Tedious, Complicated, and Particular: Erika Shupe, Part 8

[slickcat79]

32 minutes ago, princessmahina said:

I live in the US (have lived in 4 states, 3 in the south) and I've never seen it.

Huh. I've never seen a built-in microwave put anywhere else, except in a bigger/fancier kitchen with wall ovens and whatnot *rye shrug*

[SilverBeach]

2 hours ago, princessmahina said:

How would you have the microwave over the stove and still have the fan and light there?

Most over the range microwaves also have exhaust fans built in. The cabinetry looks wonky, the short upper cabinet should be over the range and the microwave should be installed there. This misalignment would drive me to distraction. Who designed this mess?

[Georgiana]

I live <50 miles from Erika.  Her kitchen looks very normal for the area, if a little small.  Not kidding that her and my parents have the same cabinet doors and finish.  A lot of construction in the area was done in the 70s-80s, and then renovated in the late 90s-early 00s (during a major boom for the area), and that looks like the case with the Shupe kitchen.

The microwave is awkwardly placed and most kitchens have it over the stove around here.  The issue is that Erika has ductwork over her cabinets that pushes them down.  If the cabinets went all the way up to the ceiling, there would be room for the microwave over the stove and under the half cabinets (which is how my parents have it), but since there isn't room, it looks like they sort of jimmied up a solution and jammed it in there.  

[princessmahina]

46 minutes ago, slickcat79 said:

Huh. I've never seen a built-in microwave put anywhere else, except in a bigger/fancier kitchen with wall ovens and whatnot *rye shrug*

I've seen it in assorted places, but most people I know (including myself) have it just sitting on the counter. It seems like a monumental waste of space, but there's nowhere else to put it in our kitchen.

[SilverBeach]

My kitchen is not fancy by any means, but I do have double wall ovens, a cooktop, and a microwave oven/rangehood over the cooktop. It saves a ton of counter space which I don't have too much of.

[Pammy]

In my area, if a house is more than 10 years old, the microwave is amongst the cabinetry. Pretty much anywhere the appliances are still white is too old for the microwave to be built in.

In newer homes the trendy thing is black or silver appliances with above-stove microwaves, unless it's a gas stove (also trendy). Many of my friends who were early adopters of microwaves above the stove found that the heat and moisture from the stove led to frequent microwave problems: and you don't just replace your microwave. You need a new assemblage installed professionally.

I'm glad mine is separate.

(Plus, kids. I don't want them tiptoe on a step stool leaning across the stove to microwave their morning oatmeal. Super impractical.)

[apandaaries]

1 hour ago, princessmahina said:

<snip> I'm a little surprised she hasn't gotten rid of it-- it seems like people like her (naturopath, chiropractor for general health, etc) decide to get rid of the microwave. 

Erika is always odd in this way.  She says she wants things natural and healthy, then she posts recipes filled with weird chemical crap. Remember those vile homemade special drink recipes?  I know many who've disposed of their microwaves (which is a bit strange to me as a mom -- how do you rewarm your coffee after whatever morning crises have hit?), and most of them wouldn't feed her chemical concoctions to their enemies.  It must be some special Erika clause -- she gets to do what she opts to do, since her Jebus studies informed her that HER ways are the best ways. 

[feministxtian]

I have a gas stove with the microwave above the stove in my cheap-ass apartment here in Nevada. When we remodeled the kitchen in our house in VA, I had the microwave installed over the stove. The last 2 houses I lived in didn't have the microwave over the stove but they were older rentals. Our next place (the condo) will have the microwave/fan over the gas stove again. 

[Emilycharlotte]

Mine is over the stove. I don't think it is necessarily a feature of fancy kitchens, just a different option. 

The paper work next to the sink actually made me cringe. People (husband and kids, to be specific) placing paperwork near the kitchen sink....I can't stand it!!!!!!

[princessmahina]

1 hour ago, amandaaries said:

Erika is always odd in this way.  She says she wants things natural and healthy, then she posts recipes filled with weird chemical crap. Remember those vile homemade special drink recipes?  I know many who've disposed of their microwaves (which is a bit strange to me as a mom -- how do you rewarm your coffee after whatever morning crises have hit?), and most of them wouldn't feed her chemical concoctions to their enemies.  It must be some special Erika clause -- she gets to do what she opts to do, since her Jebus studies informed her that HER ways are the best ways. 

Those drinks are the most repugnant things I've ever seen. Those have featured in my nightmares.

[mallallory]

My current apartment has the microwave over the range, as did a previous rental.  I really dislike them there.  I'd rather have it taking up space on the counter than over the range.  One of the things I dislike is reaching over the hot stove to get anything out of the microwave. 

[Loveday]

My house is 35 years old and didn't come with a microwave or a space under a cabinet for one (in fact, my kitchen is frozen in 1981 except I did tear off the horrific wallpaper and paint the walls and woodwork a few years ago). I didn't want to use precious counter space with a ginormous appliance, so my microwave is on a cart bought just for that purpose when we moved in in 1985. Slightly inconvenient as it's sort of away from the stove and oven, but it does have space below for cookbooks, and a handy little cupboard with door on the bottom to hide things I need but don't have room for anywhere else. So I've adapted. 

And I have NO paperwork on any of my counters. That would drive me nuts.

[Koala]

Her oldest seems to be blazing a trail for the younger ones.  Driving, a job, and blue jeans.  Having teenagers has a way of wiping the smug smile off your face, doesn't it Erika? #wink #time.to.scrub.the.blog

I will say that I bet Bob is a huge factor in all of this.  I think Erika might have stuck to her guns if she had a more fundie husband.  Bob seems pretty low energy though- I can't see him being willing to wrestle a dozen teenagers into the kind of life Erika envisioned for them. #public.school.here.they.come

[HoneyBunny]

I enjoyed the microwave discussion. We do not have ours over the stove. I'm 5'11" tall. Over the stove microwaves make me feel like I'm bending down to cook. We use an empty corner countertop area for ours. I like it there. 

As for Erika...I'm not a fan of using a kitchen counter for paperwork, mostly because I am a messy cook and dishwasher. Nothing within three feet of the sink is safe. 

[Tim-Tom Biblethumper]

9 hours ago, Pammy said:

In my area, if a house is more than 10 years old, the microwave is amongst the cabinetry. Pretty much anywhere the appliances are still white is too old for the microwave to be built in.  In newer homes the trendy thing is black or silver appliances with above-stove microwaves, unless it's a gas stove (also trendy).

I redid my kitchen in 2011 and the microwave went from the counter to built-in over the stove.  The space was definitely needed since I have a small galley kitchen.  But alas, I could only manage white appliances.  Stainless was outrageously priced then, and it just being me, that's all I could afford.  I think it looks great and not dated (at least to me).

[Emilycharlotte]

16 hours ago, Koala said:

Her oldest seems to be blazing a trail for the younger ones.  Driving, a job, and blue jeans.  Having teenagers has a way of wiping the smug smile off your face, doesn't it Erika? #wink #time.to.scrub.the.blog

I will say that I bet Bob is a huge factor in all of this.  I think Erika might have stuck to her guns if she had a more fundie husband.  Bob seems pretty low energy though- I can't see him being willing to wrestle a dozen teenagers into the kind of life Erika envisioned for them. #public.school.here.they.come

I think when you are attempting this hyper-controlling type of parenting, a point comes when you have to either double down and do whatever it takes to keep your family isolated, or you have to loosen up a bit---obviously, I'm glad she seems to be taking the second option. 

 

[princessmahina]

16 hours ago, Koala said:

Her oldest seems to be blazing a trail for the younger ones.  Driving, a job, and blue jeans.  Having teenagers has a way of wiping the smug smile off your face, doesn't it Erika? #wink #time.to.scrub.the.blog

I will say that I bet Bob is a huge factor in all of this.  I think Erika might have stuck to her guns if she had a more fundie husband.  Bob seems pretty low energy though- I can't see him being willing to wrestle a dozen teenagers into the kind of life Erika envisioned for them. #public.school.here.they.come

I don't know if I see them going to a public school. At this point they've probably instilled so much fear into them that they'd be afraid of it. Additionally, while they might not realize it, they would probably all be really embarrassed taking placement tests. I doubt any of them are at grade level. Every one of them would likely have to go back a grade unless it's just their handwriting and spelling that are so atrocious. The samples we've seen of their writing haven't been stellar examples of Erika's teaching skills. 

[19 cats and counting]

16 hours ago, Koala said:

Her oldest seems to be blazing a trail for the younger ones.  Driving, a job, and blue jeans.  Having teenagers has a way of wiping the smug smile off your face, doesn't it Erika? #wink #time.to.scrub.the.blog

I will say that I bet Bob is a huge factor in all of this.  I think Erika might have stuck to her guns if she had a more fundie husband.  Bob seems pretty low energy though- I can't see him being willing to wrestle a dozen teenagers into the kind of life Erika envisioned for them. #public.school.here.they.come

Bob seems low-energy, but he has some views just as crazy as Erika (even though she's for all intents and purposes cut his dick off).  He has a strong anti-government rhetoric that fits in with her fundiedom and I doubt he would let his kids go to a 'government' school (so private school if not homeschooled).  Maybe he sees having a large family as an answer to breed more like him in a blue state.

In another world, I can see him hoarding AR-15s and ammo and prepping for a government takeover zombie apocalypse.  I can also see him attending Donald Trump and tea party events (which he may do now).  If not for Erika/kids, he'd probably be one of those guys occupying the government wildlife center in Oregon.

[elliha]

I think that if the Shupes parents want to change their minds about schools they will come up with a "rational" explanation why it is OK this time and at this school but not at other times. If Erika could just be a bit more mellow I don't think the Shupe kids would necessarily have such a bad time. I do think part of her controlling ways are part of diagnosis of some kind (OCD? anxiety disorder? I am not a doctor) and that if she was allowed some recovery she could be a much better parent. Still probably being somewhat over the top with organizing and things like that but being able to relax in some situations. I think that Bob has stepped in when it comes to the recent changes, I think he has decided to act on the older girls' behalf because he has realized that too much control and they are going to run like hell. 

[defraudingjezebel]

Erika just posted a picture of a psychology textbook, stating that both of the oldest girls are reading from it. Its a textbook commonly used in Psych 101 classes in colleges across the country. I wonder if Karen is taking classes online, or if they just bought the book out of pure interest? Either way, its a college-level textbook that likely deals with matters of sexual orientation (and sexuality, in general) in a very secular manner. I wonder if Erika censors the textbooks before she gives them to the girls, or if their minds are being filled with this secular "propaganda"? 

[mango_fandango]

And comics. I thought Erika didn't let her kids read comics!! Times really are a changin round at Casa Shupe.

[Jellybean]

On 23 June 2016 at 9:24 PM, Eternalbluepearl said:

Erika may consider herself an expert on de-cluttering and organizing, but I'm a minimalist and Erika's skills don't always impress me. Her very small kitchen has a portion of the counter devoted to being Erika's "desk." Get it together, girl. Find somewhere else to do paperwork. 

 

ITA about the paperwork on the countertop. Especially as there doesn't seem to be any dedicated draining/drying space. I suppose that must mean that they wash and dry as they go, rather than leaving things to air dry. It just all seems so terribly inefficient. 

I think I would move those wooden box things (recipe files?) to the top of the fridge, and the loose lists to the side of the fridge or the inside of the upper cabinet doors.

Everything seems to be positioned in a way that suggests a lot of space. I wonder if Erika has based her layouts on her mother's kitchen, which IIRC is much larger, rather than coming up with her own strategies based on her own space and the requirements of her own family. 

[Eternalbluepearl]

Erika has posted a photo of Lacey and Lilly that is truly worthy of Awkward Family Photos. It is from when they were 6 months old, and they have these big confused eyes while wearing gigantic pink daisies on their head. I don't think the daisies could be bigger or tackier. 

[Jellybean]

Wow...those eyes!

At first I thought that picture had been altered with the photo booth app like the photos posted above it!

[princessmahina]

I wonder if Erika is having her girls CLEP out of classes so they can get their degree faster. I can see her doing that particularly for classes that might involve "weird notions."