Gary: The original Belden Lineman

[AmandaUnbidden]

Damn, Gary spreading that wisdom! I'm still in shock he turned out so well. 

And me thinks Simon might be talking about our girl Farrah, and he ain't wrong. 

[druzy]

[AmandaUnbidden]

That is so sad. Poor Gary. 

[ghoulina]

How awful. And at this time of year. Sorry, Shirley family. 

[CofCinci]

Kudos to Gary for not making his lifestyle contingent on Amber’s child support.  He seems to be one of the only leaving below their means. Much respect to Gary!

[StatisticalOutlier]

I noticed this skeptic's comment about Gary's dog getting hit by a car:

Quote

2 days ago you posted this, 3 hours ago you tweeted (and deleted) “I need a new Great Dane female, full blood, & papers anybody know anybody with a good deal?” Perhaps you need to spend some of your deep mourning period building a fence or buying a leash instead..

[SPLAIN]

On 12/24/2017 at 7:34 PM, druzy said:

Poor Gary.

If this had happened to Amber, she would need 9 months of couch time to recover from her depression. That means not dealing with Leah.

Amber kills me with her comments about not wanting Leah around to see her go through her non-depression. Let's assume Amber is having a difficult time with the break-up. You know how many parents endure tragedy, troubles, problems, anything that brings on despair and still have to do their parenting job? Read Gary's comment above re the loss of the dog. He is in pain. But he is putting on a smiling face and doing his best to deal with the tragedy by putting his kids first and foremost for the holidays. That is what parents do. Many of them do it during the most tragic of circumstances. Amber's excuses just don't fly with me. Aside from the joy that children bring to the lives of their parents, they also require a lot of work. Her depressive moments are just excuses for her to not fulfill her parenting obligations because she doesn't want to do the work. I am not sure if she is purely a lazy, miserable fuckhead or if it is the drugs that is curtailing her from being the parent she should be to Leah. It might be both.

[druzy]

[ginger90]

10 hours ago, druzy said:

Kristina replied too:

 

Kristina Shirley @krissyK01 16h

Replying to @Lkan77 @awhellnoo and 4 others

Thank you for the support! My husband and our 3 girls are my EVERYTHING! ❤️

[EmeraldGirl]

What does it mean that she sees her after school? Does the girl then go sleep at her dad’s? How about the summers? 

Gary’s not always the most articulate, so I’m confused. 

[CofCinci]

1 hour ago, EmeraldGirl said:

What does it mean that she sees her after school? Does the girl then go sleep at her dad’s? How about the summers? 

Gary’s not always the most articulate, so I’m confused. 

It sounds like the girl most likely takes the bus to Gary and Kristina’s from school each day and the father comes to get her when he is done with work. 

[CandysWrapRoom]

21 hours ago, CofCinci said:

It sounds like the girl most likely takes the bus to Gary and Kristina’s from school each day and the father comes to get her when he is done with work. 

This is actually a great way to involve a non-custodial parent in the child's day to day life.  Kudos to them all.

[ReadMeLattice]

On 1/3/2018 at 11:21 PM, SPLAIN said:

Poor Gary.

If this had happened to Amber, she would need 9 months of couch time to recover from her depression. That means not dealing with Leah.

Amber kills me with her comments about not wanting Leah around to see her go through her non-depression. Let's assume Amber is having a difficult time with the break-up. You know how many parents endure tragedy, troubles, problems, anything that brings on despair and still have to do their parenting job? Read Gary's comment above re the loss of the dog. He is in pain. But he is putting on a smiling face and doing his best to deal with the tragedy by putting his kids first and foremost for the holidays. That is what parents do. Many of them do it during the most tragic of circumstances. Amber's excuses just don't fly with me. Aside from the joy that children bring to the lives of their parents, they also require a lot of work. Her depressive moments are just excuses for her to not fulfill her parenting obligations because she doesn't want to do the work. I am not sure if she is purely a lazy, miserable fuckhead or if it is the drugs that is curtailing her from being the parent she should be to Leah. It might be both.

Yes! Depression is real and pervasive and it can affect your parenting, sure. But the difference is that you still have to DO it, even if you're not at your best. Or hire help if you have to--if she was truly that depressed and exhausted and suffering from real mental health issues, she has the money to hire good, vetted, background checked (LOL SHE DOESN'T EVEN BACKGROUND CHECK HER FIANCES) help to do things like cooking and cleaning while she hangs out with Leah. Leah doesn't need big trips, money, or expensive gifts from Amber, and she doesn't even need a cheery, not-depressed mother. She does need her mother's time and attention. That's something you can't just decide not to give. It's a non-negotiable. Amber has the money and leisure to have someone else do all the heavy lifting for her while she hangs out at the house with Leah while she plays or does homework just to let her know she cares. Even if she said something like "Leah, Mommy is feeling sad today, but it has nothing to do with you. I still care about you and want to spend time with you," I'm sure Leah would understand and would still value her time with her mother. The fact that she makes no moves to do this tells me she does not truly have depression, she just doesn't want to be a parent.

Alternatively, if she was TRULY suffering from a deep mental health issue and couldn't be around her child for a time for their mutual best interest, she could go to treatment and work on herself, or take the time to rest and work things out to manage things for her daughter. She could take the time to be alone and reflect until she matured enough to be a positive influence. Instead, she demands more and more time with Leah, then doesn't take it, and instead prances around getting pregnant by the latest criminal BF/potential abuser. This tells me that she does not really have a severe mental health issue, she's just cold-hearted and selfish.

Edited January 6, 2018 by Lm2162

[GreatKazu]

Great point @Lm2162. 

Agree @SPLAIN.  Plenty of us parents have had to continue to be parents while dealing with work, illnesses, death, and other tragedies. Some of us have dealt with depression, but we also knew we needed to be proactive about it. 

Quote

Aside from the joy that children bring to the lives of their parents

What is truly sad is, Leah is growing up believing her love and joy is not enough for Amber to exert any sort of relationship with her. Her mother musters the energy to spend time with her only when Amber is receiving satisfactory affection from some ratchet guy. And when the cameras are around. When either one of those two things are not around, Amber is not around for Leah. I just find it so heartbreaking that Leah's love for her mother is not enough for Amber to make a full-time commitment to her daughter while bringing in another child into the mix. 

Edited January 7, 2018 by GreatKazu

[AmyFarrahFowler]

On 1/3/2018 at 8:24 AM, StatisticalOutlier said:

I noticed this skeptic's comment about Gary's dog getting hit by a car:

People can be such assholes.

[SPLAIN]

@Lm2162 exactly. She has the means and the money to do so much for her so she can focus on her daughter.

@GreatKazu The new baby is just like the new boyfriend. A new baby will bring temporary happiness and security, that is until the reality sets in. The baby is her temporary fix just like a drug.

[StatisticalOutlier]

5 hours ago, AmyFarrahFowler said:

People can be such assholes.

True.  I'm the kind of asshole who looks askance at people who let their dogs run loose and get run over (or, worse, attack people), and I'm not a big fan of dog breeders or people who keep them in business.  I might not be alone, given that Gary deleted the tweet.

I'm sorry they experienced the loss, and maybe if he can't find a "good deal" on the new dog, he'll be mindful of the investment and work harder at keeping it out of harm's way, even if he's not concerned about it attacking people.

[Calm81]

On 1/4/2018 at 11:05 PM, druzy said:

I can’t get rid of this quote. My post is not related to the above image.

 

Anywho, today I was driving home from the Barbershop after getting my son a fresh haircut for back to school from Christmas break and a dude in our neighborhood was walking four of his dogs, one on a leash and three smaller dogs without a leash. The three smaller ones kept running in and out of the street while the owner stood by the leashed up dog while he pooped.

The dog owner had the cojones to give passerby’s dirty looks because they were caught off guard over the loose dogs and having to slam on their brakes instead of thinking “maybe I should have them on a leash.” He was standing at a part of the street that is coming off of a curve so people driving from the other direction won’t have time to notice the dogs and reduce speed limit so slamming on the breaks is expected.

LEASH UP YOUR DOGS! The poor animals don’t know any better and take an opportunity of being outside in the fresh air to jog around a bit and have fun. They’re not looking for cars. Be the responsible owner and protect your furry family members. Would you let your kids run in and out of the street? 

Okay, I vented. Sorry. My anger isn’t directed at anyone. The loss of Gary’s dog got me thinking about the neighbors dog.

[SPLAIN]

15 hours ago, AmyFarrahFowler said:

People can be such assholes.

Very much so.

[AmyFarrahFowler]

14 hours ago, StatisticalOutlier said:

True.  I'm the kind of asshole who looks askance at people who let their dogs run loose and get run over (or, worse, attack people), and I'm not a big fan of dog breeders or people who keep them in business.  I might not be alone, given that Gary deleted the tweet.

I'm sorry they experienced the loss, and maybe if he can't find a "good deal" on the new dog, he'll be mindful of the investment and work harder at keeping it out of harm's way, even if he's not concerned about it attacking people.

SO no one called you an asshole except YOU dear. When I said people I meant people in general. Wait, why am I explaining anything to you? You obviously knew what I meant.

5 hours ago, SPLAIN said:

Very much so.

LMAO 

[ghoulina]

Truth is, we don't know what happened to Gary's dog. Horrible things can happen to even the most responsible of owners. I would be lying if I said my dog has NEVER gotten out of our yard before. It's happened, and we are not irresponsible. I'm grateful he has never been hurt, and it he was - I'd hope people would step off their high horses and extend sympathy instead of judgment. 

[gunderda]

And most people on acreages don't have their dogs contained at all - it's pretty common. 

Maybe he was looking for a new dog so soon because the kids were really sad and he thought it best to get another one quickly?  And with great danes, you have to be REALLY careful where you get them. Reputable breeders are the best because just the breed alone can have a lot of issues so it's very easy to get one that won't live very long if you're looking for a 'great deal'. 

[Bridget]

Too bad he didn't simply take Amber's dogs off of her neglectful hands to come and live on his property; talk about a win-win!

I am a rescue dog mama, so I don't know why he had to have a certain breed if he was so intent on replacing his deceased dog so quickly for the sake of the girls. Drive to Amber's house and rescue them!

Leah would probably like to have "a piece of her mom" - why not some dogs that Leah sees a few times a year?

I wonder who watches her dogs when she's off doing reality TV or driving across the country for weeks with NewMatt?

[eskimo]

35 minutes ago, gunderda said:

Maybe he was looking for a new dog so soon because the kids were really sad and he thought it best to get another one quickly?  And with great danes, you have to be REALLY careful where you get them. Reputable breeders are the best because just the breed alone can have a lot of issues so it's very easy to get one that won't live very long if you're looking for a 'great deal'. 

Do they have other dogs, does anyone know?  When our Malamute died, our boxer became depressed.  Legit depressed, wouldn't play, wouldn't eat.  We got them one day apart and she had never been a lone dog before.  My sister had a neighbor who had a collie who was tied up out back all the time, so we decided to ask if they wanted to rehome their dog (that they obviously didn't care much about! Grrrr) and they agreed.  Not only did it perk her up, it brought out some youth we hadn't seen in years because she was 9 and the new dog was 1 1/2 (and came with some bad manners, lol).  Sadie (the boxer) lived to be 17 and I attribute some of that to getting Patches for her.  It was much sooner than I would have got another pup, had it not been for Sadie.  When Sadie died, Patches became an only dog, which she handled well (probably due to being an only dog at the beginning of her life, and a cat that would tolerate her once in a while). Patches was a wonderful dog and when she died at 12 it took me 2 years to get another, it hurt so bad. 

TL;DR  Maybe they are looking for a companion for a depressed pet who was left behind.  And hopefully by 'good deal' they mean another great dane that is not necessarily a little puppy, still needs some training, or from a family who had no idea how big this dog would get/doesn't have time/kids no longer interested/ect.  Hopefully!

[GreatKazu]

Just now, Bridget said:

Too bad he didn't simply take Amber's dogs off of her neglectful hands to come and live on his property; talk about a win-win!

I am a rescue dog mama, so I don't know why he had to have a certain breed if he was so intent on replacing his deceased dog so quickly for the sake of the girls. Drive to Amber's house and rescue them!

Leah would probably like to have "a piece of her mom" - why not some dogs that Leah sees a few times a year?

I wonder who watches her dogs when she's off doing reality TV or driving across the country for weeks with NewMatt?

Amber's dogs are likely not the kind of breed that would do well on his huge property. He has a lot of acreage. Amber has tiny dogs that are used to being indoors, sadly. I honestly don't think those tiny dogs would be good to have after all that they have been allowed to do in Amber's home. That would take so much hard work to deprogram them from what they are used to doing. The Great Dane seems like the kind of dog that would do well on a huge property. He was likely training him to be a guard dog and to protect the chickens and other animals. 

[StatisticalOutlier]

10 hours ago, AmyFarrahFowler said:

SO no one called you an asshole except YOU dear. When I said people I meant people in general. Wait, why am I explaining anything to you? You obviously knew what I meant.

I didn't say anyone called me an asshole; I included myself in the category of people who can be assholes.  In this case, assholes who, when choosing whether to blame the owner or the dog when the dog gets run over by a car, chooses the owner.

And still assholey when it comes to dog breeders, especially ones that would appeal to someone looking for a "good deal."

[eskimo]

4 minutes ago, StatisticalOutlier said:

And still assholey when it comes to dog breeders, especially ones that would appeal to someone looking for a "good deal."

This.  Responsible vs. irresponsible breeders.  I personally prefer mix breeds myself.  All of my dogs have been mixed breeds, which usually come from accidental litters, which are not responsibly sourced, lol.  We consider them to be mainly the breed they inherit most of their looks and personality traits from.  Our boxer was a boxer/?? mix, but her personality and body shape was boxer, boxer, boxer, though her head shape was harder to pin down. I better stop now before I start posting pics and going on and on about my kick-ass dogs.  Lol   

[AmyFarrahFowler]

13 minutes ago, StatisticalOutlier said:

I didn't say anyone called me an asshole; I included myself in the category of people who can be assholes.  In this case, assholes who, when choosing whether to blame the owner or the dog when the dog gets run over by a car, chooses the owner.

And still assholey when it comes to dog breeders, especially ones that would appeal to someone looking for a "good deal."

I misunderstood and I appreciate the explanation. I,too have a secret hatred for puppy mill owners. I have seen some tragically sad situations here in Washington State :(  

[gunderda]

48 minutes ago, eskimo said:

 And hopefully by 'good deal' they mean another great dane that is not necessarily a little puppy, still needs some training, or from a family who had no idea how big this dog would get/doesn't have time/kids no longer interested/ect.  Hopefully!

I'm kinda hoping this too.  Maybe he was taking a shot in the dark to see if anyone was looking to rehome one.  Now my friend did get her 4th great dane puppy for a 'great deal' only because the breeder they purchased from had 2 or 3 super large litters so that was a spontaneous purchase a couple months ago and they had just gotten their 3rd great dane puppy this past summer.  

27 minutes ago, AmyFarrahFowler said:

I misunderstood and I appreciate the explanation. I,too have a secret hatred for puppy mill owners. I have seen some tragically sad situations here in Washington State :(  

Now I'm not a huge fan of breeders (and for sure not of puppy mills) but not all breeders are puppy mills. 

[druzy]

[Calm81]

4 hours ago, ghoulina said:

Truth is, we don't know what happened to Gary's dog. Horrible things can happen to even the most responsible of owners. I would be lying if I said my dog has NEVER gotten out of our yard before. It's happened, and we are not irresponsible. I'm grateful he has never been hurt, and it he was - I'd hope people would step off their high horses and extend sympathy instead of judgment. 

I hope you didn’t think my post was made of judgement towards others ( just an honest observation over someone living near my home). I was just venting over a neighbor who clearly doesn’t care about using leashes at all - not an accident - he was fine with three small dogs running frilly nilly on a busy street while he gave innocent passerby’s dirty glares. I completely understand when a dog sneaks off or when a gate is accidentally left open. 

I’ve always thought of Gary as a responsible parent and animal owner so I do extend my sympathy for his loss as I don’t know what went down on the Shirley land, in fact, Amber can take a page from Gary’s guide of responsible people. ☺️

Edited January 9, 2018 by Calm81

[AmyFarrahFowler]

3 hours ago, gunderda said:

I'm kinda hoping this too.  Maybe he was taking a shot in the dark to see if anyone was looking to rehome one.  Now my friend did get her 4th great dane puppy for a 'great deal' only because the breeder they purchased from had 2 or 3 super large litters so that was a spontaneous purchase a couple months ago and they had just gotten their 3rd great dane puppy this past summer.  

Now I'm not a huge fan of breeders (and for sure not of puppy mills) but not all breeders are puppy mills. 

I absolutely agree. The unfortunate thing is that the backyard breeders are ruining it for the legitimate ones.

[GreatKazu]

3 hours ago, Calm81 said:

I hope you didn’t think my post was made of judgement towards others ( just an honest observation over someone living near my home). I was just venting over a neighbor who clearly doesn’t care about using leashes at all - not an accident - he was fine with three small dogs running frilly nilly on a busy street while he gave innocent passerby’s dirty glares. I completely understand when a dog sneaks off or when a gate is accidentally left open. 

I’ve always thought of Gary as a responsible parent and animal owner so I do extend my sympathy for his loss as I don’t know what went down on the Shirley land, in fact, Amber can take a page from Gary’s guide of responsible people. ☺️

I think @ghoulina was referring to the person on Twitter who inferred Gary was not being responsible regarding his dog simply because Gary deleted a previous tweet where he was inquiring if anyone may have a similar dog for sale. 

I remember when I lost my beloved cat. I called up my step-mom a day later and was inquiring if she knew someone who had any kittens or cats. She had five of her own. She was a cat lover and she knew others who fostered and owned cats. I was so sad and feeling such a void. My two youngest were missing having a cat around. It is not out of the realm of possibility that Gary was trying to fill that void for his girls while at the same time acquiring a dog as a gift to them for the holidays. 

Gary has a huge property. It dawned on me that for all we know the car that hit his dog might have been on Gary's property, not that his dog left the property. That is what happened to my cat. Perhaps someone was delivering something to him or they were going to do work on the property somewhere, or it might have been a visitor who didn't see the dog or the dog was ran over as the car was going in reverse. Gary isn't going to elaborate and call someone out for what seems to be an accident. 

Edited January 9, 2018 by GreatKazu

[druzy]

[ghoulina]

14 hours ago, GreatKazu said:

I think @ghoulina was referring to the person on Twitter who inferred Gary was not being responsible regarding his dog simply because Gary deleted a previous tweet where he was inquiring if anyone may have a similar dog for sale

YES. Thank you, KAZU/]! I in no way thought of any of the posters here were casting aspersions. But people on Twitter love to be stupid. I just know that things can happen in the blink of an eye, even to great pet parents. Even to great parents, period. And when you're hurting over the loss of a pet, you really don't need to the non-fact-based judgments. 

Edited January 9, 2018 by ghoulina

[DangerousMinds]

Anyone who posts their personal lives on social media, on a PUBLIC account, is going to get all kind of judgments.

[TresGatos]

23 hours ago, gunderda said:

And most people on acreages don't have their dogs contained at all - it's pretty common. 

 

Although accidents can happen to the most responsible of pet owners I seem to recall from photos posted somewhere on this general forum (I don't remember if it was this exact thread) that Gary's property is situated right next to a busy road.

[StatisticalOutlier]

23 hours ago, AmyFarrahFowler said:

I,too have a secret hatred for puppy mill owners.

If you ask me, your hatred doesn't need to be secret, unless you just don't want to be on record as hating anyone.

 

23 hours ago, eskimo said:

All of my dogs have been mixed breeds, which usually come from accidental litters, which are not responsibly sourced, lol. 

Not responsibly sourced!  I love it.

[AmyFarrahFowler]

1 minute ago, StatisticalOutlier said:

If you ask me, your hatred doesn't need to be secret, unless you just don't want to be on record as hating anyone.

 

Not responsibly sourced!  I love it.

Why bless your little heart.

[GreatKazu]

This photo is from the Amber thread. But I brought it over here so as not to get it jumbled with Amber's shit. 

What kind of breakfast is this? It looks like a Carl's Jr. (Hardees). Excuse my ignorance:

[DudeLeaveMeAlone]

28 minutes ago, GreatKazu said:

This photo is from the Amber thread. But I brought it over here so as not to get it jumbled with Amber's shit. 

What kind of breakfast is this? It looks like a Carl's Jr. (Hardees). Excuse my ignorance:

Going by that soda cup, I'm going to say Burger King. Maybe Biscuits and Gravy?

[GreatKazu]

1 minute ago, DudeLeaveMeAlone said:

Going by that soda cup, I'm going to say Burger King. Maybe Biscuits and Gravy?

Thanks.

[heatherchandler]

I will play devil's advocate and say maybe it was a special treat for a birthday or getting a great report card.  I'm sure they don't eat fast food every morning!  Well, maybe Gary does, but hopefully not the kids.

[ginger90]

Imagine Amber being able to take Leah out to breakfast before school, and getting her to school on time........

[MaggieG]

17 minutes ago, ginger90 said:

Imagine Amber being able to take Leah out to breakfast before school, and getting her to school on time........

I'm pretty sure we would see pigs flying before that happened :)

[Scarlett45]

19 hours ago, GreatKazu said:

This photo is from the Amber thread. But I brought it over here so as not to get it jumbled with Amber's shit. 

What kind of breakfast is this? It looks like a Carl's Jr. (Hardees). Excuse my ignorance:

What a sweet photo! Look at those cheeks. Gary and Kristina are doing a great job, there is real joy in the eyes of those girls. 

Im sure they don’t eat fast food every morning- from a logistical point of view. 

[malaluna]

I love me some Leah..she looks like an amazing big sister. That's the Kristina hairdo! She even wears it herself, it's cute. 

[ginger90]

It was a 2 hour delay, and 

[EmeraldGirl]

They really look like bio sisters. I’m proud of them for not having more kids yet (low bar).

[Scarlett45]

41 minutes ago, EmeraldGirl said:

They really look like bio sisters. I’m proud of them for not having more kids yet (low bar).

You mean Leah and Emilee? They are biologically sisters- it looks like both of them favor Gary.

Well unless Gary is one of those men that wants a son (many men are like that but not ALL) I could see them being done. Kristina has THREE children, she may not want any more. (For a mixture of physical, emotional and financial reasons.)

Even if Gary would like to “try” for a son, I don’t see him being the type of man who would condemn Kristina if she said “I have three children, I don’t want any more.”

Edited January 28, 2018 by Scarlett45