Small Talk: The Impala

[Demented Daisy]

https://support.twitter.com

That should answer pretty much any question.  ;-)

I rarely tweet or retweet.  I hit my apex with my very first tweet, which Mark Hamill liked.  Not sure I could ever do better than that.  

[SueB]

3 minutes ago, Demented Daisy said:

https://support.twitter.com

That should answer pretty much any question.  ;-)

I rarely tweet or retweet.  I hit my apex with my very first tweet, which Mark Hamill liked.  Not sure I could ever do better than that.  

You're RIGHT.  Wow. I can see packing it in right there.  I thought I did good with Shatner (once) but Hamill is pretty tough to beat.

[FlickChick]

A caution: if you join Twitter, do check your account periodically. I didn't for several months once and when I logged on, I found I was "following" 544 radical Arab names. No shit. Had to delete them one at a time. :(

[Demented Daisy]

7 minutes ago, SueB said:

You're RIGHT.  Wow. I can see packing it in right there.  I thought I did good with Shatner (once) but Hamill is pretty tough to beat.

Not to brag or anything (*giggle snort*), but I struck gold twice.

[Mick Lady]

Wow guys, thanks! I'm going to join and follow all the Supernatural ones I can find, and any Giants that tweet.

1 hour ago, Demented Daisy said:

https://support.twitter.com

That should answer pretty much any question.  ;-)

I rarely tweet or retweet.  I hit my apex with my very first tweet, which Mark Hamill liked.  Not sure I could ever do better than that.  

This should really help! Thanks! catrox, I'm so new to this, I didn't understand a word you said!

[catrox14]

Oh, sorry.

[Mick Lady]

No worries friend, you're just way smarter than me when it comes to this stuff!

[Boopsahoy]

4 hours ago, Demented Daisy said:

https://support.twitter.com

That should answer pretty much any question.  ;-)

I rarely tweet or retweet.  I hit my apex with my very first tweet, which Mark Hamill liked.  Not sure I could ever do better than that.  

Jim Micheals liked one of my tweets -I think that's my apex LOL

[Mick Lady]

Also want to ask, off topic.

How you doing 7kstar? I hate it when great teachers burn out, and you sound close! PM me if you need to. We teachers got to stick together!

[catrox14]

brianna, kim liked my tweets and Orlando Jones quoted me and retweeted me. So weird.

[Commando Cody]

I tweeted a photo of my dog, Commander Data, to Brent Spiner, once. He didn't respond. It seemed pointless to let him know his namesake died, so I didn't tweet that. 

I got a retweet from @midnight once. That was cool. Gates McFadden commented on a photo I took of her at the last convention in Minneapolis. I once got a response from Keith David.  Also, during Gishwhes, two years ago, Rachel Miner retweeted my MLP drawing.  I have no idea how many My Little Ponies I made and tweeted to celebrities. Rachel was the only one who retweeted one for me. 

[7kstar]

3 hours ago, Mick Lady said:

How you doing 7kstar? I hate it when great teachers burn out, and you sound close! PM me if you need to. We teachers got to stick together!

Still dealing with the fallout and not sure what will happen yet.  One student for sure being pulled out of my class.  I'm the reason it all got started because of a poor choice of joke.  Yeah I'm fighting burn out.  Will pm tomorrow.

Hanging in there for now.  All I can do.  right.

[DittyDotDot]

19 hours ago, Mick Lady said:

Guys, I have a question, and you're free to laugh at me!

I have never been on Twitter, but decided to check it out to see what the Orange One is up to. Will I see more content if I join, or can I see everything without signing up? And how the hell does that place work? Does everything expand when you click it? How do you keep these conversations straight? Any tips for using it?

Thanks guys, when you finish laughing, I'd appreciate some help!

I've been really slow to get involved on twitter--I kinda hate social media--but so rarely keep up on it I'm not sure I'll be too helpful here. You don't necessarily see more content if you have an account, but some people have their privacy settings set up so that only people they've verified can see their tweets. So, even if you have an account you won't see everything.

About keeping the conversations straight: twitter isn't really a conversational place as much as it's a place for super quick updates and thoughts to be thrown out to the world. Your limited to 140 characters per tweet, so it's hard to have an actual conversation with someone. I wouldn't worry about reading all the comments to someone's tweet unless your involved in the back in forth. The comments mostly read as a long string of "likes" or "dislikes" not a back and forth conversation. 

I recommend starting with following a couple people and see how it goes. I only follow a handful of folks and have only sent one tweet, but do find the place helpful and interesting from time to time. 

ETA: Never mind, I see there was another page and everyone has already covered it...sorry!

Edited January 26, 2017 by DittyDotDot

[Mick Lady]

Oh no Dot! You took the time to reply, and that is important to me! I hate social media too,  Mick does Facebook, but doesn't keep up with it which pisses off all our friends and family.

Question: What does "retweet" mean? Is it a "Like" or do you have to send it to someone else?

8 hours ago, DittyDotDot said:

I've been really slow to get involved on twitter--I kinda hate social media--but so rarely keep up on it I'm not sure I'll be too helpful here. You don't necessarily see more content if you have an account, but some people have their privacy settings set up so that only people they've verified can see their tweets. So, even if you have an account you won't see everything.

About keeping the conversations straight: twitter isn't really a conversational place as much as it's a place for super quick updates and thoughts to be thrown out to the world. Your limited to 140 characters per tweet, so it's hard to have an actual conversation with someone. I wouldn't worry about reading all the comments to someone's tweet unless your involved in the back in forth. The comments mostly read as a long string of "likes" or "dislikes" not a back and forth conversation. 

I recommend starting with following a couple people and see how it goes. I only follow a handful of folks and have only sent one tweet, but do find the place helpful and interesting from time to time. 

ETA: Never mind, I see there was another page and everyone has already covered it...sorry!

[DittyDotDot]

2 minutes ago, Mick Lady said:

Question: What does "retweet" mean? Is it a "Like" or do you have to send it to someone else?

It's tweeting someone else's tweet. It's kinda like a chain letter for social media.

[catrox14]

2 minutes ago, Mick Lady said:

Question: What does "retweet" mean? Is it a "Like" or do you have to send it to someone else?

It's another  person's  Tweet that you send to your followers. Sort of like re-posting something on FB.

[Mick Lady]

Thanks guys! I'm getting the feel of this!

So much Supernatural stuff! I'm liking it!

[7kstar]

Feeling a bit better, student pulled from class.  Still tired but hopefully weekend will be better

[FlickChick]

So, does anyone else have notifications that tell you that someone gave you a "reputation" for a post instead of a "like"? Or do I have a "reputation" to worry about? LOL

[DittyDotDot]

55 minutes ago, FlickChick said:

So, does anyone else have notifications that tell you that someone gave you a "reputation" for a post instead of a "like"? Or do I have a "reputation" to worry about? LOL

I think "reputation" is the software terminology from the developers, the folks here changed it to "likes" after the last main upgrade because it was confusing people.  Mine are all back to "likes" now. It's probably part of this bug that got fixed: 

[Diane]

What a horrible and embarrassing 24 hours. Thank you for being able to come here and read about the show and just breath for a moment. Hopefully more rational and humane people will prevail. 

[7kstar]

Quote

Feeling a bit better, student pulled from class.  Still tired but hopefully weekend will be better

Guess I spoke too soon.  Parent wants to do assault charges because of mental hardship.  It's the case that just won't go away.  Not sure what it means other than should hit my head against a wall. 

ON the positive note we ran almost the entire play today even though we were missing two major parts.  Will be seeing what we can do tomorrow.  One day at a time.!  :)

Just a question anyone know why it puts your last post in the box when you start a post ??

[DittyDotDot]

30 minutes ago, 7kstar said:

Just a question anyone know why it puts your last post in the box when you start a post ??

It appears to be a bug. I reported it some time ago and someone else reported it a few days back. If you clear your cache (dump your cookies and temporary internet files) it goes away for a while. 

[Diane]

2 hours ago, 7kstar said:

Guess I spoke too soon.  Parent wants to do assault charges because of mental hardship.  It's the case that just won't go away.  Not sure what it means other than should hit my head against a wall. 

ON the positive note we ran almost the entire play today even though we were missing two major parts.  Will be seeing what we can do tomorrow.  One day at a time.!  :)

Just a question anyone know why it puts your last post in the box when you start a post ??

Just to let you know, thinking about you, I am so sorry you are having to deal with this. As if our teachers don't have enough going against them. Hang in there, those kids need you!

[Commando Cody]

R.I.P John Wetton, lead singer of Asia.

[catrox14]

OH NO :(.  Dean's gonna be upset :(

[7kstar]

Well it's happened I got written up and a warning to change my wicked ways.  It's my fault this happened because I said an inappropriate joke and caused the bullying to get started in the first place. 

If felt like if the parent had let it go, I wouldn't have been written up.  The parent is still upset but the kids of this parent is still in my class and in the play production. 

So here comes the acting skills, act like nothing is wrong and figure out how to address this so it doesn't happen again without making anyone feel I'm pointing fingers. 

Hey doesn't this just warm your heart and make you want to go out and become a TEACHER...No?  I can't imagine why? 

I'm not saying I did nothing wrong, but you would think they way this mother is acting this child is on his death bed...not what I'm seeing.  Also I find out his the reason the other kid blew her top.  He's the one that wouldn't stop so if the parent goes too far, the other parent will be pressing bullying charges against him.....Sounds like a play doesn't it???  Sorry my bad sense of humor is showing again.  Bad teacher.

[SueB]

No. Good teacher. Rough situation.  Honestly, what the hell happened to decent parenting.  Actually, I have an opinion ... one that is likely to incense, but I'm a mood...  so hear me out.

Remember when people had like 4 or 5 kids?  I think when the numbers get to one or two children per family, the parents are so invested in each child being all it can be... it just makes things miserable for those trying to take care of their kids.  While each child deserves attention and support, in a class of 30 kids, not every kid is going to get an A. Or get the part they want. Or be happy with the teacher.  

Now... get off my lawn. /GrandmaGrumpRantOver

[AwesomO4000]

30 minutes ago, SueB said:

...in a class of 30 kids, not every kid is going to get an A.

You would think that this would be a given, huh? But the parents can pass this on to the kids attitude-wise.  I came across something like this last semester when I was a lab teacher for a college Entomology class. When I was in college, I remember a chemistry class where they gave us over 50 chemical equations to memorize for one test - which I did - then told us 3 days before the test... never mind, but there would be an extra credit question. So all that memorization for one question. This kind of thing was repeated for many of my classes - memorize a ton of stuff with only some on the test.

My students? I told them what was going to be on the test and gave them study guides - sure it was 70+ families of insects for the final, but we'd had quizzes along the way, so they already had some practice. A couple of the students had wanted multiple choice or word banks. I didn't even know what that was... I found out that it's a list of all of the terms on the test, so they only have to memorize part of the words and pick the answers out of the list. I even got some of that criticism on my evaluation -  I got very good evaluations except for the parts relating to the grades being fair and specific comments concerning word banks - and you know what? Next year... I'm still not having a word bank on the exams next time I teach the lab! I am, however, going to improve the insect collection and make the lab part even better than it already is.

The reason why I know so many of the insect Families today - and which I actually do use in my job all the time - is because I memorized them, by going over them over and over again. (I actually made flashcards). The work was worth it. Only so many things can be found via google, and having a good idea ahead of time makes researching - even via Google - so much easier.

Sorry, @7kstar. I didn't mean to hijack this. What I was trying to say is that I agree with @SueB: that kids sometimes today are encouraged to expect things should always go their way - and often the easy way. But in the real world, your boss isn't always going to praise your work and you aren't always going to have a word bank to help you. Sometimes you have to figure it out on your own... and it sounds like the parents in your case aren't letting the kids do that. I don't think it's going to do them any favors either. Growing up is sometimes hard enough. Having your parents impede your progress can make it even tougher.

I will send positive thoughts your way, 7kstar. Don't let a couple of annoying parents who can't dock their copters keep you down.

[ahrtee]

There's this sense of entitlement these days that Awesom mentions that drives me nuts...it's the same attitude (kids being told your whole life that you're wonderful, that you're special, and that everyone else is lesser) that gives people the feeling that they can push in wherever they want, do whatever they want, and just expect that everyone else will get out of their way.  And they shouldn't have to do any work to be rewarded.

I'm not a teacher, but spent 20+ years as a librarian in Special Collections (aka Western History and Genealogy.)  Two stories:  one teenager who came in wanting information on Jeremiah Johnson (this was a while ago.)  I explained very carefully that he was a fictional character, but that he was based on a real person named Liver-Eating Johnson, and we had both his biography and the novel that made up the other part of the movie, and could help him research what was real and what fictional.  He shrugged, waved a hand and said, "never mind.  I'll just watch the movie," and walked out.

The other was a well-dressed middle-aged woman who breezed in at lunchtime, asked if this was the genealogy department, and then said something like, "Good.  My name is [smith, or something similar.]  I'll stop by after lunch to pick it up." and walked out.  (And she was very upset when she returned and we told her we could help her find sources, but she'd have to do the work herself.)

And yes, I was disciplined several times over the years for an inappropriate tone of voice, even if I never said what I was actually thinking.  

So, good thoughts to you, 7kstar.  Just hang in there.  There are still some good ones around who deserve (and maybe even appreciate) a good teacher.  

[rue721]

4 hours ago, AwesomO4000 said:

that kids sometimes today are encouraged to expect things should always go their way - and often the easy way.

I think there's something to be said for teaching kids to stand up for themselves...

Of course, "standing up for themselves" doesn't include attacking other kids in class, though! It sucks that you're getting a write-up and warning like you were handing out pitchforks and torches to an angry mob, @7kstar. If you'd really incited some kind of riot in the classroom, then why was only the one kid actually attacking this girl?

But I guess the administrator wanted to take some kind of concrete/quantifiable action so that he can tell the parent that the school is "taking care of it," and appease her enough to get her off their backs. Like @AwesomO4000 said, I don't really think that's going to help the kid in the end, though. In high school, getting violent in class is going to get him arrested, so he'd better learn now to control himself. And that poor girl who got choked! She must be so pissed off and upset. This other kid's mom is really doing nothing to cultivate empathy in him, focusing so much on the ~injustice~ of him being punished for assaulting somebody, instead of focusing on how weird and scary it is that her child choked his classmate even right in front of his teacher. Choking isn't just normal rough-housing IMO. In any case, I hope that the school year ends up better than it began, @7kstar

Speaking of entitlement, though -- did any of you watch that show Parenthood? I used to watch it specifically to take lessons in entitlement. I am being completely serious. IMO it was educational. Those characters would just come out and ask (and often DEMAND) everything. Literally anything and everything their hearts desired. Any whim. It was like they were an entire cast of Marie Antoinettes. At one point, one couple on the show didn't like their kid's school (forget why) so they created a whole new school just for him. They didn't homeschool him, they literally FOUNDED A SCHOOL for him. Also, the characters never second-guessed their whims, and within the world of the show, they were always fully justified and fighting the good fight. Mind-blowing.

In the real world, I dunno...how much entitlement is enough/too much? I mean, you shouldn't have ZERO, right? Everybody needs to look out for themselves. Everybody needs to be somewhat assertive. Everybody should be able to expect a certain amount of respect/decency from other people just as a fellow human.

4 hours ago, ahrtee said:

The other was a well-dressed middle-aged woman who breezed in at lunchtime, asked if this was the genealogy department, and then said something like, "Good.  My name is [smith, or something similar.]  I'll stop by after lunch to pick it up." and walked out.  (And she was very upset when she returned and we told her we could help her find sources, but she'd have to do the work herself.)

Hahaha. What did she think you all were going to do for her? What was she even trying to pick up after lunch?!

To be honest, though, if she had come to me, I probably would have just hopped to it! Somehow. Hopped to SOMETHING anyway ;).

I dunno if it's just personality or what, but I am kind of eagerly obedient like that. It's weird. Actually, I tried out therapy at one point (went to like 2 or 3 appointments), and it was horrible, *specifically* because I took the therapists' directions/opinions too seriously and tried too hard to do as I was told. This one lady, I mentioned at my very first therapy appointment (ever) that I hadn't turned in my taxes yet (was a student, was due a small refund, it really wasn't a problem at all), and she freaked out at me to the point that we had a huge fight with lots of yelling and that even eventually carried on out into the hallway. This fight was literally about taxes, it wasn't like we were bearing our souls. So, I called her back an hour or two after I left to ask if we should ever actually see each other again, and the receptionist was like, "oh, she's on leave now." This was my face:

But anyway, it was a horrible experience because who gets yelled at by a therapist?! I mean really. Who even gets into a conversation about taxes with a therapist in the first place? But in any case, I will say that I did my taxes soon after (and no, it was no big deal at all and I was completely right about the regulations because FFS I actually am an accountant now, taxes are kind of my thing).

So anyway, right after that appointment, instead of going back to that lady (since she had disappeared from the practice immediately following my appointment with her), I went to this other guy. At my appointment with him, I told him that later that day, I had an interview for a side job as a waitress. But I was nervous about taking a side job because school was kicking my ass. So he said something like, "Yeah, starting a new job is always tough...You don't have to go to the interview..." So I asked, "So I shouldn't go to the interview?" Whatever he actually said, I took as a yes -- so then I just whipped out my phone and cancelled the interview right while I was sitting there. And then when I hung up he gave me this shocked look and was all weirded out. And then I was weirded out because DUDE YOU TOLD ME not to worry about the interview. What did you think I was going to do with that information? Just ignore it?! LOL. And that was the end of my attempt at going to therapy.

The moral of the story is that therapy is confounding.

And also, I guess my feeling is:  if someone actually asks for something -- OK, even if the request is stupid/obnoxious/entitled, at least I know what they want and have somewhat of a shot at getting it for them. So that's not a big deal. I mean, I might dislike them personally for making a particular request or think they're rude or whatever, but who cares about that. But someone throwing out random opinions about your life/activities that you're just meant to ignore or ruminate over or something? WTF man. I have no idea what to do with that. Like, WHAT DO YOU WANT. Inscrutability and especially passivity get under my skin SO fast. 

Edited February 1, 2017 by rue721

[SueB]

12 hours ago, AwesomO4000 said:

 sure it was 70+ families of insects for the final,

Excellent points, but I have to confess.  This line had me envisioning two large cockroaches sitting in student desks grousing over the difficulty of the test questions......

Note: I may have read too many Far Side cartoons.

[ahrtee]

9 hours ago, rue721 said:

Hahaha. What did she think you all were going to do for her? What was she even trying to pick up after lunch?!

To be honest, though, if she had come to me, I probably would have just hopped to it! Somehow. Hopped to SOMETHING anyway ;).

Well, the lady who wanted her genealogy was asking for something that we just couldn't do,  Genealogy can take years and needs specific family information that we don't have; so the librarians give advice, help find sources, guide and direct but can't do it for you.  And definitely not over a lunch hour.  We explained all that to her, and she still wasn't happy.

9 hours ago, rue721 said:

The moral of the story is that therapy is confounding.

 

But someone throwing out random opinions about your life/activities that you're just meant to ignore or ruminate over or something? WTF man. I have no idea what to do with that. Like, WHAT DO YOU WANT. Inscrutability and especially passivity get under my skin SO fast. 

About your therapy experience--I'm sorry you had such bad luck.  It sounds like that first therapist was way over the edge…which is probably why she wasn’t working there any more.

In my experience (and yes, I’ve had quite a bit) therapists aren’t *supposed* to tell you what to do—just point out other possibilities you might not have thought about, and let you make your own decisions.  Otherwise they’d just be John Winchester, giving orders that you’re not allowed to question.  It’s not supposed to be inscrutable or passive;  it’s supposed to be giving you the freedom to make your own choices, and then respecting your decision—kind of what Sam has been yelling at Dean about for years.   Yeah, it's driven me nuts a time or two when I specifically *wanted* someone to tell me what to do, but IMO it's best to make your own decisions--that way you won't resent the other person for giving you bad advice (or they won't get mad at you when you don't follow *their* advice.)  

[Demented Daisy]

This is one of the greatest videos I have ever heard.

[catrox14]

Quote

my experience (and yes, I’ve had quite a bit) therapists aren’t *supposed* to tell you what to do—just point out other possibilities you might not have thought about, and let you make your own decisions

 When I was in therapy I would ask my therapist what to do or what decision to make and her answer was always "you'll figure it out." I finally got so annoyed I said "what am paying you for!". After she stopped laughing, she said "I'm here to help you use the tools you already have and give you new tools or  insights to help YOU be confident that YOU can figure out what YOU need and want."  I was like "well,  shit". We really did have a good laugh over that exchange.

[ahrtee]

Nothing to do with anything, but I just realized Jensen's twins were born on what would have been my grandparents' 100th anniversary.  It just makes me happy, for no particular reason.

[MysteryGuest]

That's very cool to still have a copy of their wedding announcement.  All those little things that keep us connected to our past.  

[ahrtee]

Just now, MysteryGuest said:

That's very cool to still have a copy of their wedding announcement.  All those little things that keep us connected to our past.  

It's actually called an "at home" card, sent to friends to let them know when they'd be receiving visitors, and it is pretty wonderful that the family kept it all these years (mom's family were savers/borderline hoarders; dad's side didn't keep anything.)  

[SueB]

Believe it or not my father was born in 1903, my mother in 1923 (both deceased).  My grandparents on my father's side: Grandpa born 1861, Grandma 1863.

Yes, you read that right... MY direct (no "greats" in there) Grandparents were born during the Civil War.  My father had me when he was 60. His parents died of the Pox (Small, that is) in 1910.  

[ahrtee]

2 minutes ago, SueB said:

Believe it or not my father was born in 1903, my mother in 1923 (both deceased).  My grandparents on my father's side: Grandpa born 1861, Grandma 1863.

Yes, you read that right... MY direct (no "greats" in there) Grandparents were born during the Civil War.  My father had me when he was 60. His parents died of the Pox (Small, that is) in 1910.  

I still love genealogy, even after all my years as a librarian.  I love the stories I hear! 

My favorite family story was about my grandmother in the card above:  Gussie Jettelson was Gittel Uczitelov when she left Russia (alone, age 13) ca. 1905.  She took the name Jettelson after an uncle who had adopted that name when he came to America a few years earlier.  He was trying to name himself after a great American, but mispronounced "Jefferson".

[SueB]

"Gussie and Gittle" both of those are GREAT names.  

[rue721]

32 minutes ago, SueB said:

Believe it or not my father was born in 1903, my mother in 1923 (both deceased).  My grandparents on my father's side: Grandpa born 1861, Grandma 1863.

Yes, you read that right... MY direct (no "greats" in there) Grandparents were born during the Civil War.  My father had me when he was 60. His parents died of the Pox (Small, that is) in 1910.  

Whoa, that's amazing!

If you have any more details or stories about that, @SueB, please share! I'm so ignorant, I don't even know what to ask about.

I guess, were these city people or country people? Were they in the US or did they immigrate? How did your parents meet? Where your grandparents (either/both sides) alive when your parents met and married, and if so, how did they react to the match?

How do you feel about your immediate family having come from such a long-ago time? Do you have a unique perspective on the past or on how times change because of it?

My grandparents were all born in the 1920s, but that's pretty much as far back as I know my family history, and I only have ever really known one of those grandparents personally.

Edited February 5, 2017 by rue721

[SueB]

26 minutes ago, rue721 said:

Whoa, that's amazing!

If you have any more details or stories about that, @SueB, please share! I'm so ignorant, I don't even know what to ask about.

I guess, were these city people or country people? Were they in the US or did they immigrate? How did your parents meet? Where your grandparents (either/both sides) alive when your parents met and married, and if so, how did they react to the match?

Well there are very few stories because no one is alive to tell them. The last of the kids passed away in 1990.  But here's what I know: Grandpa was a self-proclaimed Baptist minister.  My grandmother, whose first name was Lulu, ran a boarding house.  Thy lived in Arkansas - my Daddy was born in Hope.  I have a picture of them sitting in rocking chairs with the kids standing around them.  It's a wooden old-timey house and porch (looks like something you'd see in a western).  It's all in sepia.  But it's legit. My daddy is wearing one of those little sailor kind of outfits -- he was 3 at the time of the picture. Even though he was born in Hope, one of my Aunts said the county court house had burned down (and Hope's did not) so there are no records. I have literally no clue how my grandparents met or got married. I expect he was trying to save her soul. When I asked about our genealogy, my Daddy use to say he was a cross 'between a polecat and a barbed wire fence' (meant he was onery ... aka ornery).   Best as we can tell, they were a mix of English, Irish & French and came up via New Orleans -- but we have no documents or proof.  

Honestly, the boys ran to the shady side (my Dad include).  The eldest brother and my Dad (the baby of the family) took off in ~1920 to make their fortune. I have a picture of the two of them on a horse drawn cart.  The eldest made book until the late 80's I expect. The middle, Elmer, was shot dead on the streets of Chicago by a passing black car (not joking).  I had ALL sorts of random characters show up at my Daddy's funeral (he died when I was 12) that I had never seen before.  He was a professional gambler before he got married and then raised my sister and me after we came along.  The eldest daughter raised the boys until they took off, then got married herself to a farmer and moved to Broken Arrow OK.  We used to visit every year for 6 weeks.  

That's what I got.  Not much.  Doubt anyone ever got more than that.  The interest in genealogy really didn't become a wide-spread "thing" until after they were old or dead. 

 

Edited February 5, 2017 by SueB

[rue721]

1 minute ago, SueB said:

The middle, Elmer, was shot dead on the streets of Chicago by a passing black car (not joking).  I had ALL sorts of random characters show up at my Daddy's funeral (he died when I was 12) that I had never seen before.  He was a professional gambler before he got married and then raised my sister and me after we came along.

LOL this is very similar to my dad's father. He was a "professional gambler," too. That was in post-war France, though. So basically, same shit, different continent ;)

Isn't Bill Clinton from Hope, Arkansas? Any association between your family and his?!

Oh, and I meant how did your parents meet and marry. 20 years is a pretty big age difference, so just wondering if there's a story there. Although obviously it's interesting to hear about all of these people, your grandparents and aunts and uncles included.

[SueB]

4 minutes ago, rue721 said:

LOL this is very similar to my dad's father. He was a "professional gambler," too. That was in post-war France, though. So basically, same shit, different continent ;)

Isn't Bill Clinton from Hope, Arkansas? Any association between your family and his?!

Oh, and I meant how did your parents meet and marry. 20 years is a pretty big age difference, so just wondering if there's a story there. Although obviously it's interesting to hear about all of these people, your grandparents and aunts and uncles included.

No relation to Bill Clinton ... as far as I know. 

- My Mom was a nurse anesthetist at a hospital in Iowa, my Dad met her because her roommate was dating his nephew (Jr to the eldest brother).  Jr was also a bit of a shady character -- but they were also big spenders and snappy dressers. My dad was the "Robert Redford" type compared to his older brother (who was the "thinker").  The two of them were in "business" for many years.   I only knew him as having a big heart an unconditional love for my sister and I.  OTOH, as I got older, I found some deep-seeded racism there.  It may have been the cancer talking by then but it was a real sore spot for me, even at age 12. 
- My Mother eloped with my Dad so I'm guessing the marriage was only marginally acceptable to my Grandmother and Grandfather (on my mother's side).  As I said earlier, my Dad's parents died in 1910. 

 

And I gotta say...  "France" sounds a helluva lot more adventurous than Iowa. 

Edited February 5, 2017 by SueB

[rue721]

@SueB thanks for letting me pry. Those family stories are fascinating!

[SueB]

1 minute ago, rue721 said:

@SueB thanks for letting me pry. Those family stories are fascinating!

My pleasure.  Thanks for asking.

[rue721]

5 minutes ago, SueB said:

And I gotta say...  "France" sounds a helluva lot more adventurous than Iowa. 

Not really more adventurous, I don't think. Although from what my dad says, the devastation from the war (WWII) left everyone pretty destitute and the whole country kind of a wreck. So they didn't progress like the US did for a long time, especially not poor people (like my dad's family). The stories from my dad's childhood sound like something out of Dickens.

Although honestly, his stories also sound pretty similar to your father's!

One that you might appreciate:  Everyone, including my father, thought that my grandpa was a great violinist. Pépé was always carrying his violin around Paris going to various bars/clubs/etc for "gigs" (and to gamble). My dad was pretty bitter because his father refused to teach him to play the violin, too. In fact, my grandfather never even took the violin out at home, let alone played it for the family! Then it turned out that the reason he didn't was because he couldn't play and had never even owned a violin at all. He just had a violin case that he filled with whatever he needed to smuggle ;)

[SueB]

9 minutes ago, rue721 said:

Not really more adventurous, I don't think. Although from what my dad says, the devastation from the war (WWII) left everyone pretty destitute and the whole country kind of a wreck. So they didn't progress like the US did for a long time, especially not poor people (like my dad's family). The stories from my dad's childhood sound like something out of Dickens.

Although honestly, his stories also sound pretty similar to your father's!

One that you might appreciate:  Everyone, including my father, thought that my grandpa was a great violinist. Pépé was always carrying his violin around Paris going to various bars/clubs/etc for "gigs" (and to gamble). My dad was pretty bitter because his father refused to teach him to play the violin, too. In fact, my grandfather never even took the violin out at home, let alone played it for the family! Then it turned out that the reason he didn't was because he couldn't play and had never even owned a violin at all. He just had a violin case that he filled with whatever he needed to smuggle ;)

GREAT story.  Yeah, people got away with a LOT more in those days. 

[AwesomO4000]

Well, that was depressing.