What Made you Smile/What Ticked you off Today?

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Key-Glyph
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Re: What Made you Smile/What Ticked you off Today?

Post by Key-Glyph »

Smile: DSH! :D

The happiness I felt when your avatar rolled into view was profound.

Seriously thrilled to hear you're feeling positive and being productive. When I've been feeling down myself, the first hint that I'm starting to feel better through-and-through is something small but practical -- like hanging pictures on a wall or walking to the store for groceries. I hope it's just as good a sign when it's embodied by you!
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BogusMeatFactory wrote:If I could powder my copies of shenmue and snort them I would
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BogusMeatFactory
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Re: What Made you Smile/What Ticked you off Today?

Post by BogusMeatFactory »

Luke wrote:

Frown: I hate pools, oceans, and any other shared water that isn't meant for cleansing.

I also break out into tears when I see little kids and or babies. What's even worse is seeing how my wife reacts when she see's a co-workers baby.

Double whammy time. I went to a pool, with one of my wife's friends, who has twin boys that are fourteen months old. It's like someone giving you a Dreamcast 2 for a few hours and then the same person saying "Hope you had fun, but that's it for ya".

Smile: I now like pools...as long as shitty little brats are involved. These dorks can say four words, but it's always adorable. I would float on my back with one of them on my stomach, and they would not stop giggling.

I taught them how to play "music" by banging on an aluminum railing.

Also taught one of the twins how to spit out a grape, and catch it in your mouth. It took a few tries, but this is a skill that isn't easily mastered.


A joke I commonly get thrown at me from friends is that I mentally associate with children and people with Alzheimer's disease. Not much a clever joke because I relate, not mentally associate with those groups.

I "get" kids and old people who are a bit bonkers.

Think not? Ask me at your local Barnes & Nobles in 2017.
I get you Luke, because I feel like you are me, but with a hell of a lot more style. I know it is tough, because you know you want kids. You are at a point in your life where you are ready and the fact that it is difficult to have them must drive you insane, because I know I would be driven crazy. I feel like everything you do and how you interact with the people close to you in your life helps fuel and drive you.

You want to be a teacher and you want to guide people and you want to lead by example and for that I salute you. Don't stop being you, because the world would be worse for it.
Ack wrote:I don't know, chief, the haunting feeling of lust I feel whenever I look at your avatar makes me think it's real.
-I am the idiot that likes to have fun and be happy.
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Luke
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Re: What Made you Smile/What Ticked you off Today?

Post by Luke »

BogusMeatFactory wrote:
I get you Luke, because I feel like you are me, but with a hell of a lot more style. I know it is tough, because you know you want kids. You are at a point in your life where you are ready and the fact that it is difficult to have them must drive you insane, because I know I would be driven crazy. I feel like everything you do and how you interact with the people close to you in your life helps fuel and drive you.

You want to be a teacher and you want to guide people and you want to lead by example and for that I salute you. Don't stop being you, because the world would be worse for it.

Thanks man.

Minutes after posting my post about the pool I heard my wife sobbing...hard. She seemed so happy playing with the kids at the pool, so I didn't think it would be an issue, but she was an absolute wreck. Completely inconsolable.

Domino effect.

How I can feel so angry while crying is a weird weird thing. It's a waste of energy, but I get angry that so many Mother's have children they don't deserve and that my wife doesn't have a child. Almost every parent on the Teen Mom series puts me in a rage (expect for that couple who gave up their baby for adoption. They look like they're trying hard to be gangstas, but they are young, and we all dressed goofy when we were young. Plus their hearts and brains are in the right place).

When I see a parent giving a baby a coca~cola to drink, I get infuriated. I see parents tell their kid to "get the fuck in the car and shut up" and I want to go postal. And no, I do not sit and sob and ask God "Why me God? Why my wife?", but I can't help but wonder at times "How did that anthropomorphized garbage get blessed with a child?". Well, I know the answer is "sex", but I think you get my point.

Doesn't help that the only family member who isn't constantly asking about babies is my Father. My own Mother has said to me "I'll pay for in vitro for you and your wife. You're making a huge mistake by not having kids". Pretty sure I come of as a brat when we visit my in-lawsas the first words out of my mouth are usually "No discussion about babies. Please". But I do it for my wife, as those discussions always end in tears.

Sorta kinda related...

My bible study group is quite diverse, and we have a new member.

And if you've read my posts on the subject of religion you probably already know I'm not really religious at all, but if religion helps put someone in a better and happier place, I'm all for it.

So the new "kid" is about 6'0, dreadlocks down to the middle of his spine, mahogany skin, athletic build, is twenty-six years of age, and has two kids. He also recently kicked both his Mother and Brother out of his own apartment. Both have serious drug issues and he finally decided that his children couldn't be around them.

...boy, I can't seem to shut up.

He's struggling something difficult with his decision, and although he shouldn't, I understand that his decision would be an incredibly tough one to make. And when everyone else cleared out of the study, he and I had a quick chat. His exact words were "I can't make heads or tails out of it Luke. That's Family. You don't turn your back on family, especially where I come from, you feel me?".

I placed a pen on the table and told him to think of the pen as a line. Placed my finger to the left of the pen and said "this is helping". Moved my finger to the right of the pen and said "this is enabling". Asked where he would fall on this "line", and he put his finger to the right of the pen. He doesn't realize that he's doing the best thing possible for his family by showing tough love because tough love isn't easy.

Not sure if the cliche of "Have to hit rock bottom to pick yourself up" is always true, but I do know that if you assist in one's destructive behavior and it leads to death, that guilt will stick to you like pine tar on a baseball bat. You never, ever, want that feeling of "I should've said or done something...anything".

So, good guy. He's made some mistakes as all of us do, but his head is screwed on correctly. He's looking to pursue a Masters in Sports Marketing (didn't knew that existed) but isn't the math wizard and asked for my help, which I will happily provide. He needs to earn a certain score on the GMAT (or it could be the GRE) and math is a good part of it.

I'm sure he'll get the score he needs.
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Re: What Made you Smile/What Ticked you off Today?

Post by marurun »

Have you considered fostering? I know that that can be really tough, and some foster kids have such emotional and physical baggage, but at the same time, a good foster family can really turn a kid's life around. And it's clear you wouldn't be doing it for the money, cause I don't perceive that to be an issue you have. It's not the same as having your own kid, but it allows you to have a portion of being a parent, with all the inherent challenges and more, while having an impact on a child who really needs a positive impact.
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Luke
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Re: What Made you Smile/What Ticked you off Today?

Post by Luke »

marurun wrote:Have you considered fostering?
Fostering and adoption are on the table. I volunteer at a youth "shelter" as often as time permits, and I know the needs these kids have.

One major issue is that there are third graders that are bigger than my wife. That and a lot of these kids have a record of being violent. We would have to foster or adopt a very, very young kid to lay down the fundamental moral grounds and limitations.

Don't get me wrong, I love a challenge. I would love to say "Give the worst kid you've got. The one that no other home could hold or handle". Can't do that with my wife. No way, no how. If that kid hit my wife I would probably end up spending the rest of my life in jail. Can't put my wife in that scenario.
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Re: What Made you Smile/What Ticked you off Today?

Post by jp1 »

Luke wrote:
marurun wrote:Have you considered fostering?
Fostering and adoption are on the table. I volunteer at a youth "shelter" as often as time permits, and I know the needs these kids have.

One major issue is that there are third graders that are bigger than my wife. That and a lot of these kids have a record of being violent. We would have to foster or adopt a very, very young kid to lay down the fundamental moral grounds and limitations.

Don't get me wrong, I love a challenge. I would love to say "Give the worst kid you've got. The one that no other home could hold or handle". Can't do that with my wife. No way, no how. If that kid hit my wife I would probably end up spending the rest of my life in jail. Can't put my wife in that scenario.
Man, you know Luke, I always wish I knew the right thing to say about this when you bring it up. It's such an intimate topic that I find it difficult to weigh in without overstepping. Let me just say that my thoughts and prayers (if that's your thing) are with you and Emily. I can only imagine... I've had loved ones in similar situations and it was very difficult for them, so I've seen that pain first hand.

Anyway, I know it isn't a bid for sympathy or anything. Still, I want you to know that I understand your pain even if I can't necessarily relate.

I know a few dudes and ladies that grew up to adoptive parents and/or in foster homes who turned out to be just as awesome (or screwed up depending on your outlook) as the rest of us more fortunate folks. It isn't all horror stories.
mjmjr25

Re: What Made you Smile/What Ticked you off Today?

Post by mjmjr25 »

A very nice / productive day. We had planned to go camping - but the weather was just too nice here to risk it not being as nice somewhere else. So, we had a nice day at home - played outside; got a ton done.

We started the day w/some packages including a massive skylanders lot from Omerta.

Our ducks are finally getting some personality and coming out of their den - they love running through the hose - too cute. Our chickens are just part of the family - we have 11 now and they are so comfortable with us; it's really neat. They'll run around us and play w/each other - free ranging throughout the day and today they did some sunbathing - they're gorgeous...and productive.

We've had some Menards plastic adirondack chairs since we moved in and i've always planned to build some real ones - just always have other more pressing projects. So, today was the day it happened The 3 older kids were all in the mood to work in the morning too, so I had a lot of help and many hands make light and fast work. We pumped out 2 chairs and are halfway through with a large adirondack bench.

To top it off - we took down our pool last week (was unlevel) - dug out / moved earth, re-leveled and put it back up. Looking good and after a hard day of work the kids all hopped in the pool.

We ended the day by going to the local historic restaurant in Cloquet (Gordy's Hi-Hat) for burgers and onion rings - then topped it off w/ice cream on the way home. Going to go play some family Hearthstone now - thanks to our boy blu.

Pics of some of the stuffs:
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Luke
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Re: What Made you Smile/What Ticked you off Today?

Post by Luke »

jp1 wrote:
Man, you know Luke, I always wish I knew the right thing to say about this when you bring it up. It's such an intimate topic that I find it difficult to weigh in without overstepping.
Pshht. Overstepping is much better than half steppin'.

I also have no qualms with practicing on having children.

That's right. Sexy time.
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Re: What Made you Smile/What Ticked you off Today?

Post by Fragems »

:( : Yeah there are a lot of fucked up people out there that really don't deserve kids. When I was interning at the Prosecutor's office my senior year I dealt with a lot of juveniles and I just felt extremely sorry for them. Most weren't bad kids they were just stuck in shit situations thanks to bad or none present parents. It was and unpaid internship, but I was doing 40 hours a week for 3 months or so since I really wanted to get a feel if I wanted to go on to law school. Saw all sorts of shit. Unidentified babies dropped off on doorsteps by their mothers who just wanted to go party with little more then a note saying "this is your granddaughter" . Saw a foster parent who had adopted 8+ kids all of which were missing because she secretly adopted them out for cash and just continued collecting support checks till she was caught. Finally I got to watch a murderer walk free after his girlfriends young autistic son "fell down the stars" and was then tucked back in bed while suffocating in his own blood. What made it even better was the 50+ bruises this child had on his body from "walking into things" and the fact that the guy had a rap sheet a mile long. What was even better was the Mother never left him even got to see her the next time he had a hearing for assault charges a few weeks later :roll: .

If you do adopt good for you I saw the system fuck up a lot of really sweet kids. Group homes and Juvi really seemed to do a number on kids who really just wanted some attention and someone they could really on.
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Re: What Made you Smile/What Ticked you off Today?

Post by Jagosaurus »

@Luke:
From my own personal experience, women have it woven into their instincts to be a mother. When they have difficulty having children, they feel like they are "failing" at something that is literally part of their genetic fabric. While of course, it's not their fault. As a guy, it's difficult to even grasp but I do understand to the extent that I can.

We'll never have that in us. Sure, I wanted to be a dad, pass on life lesons, & share that with my wife & family. It goes deeper for women on an emotional & primal level.

Also, typically we guys are "fixers" & can't do much to aid the situation which can be frustrating to us.

I feel for your current state Luke, it's a difficult situation to run into as a husband. We were married for 4 years before we decided we were ready for kiddos & it took a year. We had a minimum of 4 close friends get pregnant during that time. That was an interesting year & looking back, I feel like I learned about life in general & myself during that time. Hang in there!

@Dave:
Good to see you back & in good spirits man!
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