All Episodes Talk: Small World, Big Lives

[Endora]

Chris is interested in finding out how much money Amy might have lost out on in the partial property sale of the farm.  After all that would have been his windfall too and then maybe he could have afforded to buy step grandson Jackson a new bike.

[bichonblitz]

On 11/9/2022 at 4:19 PM, Joan of Argh said:

Chris needs to back off, it’s very unattractive

I would hope he called ZnT to ask them if it was ok to gift Jackson with the bike.  Maybe they were planning on a bike for Jackson for what ever next occasion they would celebrate. Christmas, birthday, etc. Maybe they already bought him a bike. Best to check with the parents first. It's common courtesy to the parents. Chris needs to stfu about now wishing he had kids and grandkids of his own. It comes off as insincere to me. 

First mistake made during the big farm-gate meeting was to have Caryn included. She is not Matt's wife but apparently had a lot to say all of which is none of her business. Bad move, Matt. Caryn was stupid not to realize this was a meeting she should not be involved in. Now she has regrets. Hindsight is a bitch. 

That said, how ironic Tori and Zach always favored Caryn over Amy. First choice babysitter, always at their house, Jackson always sleeping over. Now the tables have turned and Amy is the favored one. You know she's loving the split between them all no matter what she says. 

Edited November 11, 2022 by bichonblitz

[b4pjoe]

2 hours ago, bichonblitz said:

I would hope he called ZnT to ask them if it was ok to gift Jackson with the bike.  Maybe they were planning on a bike for Jackson for what ever next occasion they would celebrate. Christmas, birthday, etc. Maybe they already bought him a bike. Best to check with the parents first.

Maybe he will land on the "not allowed to see kids list"?

[Back Atcha]

On 11/9/2022 at 4:56 AM, Jeanne222 said:

To be able to follow his dreams he needs money.  Money to payoff Amy and money to build his and Caryn new home.

Matt went through several architects, planners, plans...and tweaked everything over the years.  STILL, nothing was right.  In waltzes St. Caryn and VOILA! she found plans are just fine for Matt.  Wait. And. See.  Rinse and Repeat.

[Back Atcha]

9 hours ago, Endora said:

Chris is interested in finding out how much money Amy might have lost out on in the partial property sale of the farm.  After all that would have been his windfall too

"Prolly" not.

8 hours ago, bichonblitz said:

I would hope he called ZnT to ask them if it was ok to gift Jackson with the bike.  Maybe they were planning on a bike for Jackson for what ever next occasion they would celebrate. Christmas, birthday, etc. Maybe they already bought him a bike. Best to check with the parents first. It's common courtesy to the parents.  

Since this is part of the storyline, we should assume that not ONLY was Amy (his wife, Jackson's grandmother) consulted and the parents consulted, so was Production.

8 hours ago, bichonblitz said:

Chris needs to stfu about now wishing he had kids and grandkids of his own. It comes off as insincere to me.

 STFU???  Didn't he say it only once?  Can't he have a sincere wistful moment--which I believe it was. 

Edited November 12, 2022 by Back Atcha

[Hedgehog2022]

4 minutes ago, Back Atcha said:

Matt went through several architects, planners, plans...and tweaked everything over the years.  STILL, nothing was right.  In waltzes St. Caryn and VOILA! she found plans are just fine for Matt.  Wait. And. See.  Rinse and Repeat.

Part of Matt's problem is that he thinks he's the smartest guy in the room and knows better than trained architects, planners and designers. He sees himself as some of Thomas Jefferson type of a guy...a guy that can wear many hats and do eveything well. He can't. He has these ideas that he gets other people to implement but then orders everyone around who is working on his ideas and things get messy. The property itself is beautiful but the the playtowns and structures that he put up over the years are an eyesore and dangerous. They have definitely played a role in the lack of serious interest in a buyer. Destroying those structures and getting rid of them is $$$...the house is also problematic. The kitchen is built for a little person, unless they did it over. It's a very large house which might not be appealing to a smaller family...lots of space equals high energy costs and overhead. 

I thought Matt was pretty cocky when he announced he was selling the farm...I think he thought he would have it sold in a week or two. Now he's realized the market changed and it's now a buyers market and he will have to go down in his asking price. He's not as business savvy as he thinks he is.

[readheaded]

On 11/9/2022 at 5:01 PM, Libby said:

I like Chris. He seems like a nice man to me. I thought it was nice that he got Jackson a bike for his birthday.

I think there's a belief among some (not me) that Amy isn't lovable, so Chris must have ulterior motives and is pretending for personal gain.

[Joan of Argh]

27 minutes ago, Back Atcha said:

Matt went through several architects, planners, plans...and tweaked everything over the years.  STILL, nothing was right.  In waltzes St. Caryn and VOILA! she found plans are just fine for Matt.  Wait. And. See.  Rinse and Repeat.

I have a feeling that the house Matt wanted to build turned out to be way more than he could afford and when the farmhouse didn’t sell for a gazillion $$$$…. it was off the table.

I think the “Caryn waltzed in with a perfect set of house plans from a local builder, that turned out to be perfect” was a cover story for “I can’t afford the house I wanted”

[Back Atcha]

9 minutes ago, Joan of Argh said:

I think the “Caryn waltzed in with a perfect set of house plans from a local builder, that turned out to be perfect” was a cover story for “I can’t afford the house I wanted”

Good old Matt...always right...always a con.

On 11/10/2022 at 7:04 AM, Libby said:

Caryn had the option to tell Matt that she didn't want to attend the meeting.

We knew THAT would never happen.  She's been leading Matt around by...(whatever inappropriate thing/things come to your mind).  He has become VERY dependent on her ... and if he doesn't remain "the smartest human in the room," he might live to regret it.

[Back Atcha]

31 minutes ago, readheaded said:

  On 11/9/2022 at 3:01 PM, Libby said:

I like Chris. He seems like a nice man to me. I thought it was nice that he got Jackson a bike for his birthday.

I agree.  He seems like a laidback guy.  He's going to have to be patient with Amy.  She's almost like an abused pet that will require a lot of love, attention, and "overlooking," until it feels safe--and HAPPY.  Neither person is perfect; I hope they're mature enough to work on every little quirk that might be annoying.

31 minutes ago, readheaded said:

I think there's a belief among some (not me) that Amy isn't lovable, so Chris must have ulterior motives and is pretending for personal gain.

Makes us wonder what kind of lives some of us live.  It sure would be nice to know how "the original" Amy would have turned out--the one who didn't face thirty years of living with King Matt.  Someone like him often drains the personality out of so many.

[bichonblitz]

1 hour ago, Back Atcha said:

STFU???  Didn't he say it only once?  Can't he have a sincere wistful moment--which I believe it was. 

nope

3 hours ago, b4pjoe said:

Maybe he will land on the "not allowed to see kids list"?

Which is why he's kissing as much ass as possible! Doesn't want to be on that list or have Amy get mad at him for being on that list. 

[1011101010001]

1 hour ago, Joan of Argh said:

I have a feeling that the house Matt wanted to build turned out to be way more than he could afford and when the farmhouse didn’t sell for a gazillion $$$$…. it was off the table.

I think the “Caryn waltzed in with a perfect set of house plans from a local builder, that turned out to be perfect” was a cover story for “I can’t afford the house I wanted”

Maybe he will put two double-wides together for a palatial quadruple-wide.

[BusyOctober]

I noticed Amy loaded up her garage at the new house.  Chris’s sense of order and neatness will never align with Amy’ hoarding tendencies.  Wonder how many of the boxes in the garage have mugs and tchotchkes in them compared to the number of boxes in the basement, attic, crawl spaces and closets filled with mugs and tchotchkes?

[Joan of Argh]

1 hour ago, MrBuhBye said:

Maybe he will put two double-wides together for a palatial quadruple-wide.

[Endora]

3 hours ago, Back Atcha said:

“Prolly" not.

Really?  She wouldn’t use any of that money to do nice things for Chris?  She has to keep him interested somehow.

[Back Atcha]

14 minutes ago, Endora said:

4 hours ago, Back Atcha said:

“Prolly" not.

Really?  She wouldn’t use any of that money to do nice things for Chris?  She has to keep him interested somehow.

Ouch.  Perhaps I don't know what Roloff Inn is.  It's not something owned by Matt?

This is all confusing.  My "Prolly" not was in answer to THIS comment below (nothing about the Roloff Inn,) so I've crossed through that entire answer, replacing it with this.  It probably doesn't help at all.

  9 HOURS AGO, ENDORA SAID:  Chris is interested in finding out how much money Amy might have lost out on in the partial property sale of the farm.  After all that would have been his windfall too

THEN I ANSWERED:  "Prolly" not.   I meant that--for Chris, there probably would have been NO "windfall" for him as parts of the property were/are sold. That stuff should have been decided and agreed as part of a prenup or other paperwork involving the familly.

Edited November 12, 2022 by Back Atcha

[Back Atcha]

1 hour ago, BusyOctober said:

I noticed Amy loaded up her garage at the new house.

It's stuff recently put there for a garage sale.  Seems like a lot of fans, not-so-fans, and tourists might like to buy "mugs and tchotchkes" associated with any Roloff.  Small trinkets; easy to pack...cost very little.  One man's trash...and so on.

[Eme]

“Married Amy and Matt” were hard to watch.  I like to think that Amy can be a better person with Chris.  I’ve always liked him and he seems to be really in love with her. I think she found that hard to believe at first and had a lot of misgivings, but now they are happily married and moving on.    As someone said above, she is like a formerly abused pet who Is navigating a different life.  The more she stays away from Matt, the better she’ll be. 

[Endora]

A formerly abused pet???  Amy can hold her own, she gave as good as she got.

[SunnyBeBe]

18 hours ago, Endora said:

A formerly abused pet???  Amy can hold her own, she gave as good as she got.

Yeah, remember back when Jer and Auj were on and sitting with Z and T talking wedding plans and someone…..I think it was T who said something about we all know how Amy can get…..you don’t won’t to go there with her….or something like that.   The others froze and just looked stunned.  Lol. Too funny.  I think T let that slip.  But, Amy’s never held her tongue with Matt.  That’s for sure.  I guess it’s a good thing to always speak your mind.  🥴

[Libby]

I agree that Amy gave as good as she got. I also think that that's commendable. The wife and mother of the family should stand up and give as good as she gets. It's good for herself and good for her children.

ETA: As an aside... Caryn isn't the wife and mother of the family... so she should really be quiet.

Edited November 12, 2022 by Libby

[Joan of Argh]

22 hours ago, Endora said:

A formerly abused pet???  Amy can hold her own, she gave as good as she got.

Pet?!?  😂

pet RAT maybe. 🐀

[Eme]

Can’t disagree that Amy gave as good as she got with Matt, but that doesn’t mean she wasn’t in a relationship where one can look back and liken her to an abused pet.  The two are not mutually exclusive. At least in what we saw on the show, Matt had the upper hand financially and appeared to pretty much do what he wanted to do.  Amy would complain endlessly and it got on viewers nerves.  Maybe she also did whatever she wanted financially, but we didn’t see it or hear him complain about it.  YMMV

[BAForever]

Way back when, I think @Irate Panda said it best. These are 2 people who didn't really know each other well, got married and had 4 kids. They didn't communicate well and were probably doomed. Each made mistakes. I'm glad they divorced. They still have years ahead of them, why be miserable?

Edited November 13, 2022 by BAForever

[LPBWPrimeTime]

I'm new here so I apologize if this was addressed earlier. I've been re-watching the show from the very early episodes and now am in Season 12. I was just wondering if you thought that Matt and Amy ever watched their relationship unfold on TV - and how they interacted with each other. It seems like an amazing - and unique - opportunity to see that they really weren't interacting well as a couple and maybe try to improve things. I remember Matt mentioning something about communication once and it made me wonder if they were in therapy at that point. Do you think they did this or would it have helped?

[Joan of Argh]

6 hours ago, LPBWPrimeTime said:

I'm new here so I apologize if this was addressed earlier. I've been re-watching the show from the very early episodes and now am in Season 12. I was just wondering if you thought that Matt and Amy ever watched their relationship unfold on TV - and how they interacted with each other. It seems like an amazing - and unique - opportunity to see that they really weren't interacting well as a couple and maybe try to improve things. I remember Matt mentioning something about communication once and it made me wonder if they were in therapy at that point. Do you think they did this or would it have helped?

I think they were a terrible match from the start and had little chance of succeeding as a married couple and the only thing that kept them together for years were the kids, once the kids grew up it was over.

Just my opinion but I think Matt is a dreamer and a schemer who never met a new toy or project that he didn’t want to own or build and the flashier the better, if he likes something he has no problem throwing money at it until it’s his… good, bad or otherwise….. Amy is the opposite, she’s not a dreamer and is extremely careful with her money to the point of being a cheapskate.

Their personalities are like oil and water, never going to mix.

I think Amy is much better suited to Chris, he’s calm and doesn’t seem to have any vanity hobbies or projects other than his Harley bike which doesn’t get out of hand financially, plus they seem to enjoy bike rides so it brings them together as a couple rather than pushing them apart.

On the other hand Matt being single frees him up to do whatever he wants with his money which I think he prefers… he can blow $20,000 on a dinosaur statue or who knows how much on a miniature train and it’s no one’s business but his own….. I think that might have been one of the problems between Matt selling to Zach, Zach was openly critical of his dad buying the dinosaur statues and said that that type of thing would have to end if he bought into the farm, Matt probably heard that and had déjà vu of arguing with Amy and sneaking around to buy stuff behind her back.

As I said, just my opinion 🤷‍♀️

[DonnaMae]

1 hour ago, Joan of Argh said:

8 hours ago, LPBWPrimeTime said:

Expand  

I think they were a terrible match from the start and had little chance of succeeding as a married couple and the only thing that kept them together for years were the kids, once the kids grew up it was over.

I agree.  They probably didn't know each other very well and just married because they felt more comfortable marrying another little person.

Edited November 16, 2022 by DonnaMae

[Libby]

38 minutes ago, DonnaMae said:

I agree.  They probably didn't know each other very well and just married because they felt more comfortable marrying another little person.

At that point in their life, I think that they thought that their only option of finding a partner was at the little people convention. I don't think it entered either of their minds to meet someone they liked outside of the little people community. I think that they found one another attractive and got married. Very quickly... I don't think that either of them considered at all if their personalities were compatible.

[RedDelicious]

From my perspective, it seemed like everyone was having a nice time dining al fresco at Matt’s….except Caryn. She seemed very tense and uncomfortable.

Not for nothing, it was a welcome 180 to hear Matt and Amy say nice things about each other. 

[Jeanne222]

There could be a standoff of sorts. Matt can’t sell the family home and build Caryn a new McMansion and Caryn will never move into the big house. 

I don’t see this new Airb&b being successful.  A way to make pennies rather than selling and  making millions and being done with it!

Chris seemed more comfortable at the BBQ than Caryn.   I don’t think she really enjoys hashing out Matt and Amy’s past. 

[RedDelicious]

16 minutes ago, Jeanne222 said:

Chris seemed more comfortable at the BBQ than Caryn.   I don’t think she really enjoys hashing out Matt and Amy’s past. 

I noticed that as well. I thought the exchange about Amy and the motorcycle was fun and they all seemed to be able to laugh easily about it. Nobody got offended.

Caryn is threatened somehow but by what I don't know. Matt was being easy and affable during the gathering and I'm willing to bet he was a total dick before it started and turned on nice guy mode for the company, and it was probably especially distressing since the company included his ex-wife and her new husband.

It's a classic narc move (being a total dick before social gatherings and then turning on the charm like nothing happened). I've experienced it a thousand times. And to be fair, they really weren't including Caryn in the conversation, but that probably has something to do with the somewhat untoward beginnings of Matt and Caryn's relationship. I don't like Caryn and I never did, but I'm starting to recognize little things I've seen in my own relationships with narcs and I definitely think that's what Matt is. 

Their friend reminds me of a little Ladd Drummond 😊

[bichonblitz]

3 hours ago, RedDelicious said:

Not for nothing, it was a welcome 180 to hear Matt and Amy say nice things about each other. 

Which could be the reason Caryn looked uncomfortable. 

I can't think of any vacation more miserable than an 8 day ride on the back of a motorcycle. In the rain, wind and cold. I wonder how many hours they put in to each day. Amy's position on that bike looked hella awkward. If Chris and Amy's marriage could sustain that then they have really come a long way. 

That said, it was interesting that Z n T were saying Amy is usually negative so they were surprised the trip went well. It was also interesting to hear Amy's rendition of the trip compared to Chris'.

Amy: We didn't see any wildlife!

Chris: We saw lots of wildlife! 

Amy: We didn't see any bears!

Chris: Yes, we did. We saw at least 5! 

Amy: Well, that's hardly any!

[RedDelicious]

1 minute ago, bichonblitz said:

Which could be the reason Caryn looked uncomfortable. 

I can't think of any vacation more miserable than an 8 day ride on the back of a motorcycle. In the rain, wind and cold. I wonder how many hours they put in to each day. Amy's position on that bike looked hella awkward. If Chris and Amy's marriage could sustain that then they have really come a long way. 

That said, it was interesting that Z n T were saying Amy is usually negative so they were surprised the trip went well. It was also interesting to hear Amy's rendition of the trip compared to Chris'.

Amy: We didn't see any wildlife!

Chris: We saw lots of wildlife! 

Amy: We didn't see any bears!

Chris: Yes, we did. We saw at least 5! 

Amy: Well, that's hardly any!

Ya, I totally agree. Not my cup of tea. I had to chuckle at the wildlife exchange and the perception of Amy versus that of Chris. Amy and Chris remind me a lot of my mom and dad in that way. It gets really fustrating (hehe) after a while, but they make it work. 

In this episode it stood out to me how much acting Amy does for the camera - she's not as comfortable as she used to be. But I appreciated her being vulnerable about her sensitivities. 

That being said, we went to Alaska on a cruise this past June and it was freaking amazing. I'd go back in a heartbeat. Just not on a motorcycle!

The other thing I noticed is all the bumps and spots on Zach's face and neck. Is that all sun damage?

[b4pjoe]

1 hour ago, bichonblitz said:

I can't think of any vacation more miserable than an 8 day ride on the back of a motorcycle. In the rain, wind and cold.

It was actually 18 days which would be much worse. LOL

1 hour ago, Jeanne222 said:

I don’t see this new Airb&b being successful.  A way to make pennies rather than selling and  making millions and being done with it!

Agreed. I doubt they will make enough to even pay the utilities on that place.

[Teriacky]

They kept mentioning Chris, Caren and their friends wife being the only “mixed” marriages they knew personally. Um… have you MET Tori?!

[SunnyBeBe]

I can’t imagine traveling long distances on a motorcycle.  One of my ex BFs had a Harley and I enjoyed going on rides with him.  Even not so long rides killed my behind.  Of course, I was pretty thin then and without as much padding, but it was rather painful.  I would never agree to long drives for that reason.  

[Dustbunny]

35 minutes ago, SunnyBeBe said:

I can’t imagine traveling long distances on a motorcycle.  One of my ex BFs had a Harley and I enjoyed going on rides with him.  Even not so long rides killed my behind.  Of course, I was pretty thin then and without as much padding, but it was rather painful.  I would never agree to long drives for that reason.  

I agree, hubby used to have a Harley and I enjoyed the shorter rides 2 hours or so round trip.

We went on a few long haul trips and it was okay but if it was raining it was hell on wheels 😖                              

We wore face shields like Chris and Amy but all the dirty water being swept up by vehicles in front of you winds up working it's way into every crevice, between your neck/collar/helmet and other areas... It didn't seem to matter how well I layered my clothing the dirty water made it's way in and I felt damp and grubby by the time we'd stop for the day.... also didn't help being all hunched up on the bike for hours and feeling stiff like a cricket. 😂

I actually enjoyed this episode, they all seemed more comfortable and relaxed, it was interesting to hear them talk about meeting and how things have changed over the years.  I wish Zach would have gone into more detail about WHEN he realized that he was a little person and how he handled it.

I hope they stick to this type of thing, I'm getting sick of the constant griping and bitching.

[pdlinda]

38 minutes ago, Dustbunny said:

I hope they stick to this type of thing, I'm getting sick of the constant griping and bitching.

I agree.  I actually was interested in last night's episode.

[Absolom]

It was interesting see photos of when they were younger.  Zach definitely takes after Amy.  It was obvious seeing photos of Amy in her 20s.  I'm glad to see less vitriol.  That gets old quickly.

[DonnaMae]

11 minutes ago, Absolom said:

Zach definitely takes after Amy.

Yes he does because he and Amy are the same type of dwarf, which shows in the face.  

[Endora]

I wonder if Amy ever had therapy?  At age 60 after all she has accomplished I find it sad she is still tearing up about her childhood and basically says she is still affected by it. Amy made out much better than a lot of little people I would bet.  She had a family she loves, she owned a farm and owns a business, she has written books and is a motivational speaker.  I don’t care for her but she should be proud of herself.  

I wonder if Chris is a little afraid of her?   Did anyone else notice that as soon as she gets upset about something he says, he tries to smooth it over and starts rubbing her arm.  

ZiT continues to be annoying.  How about that pathetic lunch?  Would it have killed Tori to make a nice presentation of the food.  Also, Roloffs, please wear shoes when you go outside!  Looks like Jackson hasn’t forgotten Cha Cha, bet that stings ZiT.  

[65mickey]

I had to laugh at the "home cooked meal" that Zach and Tori provided. It looked like a bowl of slop and a spoon plopped down on the table . Didn't see a napkin anywhere. Tori says that she is tired of talking about the farm situation but she keeps bringing it up. Zack didn't say anything while Tori was bitching about Matt and Caryn. Maybe if Tori would let up on this Zach and Matt could begin to move forward. 

[Joan of Argh]

6 hours ago, 65mickey said:

I had to laugh at the "home cooked meal" that Zach and Tori provided. It looked like a bowl of slop and a spoon plopped down on the table . Didn't see a napkin anywhere. Tori says that she is tired of talking about the farm situation but she keeps bringing it up. Zack didn't say anything while Tori was bitching about Matt and Caryn. Maybe if Tori would let up on this Zach and Matt could begin to move forward. 

I have to agree, that was a meal that you whip up for your toddlers for lunch and sit them at the kitchen island…. I mean good grief could Tori have put in less effort?? and the thing is it was meant as a thank you and pay back for Amy leaving her home and looking after 2 toddlers for a few days!  That’s not a small thing and Tori couldn’t even make a sit down dinner at a table with dinnerware, napkins etc?

I’m also getting tired of Tori’s ongoing pot shots at Caryn… Tori prides herself on her strong Christian beliefs and how thankful she is for the loving, forgiving acts of Jesus and how we all sin but we can rest assured that Jesus loves us and forgives our sins and how we have to follow Jesus’s example.. blah, blah, blah…Hmmmmm… what would Jesus do?   🙄

[b4pjoe]

4 hours ago, Joan of Argh said:

I have to agree, that was a meal that you whip up for your toddlers for lunch and sit them at the kitchen island…. I mean good grief could Tori have put in less effort?? and the thing is it was meant as a thank you and pay back for Amy leaving her home and looking after 2 toddlers for a few days!  That’s not a small thing and Tori couldn’t even make a sit down dinner at a table with dinnerware, napkins etc?

I was expecting them to all sit down together to eat a meal but Zach and Tori didn't even eat anything. I'm surprised they didn't just hand it to Chris and Amy out of a drive through window on their way through.

[Quof]

A Sonic drive thru window.

[Absolom]

2 hours ago, b4pjoe said:

I'm surprised they didn't just hand it to Chris and Amy out of a drive through window on their way through.

That wouldn't make such good episode fodder.  They have people talking about what they did and that's what the network wants.

[b4pjoe]

21 minutes ago, Absolom said:

That wouldn't make such good episode fodder.  They have people talking about what they did and that's what the network wants.

Oh I think people would have been talking about them serving food out of a drive through window. 😆

[Jeanne222]

I noticed Amy now sits quietly when Chris is talking during the talking heads. No more interrupting him. That’s new. 

I agree about Zack seeming to be done with the feud but Tori rages on. It was opposite last week!

What is Chicken and Orzo and surely they could have come up with something better than that. I notice Tori never cooks on the show.   This was a first. 

We’ll see how much Amy enjoyed the motorcycle if she goes on new trips. My guess is day trips will be enough for her. 

[ginger90]

28 minutes ago, Jeanne222 said:

What is Chicken and Orzo

Orzo is a  pasta.

[Jeanne222]

3 minutes ago, ginger90 said:

Orzo is a  pasta.

Yes thank you. I sometimes put Orzo in homemade Chicken soup. Especially if I’m taking it to a sick friend. 

It doesn’t swell up like noodles. 

I’d just never seen Orzo like Tori fixed it!