that I’d just hired a paranoid flake. Yes, there are a few sleazeballs out there, but the vast majority of people are honorable.
It’d be better to repeat the terms of the offer that he just gave you, and then tell him you’ll send a follow-up email just to make sure there was no confusion.
meara
This. And don’t quit your current job until you have things in writing!
hoodwinked
Agree, this is what I wish I had done.
Anon
I actually wouldn’t necessarily rely on a confirming email — I would say all that with, “Please let me know if any of this is incorrect. I’ll assume if don’t hear from you by [Friday] that its correct. I’m looking forward to working with you.”
Irish
After negotiations, I asked the attorney who made me the offer to send me the terms in writing via email. I reviewed it and saved it.
T
I work at a major financial firm. Offer letters at my company are always in writing and you have to sign & date your acceptance. Salary is clearly listed on the offer letter.
anon for this
Hello, Hive Mind,
A question on my mind this holiday weekend:
My father is very seriously mentally ill and he has been since I was a small child. This makes him often socially-inappropriate and, at times, abusive
Since I’ve become an adult, I have limited our interactions sharply, and now we speak about 3x a year and I send him a card on father’s day. Although we live within 50 miles, I see him only once every several years at major family events and funerals.
One of those is probably coming in the next year or two: my boyfriend (of 1 year) and I are discussing marriage. My boyfriend knows about my father, but has not yet met him. (He knows the rest of my family well, and I know his.) At our wedding, we’ll have our professional contacts and friends of his parents and my mom and stepdad. BF would never ask me not to invite my dad, but I worry that it would make me a stress-case the whole time. My brother could be assigned to “babysit” competently, but that would take my lifelong best friend out of the day’s festivities in a major way.
Any thoughts on managing this? I’d be very grateful….
Maddie
My friend had a similar issue at her wedding, as her sister has a cognitive disorder and has trouble in social situations. Other relatives were unable or unwilling to take responsibility for her sister at the ceremony, so my friend hired one of the aides who works at her sister’s living facility to accompany her sister to the church ceremony and reception afterwards, as a caretaker/companion. It seemed to work very well, as the aide made sure to sit in a non-crowded pew in the church, and took the sister home once the dinner was over and before the music got overwhelming.
I’m not sure of your father’s living situation or independence level, but if he’s not living in the community (e.g. if he’s at a living facility), they may be able to offer suggestions.
Anonymous
My brother is severely mentally ill. Invite your dad, and pray for the best. If he acts out, people will understand. For what it is worth, my husband gets along amazingly well with my brother.
anon
A friend had a similar situation with her mother. She ended up not inviting her and no one questioned it. We talked about it quite a bit — the way her mom is, she would have made herself the center of attention…or threatened to do so. It made my friend’s day much happier by not inviting her mom. I don’t think she’s really ever regretted it. Its created some tense conversations since the wedding, but I don’t think it made the relationship any worse than it already would have been.
anon for this
Thanks so much. What you’ve all said is reassuring. And I really appreciated the individual perspectives.
We’re considering something very small (his family, my family, our closest friends), to save money and to have a low-risk situation in case my dad comes and makes a scene.
AND we’re not even totally sure if we will get married, but right now is a giddy lovely time for us both and also has me thinking about these issues for down the road…
Thanks again, for all of your sensitivity.
ANP
Chiming in late to say that my mother is similar, though things aren’t as severe with her behavior (yet). However, I finally had the courage to go see a therapist about this last fall, and it’s done wonders for me. The biggest thing is to give yourself permission to not invite your dad if that’s what would make you happier. I couldn’t tell from your original post if you yourself really wanted him to be at your wedding or not…but if the answer is “not,” then I urge you to try and set yourself free of that “obligation” to invite. Just a stranger’s two cents — and sympathy, b/c I’m traveling the same road you’re on.
anon for this
Thanks, ANP. Wanted to wish you well as these issues arise for you. I decided not to invite my dad to my law school graduation (too many possibilities for a scene; too many people who would remember only that about me). I guess that I feel like my dad’s life is so narrow and sad at this point that denying him the joy of attending his daughter’s wedding is too harsh. Otherwise, no personal desire for him to be there…certainly no dreaming of father-daughter dances and no escorting down the aisle.
Laura #2
This is so hard. Is your father in a situation where he could be medicating and is not? To me, that plays a huge roll-if he is not taking ownership of his condition and the impact it has on those around him, that is his choice. He has to deal with the consequences.
My mom has a severe mental illness and was in a psychotic state at the time of my graduation. Asking her not to be there was incredibly difficult, but it was the right decision. This should be a joyful day for you, not one filled with worries about your dad. Whatever decision you make, I wish you a guilt-free conscience and the knowledge that you have done what is right for you.
Duckie
Elope? My mother is a mentally ill addict, and this seems like the best solution to me. Otherwise, I’d limit toasts to the best man and maid of honor only (so your father never gets near a mic) and cut out the traditional first dance and father-daughter dance stuff. And seriously consider asking your brother to babysit – sometimes you need your best friend to do what’s really necessary, instead of what’s glamourous and exciting. You can always acknowledge your brother in another way, like with a special toast at your rehearsal dinner.
Anonymous
Sorry, both of you. That’s awful.
If your dad is having a “good day” very close to the wedding, could you invite him on short notice?
anon for this
Duckie, I’m sorry that you have to deal with this too. Wouldn’t it seem unfair to let our mentally ill parents control our weddings (or whether we choose to opt out), after all the other cr*p we’ve had to deal with?
Duckie
Well, in my mom’s case, her illness and addiction has stolen a lot of the happiness in her life. I probably wouldn’t want to deny her the happiness of seeing her only daughter get married, even if she makes me crazy during the wedding.
Anonymous
I have had to deal with a lot of crap with my mentally ill, addict brother. My son, however, is better off for having him in our lives because he is so sensitive, intelligent, funny, and loving when he takes his medication. I can’t imagine cutting him out of my life unless he was only a really bad tear at the time of my wedding.
ghostin'
PSA: The Lo and Sons TT totes that were reviewed last week are on sale for $195 and you can get another 10% off if you “like” their page on facebook and use the code. I got one for $175 + free shipping!
Anon
Hello everyone:
First time commenting here – thank you for being such a great community!
I took on a new role last year and am thinking of leaving. My manager, as it turns out, is the stereotypical micro-manager and it’s driving me up the wall. My e-mails get sent back to me with corrections (because he disagrees with my word choice, not because I’m failing to convey the necessary points); he interrupts me in meetings and takes over and later criticizes me for not asking questions exactly as how he would have done. Because he trusts no one I’m not being given projects where I could learn more. Since joining I’ve also discovered that everyone who held my role has left in some dramatic fashion because they couldn’t handle his behavior anymore.
It’s getting to the point now where it’s affecting my mental health; my SO has suggested I see a therapist because of all the stress I’m under. I would like very much to leave very soon but I’m worried about how it looks in future job applications if I quit without something lined up. Do you have experience with this? Would it look very bad to quit without something lined up?
Anonymous
I see you got my old job, working for my old manager. :o(
Sorry.
Cover your behind by letting senior management know that this is unbearable. If possible go in with solutions rather than a list of problems (it looks better and more responsible). Give them two chances to rectify the situation, then you’re free to quit.
Start looking now because he won’t change.
Sanz
Yes, it looks extremely, extremely bad. However, it is not necessarily the end of your career.
Earlier this year I quit an in-house job after 4 months with nothing lined up. Your situation sounds very similar to mine – micromanaging boss, others seeking to depart, I was getting panic attacks. I found out after I’d already started (and relocated) the massive meatgrinder reputation this company has. Luckily, I had saved most of my previous years of biglaw salary, so this rainy day fund meant I could cover my bills for a while.
It took me about four months to find a new job, and it’s definitely not perfect (way underpaid from what I used to earn, but I’ll be able to pay my bills and keep practicing in my field).
It’s been the hardest and most depressing thing I’ve ever been through. People are suspicious as heck when you’ve left a job without another one lined up (and the current state of the economy compounds this). They’re also suspicious as heck that I left after such a short time. Essentially, they jump to the conclusion that there must have been some sort of serious misconduct or such a bad personality clash that you were about to be fired.
I applied for everything under the sun and told everyone in my network I was looking. I’m really qualified at what I do, and there are a lot of places where I could have rocked their worlds, but wouldn’t give me the time of day now that I have such a red flag on my resume. Of the interviews I did have, one was practically belligerent trying to “get to the bottom” of why I would leave such a (great on paper) position.
I eventually found my current position through chance networking (my elevator speech at roundtable piqued the interest of my now-colleagues). Thank my lucky stars.
I recommend starting an intense job hunt immediately, unless it becomes so bad that you must quit for the sake of your health. I think it is easier to spin “it wasn’t for me, I gave it a chance, and I am sure this isn’t a good fit” while you are still employed, than quitting and hunting while unemployed (in fact, that’s what another member of my team managed to do, leaving after barely a year to a much better gig).
Anon
Thanks ladies – this is all very useful insight. I am worried that by quitting now, all future interviews will get hung up on the question “so why did you leave before a year is up/before anything else was lined up?” and I refuse to let this person jeopardize my career this way. It seems the more sensible thing to do is to stay and start my job search immediately.
At the same time, it’s getting increasingly harder to handle being called into his office, to be chastised for not doing things exactly as he thought he would have done. Did the companies you were interviewing with call up the firm you left? My other concern is him badmouthing me, but I’m not sure there’s any way really to avoid that.
Anonymous
What would you do differently next time? What have you learned from this experience?
Anon
I think there were certain signs during the hiring process I should have paid more attention to. The fact that the recruiter was giving me a bit of a hard sell about my manager, which I found slightly odd, and the fact that one of the managers in the department I spoke to as part of the hiring process kept talking about how important it was to find people I liked to work with. In retrospect these were all hints that things were not entirely right, and that I should have stayed away from this position.
EM
I dunno. Sometimes you just can’t know that you are interviewing with a jerk. My last boss sounds very similar. I was able to deal with his nonsense long enough to have something even better lined up before I quit. I’m finding that it’s actually enhancing my reputation in my industry that I stuck it out so long with a pill of a boss. (He has a very poor reputation to the point of other people actually hating him and refusing to work with him.)
In terms of the day-to-day mental health aspect, you basically have to start standing up for yourself. I was afraid that I would be accused of insubordination or even fired, but I figured out that my boss was spineless and would back down every time. For example, are you sending emails to him to be proofed before you send them out? I think that is an unreasonable expectation to have of an experienced professional. Maybe next time just send the email and cc him and if he says anything, just breezily say, “Thank you so much for your guidance on past emails. I’ve got it now!” YMMV of course.
Sanz
I heartily recommend to start looking immediately. Even if you do get to the point where you must resign, you’ll have the ball rolling already. And it may make help you survive being called to the carpet by your boss, knowing you’ve got an exit plan.
Yes, the first question I always always get is why I quit that firm. I practiced my answer until I had it down pretty neatly. It’s delicate to not badmouth the place, so I made it all about me realizing I wanted something different and it wasn’t the right fit and I could be so much more productive in a different organization.
I don’t offer that firm as one of my references. When asked, I just say it was such a short time and offer my many other (stellar) references. When I resigned I didn’t sign the extra form allowing HR to say anything beyond dates of hire and title. So any formal inquiry would just get the bare facts. I think management is pretty well-warned that negative references can open up the company to lawsuits (which is what I hope would head off him informally badmouthing me).
Good luck – I really hope you find a great escape, and soon!
Anon
Thanks for the tip – and congrats on the new job! This is a difficult situation, but you have no idea how much it means to me that this is (sadly) not unique or unusual. (I’d been feeling like quite the chump for accepting a bad role.)
Sanz
Not unique or unusual – just something I think people rarely talk about. Particularly lately, when people seem keen to scold with variations of any of the following: “you are lucky just to have a job” “anything is tolerable for a year or two” and/or “you’ll look like a flaky job hopper if you leave sooner rather than later.” None of which is helpful!
And you’re definitely not alone. I felt (and still feel) like the biggest idiot in the universe for taking the horrible job. I still second-guess myself. I’ve replayed the series of events leading up to it a million times in my head. People have told me I have to forgive myself and that I made the best decision I could at the time, but when you’re in the thick of such regret, it’s hard to do.
Anon
Question for those formerly in Biglaw: how have you known when it was time to leave? I don’t have any ideas about what I could do that would make me happier. And there are aspects of my work that I enjoy. But the hours are wearing my down, and as much as I appreciate the financial security, I worry that the best years of my life are slipping away. I think I might enjoy being a partner, if I could last that long, but as an early mid-level associate with an endless string of 13 hours days, I just don’t know if I can make it. Tough it out, or cut and run?
Herbie
That you’re asking these questions is enough. Here is some food for thought. Apologies in advance for the length.
Re becoming a partner: very few make it to partnership in Biglaw. On top of that, there are very few women in the equity partnership ranks in Biglaw. Having kids and spending time with family / friends is at odds with the Biglaw model, which requires extreme sacrifice no matter what the circumstance.
Take a hard look around you– the current partners, your peers, and the new associates the firm brings in. Do you want to be in business with these people? That’s not some abstract “Do I like them” question. Do you want to sit in meetings and discuss with these people whether the firm should merge; how you should comp income partners; etc. My answer to that question was a resounding no, and that was enough for me.
Then, think realistically about what Biglaw partnership has to offer. At my firm, it’s only “What have you done for me lately?” There is no loyalty. Once you make partner at my firm, you become a glorified senior associate. Only now your billable rate is too high for anybody to give you serious hours, and you have no business of your own (see above – your rate is too high). If you do get any business, you’ll have to constantly work to keep it and develop additional business. I once had a rainmaker partner boast to me that he’d never taken a true family vacation–he always brought along a client. He was proud; I thought it was pathetic. But that’s what you sign up for.
There’s a certain amount of financial security in Biglaw, but I wonder how much of it is a mirage. We stay because of the $$. But in the meantime, you might not be developing your skills as a lawyer as fully as you could elsewhere, and sky-high hourly rates may prohibit you from developing any business of your own. Oh, and that’s in addition to all the hours you’re sacrificing, wasting away in the office while you could be out doing other things (dating, social life, friends, … sleeping). So, if you don’t make partner–then what?
I’ve thought a lot about this stuff lately, and hopefully, I will soon trade in Biglaw for another position. This other position definitely comes with a cap on salary and lifelong earning potential, but the trade-offs are worth it: I wouldn’t have to worry about developing business; I would have a guarantee that I don’t have to work late or weekends (how awesome would it be to plan a vacation and not worry that I’ll have to cancel because of an emergency or because my partner doesn’t care about my vacay when agreeing to trial settings or other major ddls???); and the people are genuine and nice.
Re your 13 hour days. Let me assure you – it’s not worth it! It’ll leave you looking like a shell of yourself, with bad skin, either gaining too much or losing too much, with no social life and so stressed that it’ll be hard for others to enjoy your company anyway (and for you to enjoy theirs). And no matter how many of those days you put in, there will always be more. No thanks.
If there are any Biglaw partners on Corporette, sure would like to know if you think it’s worth it and why.
Anon
The basic thing to figure out is whether or not you really, really want to be partner. Of course, not everyone makes partner, but since that is what you are working toward, let’s imagine that you are one of the few who will make it. Keep in mind that for most partners, life does not magically become easier when you become partner. You are still junior to someone, you still bring in less business than someone, you can still get booted out if they get upset with you for some reason… For me it just seemed like it was an uphill battle that would never end. Cultivate relationships with a few partners, especially if they have a similar background/personality type to you, and find out whether they are happy. I just couldn’t work that much for a lifetime and be a happy person. I think that I literally became a less interesting, less vibrant person in my 6 years at a top 10 firm. If you think you could do it for a while and then retire early with a healthy bank account, I learned why more people (in fact virtually no people) do this — your partnership agreement with the firm includes “golden handcuff” clauses that basically keep you bound to the firm until you are 60+. You get much less money if you cash out prematurely. Another weird aspect of the partnership thing is how the whole thing is shrouded in mystery. If I am working around the clock for something that is supposed to turn into a lifelong commitment, shouldn’t I know exactly what I am working for? Why don’t we get to see a partnership agreement as summer or first-year associates? That being said, most of my friends who are happy being partner at a law firm have a niche speciality and are not in “general litigation” or “corporate”. I think smaller departments and being an “expert” in a specialized practice area give you a better working environment, more opportunities to control your schedule, develop business, etc. And yes it is a lot of money.
Herbie
Oh, key point re the partnership agreement. My firm is grandfathered in under an old tax law that ends up causing great harm in the long term (wish I could go into details here, but can’t). Most new partners don’t even know about the tax implications when they become partners! It’s amazing. It’s this huge secret. I fortunately had a former partner of the firm explain the tax implications of partnership to me, and it became clear to me that it would be sheer lunacy to become a partner. Sucks, given that we’re taught from Day 1 of law school that partnership is the balls. The true lunacy is that I know more about this than many of the senior associates / soon-to-be-partners do.
"Less interesting, less vibrant"
Re: Anon’s comment that: “I think that I literally became a less interesting, less vibrant person in my 6 years at a top 10 firm.”
I actually had an Of Counsel, whom I was pretty close to, tell me that in almost those exact words at our holiday party last year. When I told the story, others were shocked, but I realized that I didn’t take really take offense at her comments because they rang true! I had been looking to leave big law for a while at that point anyway, but ~ 3 months later I had a new job overseas and I’ve never looked back. And I am well on the way to being interesting and vibrant again :-)
M2
Any tips for dealing with favoritism in the office? I have a coworker who is management’s favorite, but she also happens to be a brutal gossip who really likes to stir up drama and pit people against each other. From what I understand, this behavior earned her a very bad reputation at her old job, but she insists that she was an innocent victim. Any time I bring up the subject, she blames everyone else involved.
As a result, I have decided I need to distance myself from her. The problem is that she’s so close to management that I know she will just run to them and complain that she’s being targeted. On the other hand, it does seem like she’s being given less responsibility than she was in the past and others are being given more responsibility. She will skip meetings that are fairly important and is no longer assigned as a department representative to other meetings. I am just hoping that when review time comes, management will be honest with her about how her behavior is affecting the office morale.
Any advice on how to deal with this woman’s attitude as gracefully as possible?
CfM
Before I answer, I don’t understand why you are bringing up her old job? Do you have actual knowledge of her time there?
Laura
Did anyone read this article in the Times?
It is pretty good. It tells us we should be cooking more and we will be healthier and slimmer.
I think I will try this.
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/07/01/make-food-choices-simple-cook/
Mia
I’ve been looking at maternity Clothing all Week. Is this normal? (not pregnant or married or engaged)
Tips?
Does anyone have tips for finding good dates online (Match or eHarmony)? I have been on some okay dates, but haven’t found that spark yet. Also, has anyone else noticed that guys tend not to respond when the woman reaches out first? Consequently, I go out more often with guys who initiated, who tend to be more interested in me than I am in them. Any advice appreciated!!!
Anon at the Beach
Ladies, i would appreciate any advice on my situation: Significant other and I are associates at the same law firm but different practice areas. We have been pursuing lateral opportunities confidentially in a nearby town. SO has received an offer but I am still pending after a recent interview. SO will likely accept and notify current employer and I may not yet know on my interview. I’m sure once he tells our firm, I will start getting questions about my plans. Our firm does have an office in the city we’re moving to and I would consider moving to it if this is an option (although my first choice is the pending interview). Any suggestions on what to tell co-workers? I don’t want to burn bridges or mislead anyone. Happy Fourth!
TB in TN
Would someone please tell my redneck neighbors to stop shooting fireworks off over my house??? I really don’t mean to be unamerican, but I worked a 60 hour week, I’m exhausted, my dogs are crying and pacing around the house, I have a raging headache and I’m trying to STUDY FOR THE BAR!!!! I’m seriously behind in my studying, I’m starting to really freak out, and I’m about to have a meltdown.
Oh, and fireworks are illegal in my county.
Ok, thanks. Vent over. I feel slightly better :)
Laura
Don’t worry. You have time. You will pass.
CDN Anon
LOL! Sorry. You poor thing!
We set our off the Monday night in Canada. For the rest of the weekend the lifeguard at the pool in the apartment building next door was either taking fireworks off misbehaving kids or hearing them go off behind her.
The poor girl looks OVER IT already! It’s going to be a long summer for her! Hang in there, girl!