The Chit Chat Chit Chat Thread

[Songbird76]

Cheerleading now has more injuries than any other hs sport, I'm told, and is incredibly athletic. The way those girls "fly" scares me. Poms is more like a dance team with pom poms. Cheerleaders don't have poms.
Cheerleading


Poms

Yeah, well we were a tiny school with no guys on the squad and we had 4 girls for Basketball and I think 7? for football. We were known as the "ground bound" squad..we weren't allowed to do any flyers. We did a few minor stunts, but we just didn't have the numbers for safe stunts and after junior high, the coach we had moved. She was the only one with cheerleading experience, so then we got staff who were basically paid to babysit us. Then the year after I quit, they didn't have many girls try out and they basically let everyone in and no one had any experience except the one girl. They tried to do a pendulum and the spotters weren't paying attention and dropped the girl and broke her back. No more stunts.

 

[Songbird76]

Brief overview of my Alaskan trip (honestly, this story telling process has taken between 30 minutes to over an hour, and I'm trying to come up with a better condensed version for everyone):

My mom is one of six kids, and one of her sisters moved to Alaska, met her husband, and that's where she and my uncle decided to raise their sons. My cousins are both in their 20s, but the older one is out of college, so he had a little more free time than his younger brother (who is doing labor jobs before summer courses start). So, that's how I kind of got to go to Alaska and not have to worry where I was going to go and who I would be spending time with.

Highlights:

• Denali National Park (so much to do there, and it's so pretty)
• Standing on a bit of Exit Glacier (at Kenai Fjords National Park)
• The Alaska Native Heritage Center
• Lots of family time (I really miss spending all my time with my aunt right now)
• The Musk Ox Farm
• Walking around Seward
• Reindeer sausage pizza
• Seeing so many different animals that I typically don't see in the midwest (whales, moose, brown bears, puffins...)
• The weather was pretty perfect. The occasional rain didn't put a damper on my vacation
• Seeing mountains everywhere. I miss the mountains.

I'm so with you on missing mountains!! That's maybe what I miss most about Wyoming...the different landscapes. I love being able to go from wide open spaces where you can see for 100 miles on a clear day, to going through valleys, and then into mountains...all within a few hours. And when I was in college, we used to have our choir retreat in the Snowies every year where we'd go for a day up to an old lodge and do ice breakers to get to know the new members and then practice our music together and we'd end by singing something really powerful outside surrounded by the trees and snow. I miss just getting some picnic food and going up to Lake Marie and enjoying nature.
Are you a Twilight fan, or was Denali already known to you? (Sorry...I'm a huge nerd and I love Twilight, Harry Potter, Jane Austen, etc...I want to visit so many of the places I've read about in books.)

 

[Songbird76]

Aside from early elementary school none of my PE classes or coaches were ever co-ed or male taught/coached. In high school we changed what we were doing in PE and PE instructors 2x a quarter. From the time I was in middle school every single PE teacher I had was pure evil. Mean evil-loved to mess with the students. You could tell they got pleasure out of it. In high school my homeroom teacher was a dance PE Instructor and also did Poms. Never had her for a teacher but she was a sweetie. She was right out of college and the other female PE teachers were not nice to her, often made her cry.

Our cheerleading coaches had no cheerleading experience. It was just that you had to have some sort of extra duty, so they got shoved into cheerleading. In junior high, we had actually had a real cheerleader for a coach and she taught us all the cheers and such. My freshman year, those of us who had been cheering for a couple of years had to teach the new girls. That's when the catty social climber joined. Her mom had been captain of her high school squad. She had tried out every year and hadn't made it. I helped her during the summer...took her to the rec center and we'd spend hours and I taught her the cheers, taught her about stage presence and using sharp movements, etc. So she made the squad and wanted to be captain. She was the only girl on the squad who had never been a cheerleader and she was a freshman. Her reasoning was "Well, my mom was captain of her squad, so I should be captain." ??? And the coach didn't really care. She didn't even come to our practices. We had 2 PE teachers, one male, one female, and they alternated grades. They were both pretty nice and not sadistic at all. The football cheerleading coach wasn't even really a teacher...she wasn't really a counselor, but she was there for the kids who needed extra support for whatever reason. She dealt a lot with foster kids. She took an immediate dislike to me
I THINK because of her son. He was a couple of years older than me, and he and I were friendly and I think she thought I had designs on him. I'm not sure. Or it might have been that I was that squeaky clean prude girl in my school and her son was not a stranger to drugs and maybe she thought I was judging them. I have no idea. But who punishes a kid for being the only one responsible enough to help clean up?

 

[Songbird76]

It was her and her parents. Basically they thought that she should be getting more money than she did. They thought every check should be at least $100 and if it was less they were all like, why didn't so and so give more because they can afford it or why wouldn't so and so give you more money we are such good friends. Keep in mind the parents are both engineers and make boatloads of money. The grad girl, I think started to realize how petty it was, and mentioned how bad they were being and she didn't make many more comments, but I had enough and escaped. I don't care if someone gives me a small Dollar Store gift, it is the thought that counts.

Hubby likes to keep the peace with these people and his parents have passed away a long time ago. But I think he is finally realizing how his sisters are.

Wow....how petty! Isn't it enough that people make an effort to be there for the special day? Isn't THAT a gift in itself? And traveling costs a lot. So they expect you to spend the money to come for the event, want you to clean their house for them, AND give an extravagant gift? Who are they to decide who can afford how much? That's just....You were so right to escape! I hope your husband has had his eyes opened.

 

[Figgy1]

I feel bad for the both of you. That's 2 days of your lives, that neither one of you will ever get back!

What she said X2 xoxo

 

[Figgy1]

@figmentfan423......what state do you hail from?

Born and raised in Essex county , currently living northwest

 

[Songbird76]

Happy pride! Unless you're not into that kind of thing. In which case....errr....happy colorful surfboards on the beach.
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I always wanted to go in Denver with my brother and never got the chance to. At least I got to go to Drag Queen Bingo when I was in Wyoming for my dad's funeral. It was nice to have a distraction for a night. Would still love to go to pride sometime, though! Have a great time!!

 

[Figgy1]

Happy pride! Unless you're not into that kind of thing. In which case....errr....happy colorful surfboards on the beach.
View attachment 209751

Love it. Has some happy beach time and adult beverages improved the Philmonster yet?

 

[Figgy1]

They are so ridiculous. I found that most people, when I graduated high school, gave around $50 in cash or gift cards. My uncle gave me a gold coin and a set of vintage Star Wars cards. My grandma gave me $500, plus gifts (and this is really sad, but I was her first grandchild to graduate high school with a diploma, on time...and I have three older cousins. So she was excited). My long time friend's grandparents, who are like adoptive grandparents for me, gave me a bunch or stuff. Then there were those who could only give a card.

So yes, it's completely ridiculous to expect everyone to give $100. Just...silly.

There are so many weddings, milestone birthdays, first communions, a confirmation and graduations this year nobody is expected to bring anything but a very small gift if anything at all to any of the festivities. That being said everybody is expected to go to as many events as they can

 

[Figgy1]

Our cheerleading coaches had no cheerleading experience. It was just that you had to have some sort of extra duty, so they got shoved into cheerleading. In junior high, we had actually had a real cheerleader for a coach and she taught us all the cheers and such. My freshman year, those of us who had been cheering for a couple of years had to teach the new girls. That's when the catty social climber joined. Her mom had been captain of her high school squad. She had tried out every year and hadn't made it. I helped her during the summer...took her to the rec center and we'd spend hours and I taught her the cheers, taught her about stage presence and using sharp movements, etc. So she made the squad and wanted to be captain. She was the only girl on the squad who had never been a cheerleader and she was a freshman. Her reasoning was "Well, my mom was captain of her squad, so I should be captain." ??? And the coach didn't really care. She didn't even come to our practices. We had 2 PE teachers, one male, one female, and they alternated grades. They were both pretty nice and not sadistic at all. The football cheerleading coach wasn't even really a teacher...she wasn't really a counselor, but she was there for the kids who needed extra support for whatever reason. She dealt a lot with foster kids. She took an immediate dislike to me
I THINK because of her son. He was a couple of years older than me, and he and I were friendly and I think she thought I had designs on him. I'm not sure. Or it might have been that I was that squeaky clean prude girl in my school and her son was not a stranger to drugs and maybe she thought I was judging them. I have no idea. But who punishes a kid for being the only one responsible enough to help clean up?

Right now my travel bucket list includes Paris, London, Scotland, Ireland and Goinsey.

 

[Figgy1]

Good morning another glorious day is in the making Please stay hydrated

 

[MinnieM123]

How long is the walk to/from your closest public transportation point?

Depends on which route I take, and whether I utilize one method of public transportation, or connect to a 2nd one. So, the (one-way) range is approximately 30 mins. (twice daily).

 

[Mr Ferret 75]

Right now my travel bucket list includes Paris, London, Scotland, Ireland and Goinsey.

We have standards don't ya know .. just low ones.

 

[Princess Leia]

I'm so with you on missing mountains!! That's maybe what I miss most about Wyoming...the different landscapes. I love being able to go from wide open spaces where you can see for 100 miles on a clear day, to going through valleys, and then into mountains...all within a few hours. And when I was in college, we used to have our choir retreat in the Snowies every year where we'd go for a day up to an old lodge and do ice breakers to get to know the new members and then practice our music together and we'd end by singing something really powerful outside surrounded by the trees and snow. I miss just getting some picnic food and going up to Lake Marie and enjoying nature.
Are you a Twilight fan, or was Denali already known to you? (Sorry...I'm a huge nerd and I love Twilight, Harry Potter, Jane Austen, etc...I want to visit so many of the places I've read about in books.)

I read each of the books once (and saw the first two movies), but I completely forgot about the Alaska connection.

 

[Princess Leia]

Happy pride! Unless you're not into that kind of thing. In which case....errr....happy colorful surfboards on the beach.
View attachment 209751

Happy pride! Looks like you're having fun on the beach


I wish I was on the beach

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

They are so ridiculous. I found that most people, when I graduated high school, gave around $50 in cash or gift cards. My uncle gave me a gold coin and a set of vintage Star Wars cards. My grandma gave me $500, plus gifts (and this is really sad, but I was her first grandchild to graduate high school with a diploma, on time...and I have three older cousins. So she was excited). My long time friend's grandparents, who are like adoptive grandparents for me, gave me a bunch or stuff. Then there were those who could only give a card.

So yes, it's completely ridiculous to expect everyone to give $100. Just...silly.

I know, imagine if you had to give many people graduation gifts. If you knew 5 people graduating and stuck by the $100 rule that is 500 bucks! That is almost 2 plane tickets to Orlando!

One more thing about this girl, she works at Target and one of gifts from someone was a Target gift card. When she opened that up she said, "Oh a Target gift card, what am I supposed to do with that? I work there." I responded, "Buy your dorm supplies." I was thinking the Target gift card was a great gift card because she worked there and could get a discount, meaning her gift card would buy her more stuff.

I bet you loved those vintage Star Wars cards!

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

we're getting toasty here, thank god its been mostly cloudy.
Hopefully we will start getting our first rains D:

I could send you some of our rain, we have gotten a lot. Over the weekend while we were with the in-laws in Michigan it stormed really bad in our area including hail. About 40 minutes away from us there was so much hail they had to bring out plows to clear it off the streets.

 

[DryerLintFan]

I could send you some of our rain, we have gotten a lot. Over the weekend while we were with the in-laws in Michigan it stormed really bad in our area including hail. About 40 minutes away from us there was so much hail they had to bring out plows to clear it off the streets.

Nope,... you keep that to yourself

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

Yes, the problem still remains even after you have that brick of reality slap ya upside the head, the problem people are still there, not going anywhere and it isn't like having a conversation fixes dumb. I've found the dumb turn it around and blame everyone else for their dumb. And ya can't fix dumb.

Yep!

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

Happy pride! Unless you're not into that kind of thing. In which case....errr....happy colorful surfboards on the beach.
View attachment 209751

Happy Pride! And I also like the colorful surfboards. Looks like you are having fun at the beach!