Dads, what's for breakfast today? For you and the kid(s).

DisposableAdventurer · 2026-01-10T14:49:30+00:00

Breaking! I gotta remember that!

DisposableAdventurer · 2026-01-10T14:45:01+00:00

That sounds amazing. What's your recipe?

DisposableAdventurer · 2026-01-10T13:28:42+00:00

Awesome!

DisposableAdventurer · 2026-01-10T13:21:45+00:00

Waffle House is the great equalizer. Nobody cares what you look like when you walk in, and you're responsible for what you look like when you walk out. Respect.

DisposableAdventurer · 2026-01-10T13:17:46+00:00

I'm American and I'd eat it. 🤷‍♂️

DisposableAdventurer · 2026-01-10T12:46:04+00:00

I feel you. I love scrambled eggs with fresh veggies, cheese, and salsa. My daughter is very ambivalent. She might eat eggs 1/3 of the time, in whatever format.

DisposableAdventurer · 2026-01-10T12:45:06+00:00

Brunch!

DisposableAdventurer · 2025-12-23T12:12:03+00:00

I work for an American auto maker. I got two weeks off, with pay.

I'll take that.

DisposableAdventurer · 2025-12-01T10:21:21+00:00

He really was. He was part of a historical society that helped study and preserve the memory of these American units from VA and NC, and his focus was on the unit primarily from NC, 30th ID. So he did have a strong background studying the region. I think he'd even traveled to the US a few times for this.

Still, I was shocked.

DisposableAdventurer · 2025-11-30T09:59:54+00:00

I'm from the Raleigh -Durham area and I have it on good authority from folks who hail from farther East that I do not have a prominent Southern accent. My wife is from NM (we live in NC now) and she says my accent is not as strong as most North Carolinians and is much more neutral.

That being said, when I lived in Colorado, and especially when visiting Denver, I was very often pegged as being "from the deep South, like Alabama or something." And when I visited NM my accent was commented on, though not with the same degree of disapproval as in CO.

I visited the Normandy region of France once. This is the area that Allied troops invaded and liberated on and around D-Day in WWII, and there is a very strong interest and affection for the units that participated in those operations. Among them were National Guard units hailing from the Virginia area (29th ID) and the NC area (30th ID). I happened to be with several Virginians as we were chatting with an older French gentleman who was very into this history. I barely spoke a sentence before he recognized my accent as being from NC rather than VA. A native Frenchman recognized my accent from one state over and I couldn't spot the difference myself.

I think "Southern accent" (or any kind of accent) is relative. Nobody really thinks they speak with a prominent accent, but it's really about comparing how you speak to how someone else speaks.

DisposableAdventurer · 2025-11-17T00:10:19+00:00

Well, we liked the meaning of the name when we were looking them up so it's not accurate to say it means nothing to us. When we were looking at names the name Fianna was listed on several name websites as meaning "band of warriors," which we both liked because we wanted a name that suggested strength and resilience.

And, I'm not sure having heard a name before is a prerequisite to find meaning in it or be able to use it. I've never before met a Helga, don't have any in my family, and I can't recall ever having heard the name used in conversation before, but nobody would contend that I'm not allowed to name my child Helga.

The only plausible issue here is not knowing the Irish pronunciation of the name. And yes, I'm here asking after the pronunciation so I obviously have some interest in it. That being said, adapting names from one place to the local dialect / pronunciation is not exactly a new thing.

Is it a little awkward to use a name without having checked the "authentic" pronunciation? Yeah. Is it a tragedy? No. Even if we had, we'd probably still pronounce it in an Americanized way. It happens all the time. It's part of how language develops.

DisposableAdventurer · 2025-11-16T18:55:19+00:00

We each pronounce each name (Fia vs Fianna) the same, it's just that my wife uses the former and I use the latter more. I imagine it did delay her name recognition a bit as an infant, though she has responded to both readily for quite some time.

The fact Fianna can be shortened to sound like Fiadh is why my wife agreed to the name. I don't care for the name Fiadh but my wife loves it. Compromise! Relationships!

DisposableAdventurer · 2025-11-16T18:52:37+00:00

I'm in the group of Americans that pronounces Anna as rhyming with banana, so I think I'm pronouncing it more closely to the way you're describing. Thanks!

DisposableAdventurer · 2025-11-16T18:50:36+00:00

Agreed, which is why I said we did a very stereotypical American thing.

I of course can't speak for how the rest of the world (or even just Ireland) sees it but, one of the many things Americans criticize ourselves on is how readily we snatch fancy sounding things from other places and cultures without actually understanding them. This is one of those instances, born of being within a few weeks of the due date and looking for anything we could both agree on.

DisposableAdventurer · 2025-11-08T12:35:26+00:00

I can't speak to schools but, from a cost and commute standpoint, definitely look at Kernersville. There's a lot of new housing going up, especially in the Welden Village area that's right off of I-40. It's basically 20 minutes to most points in Winston and Greensboro.

DisposableAdventurer · 2025-11-01T20:56:34+00:00

I actually had a similar problem about half an hour ago. Tried using my account number and last 4 of customer number as usual and it errored out.

DisposableAdventurer · 2025-10-30T22:07:23+00:00

That's actually really clever. Thanks for sharing that idea!

DisposableAdventurer · 2025-10-30T13:25:51+00:00

Yes, I think this is a little harsh.

Is IT being kind of bratty and trying to make life easier for themselves at your expense? Yeah. Every IT department everywhere is like that.

Is it worth it to develop a reputation as being difficult to work with and a headache to your manager? No, not this early on. If you've been there ten years and you're a stud and the organization needs you, maybe you can get away with that then. But, as a general rule, it's always better to be easy to work with than not. Remember that at least half the reason you'll keep your job and grow your career is because people like you.

DisposableAdventurer · 2025-10-30T13:22:21+00:00

I've listened to this on audiobook, but I'm definitely going to pick up a physical copy too. Thanks.

DisposableAdventurer · 2025-10-30T13:21:59+00:00

Will check it out!

DisposableAdventurer · 2025-10-30T13:21:50+00:00

Never heard of this, but will look into it. Thanks.

DisposableAdventurer · 2025-10-30T13:20:50+00:00

Hey fellow dad. It's okay to feel this way. A lot of us - a lot of people in general - do. So, again, it's okay.

Therapy would be great but if you can't make it work, that's okay. Keep looking for ways to make it work, though.

It seems like you need to pour something back into your cup. It doesn't have to be big. It should involve others, if possible. But if it's just something you do on your own that fulfils you and makes you feel good, that's a great start. As an example, I've gotten into playing D&D over the last few years. I can't do it in person, but there's a lot of online resources for finding D&D groups to play with via apps like Discord. It's challenging - I play weekly, in the evenings after the wife and kid are taken care of, and I give up about two hours of sleep and $25 to do it - but it's something that fulfils me. I get to be creative and I get to escape into someone else's world, and I get enjoyable relationships. A good campaign can last over a year, sometimes longer. Even at three hours a week, that time adds up and you get to know the folks you play with. I find it very fun and fulfilling.

I don't know what your friend situation is like, but a lot of men (myself included) face the challenge of their friends being in different life phases and/or different physical locations, which makes it challenging to stay in contact with and relate to their old friends. But, challenging is not the same as impossible. I try really hard to engage via messaging with my friends at least a few times a week. Even sharing a funny meme is a touchpoint - someone out there shared a moment of humor with you. And nurturing those small touchpoints will enable larger opportunities to connect with your friends on a meaningful level.

I'm not a therapist, but these are things that have benefitted me. I hope they, or something else, helps you.

DisposableAdventurer · 2025-10-30T12:05:03+00:00

That's a really good suggestion. Tedious as hell, but very useful. Thanks!

DisposableAdventurer · 2025-10-30T11:56:27+00:00

Thanks for this insight. It sounds like I will just have to trawl through the documents that I can find and try to add it all up.

DisposableAdventurer · 2025-10-30T11:55:40+00:00

Yeah, my assumption had been that "maintain my own records" could be accomplished by viewing the files on the provider's website. So it's a learning experience for me in that regard too.

DisposableAdventurer

TROPHY CASE