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Posted
3 minutes ago, BabaYaga said:

Does he know any firefighters?  Half our family on the wife's side are in or retired FF's.  They see some gnarly shit.  It's not for everyone.  One friend of the family saw his first family disaster involving fatalities and that was it.  He was done.  For many it's a calling, so I might have the candid conversation about whether this is you scratching the itch to serve, or is this something you can see yourself doing for an extended period of time.  It's also very competitive.  More and more are leaning this route vs LEO or military, so check up on who you are competing against.  

Indeed, all are valid thoughts/concerns.  I think he's looking at doing so in the actual UK, so that's part of the "research" (he has some time, graduation is over a year away).  And he's still very much in the "exploration" phase of how to serve.  Personally, I think it's a big bite -- not just something you do for 2 years.  But...we'll see.  

Posted
Just now, Brisketexan said:

Indeed, all are valid thoughts/concerns.  I think he's looking at doing so in the actual UK, so that's part of the "research" (he has some time, graduation is over a year away).  And he's still very much in the "exploration" phase of how to serve.  Personally, I think it's a big bite -- not just something you do for 2 years.  But...we'll see.  

Yeah, I'd assume that it takes a few years in the pipeline just to be able to be a firefighter, here or abroad.  Then you actually start doing the job.  He could also apply his intellect at any number of non-profit agencies/shelters.  He won't make much money, but it can scratch the itch.  

Posted
29 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

  He talked about the fact that his career will likely take him to a place/world where he's wearing a suit, and managing projects/strategies somehow.  And he feels that having some real "boots on the ground" real world experience and perspective before he does so will serve him well -- I don't know.  

this is interesting.

 

obviously playing in a band and touring across the country in a van and doing shit like that is not "serving" but I'm often glad that I did something interesting and something that broadened my perspective a bit while I was young. At my last job I was talking to one of the sales directors and he mentioned he spent some time as a commercial fisherman when he was in his twenties and we connected a bit over having had a... I dunno, cowboy phase before settling into corporate lives. There are times when, of course I regret opportunities I missed when I was deep inside the bottle, and then related but separate I wonder "what if" about people who started with a focused direction really early. And there are also times I think about people who go off to college at 18 for career prep and go sequentially right through the steps and are in the burbs in a quarter zip and khakis with 2.5 kids in their mid twenties, and i do not at all regret fucking up and bouncing around and doing some cowboy shit for a while as I figured things out. And apart from just spice of life stuff, I do think that the broader experience and perspective is both useful and helps me enjoy life better.

Posted

On some little kid stuff - dads and donuts day at preschool. She missed a few things (crunchy carrots lol and I’ve never played a down of real football) but I’m proud of what she got right here and proud of her little signature 

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Posted
51 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

So, continuing to deal with adult kids.  Right now, we have the boy home -- he's almost 22, going to do his Sr. year of university next year.  He's home for his grandfather's memorial, and the gravity of the situation, the passing of generations, his coming adulthood...it's all connecting with him.  We had some time to talk about what he wants to do when he graduates.  He said that he knows that, to be truly marketable, he'll need a graduate degree of some sort.  But he also wants to dedicate some real time to "service," and experiencing the real world NOT as a student.  He's talked about trying to get on with some international development work, that sort of thing ( @InkaUtexas), but he is also looking at spending some time as....a firefighter.  He said "I know y'all are a 'no' no military service....and under the current regime, I am too, but I feel like I need to serve now, while I'm young."  So, he may stay in the UK, activate his post-uni visa, and be....a firefighter.

Is that a good thing (long term), or a waste of time?  I have no idea.  He talked about the fact that his career will likely take him to a place/world where he's wearing a suit, and managing projects/strategies somehow.  And he feels that having some real "boots on the ground" real world experience and perspective before he does so will serve him well -- I don't know.  But I know that his heart....is the size of the fucking moon.  And he so wants to help people, and that will lead him some places that we don't even know about.; he's already thinking ahead to what may be needed in Ukraine if/when the war ends, and he already has something of a network and connections there, so who knows.  It's a bit awe-inspiring to watch these young folks develop into adults who actually do and mean something to the world around them.  I am proud of him, but I can't take credit or ownership for a damned thing.  He is his own man.  And he's a good man, who cares.  I feel a little shamed in comparison, honestly.

Going to DM you. Got an idea for the kiddo. Tell him I said hi.

Posted
2 hours ago, Celery Man said:

obviously playing in a band and touring across the country in a van and doing shit like that is not "serving" but I'm often glad that I did something interesting and something that broadened my perspective a bit while I was young. At my last job I was talking to one of the sales directors and he mentioned he spent some time as a commercial fisherman when he was in his twenties and we connected a bit over having had a... I dunno, cowboy phase before settling into corporate lives. 

To this point:  I talk about my daughter too much, but she is dealing with this exact thing, a conflict between an immediate opportunity in music vs wrapping up her undergrad at UT and moving on to a PhD program.

I have yet to speak with a single prof in her department who says a year or two chasing the rock star dream will hurt her chances at an elite PhD program.  In fact, they all pretty much concede the opposite.  It is really difficult to stand apart from all one's peers when everyone has the same track record.  Schools and employers are looking for things that set candidates apart.  I don't think there is anything wrong with encouraging kids to branch out a bit in their early 20s.

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Posted

Crazy watching them grow up! He’s learning something new every day. Thought I would want to just wake up at 2 years and know he was good. Now i wouldn’t want to miss it for a world.

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Posted
10 minutes ago, BigDHornfan said:

The boy gave me shit for buying what he called,
“Busted ass Frosted Flakes.”
Did a switcharoo.
He won’t know shit.

They probably come out of the same factory.

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Posted

We’re doing our first overnight stay at a hospital with the little guy. He got RSV. We had him vaccinated and the medical staff said it’s good we have because all the kids they’ve seen come in with the vaccine and RSV have been better off. His normal oxygen when up and moving is about 93-100. When he’s sleeping it dips into the 85-89 range so they have him on oxygen for the night. Guess we will see what tomorrow brings but he does seem happy and aware when he’s not pissed they’re doing things to him or hungry. 

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Posted
12 hours ago, BurntOrange&White said:

We’re doing our first overnight stay at a hospital with the little guy. He got RSV. We had him vaccinated and the medical staff said it’s good we have because all the kids they’ve seen come in with the vaccine and RSV have been better off. His normal oxygen when up and moving is about 93-100. When he’s sleeping it dips into the 85-89 range so they have him on oxygen for the night. Guess we will see what tomorrow brings but he does seem happy and aware when he’s not pissed they’re doing things to him or hungry. 

Update: we hit a trifecta with viruses! RSV, adenovirus, and rhino enterovirus 

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Posted
On 3/1/2025 at 10:28 AM, jimmyjazz said:

I wonder how many wedding receptions have kicked off with this daddy/daughter dance?  I'm gonna fucking lose it when that day comes.

 

This Isbell song has always struck me as appropriate for that day as well.

 

Posted
On 3/6/2025 at 9:33 AM, BurntOrange&White said:

Update: we hit a trifecta with viruses! RSV, adenovirus, and rhino enterovirus 

I hope things are getting better. When our first was about 15 months and had recently started daycare, he hit the trifecta of rhino, adeno and RSV + bilateral ear infections and hand, foot and mouth. 

He had gone to his pedi a couple times and would seem to get better, only to shoot a temp up to around 103 right as our heater died during the first cold front of the year. So after a night in a hotel, we finally went to the ER.

Never had to deal with the low O2 sats, but the lethargy and fever was worrisome 2 weeks into the illness. He's fine now. Well, he has hit peak 2 year-old today, actually. But horrible temperament and lack of obedience notwithstanding, he's in great health.

Posted
3 hours ago, hookem2010 said:

I hope things are getting better. When our first was about 15 months and had recently started daycare, he hit the trifecta of rhino, adeno and RSV + bilateral ear infections and hand, foot and mouth. 

He had gone to his pedi a couple times and would seem to get better, only to shoot a temp up to around 103 right as our heater died during the first cold front of the year. So after a night in a hotel, we finally went to the ER.

Never had to deal with the low O2 sats, but the lethargy and fever was worrisome 2 weeks into the illness. He's fine now. Well, he has hit peak 2 year-old today, actually. But horrible temperament and lack of obedience notwithstanding, he's in great health.

That’s what was weird to highest his temp got was 99.5 which isn’t even a fever, technically. So we initially just thought it was a cold until we saw some labored breathing and weezing Tuesday. We got sent home Friday around lunch after he was able to maintain his oxygen levels without oxygen being supplied. He’s seemed to get better each day. Still not drinking the normal amount is bottles we had been giving him but pretty close within 6-8oz. Also doesn’t help he had a tooth beak through within the last week as well 

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Posted
On 2/28/2025 at 11:12 AM, Brisketexan said:

So, continuing to deal with adult kids.  Right now, we have the boy home -- he's almost 22, going to do his Sr. year of university next year.  He's home for his grandfather's memorial, and the gravity of the situation, the passing of generations, his coming adulthood...it's all connecting with him.  We had some time to talk about what he wants to do when he graduates.  He said that he knows that, to be truly marketable, he'll need a graduate degree of some sort.  But he also wants to dedicate some real time to "service," and experiencing the real world NOT as a student.  He's talked about trying to get on with some international development work, that sort of thing ( @InkaUtexas), but he is also looking at spending some time as....a firefighter.  He said "I know y'all are a 'no' no military service....and under the current regime, I am too, but I feel like I need to serve now, while I'm young."  So, he may stay in the UK, activate his post-uni visa, and be....a firefighter.

Is that a good thing (long term), or a waste of time?  I have no idea.  He talked about the fact that his career will likely take him to a place/world where he's wearing a suit, and managing projects/strategies somehow.  And he feels that having some real "boots on the ground" real world experience and perspective before he does so will serve him well -- I don't know.  But I know that his heart....is the size of the fucking moon.  And he so wants to help people, and that will lead him some places that we don't even know about.; he's already thinking ahead to what may be needed in Ukraine if/when the war ends, and he already has something of a network and connections there, so who knows.  It's a bit awe-inspiring to watch these young folks develop into adults who actually do and mean something to the world around them.  I am proud of him, but I can't take credit or ownership for a damned thing.  He is his own man.  And he's a good man, who cares.  I feel a little shamed in comparison, honestly.

I've been a volunteer firefighter for a decade or so, and was motivated by a lot of the same things your kid is.  I grew up farming (I farm now full time) but I was practicing law full time when I started doing and I was motivated by a desire to help out in the community and get back to doing some honest to goodness real god damn work.  Farming full time keeps me away from a lot of calls, but I plan to do at least another 5 years, and have found the experience to be extremely rewarding.  If I was doing things all over again, I would strongly consider telling young Al to get into full time career fire service.

But to @BabaYaga's point, you will see some shit.  I'm just a volunteer and I've seen plenty of dead bodies (we respond to all car accidents in our district).  The worst thing I was ever a part of wasn't even a fatality though - it was a lift assist (that's when EMTs need more man power to physically remove a sick or injured person) on a bed ridden 500 lb man who thought he was having a heart attack.  We go into the house, and all you could smell was BO and shit.  There were pizza boxes everywhere.  He was in bed naked, and shitting himself into a bed pad.  His feet were swollen and purple and the skin was peeling off.  I actually had to run out the front door and vomit into the bushes before I could really help carry him to the ambulance.

I told my chief later in the week that that experience (of seeing someone who was alive but clearly decaying) was harder than any fatality I'd responded to.  He agreed.

So, yeah, buckle up, but I doubt he'll regret it and this may be his calling.  Your kid sounds like a badass, IMO.

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Posted
On 2/28/2025 at 11:12 AM, Brisketexan said:

Is that a good thing (long term), or a waste of time?  

Catching up on this, Brisket.  For whatever my opinion is worth, and based on what you've posted about your kids' journeys so far, I'd say they have a pretty good knack for finding their own way, even with a little pat on the rear from Mr. and Mrs. Brisket, so I say let the boy go fight some fires.  He feels compelled to serve, and this is what is pulling at him. Hell, he might fulfill some European hottie's first responder fantasy.  Grad school will still be there down the line, if he wants that.  Not sure the law is his path, but I had a career cop in my 1L class.  

If I have any regrets in my life, one is that I didn't join the Marine Corps like my dad.  I mean, I don't want to change anything about where I am and the path that I took to get here, and even a minimum tour of duty in the Marines would have wiped all that out.  But in fantasizing about another life, I would have liked to have served my country in that capacity, even if it meant an overseas deployment during wartime, like one of my high school classmates experienced as a Marine.  

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Posted
On 10/8/2024 at 8:15 AM, Dutchrudder said:

Yeah, I had at least a dozen of the ones on this top 100 list:  https://brickranker.com/rankings/sets. It's got to be worth a ton to the right collector. 

Blackbeard's ship, the Clipper, El Dorado, Black Knight Castle, Forestman Hideout, Enchanted Island, Monorail Transport Base, Monorail Transport System, Inter-Galactic Command Base...  Tons and tons more, I had a whole city setup, the Aquanauts base with a bunch of ships, Western sets, the Robin Hood sets, space, pirates, etc.  So many sets, it's really all I asked for as presents for Christmas and birthday for several years. I hope it's all OK up there, I haven't looked at it in many years. 

I know I'm replying to this 6 months later, but rabbit holes and what not. I looked it up and had this one as a kid. It's still in a shoe box at my parents somewhere. Seemed so much damn bigger when I was 6. But had working drawbridge and everything. IMG_1169.thumb.png.6bba436747d9ef80c33069af1ed0018d.png

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Posted

Me: Hey baby, did you have a good Saint Patrick's day at school?

3yo: Yes! And I didn't get shot!

Me: 🤨wait, what? You didn't get shot? 

3yo: Yes, I wore green, so I don't get shot!

Me: You mean with a squirt gun??

3yo: No daddy, they shoot you with air if you don't wear green. 

Me: uhhhh, ok...

 

I was not able to figure out what the hell she was talking about. I assume she meant 'pinch', but she knows that word and would use it. 

 

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