S10.E07: Bowling In Heels

[trimthatfat]

I do not think Vicki was faking it when she mentioned that her mom would watch Brianna's kids. It was very much genuine to me, particularly with how quickly Vicki said it, like it was instinctual. When a close cousin passed, I called her cell phone to ask her if she wanted to go to brunch - this was three days after she passed. It was so natural for me to pick up the phone and call her that it didn't hit me until the phone was ringing that she was dead. It was very surreal. Made me feel numb. So yeah, I don't think Vicki was faking that moment. I've never doubted her love for her family.

 

I came from this episode thinking that Jim's daughter was quite an ungrateful brat. I have a feeling she was like that before her mother became ill. Very disappointing that she couldn't force a smile on her face while her mother and step-mother tried to create a fun experience for her and her friends.

 

I just read about Jim's ex passing away. l hope she is at peace now.

Edited July 25, 2015 by trimthatfat

[Anne Thrax]

No one can convince me that Vicki was not performing for the camera to some extent, with her over the top grief and off the wall remarks. I don't believe her for a second, other than that she is of course grieving for her mother. But her "wake her up" and "gone too soon" etc...sorry, not buying it. She knew she being filmed and wanted to make headlines, which she did.

 

Yes, I thought it was overacting of the worst sort.  But that she came up with "wake her up" suggests to me that in her own mind, Vicki sees herself as FAR more important than actual death, and Mom, goddamn, you better wake up now and attend to my need.  

[FozzyBear]

So, I watched that scene again last night and Vicki said that Brianna wasn't doing well and that she needed to go to Vegas and dance on tables. At first I thought she was talking about how Brianna was coping with her grandmother's death, but then Vicki did the whole i-forgot-my-mom-died thing. So I'm wondering what Vicki was referring to. Maybe ragey Ryan?

I was wondering about that too. I don't think she was talking about her mother's death either. It sounded more like Brianna not doing well in general. Isolated and depressed maybe. Not that I'm happy to hear it, but I had my suspicions about Brianna's humble military wife who's excited to be in the heartland routine was going to slip away pretty quickly. For all her bravado, Brianna seems pretty spoiled to me and I was never sure she would actually do that well without Vicki there to provide all the little extras she grew up with. All alone with 2 young kids and no Bravo check coming in? I could see things not being great.

[bravofan27]

I thought Brianna grew up to be a very miserable woman and I've never liked how she treated her mom since the very beginning. I pretend she doesn't exist. I'm really excited though to hear how this Brooks and cancer story develops. I hear it gets even more strange and more questionable. Even Tamra asked Vicki if she goes with Brooks to the doctor and Vicki said she has gone before to the chemo but that's all she said. Considering Vicki had no problem talking about how she lifted her dead mother out of her coffin and basically made out with her I don't believe that a chemo visit with Brooks would be that difficult to discuss in terms of emotionally difficult. Why she won't elaborate on his doctor visits and chemo but will laugh about coffee enemas makes no sense to me. Why is that funny if he really has cancer? 

[trimthatfat]

If Briana is miserable, that's too bad, but she made a decision to marry Ryan and have two children with him. Is Briana still working as a nurse or is she a SAHM? I bet she feels lonely.

[LNDNgirl]

My high school failed me.  They didn't offer a bowling class. W.T.H.

 

My values have been screwed up by watching these "rich" women.  Meghan gave Hayley $100 for her allowance, and I was like "That's all?" *

Maybe Kyle and Mauricio giving their daughter a huge monthly allowance while she's in college reset the bar for me.  Anyone remember just how much that was exactly?

 

*Let it be known that when I was in high school, I worked every weekend and one night a week to earn $100

[FozzyBear]

I thought Brianna grew up to be a very miserable woman and I've never liked how she treated her mom since the very beginning. I pretend she doesn't exist.

I've never really liked Brianna either, even back in the early seasons when she was the great white hope of the OC. She just struck me as being very pleased with herself for the glorious accomplishment of graduating High School a virgin. Like she was the only teenager in the OC who wasn't a drug addicted teen mom or something. She had such an attitude, like everyone was supposed to be so far up her unsullied butt. But Vicki was a nightmare helicopter mom and I was pretty full of myself at that age too so I gave her a pass...and she got worse. Lord, she grew into such a self-righteous little old lady. No perceptive or self awareness. And turns out she pretty dumb too. She's like Vicki without any of Vicki's fun side.

[Ubiquitous]

I do not think Vicki was faking it when she mentioned that her mom would watch Brianna's kids. It was very much genuine to me, particularly with how quickly Vicki said it, like it was instinctual. When a close cousin passed, I called her cell phone to ask her if she wanted to go to brunch - this was three days after she passed. It was so natural for me to pick up the phone and call her that it didn't hit me until the phone was ringing that she was dead. It was very surreal. Made me feel numb. So yeah, I don't think Vicki was faking that moment. I've never doubted her love for her family.

Yeah, I remember after Mom died at home in hospice us waiting for her whenever we left house.

[zoeysmom]

Interesting interview with Shannon regarding Meghan.  I guess Shannon is paying attention to the cheap shots in the confessional.  http://www.eonline.com/news/679979/shannon-beador-reacts-to-death-of-meghan-king-edmonds-husband-s-first-wife-leann-edmonds-horton

[StatisticalOutlier]

 I also thought Megan was just checking the homework, not doing it. Although, I wouldn't put it past her.

 

For Haley's sake, I hope Meghan wasn't doing her high school homework for her. 

 

Meghan's bowling score was 99 in the second half of the 10th frame, and she said, "If I get all three, I'm at 101.  Um, no, you'll be at 102.  Because 99 + 3 = 102, see?

 

But even that won't necessarily be your final score because if you get all three you'll have a spare in the 10th frame, and your game isn't over.  Sheeeeesh.  I knew that and I never received a formal bowling education, like she did. 

 

 

I have a friend who looks almost too skinny, but her lower stomach is still squishy 20 years after having her twins. (4 kids total) She is about Shannon's height, weighs about 120-125 but has a stomach that is out sync with her thin arms and legs. She will only wear a one piece bathing suit, she eats very healthy and looks much younger than her 53 years.

 

I know times are changing, 50 is the new 30 or whatever, but I'm just not thrilled when women over 50 wear bikinis.  The whole mess of 'em did it recently on RHoNYC and even though they're in good shape, I think it looks a little silly.  There are plenty of one-piece bathing suits that are relatively modest yet still show off assets, if that's your jam.

[AuntieDiane6]

 

If Briana is miserable, that's too bad, but she made a decision to marry Ryan and have two children with him. Is Briana still working as a nurse or is she a SAHM? I bet she feels lonely.

 

I bet she's a SAHM.  Sure, she could work part-time, but that's difficult as a nurse because part-time is often 12 hour shifts and daycare would be hard to find without family there to pitch in. 

 

I think here REAL issue is that she didn't expect to be so young AND married AND a mother of two.  I remember in one of her talking heads in the early years she said she didn't want to be 25 and home with a couple of brats. (It might have been when she was thinking of joining the military … ) 

 

A husband like Ryan doesn't help.  

[FozzyBear]

I bet she's a SAHM. Sure, she could work part-time, but that's difficult as a nurse because part-time is often 12 hour shifts and daycare would be hard to find without family there to pitch in.

I think here REAL issue is that she didn't expect to be so young AND married AND a mother of two. I remember in one of her talking heads in the early years she said she didn't want to be 25 and home with a couple of brats. (It might have been when she was thinking of joining the military … )

A husband like Ryan doesn't help.

Maybe. Although I think a lot of that joining the military period was her trying to show up Colby. She really took that break up hard. I've seen divorces do less to a person. I kind of think this is what Brianna wanted. I just think she expected to be rich. I'm sure in her head she doesn't care about money, but never thought about what it would be like to have to budget just to hire a babysitter, or have to do with a 3 day camping trip as a family vacation instead of 2 weeks at a luxury resort in Mexico, to not have the money to order in dinner after a long day, or engage in some retail therapy whenever. I doubt they have much Bravo money left. My guess is most of it went to the down payment for their house. They were looking in the 300-400,000 thousand range. Even if they put say 100,000 down and they're paying a 200,000ish mortgage on 1 income...that could get tight. Brianna always struck me as someone who wanted to slum it for a few weeks, not a few years. Stuck in OK with 2 kids, no money, and her asshole of a husband? I'd be depressed too.

[WireWrap]

Maybe. Although I think a lot of that joining the military period was her trying to show up Colby. She really took that break up hard. I've seen divorces do less to a person. I kind of think this is what Brianna wanted. I just think she expected to be rich. I'm sure in her head she doesn't care about money, but never thought about what it would be like to have to budget just to hire a babysitter, or have to do with a 3 day camping trip as a family vacation instead of 2 weeks at a luxury resort in Mexico, to not have the money to order in dinner after a long day, or engage in some retail therapy whenever. I doubt they have much Bravo money left. My guess is most of it went to the down payment for their house. They were looking in the 300-400,000 thousand range. Even if they put say 100,000 down and they're paying a 200,000ish mortgage on 1 income...that could get tight. Brianna always struck me as someone who wanted to slum it for a few weeks, not a few years. Stuck in OK with 2 kids, no money, and her asshole of a husband? I'd be depressed too.

The Military allotment for off base housing is rather large. My nephew is an ex- Marine and he was able to afford a mortgage that large based on his allotment in the DC/Maryland area, for him and his family, when he was in the Marines, and my niece was in the navy as was her husband and they owned a rather large house in the Virginia Beach Area based on HIS housing allotment alone . So I think Ryan CAN afford that house on what he gets from the military alone. Does anyone know for sure if Briana is a SAHM or if she works full or part time?

[FozzyBear]

The Military allotment for off base housing is rather large. My nephew is an ex- Marine and he was able to afford a mortgage that large based on his allotment in the DC/Maryland area, for him and his family, when he was in the Marines, and my niece was in the navy as was her husband and they owned a rather large house in the Virginia Beach Area based on HIS housing allotment alone . So I think Ryan CAN afford that house on what he gets from the military alone. Does anyone know for sure if Briana is a SAHM or if she works full or part time?

I'll be the first to admit that I don't actually know anything. I remember Brianna wasn't working after the first baby when they were living with Vicki. I thought she never went back, but I'm not sure.

With the housing allowance, does it matter what your rank is? All the military families I know seem to budget so tightly. I just can't imagine any of them in a $400,000 house. Well not all of them. I know a few that always have a new car or boat or just got back from Vegas, but they're always complaining about being broke. It seems to be extremes. Either they're really careful with their money or living like a Kardashian with the credit score of a Madoff. Maybe it's just where I live though.

[WireWrap]

I'll be the first to admit that I don't actually know anything. I remember Brianna wasn't working after the first baby when they were living with Vicki. I thought she never went back, but I'm not sure.

With the housing allowance, does it matter what your rank is? All the military families I know seem to budget so tightly. I just can't imagine any of them in a $400,000 house. Well not all of them. I know a few that always have a new car or boat or just got back from Vegas, but they're always complaining about being broke. It seems to be extremes. Either they're really careful with their money or living like a Kardashian with the credit score of a Madoff. Maybe it's just where I live though.

Yes, Rank does play into it as does family size. You would be surprised how much they receive. My nephew is out of the Marines and is a State Policeman and it now takes both him and his wife to afford the mortgage/bills. My niece is out and now divorced starting over and they lost their house because neither would stick to their budget but that is on them. The Navy gave them enough to pay the mortgage in full each month, sadly it was spent elsewhere and I am not talking food/electric/heat/ect. I think if one is like my nephew/family, it is possible to live nicely in a really nice house while in the Military, my niece is another tale of caution though. I think Briana is smart and will make sure they live within their means.

[HunterHunted]

My high school failed me.  They didn't offer a bowling class. W.T.H.

You guys laugh, but we did at my middle school. I grew up in western Pennsylvania. I would hazard a guess that a lot of schools in rust belt states and in the Midwest had bowling classes or bowling teams when Meghan was growing up. I'm a couple of years older than Meghan, but bowling was still pretty popular when I was a kid.

[WireWrap]

You guys laugh, but we did at my middle school. I grew up in western Pennsylvania. I would hazard a guess that a lot of schools in rust belt states and in the Midwest had bowling classes or bowling teams when Meghan was growing up. I'm a couple of years older than Meghan, but bowling was still pretty popular when I was a kid.

Bowling is still big here in Western Pa! LOL

[This2getsold]

 

Agree that Tamra is going back to real estate because that gym isn't making money. I think they're also going to fight over the money she wants to give Ryan. If the baby mama owns a gun shop, why do they need subsidizing? He needs to stay his ass where they are if he can't afford the OC.

 

Oh good God! No no no. Is there no background check for owning a gun store?

Look at her background!  How does that happen? Guess if you shouldn't qualify to buy a gun, open your own gun store! 

[JennyMominFL]

The Military allotment for off base housing is rather large. My nephew is an ex- Marine and he was able to afford a mortgage that large based on his allotment in the DC/Maryland area, for him and his family, when he was in the Marines, and my niece was in the navy as was her husband and they owned a rather large house in the Virginia Beach Area based on HIS housing allotment alone . So I think Ryan CAN afford that house on what he gets from the military alone. Does anyone know for sure if Briana is a SAHM or if she works full or part time?

BAH differs by area. In some areas the amount enables you to live better than it does in others. I'm guess Ryan is maybe an E5? If so his BAH is somewhere between $813 and &117o per month. If anyone l knows his base or rank I can tell you more

Edited July 26, 2015 by JennyMominFL

[WireWrap]

BAH differs by area. In some areas the amount enables you to live better than it does in others. I'm guess Ryan is maybe an E5? If so his BAH is somewhere between $813 and &117o per month. If anyone l knows his base or rank I can tell you more

Ryan was a Staff Sgt. when they married over 2 years ago and served either 4 or 5 combat missions in Afghanistan. I do not know his current rank today.

 

ETA, I just looked up what he would have been allotted by that rank, E6 in 2013 with dependents which would range from $1101 - $1248 per month in Okla. depending on the base assignment, with a base pay of $2900 a month. If they bought the house we saw on the show, it is doable but do we know how much their house really cost? I seem to remember Vicki pushing for the bigger more expensive home, not Briana or Ryan so I am not sure what they ended up actually buying. Anyone know for sure?

Edited July 26, 2015 by WireWrap

[JennyMominFL]

Im Guessing he is still an E6. It takes a really long time to go from E6 to E7. It's possible though. I'm trying to find a more recent pic of him in uniform

Edited July 26, 2015 by JennyMominFL

[FozzyBear]

Ryan was a Staff Sgt. when they married over 2 years ago and served either 4 or 5 combat missions in Afghanistan. I do not know his current rank today.

ETA, I just looked up what he would have been allotted by that rank, E6 in 2013 with dependents which would range from $1101 - $1248 per month in Okla. depending on the base assignment, with a base pay of $2900 a month. If they bought the house we saw on the show, it is doable but do we know how much their house really cost? I seem to remember Vicki pushing for the bigger more expensive home, not Briana or Ryan so I am not sure what they ended up actually buying. Anyone know for sure?

Perception is funny. I remember Brianna as the one pushing for the perfect house, no matter the cost. Of course, she bugs me. It could have been Vicki. They're both pretty dumb about that sort of thing.

[Grneyedldy]

Watching them look at houses was the equivalent of watching House Hunters. They had already bought the house and the rest was for show.

[Beden]

Military families can also generally access base privileges like use of the PX and the commissary. Depending on the base the PX is either like a 5&10 , a small Walmart's or a smallish department store with good prices. The commissary is basically the base grocery store (also varies from base to base regarding size) but when I was doing the shopping for my housebound father, a retired colonel who had earned lifetime privileges through years of overseas combat deployment in WW2 and many more years in the army after he got home, the savings were huge. I may be wrong here but I was told that the food was sold at close to cost + 5%, they also accepted coupons and sometimes had sales. Dad was a full colonel and had seniority but, with few exceptions, the lower ranks aren't getting rich and it is a strain for them to make ends meet if they're, say, married with a couple of young kids. This is a real help for them and something which, IMO, they earn and deserve. Our local base also had a nice outdoor pool for summer months which they could use--it was always filled with the base kids and they looked like they were having a ball.

 

I don't begrudge it to them for a second.

Edited July 26, 2015 by Beden

[JennyMominFL]

Military families can also generally access base privileges like use of the PX and the commissary. Depending on the base the PX is either like a 5&10 , a small Walmart's or a smallish department store with good prices. The commissary is basically the base grocery store (also varies from base to base regarding size) but when I was doing the shopping for my housebound father, a retired colonel who had earned lifetime privileges through years of overseas combat deployment in WW2 and many more years in the army after he got home, the savings were huge. I may be wrong here but I was told that the food was sold at close to cost + 5%, they also accepted coupons and sometimes had sales. Dad was a full colonel and had seniority but, with few exceptions, the lower ranks aren't getting rich and it is a strain for them to make ends meet if they're, say, married with a couple of young kids. This is a real help for them and something which, IMO, they earn and deserve. Our local base also had a nice outdoor pool for summer months which they could use--it was always filled with the base kids and they looked like they were having a ball.

 

I don't begrudge it to them for a second.

I shop at the commisary in Orlando sometimes. It's definitely cheaper but not dramatically so. I can get Boars head meats that are $10 a pound  at Publix for $8 or $9. for example.

Choices are somewhat lacking. I go maybe once a month because it's a miserable shopping experiece. Orlando's commissary is in an old airplane hanger. There are some nice, beautiful modern commissaries out there which  are much nicer

Yes, there are a lot of small benefits. Discounts to attractions etc. For me as a retiree and for Ryan as an AD , we also get space A travel. I'm flying to Europe for free in Early October. I flew from Ca for free this year and from Germany to the USA last october. There are giant resort hotels for military in Korea, Japan and Hawaii. You can stay on the beach in Waikiki for half the price of civilians. We can also stay on base lodging all over the world. We had an awesome 1 BR suite on Coronado Island for $60 in Feb

   Now I was stationed at Camp Pendleton many moons ago and BAH was not even close to the cost of renting/owning in that area. There is an upper limit for BAH and a few states have COLA's higher than that.  BAH helped, but didn't do the job. I knew Marines on Food Stamps and WIC when I was in CA. From what I've heard Hawaii is another place where BAH doesn't cut it. And if there is a long waiting list for on base housing you have no choice but to live on the economy.   In other areas BAH is more than adequate.

Another issue is that it is often hard for a spouse to get, and maintain employment ,when there are pretty constant  moves from place to place.   

Edited July 26, 2015 by JennyMominFL

[WireWrap]

I don't think that I would trade CA for OK. I can see it being a huge culture shock for her. And I think that she was in denial re: Ryan's issues (or maybe too proud to admit that she made a huge mistake in marrying some stranger she met online). Even Billy told him off at one point.

Well, to give Ryan some credit, he did go get help for PTSD after blowing his stack on Lidia's mom according to reports, so maybe he is doing much better with his anger issues. I do disagree about Briana moving to OK though, I think it was the best thing for her to do to get out from under Vicki's control. Can you imagine having Vicki for a mom or mother in-law, she would be at your house every day if she could. LOL Heck, even Michael didn't give her his address for a long time. LOL 

[IKnowRight]

For Haley's sake, I hope Meghan wasn't doing her high school homework for her.

Meghan's bowling score was 99 in the second half of the 10th frame, and she said, "If I get all three, I'm at 101. Um, no, you'll be at 102. Because 99 + 3 = 102, see?

But even that won't necessarily be your final score because if you get all three you'll have a spare in the 10th frame, and your game isn't over. Sheeeeesh. I knew that and I never received a formal bowling education, like she did.

I know times are changing, 50 is the new 30 or whatever, but I'm just not thrilled when women over 50 wear bikinis. The whole mess of 'em did it recently on RHoNYC and even though they're in good shape, I think it looks a little silly. There are plenty of one-piece bathing suits that are relatively modest yet still show off assets, if that's your jam.

I would normally agree, but this lady looks better than most 25 year olds! Plus, she's been clinging to the one piece since she has had kids. At 40 she could have rocked it but did not want to...

The issue is not the bikini looking too young on her but I see what you are saying about some of these ladies. The problem with say Ramona is, is that she ruins the look accessorizing with old lady shoes, jewelry, hats...if she wore a sportier looking bikini, or more glamourous style, she would look appropriate. Ramona and Sonja often still look 1980s and that is what makes them look silly. Something tells me Ramona would never wear a Heather sporty looking bikini. More Northface or Ralph Lauren and less jordache? Or whatever 80s style Ramona clings too.

Yes, a 50 year old wearing a teen style looks awful but if your 50 year old body is in better shape than most 25 year old, why not wear a sophisticated, age appropriate bikini? I'm not talking g string and teeny weeny kind of bikini. It's not that hard to look younger without looking like an idiot or that you are trying too hard.

Edited July 26, 2015 by IKnowRight

[Beden]

 

Orlando's commissary is in an old airplane hanger. There are some nice, beautiful modern commissaries out there which  are much nicer

Yes, there are a lot of small benefits. 

There are giant resort hotels for military in Korea, Japan and Hawaii. You can stay on the beach in Waikiki for half the price of civilians. We can also stay on base lodging all over the world. We had an awesome 1 BR suite on Coronado Island for $60 in Feb

   Now I was stationed at Camp Pendleton many moons ago and BAH was not even close to the cost of renting/owning in that area. There is an upper limit for BAH and a few states have COLA's higher than that.  BAH helped, but didn't do the job. I knew Marines on Food Stamps and WIC when I was in CA. From what I've heard Hawaii is another place where BAH doesn't cut it. And if there is a long waiting list for on base housing you have no choice but to live on the economy.   In other areas BAH is more than adequate.

Another issue is that it is often hard for a spouse to get, and maintain employment ,when there are pretty constant  moves from place to place.

I don't want to turn this into a forum about military life but you're right in what you say. We were lucky in having a small but new, reasonably state of the art commissary and yes, the selection could be limited due to it's smallish size but there was also an aisle with a lot of imported food for the many foreign assignees on base and that stuff was fun. And yes, the travel perks can be good--with Dad we stayed in the VIP guest quarters at Ft Meade, just outside of Washington DC--that was a nice place. We also were able to access the guest quarters world wide while traveling--it was cheap and great.

 

Sadly--and inexcusably--it's also true that food stamps and other hardships aren't uncommon; long separations, money problems and the list goes on and on. It's a hard life, no question.

 

I reiterate my opinion that the relatively few perks are well earned and deserved.

[zoeysmom]

Oh ok I didn't realize that Leanne's other daughter was that much older than Hayley! I guess Megan really is more like a sister to her .... or perhaps an {Dr. Evil voice} evil stepsister {Dr. Evil voice}.  

From LeeAnn's Facebook the older daughter, Lauren. a proud ASU graduate has her 22nd birthday next month.  I have no idea what the benchmark is for surviving colorectal cancer according to LeeAnn she was officially a cancer survivor in May of 2012.  So if it was five years from date of diagnosis it would have been 2007. 

 

I noticed Haley managed to score a Mercedes from mom.  Rough times in the OC.

 

RIP LeeAnn and I hope there will be an official obituary.

[RedHawk]

Wrong show, sorry!

Edited July 26, 2015 by RedHawk

[Bebecat]

OT/Jmo but I am old-fashioned enough to believe 40 is the cut-off for bikinis and mini-skirts, lol. Even 40 is pushing it. I just don't the need to show so much flesh. One-piece shits are elegant and can show one's shape is a flattering way. Same with longer skirts. But anyway...:)

[AuntieDiane6]

 

Sadly--and inexcusably--it's also true that food stamps and other hardships aren't uncommon; long separations, money problems and the list goes on and on. It's a hard life, no question.

 

Food stamps and the like are common because a lot of the young enlistees are already on the line for CHILD SUPPORT and that comes out of their pay before they even see it.  A lot of the young guys are married to a woman who has a child or two from a previous relationship, then they have a baby and meanwhile, he is paying child support to a baby mama out of state. It's become a huge problem in the military.

 

A family member in the military shared a gorgeous house off-base with 3 other single officers and drove a BMW.   He was 25.  He also banked all his pay from when he was in a combat situation overseas.  

 

But back to RYAN … all his pay when he was in Afghanistan and Iraq (4 or 5 times) was tax-free and even he couldn't have spent it that fast. He was still single then.

Edited July 26, 2015 by AuntieDiane6

[StatisticalOutlier]

You guys laugh, but we did at my middle school. I grew up in western Pennsylvania. I would hazard a guess that a lot of schools in rust belt states and in the Midwest had bowling classes or bowling teams when Meghan was growing up. I'm a couple of years older than Meghan, but bowling was still pretty popular when I was a kid.

 

Back in the 70s, they offered bowling at my high school in a small town in Texas.

 

 

OT/Jmo but I am old-fashioned enough to believe 40 is the cut-off for bikinis and mini-skirts, lol. Even 40 is pushing it. I just don't the need to show so much flesh. One-piece shits are elegant and can show one's shape is a flattering way. Same with longer skirts. But anyway...:)

 

Totally agree.

[IKnowRight]

Wrong show, sorry!

Yah, my original post on bikinis was in NY, or at least I thought it was...no wonder I was confused...

OT/Jmo but I am old-fashioned enough to believe 40 is the cut-off for bikinis and mini-skirts, lol. Even 40 is pushing it. I just don't the need to show so much flesh. One-piece shits are elegant and can show one's shape is a flattering way. Same with longer skirts. But anyway...:)

Definitely there are limits! There's nothing worse than someone wearing an ultra mini or, yikes, tube tops at a certain point. I absolutely agree. Typically what I think looks the worst is something that's trendy.

[JennyMominFL]

A family member in the military shared a gorgeous house off-base with 3 other single officers and drove a BMW.   He was 25.  He also banked all his pay from when he was in a combat situation overseas.  

 

But back to RYAN … all his pay when he was in Afghanistan and Iraq (4 or 5 times) was tax-free and even he couldn't have spent it that fast. He was still single then.

Officers make a lot more money than enlisted men , and Ryan is enlisted.

[Snarky McSnarky]

Oh good God! No no no. Is there no background check for owning a gun store?

Look at her background!  How does that happen? Guess if you shouldn't qualify to buy a gun, open your own gun store! 

She doesn't own it.

[Snarky McSnarky]

I bet she's a SAHM.  Sure, she could work part-time, but that's difficult as a nurse because part-time is often 12 hour shifts and daycare would be hard to find without family there to pitch in. 

 

A husband like Ryan doesn't help.  

For what it's worth, Briana obtained her RN license in Oklahoma on 5/1/14.  Also, Vicki recently responded to someone's Tweet about her, and replied that she is working as an ER Nurse.

 

http://www.inquisitr.com/2275539/vicki-gunvalson-defends-her-daughters-finances-they-should-be-respectful-of-the-money

[This2getsold]

She doesn't own it.

 Is she still working there? 

Didn't she say she owned it when she first met Tams?  

[Snarky McSnarky]

 Is she still working there? 

Didn't she say she owned it when she first met Tams?  

No clue.  She would visit law enforcement agencies around the State (their target clients) so she could still be working for the business in some capacity.  I think they said she "ran" the store or some such BS, but their Facebook page linked below says it is owned by a military veteran (a former Naval Aviator).  Just more RHOC/Tamra Barney bullshit, like they used to say Eddie was CEO or President of a law firm, implying that he was an attorney without really explaining the truth.

 

https://www.facebook.com/californiatactical/info?tab=overview

Edited July 27, 2015 by Bella Roche

[zoeysmom]

Officers make a lot more money than enlisted men , and Ryan is enlisted.

I am going to take a wild guess and estimate Ryan makes about $6,000.00 a month with allowances.  I think he is a Master Gunnery sergeant--somebody who knows the stripes would have a better idea.

For what it's worth, Briana obtained her RN license in Oklahoma on 5/1/14.  Also, Vicki recently responded to someone's Tweet about her, and replied that she is working as an ER Nurse.

 

http://www.inquisitr.com/2275539/vicki-gunvalson-defends-her-daughters-finances-they-should-be-respectful-of-the-money

I don't think Brianna is getting a Bravo paycheck any longer.  So she probably needed to go back.

[JennyMominFL]

I am going to take a wild guess and estimate Ryan makes about $6,000.00 a month with allowances. I think he is a Master Gunnery sergeant--somebody who knows the stripes would have a better idea.

I don't think Brianna is getting a Bravo paycheck any longer. So she probably needed to go back.

Do you have a more recent pic of Ryan in uniform. I'm a Marine, I know the insignia. He's a Staff Sgt in his wedding pic. It's not likely he made if from SSgt, through Gunny all the way to Master Sgt in 3 years. Most Tops that I served with were in their 40's Edited July 27, 2015 by JennyMominFL

[Granimal]

Regarding women of a certain age and swimwear. I attend several pool parties at my neighborhood's country club throughout the year, and I would say most of the women 40 and above were in bikinis. It was actually hard to spot a one piece swimsuit anywhere. I think many of the HWs especially view a one piece bathing suit as a sign of aging. Start losing the sexy ridiculous stilettos and inches of makeup and your husband may figure out that you're not in your twenties anymore and leave you for his mistress. On top of that many of the HWs have had either plastic surgery or work out a ton and want to show off what they got. 

 

Doesn't Lizzie design bathing suits? Maybe she could help a sister out.

[Snarky McSnarky]

Do you have a more recent pic of Ryan in uniform. I'm a Marine, I know the insignia. He's a Staff Sgt in his wedding pic. It's not likely he made if from SSgt, through Gunny all the way to Master Sgt in 3 years. Most Tops that I served with were in their 40's

He was a Staff Sgt as of March 2014.  Most likely still is.

 

http://archive.marinecorpstimes.com/article/20140302/OFFDUTY02/303020009/Marines-confront-stigma-post-traumatic-stress

 

Make that November 2014.  Just found another news item involving him:

 

http://www.news9.com/story/27421080/okc-toys-for-tots-in-need-of-donations

Edited July 27, 2015 by Bella Roche

[motorcitymom65]

Well, to give Ryan some credit, he did go get help for PTSD after blowing his stack on Lidia's mom according to reports, so maybe he is doing much better with his anger issues. I do disagree about Briana moving to OK though, I think it was the best thing for her to do to get out from under Vicki's control. Can you imagine having Vicki for a mom or mother in-law, she would be at your house every day if she could. LOL Heck, even Michael didn't give her his address for a long time. LOL 

No, I cannot imagine having Vicki for a mother or a MIL. What a nightmare. I agree that I think it was a good thing for Brianna to get the hell out. 

 

I do think that the OK thing had to be a huge shock for her, and honestly I didn't think she would be able to take it. I lived a great deal of my life in OK, until my 30's, and I still get twitchy when I go back to visit (unless I am at Eskimo Joe's in Stillwater - there I am never twitchy).  My experience is that many, many people love living there and are very happy, but they tend to be folks that are from there; they grew up there and that is what they know. I never met very many people in my years that came from some place else who were happy, especially folks from more liberal states (although clearly it happens).  Everything is different. It's not particularly an attractive place to live in comparison to where Brianna is from. There are no mountains or oceans, and the climate completely sucks. Humidity lives there almost year round.  The lakes are plentiful, but they are cloudy and dirty and you have to wear your shoes in the water all the time. The political and cultural climate couldn't be further from anything you could find in California. That is the thing that could be jarring if Brianna has a different set of political beliefs. I spend a lot of time when I read their local news rolling my eyes and saying "thanks" to my husband that we no longer have to deal with such foolishness.  I also thought she should get away from Vicki, but she honestly couldn't have found a place that is more different from where she was from, but maybe she likes that? 

 

ETA: I don't want to piss off the nice folks in OK.  All my family is there so I know that there are some mighty fine, happy people living there.

[MatildaMoody]

Well, to give Ryan some credit, he did go get help for PTSD after blowing his stack on Lidia's mom according to reports, so maybe he is doing much better with his anger issues. I do disagree about Briana moving to OK though, I think it was the best thing for her to do to get out from under Vicki's control. Can you imagine having Vicki for a mom or mother in-law, she would be at your house every day if she could. LOL Heck, even Michael didn't give her his address for a long time. LOL 

 

If he truly did get help, I agree that he deserves credit. I am still not sure that his blow up at Lydia's mom had anything whatsoever to do with PTSD, since he seemed to be really enjoying railing at her and Brianna seemed to really enjoy backing him up on it. I think both Ryan and Brianna were drunk and believed themselves to be in the right. It wasn't until the backlash that they came up with the PTSD diagnosis.

 

As for Brianna and Vicki's relationship. Yes Vicki is a total narcissist, but I never got the impression that Brianna felt especially under her control. Both Brianna and Micheal seemed to humor Vicki when they could, take advantage of her when they wanted to, and ignore her when they didn't need her for anything. In short, I feel like Vicki's narcissism was inherited by both Brianna and Michael.  So, I guess I never really saw either of them as victims who needed to escape Vicki. I always saw them as two selfish people who used their mother when they needed to and poked fun at her when it suited them. And I think that Brianna especially took advantage of Vicki's neediness. She knew that Vicki would do anything to keep Brianna from with holding affection, so she had no problem springing her ill advised marriage on her. She had no problem telling Vicki who she should be dating. She had no problem moving her new husband into her mother's house and letting him dictate the rules.

[Duke2801]

So, I watched that scene again last night and Vicki said that Brianna wasn't doing well and that she needed to go to Vegas and dance on tables. At first I thought she was talking about how Brianna was coping with her grandmother's death, but then Vicki did the whole i-forgot-my-mom-died thing. So I'm wondering what Vicki was referring to. Maybe ragey Ryan?

 

Yeah, I was thinking it was a case of being depressed about being in a place where she's far away from her family and friends.  And maybe some PPD? Oh, and yes, definitely being married to Ragey Ryan would just be the icing on the depressing cake.

 

You guys laugh, but we did at my middle school. I grew up in western Pennsylvania. I would hazard a guess that a lot of schools in rust belt states and in the Midwest had bowling classes or bowling teams when Meghan was growing up. I'm a couple of years older than Meghan, but bowling was still pretty popular when I was a kid.

 

Whaaaaa??? I too grew up in western PA but we were offered NO "formal bowling education" (props to the poster who coined this phrase!) in either middle school or high school. I'm appalled and outraged!!

[WireWrap]

If he truly did get help, I agree that he deserves credit. I am still not sure that his blow up at Lydia's mom had anything whatsoever to do with PTSD, since he seemed to be really enjoying railing at her and Brianna seemed to really enjoy backing him up on it. I think both Ryan and Brianna were drunk and believed themselves to be in the right. It wasn't until the backlash that they came up with the PTSD diagnosis.

 

As for Brianna and Vicki's relationship. Yes Vicki is a total narcissist, but I never got the impression that Brianna felt especially under her control. Both Brianna and Micheal seemed to humor Vicki when they could, take advantage of her when they wanted to, and ignore her when they didn't need her for anything. In short, I feel like Vicki's narcissism was inherited by both Brianna and Michael.  So, I guess I never really saw either of them as victims who needed to escape Vicki. I always saw them as two selfish people who used their mother when they needed to and poked fun at her when it suited them. And I think that Brianna especially took advantage of Vicki's neediness. She knew that Vicki would do anything to keep Brianna from with holding affection, so she had no problem springing her ill advised marriage on her. She had no problem telling Vicki who she should be dating. She had no problem moving her new husband into her mother's house and letting him dictate the rules.

How many times did we see Briana do what Vicki wanted instead of what she wanted. Joining the military, working overseas as a nurse, the school/college she wanted, she always gave way to Vicki's demands and never did what she wanted. Yes, both Briana and Michael were spoiled brats but that is what Vicki taught them and there was always a rather steep price for it with their mother dictating their every move, which eventually they both stepped away from.  

 

As for her marriage to Ryan being "ill advised", IMO, the jury is still out on that and I can understand why she didn't want a standard wedding because it would have been all about Vicki and Vicki's needs/wants, not Briana's/Ryan's.

 

Not too many viewers supported Vicki and Brooks as a couple, yet got upset that Briana spoke out against him even though she saw first hand what was going on, the games he, Brooks, played. I, myself, question why and how Vicki can rationalize being with a man that suggested to her son in-law to beat his wife (her daughter). IMO, that is sick and I could never be with a man that told someone to hurt my child, EVER!

 

According to Vicki, it was her idea for Briana and Ryan to move in with her because Ryan was about to be deployed for the 5th time to Afghanistan, an active combat zone, not theirs. Yes, they agreed but so did Vicki and she also agreed to their conditions about no Brooks and I don't blame them. It was Brooks that sold the story about Briana being pregnant to the tabloids, so he had already betrayed them and I wouldn't want him around either. So, Brooks sells private info about Briana, then Brooks tells Ryan he needs to beat Briana and people wonder why Briana/Ryan have issues with Brooks? LOL

 

Oh, and I believe he suffers from PTSD, I do not think it is an excuse. What we saw on the show, Lydia's mom, happened after 4 tours of duty in an active combat area.

Edited July 27, 2015 by WireWrap

[ghoulina]

WireWrap, there's a lot of truth to what you say. I think Vicki has a very dysfunctional relationship with her daughter. I think she wanted to keep her close because Vicki is co-dependent and did not want to live on her own. I totally think it was her idea to move them in. I bet she brought it up over and over again, and Brianna kept saying "no" because of the Brooks situation. Then Vicki probably insisted they weren't seeing each other any more, or he would never come to the house, or whatever - wore Brianna down. Then thought she could see Brooks on the sly. Is it a child's place to make demands on their parent's love life? No. But I didn't exactly see the situation like that. I think Brianna, while wanting nothing to do with Brooks, eventually realized Vicki wasn't going to be persuaded and tried to give up - but keep her distance. The distance just wasn't cutting it for Vicki. She wanted to have her cake and eat it too. I don't know....I just think the whole thing is very messy, with no winners on either side. Vicki has every right to date any guy she wants, but Brianna also has the right to not want to be around said person if she finds issue with them. 

 

As for Ryan, I just don't know enough to say. I feel like we never saw enough of him. He definitely seemed very OOC and awful with Lydia's mom, but PTSD is a very real thing. My husband was in Afghanistan a year and he wasn't even in combat. He was a civilian contractor, housed on a military base. He never saw half the shit the soldiers see, but he saw some shit - came into the mess hall for breakfast, to find a bunch of dead bodies laid out on the tables. A convoy he was supposed to be on going to another base got blown up right outside their gates. It messed him up a bit. He had some anger issues when he got back. He never even came close to hurting any of us, nothing like that. But he just had a temper, became moody and withdrawn. He's still a ,lot more withdrawn than he's ever been in the 10 years I've known him, but he doesn't have the same anger issues at all. Anyhow, like I said, that's not even a soldier! For those guys, it's ten times worse. And they're making them deploy so much these days, it's just awful. I hope Ryan really did get help, and I hope proper help was available to him. A lot of our soldiers and vets fall through the cracks and my heart just goes out to them. 

[MatildaMoody]

How many times did we see Briana do what Vicki wanted instead of what she wanted. Joining the military, working overseas as a nurse, the school/college she wanted, she always gave way to Vicki's demands and never did what she wanted. Yes, both Briana and Michael were spoiled brats but that is what Vicki taught them and there was always a rather steep price for it with their mother dictating their every move, which eventually they both stepped away from.  

 

As for her marriage to Ryan being "ill advised", IMO, the jury is still out on that and I can understand why she didn't want a standard wedding because it would have been all about Vicki and Vicki's needs/wants, not Briana's/Ryan's.

 

Not too many viewers supported Vicki and Brooks as a couple, yet got upset that Briana spoke out against him even though she saw first hand what was going on, the games he, Brooks, played. I, myself, question why and how Vicki can rationalize being with a man that suggested to her son in-law to beat his wife (her daughter). IMO, that is sick and I could never be with a man that told someone to hurt my child, EVER!

 

According to Vicki, it was her idea for Briana and Ryan to move in with her because Ryan was about to be deployed for the 5th time to Afghanistan, an active combat zone, not theirs. Yes, they agreed but so did Vicki and she also agreed to their conditions about no Brooks and I don't blame them. It was Brooks that sold the story about Briana being pregnant to the tabloids, so he had already betrayed them and I wouldn't want him around either. So, Brooks sells private info about Briana, then Brooks tells Ryan he needs to beat Briana and people wonder why Briana/Ryan have issues with Brooks? LOL

 

Oh, and I believe he suffers from PTSD, I do not think it is an excuse. What we saw on the show, Lydia's mom, happened after 4 tours of duty in an active combat area.

 

I am not saying that Vicki wasn't horrible. I am just saying that she raised two horrible children as well. And the marriage to Ryan was ill advised as he was already married when the two of them started dating. Also, for all of Brianna's claims of not wanting a traditional wedding. She sure as hell didn't say no to Vicki footing the bill for one. Also, I heard that recording where Brooks supposedly said that Ryan should beat Brianna. That shit was so obviously set up. Brooks was drunk off his ass and Ryan was leading him to say what he wanted Brooks to say.

Of course we all had issues with Brooks. But, I am pretty sure that everyone and I do mean everyone who has/had problems with Brooks also accepted that Vicki was an adult who could make her own decisions about who she wanted in her life. And none of the audience tried to use Vicki's affection as leverage in that argument. 

 

As for how many times Brianna didn't do what she wanted? Please.Brianna made the choice to acquiesce to Vicki because she knew that she could always blame Vicki if things didn't turn out the way she wanted. Their relationship has always been mutually needy and narcisstic. Brianna is a mini Vicki.

 

And as a member of a military family, I am very much aware of PTSD and it's affects. I am saying that there was no mention of PTSD until after Ryan's gleeful attack on Lydia's mother caused such an extreme backlash that Vickit took Brianna on a vacation out of the country to avoid dealing with it. Ryan may very well suffer from PTSD. And I don't begrudge him getting help. But, his smugness at knowing that he was in the right had nothing to do with extreme emotional stress. He was enjoying himself as he tried to proclaim that it was his house and only catching himself at the last minute. And then, they way Brianna joyfully backed him up in all of her drunken glory. The both of them obviously felt like they were somehow in the right and were going to show that old lady who was boss. So, yeah, Ryan may have PTSD, but how do you explain Brianna?

[WireWrap]

I am not saying that Vicki wasn't horrible. I am just saying that she raised two horrible children as well. And the marriage to Ryan was ill advised as he was already married when the two of them started dating. Also, for all of Brianna's claims of not wanting a traditional wedding. She sure as hell didn't say no to Vicki footing the bill for one. Also, I heard that recording where Brooks supposedly said that Ryan should beat Brianna. That shit was so obviously set up. Brooks was drunk off his ass and Ryan was leading him to say what he wanted Brooks to say.

Of course we all had issues with Brooks. But, I am pretty sure that everyone and I do mean everyone who has/had problems with Brooks also accepted that Vicki was an adult who could make her own decisions about who she wanted in her life. And none of the audience tried to use Vicki's affection as leverage in that argument. 

 

As for how many times Brianna didn't do what she wanted? Please.Brianna made the choice to acquiesce to Vicki because she knew that she could always blame Vicki if things didn't turn out the way she wanted. Their relationship has always been mutually needy and narcisstic. Brianna is a mini Vicki.

 

And as a member of a military family, I am very much aware of PTSD and it's affects. I am saying that there was no mention of PTSD until after Ryan's gleeful attack on Lydia's mother caused such an extreme backlash that Vickit took Brianna on a vacation out of the country to avoid dealing with it. Ryan may very well suffer from PTSD. And I don't begrudge him getting help. But, his smugness at knowing that he was in the right had nothing to do with extreme emotional stress. He was enjoying himself as he tried to proclaim that it was his house and only catching himself at the last minute. And then, they way Brianna joyfully backed him up in all of her drunken glory. The both of them obviously felt like they were somehow in the right and were going to show that old lady who was boss. So, yeah, Ryan may have PTSD, but how do you explain Brianna?

As you said, "she is a mini Vicki"! LOL That is why I think Briana moving out of state was/is the best for her and her family to do. She does need to allow her mother to date whoever she wants and make her own mistakes but I get her concern about Brooks. Betray, the tabloids/beating recommendation, my child like he did Briana and he would have gotten the door slammed in his face but then, I tend to put my child(ren) before myself, unlike Vicki.

 

As for the recorded rant, Ryan did not put those words into Brooks mouth, he did not set him up, Brooks called him already drunk and IMO, he, Brooks, said what he really thought/felt. Why cut Brooks slack when he said to beat Briana because HE was drunk but then hold Ryan accountable for his words to Judy when he was also drunk? IMO, you can't have it both ways. Both Ryan and Brooks were drunk and IMO, both were wrong but only 1 of them got help and that 1 is Ryan, not Brooks.