Useless Conversation

[ghost]

I keep having to remind myself that some of the more obnoxious behaviors aren't really his fault.  His brain won't be fully hooked up until his twenties. He's basically running Windows ME in there.

Yeah, well, and you and the wife probably loaded him with some questionable genetic bloatware, too.   

[Merusk]

Dreadfully inspiring.

Tonight my wife let me know she thinks her period. Is.  Late.    I'm sure it's nothing but the idea is scary when you are forty.

Cheer up. Menopause can start as early as 35.


On the topic of teens, I've begun to realize much of it is also determined by how you treat them and what you let them do and challenge them with in their younger years.  My nephew acts like Morat's son on some issues, but is focused because he struggled with some early academics and his parents have always pushed him and kept him in activities that pushed him.   

My daughter, only two years younger, however hasn't ever struggled in school.  I never had the resources when she was younger to put her in activities or schools that would keep her struggling and needing to work.   As a result she's very bright (unfortunately so as she's smarter than her mom and knows it, leading to a host of other issues)  but lazy and unmotivated.   Coincidentally since she's never had to struggle she's lacking in empathy for those who do and it's hurt her a bit socially and made her in to a little bit of an outsider.  I see in her the same problems I have for the same reasons.  She's going to get her ass kicked in college.

My son, however, I've been able to keep in activities and has a speech issue so he struggles a little.  He's just as bright but more motivated than his sister and remained pretty cordial and social.  We'll see how that develops as he goes along in to the teenage years.

[Yegolev]

The Red Baron has flown into town.

Also, tornado watch.  My legacy will be poorly-constructed comic strips and a messy desk.

[Lantyssa]

Cheer up. Menopause can start as early as 35.

That would only be better in terms of the alternative being a baby plus impending menopause.

Due to medical crap mom and I were essentially going through menopause at the same time.  That was not a fun period (pun unavoidable) in our lives.  I'm surprised we survived it.

[Paelos]

The Red Baron has flown into town.

Also, tornado watch.  My legacy will be poorly-constructed comic strips and a messy desk.

The weather here is supposed to be a disaster. I'm sure Atlanta drivers will handle it with applomb. 

[MisterNoisy]

The weather here is supposed to be a disaster. I'm sure Atlanta drivers will handle it with applomb.  

How you guys aren't exchanging open gunfire on a daily basis on the 85 is totally beyond me.

[Paelos]

How you guys aren't exchanging open gunfire on a daily basis on the 85 is totally beyond me.

Because we're moving so slowly you know you'd never get away.

[Yegolev]

Despite the heavy influx of Yankees, there is still a lot of general kindness around here.  Especially now that Vick lives in Philly.

EDIT: To Paelos' point, ATL traffic inspires art: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UC86yQAzaxg

[Samwise]

The Red Baron has flown into town.

 

[Soln]

Dreadfully inspiring.

Tonight my wife let me know she thinks her period. Is.  Late.    I'm sure it's nothing but the idea is scary when you are forty.

Had my (first) kid at 40.  Suck it up.  Yeah it's not ideal.

[WayAbvPar]

38 and 42 for me. The tradeoff for emotional and financial stability over youthful exuberance and stamina was a net positive, IMHO.

[Viin]

I had my first kid at 30, I can't imagine having one at 40. I'm exhausted chasing a 2yo around all day.

[Ssath]

I had my first one at 30, and my fifth one at 40. I foresee interesting times ahead of me. Also, my wife isn't convinced that she doesn't want another one...

[Nebu]

My daughter is 19.  I survived it all and now laugh at the rest of you!   

(I miss her being little... the time went by WAY too fast.  Enjoy it while you can.)

[Viin]

I had my first one at 30, and my fifth one at 40. I foresee interesting times ahead of me. Also, my wife isn't convinced that she doesn't want another one...

Once you get past 3, another 2-3-4-5 don't make a difference do they? 

[Rasix]

I had my first one at 30, and my fifth one at 40. I foresee interesting times ahead of me. Also, my wife isn't convinced that she doesn't want another one...

Cheddar, I think he's challenging you.

1 at 30.  I'm done.  Kid's great, but one is all I want. I'm too awful at this parenting crap.

[Yegolev]

I'm fine at it.  Wife is nuts.  Son is fantastic, meaning the second one will be the non-favorite unless that one is also great.  If it's like my little brother or my wife's little brother, we will regret it.

[Ssath]

Once you get past 3, another 2-3-4-5 don't make a difference do they? 

After the first 2, it becomes routine. They are ages 9,7,6,3, and 2 weeks. Everything becomes a cycle. When one finishes a stage, the next one usually starts it.

[Bunk]

It's 40 minutes past the start of the 6:00 AM shift, this email just popped up in my Outlook, from someone I supervise:

"Late due to car keys breaking, a coyote trying to eat me out side, and then traffic after all of that, true story.  I’ll give you details when you ask."

[Paelos]

Uhhhh. What? Coyotes are the size of a small border collie.

[Signe]

Not giant robot coyotes. 

[Merusk]

They're a little bit bigger than a border collie.  Coyotes are 23"-26" tall and 30-34" long while border collies are 21"-22" high according to the wiki stats.  They both weigh about the same though, at 45#   They've also begun hunting in packs in urban areas, as I remember a story from December where a woman and her dogs were attacked in Chicago.   Which is troubling.  (link! http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2011/12/06/pack-of-coyotes-surround-woman-dogs-in-lincoln-park/ )

Size of a border collie or a golden lab, a dog can fuck you up pretty badly.  Particularly if you're, y'know, trying to go to work and not really ready for a fight to the death with it.

[Ingmar]

Uhhhh. What? Coyotes are the size of a small border collie.

I've seen coyotes get up to near German Shepherd size - we saw a huge, gorgeous one in Yosemite several years ago; if I hadn't known there were no wolves in California I'd have thought it was a wolf. In areas where there's a lot of scavenging available for them they can get pretty dang big.

That said lethal attacks on humans are not exactly something that is going to start happening frequently. I looked this up a while ago, there's only been one recorded in decades (some folk singer chick in Canada.)

[Salamok]

Uhhhh. What? Coyotes are the size of a small border collie.

I've seen coyotes get up to near German Shepherd size - we saw a huge, gorgeous one in Yosemite several years ago; if I hadn't known there were no wolves in California I'd have thought it was a wolf. In areas where there's a lot of scavenging available for them they can get pretty dang big.

That said lethal attacks on humans are not exactly something that is going to start happening frequently. I looked this up a while ago, there's only been one recorded in decades (some folk singer chick in Canada.)

and Rick Perry!

[Trippy]

Amazon.com is down right now. My life is over.

Edit: it's back

[voodoolily]

I had my first one at 30, and my fifth one at 40. I foresee interesting times ahead of me. Also, my wife isn't convinced that she doesn't want another one...

Cheddar, I think he's challenging you.

1 at 30.  I'm done.  Kid's great, but one is all I want. I'm too awful at this parenting crap.

 

One is all I can handle, too. And ours is EASY compared to the ones I know. Being over 30 has been a boon to Zephyr's survival; I'm just too tired to beat the shit out of him.

[Ssath]

 

One is all I can handle, too. And ours is EASY compared to the ones I know. Being over 30 has been a boon to Zephyr's survival; I'm just too tired to beat the shit out of him.

Wait, is yours seriously named Zephyr? I thought I was being original with that name for my newest one.

[Rasix]

Creativity was no option for me.  Well, from my point of view at least.   I had my one chance to keep the streak alive. We have many generations of the dullest first name in history.

My kid's way easy too.  He's just a jerk about eating.  "What do you mean you don't like pizza? You at two pieces on Friday. And yes, you like yogurt too, I've seen you eat it. FINE. PASTA IT IS."  It would be nice if he watched some TV or a movie every once in a while, I can only play so much soccer, pirates and trains. /firstworldproblems

[Engels]

Amazon.com is down right now. My life is over.

Edit: it's back

Are you a personal shopper for the Ayatollah?

[Ssath]

I was trying to find a good name to continue the theme of my first 2 boys, Griffin and Phoenix. Zephyr was the only thing that sounded good after months of thought and research.

[Rasix]

Big Harry Potter fans, eh?

[Yegolev]

Hufflepuff.

[Trippy]

Amazon.com is down right now. My life is over.

Edit: it's back

Are you a personal shopper for the Ayatollah?

I'm shopping for an upcoming ski trip

[Ssath]

Big Harry Potter fans, eh?

Apparently not enough of a fan to understand the reference. Never read the books, and have only seen bits and pieces of the movies.

[Merusk]

Perhaps you should watch them so the rest of us don't have to pay for more of your kids.
/conservativedouchebag.

Creativity was no option for me.  Well, from my point of view at least.   I had my one chance to keep the streak alive. We have many generations of the dullest first name in history.

This is why I'm glad our tradition is the middle name, not the first, and initials that spell something.