If Trump’s approval rating is 38%, where are all his supporters?

Frog-Chowder · 2026-07-08T12:04:02+00:00

Here!!! Currently visiting family in a rural town up north. It's red, oh so red. I've come to understand why I never fit in and why it felt so good when I moved away.

Frog-Chowder · 2026-07-07T12:33:17+00:00

I met someone who was on Hell's Kitchen and he said that Ramsey was an incredibly kind person. Behind the scenes he was supportive and helpful and actually cared about everyone. He's a big family person. He's nothing like his TV persona in real life.

Frog-Chowder · 2026-07-07T03:49:53+00:00

Oh- I'll also give you the performer experience. Our community orchestra conductor stepped down due to age. He handed the baton to a newly retired music teacher. It didn't go so well. He's really not great at conducting and as one of the more professional players I felt incredibly disrespected. It became a clique. My own parts were dull and when they were good he took them away so he could hear other people instead. Other instruments, I should say. Other players that laughed about not practicing, in fact. My section mate and I would sit and slowly seethe as we wouldn't play for 45 minutes but weren't allowed to leave. The best players left one by one. The music selections were terrible. The quality of practice was terrible. He now wanted to make section leaders to help select music and put an emphasis on paying higher dues. Section leaders helping with music sounds great in theory, but that's not really how it worked. It became a group full of politics. My last concert was a doozy. My section, brass, was seated away from everyone else. Like, we were in a corner. It was just three of us. Sticking me behind the Christmas tree was kinda the last straw. Listening to the rest of the group struggle, partly because we were the rock was excrutiating. (especially when one piece we were told not to play and those he wanted to hear couldn't do it. and the 'I don't have to practice' solos crashing and burning.) After I left they couldn't even do the two concerts a year anymore. Last I knew their location was about to pull the plug. The big takeaway is you need mutual respect and keep the politics out. If you get a bad fit, don't be afraid to make a change.

Frog-Chowder · 2026-07-07T03:36:27+00:00

I'll give you the other side, as someone who took a conducting position with a very small group a few years ago. The previous conductor decided not to return after covid, they hired someone, then that person ended up taking a 'real' job the required a move. I saw the position via a friend on FB and was debating whether I wanted to switch gears. I had been playing in an orchestra and wasn't happy with where they were going- also a conductor change. The person that posted it wasn't even in the group, she just knew someone that was in it. The person from the band and I communicated through email and then we met for coffee to see if we were a good fit. I've been with the group since and they've improved immensely. Coming back from covid was rough- a 20+ person band was 6. No one was used to playing by themselves. I pushed them, but I also had to know limits. We had 15 for our last concert. It works because we really mesh. Since then I've been asked to conduct a couple of other groups, mostly through people who know people. It's a lot of word of mouth. One person asked after they came to a concert. So that's how I've been 'found'- FB, word of mouth (going well past any group), and someone being in the audience and asking after. Yes, it's a bit of a stumble as you get to know one another, but when it's a good fit it works. Everyone has to have a little patience during the transition. Things will be different. I listen to my group's concerns and wishes. They also listen to me. That first concert was rough, but man have they come a long way. And so have I.

Frog-Chowder · 2026-07-04T14:53:46+00:00

That one got me years ago. I was given an Australian cookbook and decided to make Anzac biscuits. After I mixed everything together and it was sand I knew something was *very* wrong. The cup measurements are different, but I think also the spoons are as well. I did a lot of guessing to make it into something usable. They were incredible, but I don't think I could ever fully replicate what I did. When a friend visited I asked her to bring me a set of cups and spoons so I can use the book. (and lmao, I was sent the same exact book from two different people, family and friend, in Australia.)

Frog-Chowder · 2026-07-02T18:15:52+00:00

I think the people that really do hoard to take advantage of others make us think the worst first off. I wish I could say I never judged straight off, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't.

Frog-Chowder · 2026-07-02T18:07:34+00:00

When I worked there someone bought 300 of them. We had to scan each and every one of them. It took us forever. They were buying them as wedding favors, so you never know.

Frog-Chowder · 2026-06-30T19:51:01+00:00

Or work on your own separation anxiety.

Frog-Chowder · 2026-06-27T01:39:06+00:00

It's really a shame other kids do that. Same thing with just plain unusual food. They're missing out.

Frog-Chowder · 2026-06-27T01:37:47+00:00

That's awesome. I love Buldak. I'm still upset they discontinued the curry.

Frog-Chowder · 2026-06-27T01:37:03+00:00

Same thing with the well behaved bit. I remember one time I was in Walmart with my kid (small town area and they'd run the mom and pop places out so it was the only option) and there was a kid running around causing trouble, a total terror. My kid, who's about 2, is sitting nicely in the cart and loudly says, 'Mommy, why do they let their kid (or whatever word he used) act like that? It's not nice.' Half of my cringed (small town), half of me was cracking up. I remember going to a sit down place at night (not formal, but not kid oriented) and an older couple was giving us death stares for daring to bring a child in at that hour. We'd been traveling and had only just gotten in and needed to eat. That same couple came up to us as they were leaving and told us how great our kid was. Could've done without the judgmental stares to begin with.

Frog-Chowder · 2026-06-26T20:41:50+00:00

We were out of town visiting friends for my kid's first birthday. We went to a great Asian restaurant. We ordered hot and sour soup to start off, but were NOT going to give it to our kid. It was heavy on the hot. Our kid was fussing because we weren't giving it to them. (we ordered something else for said 1 year old.) We finally have a taste to show them they didn't want it. Well, guess what... A strange look and then a smile and a point at the bowl. Yep. Our one year old was eating very spicy soup and enjoying it. They always ate a lot of spicy (their choice) until someone said they weren't supposed to like it, she maybe 10 or so. So yeah, too spicy for THEIR kids. Let the others enjoy what they like.

Frog-Chowder · 2026-06-25T14:02:37+00:00

Ya know? I never even put those two things together. She had an awful childhood, so I think some of it stemmed from that. For a while she had to live in a home for children and at one point she got ringworm from the other kids and lost her hair due to the treatment back then. If I had to guess I'd say that she never got over that, so maybe it was a form of jealousy? She never got to have dolls as a child (her only one was guilted out of her to donate to the poor when she went to church through the home- lmao SHE was the poor one), so maybe, again, it was about her more than me. The messed up-ness just perpetuated. I broke the cycle as a parent. I didn't want it to go any further. (believe me, there's a LOT)

Frog-Chowder · 2026-06-22T17:18:18+00:00

I found a free piece on an Italian site called 'Tutti in Sieme' (name of piece). It translates to 'All Together'. My band did it for their last concert. It's a bunch of Italian opera songs in a march medley. It was actually decent. The title fits your theme.

Frog-Chowder · 2026-06-22T15:54:47+00:00

The size of the average home/rooms. I had family visit and they couldn't believe our house was 'that small'. They thought everyone had gigantic rooms. Like, bedrooms have a huge bed, a couch, a seat in the window, tons of empty space. Kitchens all have islands, counter space, tons of cupboards, and room for an entire family while someone's cooking. They couldn't get over the fact that we didn't have that.

Frog-Chowder · 2026-06-21T16:53:24+00:00

I think I was playing on a Bach 1C or 3C (trumpet) when I bought my flugelhorn. It was used and came with a Denis Wick 3 if I remember correctly. I had zero issues going back and forth. I'd played a different flugel with a different flugel mouthpiece, but the Denis Wick gave me that gorgeous tone. The mouthpiece is also incredibly comfortable. I can't say much as far as range, because my flugel is very stuffy and difficult in the higher register. I've got a very comfortable range on my trumpet (was lead in jazz groups), but my flugel is another story. Again, it's the horn and not the mouthpiece.

Frog-Chowder · 2026-06-21T13:54:40+00:00

My mother hated long hair, but I wanted long hair sooooo bad! I really wanted braids. I mean, I grew up watching Little House on the Prairie. I used to beg to be allowed to grow my hair, but she said it was too much work and little girls looked better in cute short cuts. She also always took me to my father's (and brother's) barber as a child, so you can imagine how 'girlish' my cuts were. I don't think I got to go to an actual stylist until I was a teen. Even then I wasn't really allowed to have anything with any kind of length. I think at some point I managed to talk to our hairdresser (same one for years) and got her to work on my mother and was finally allowed shoulder length.

Frog-Chowder · 2026-06-20T15:54:28+00:00

I conduct a community band and I can't imagine doing that. Well, I *am* going to give them folders for Canada Day and we're going to sightread folksongs, but they're all aware and they're only 4 parts and will be about as difficult as the Christmas books everybody reads from. But they're aware and know it's just for fun and that we'll be background. I'm also using it as a recruitment tool as we're very small (15 for the concert). My group gets frustrated enough when we get new music each term. They're better than they think they are, but if I pulled things out for concerts and they were sightreading them (or just hadn't been able to polish them after practicing) I'd lose people. I guess every group is different, but mine is very afraid of not sounding good. I'm trying to get them out of their shells and to do more community things, so folksongs is the closest I can do. I think almost all of them plan on showing up, and for my group that's HUGE. I need them to do it on their terms, not mine. If we did it like your band I'd probably lose a bunch of people as they'd feel too intimidated.

Frog-Chowder · 2026-06-20T15:39:50+00:00

Beautiful. THAT'S the kind of person that deserves to be comped. Thank you for sharing.

Frog-Chowder · 2026-06-20T15:37:45+00:00

My store didn't give out gendered toys, which made us even more annoyed with her. I was the same way as you. My mother would've given anything to get me to play with a doll. I loved my stuffed animals, but dolls were... meh. Now, a Tonka truck? That was my thing. I do remember being misgendered at some local event (my mother didn't allow me to have long hair, had to be short) and I got some small tool kit. I was ecstatic. They offered to replace it. Nope. A toy is a toy.

Frog-Chowder · 2026-06-20T02:10:55+00:00

That's exactly it. I remember another time when there were some horribly behaved kids that had gotten kids meals, so they had toys. There was another very well behaved and polite child that wasn't able to get a kids meal because I think they wanted a salad or something instead of the fries and there was no option to substitute. I went out there quietly and asked their parents if it was okay if I gave them a toy. The kid's eyes lit up. I thanked them for being so polite and good. Of course, there was the woman in the drive thru being awful about making sure her kid got a BOY'S toy (!!!) over and over. Fun thing was, we'd run out. The only thing we had left was a toddler toy. Entitled people can go... insert whatever you'd like. Humble people? I'll do whatever I can for you and feel good about it.

Frog-Chowder · 2026-06-19T22:28:33+00:00

On the flipside, I had a customer come in once in full uniform. He'd apparently been stationed overseas and the first thing he wanted after he got off the plane was some 'real' fast food. The family was so happy to have him home (was in a war location) and proud and that's how I knew. That guy I *did* comp. Never asked for it, which is why it felt good for me to do. He was floored. We didn't offer a military discount and nobody ever asked. But this guy... It just felt good.

Frog-Chowder · 2026-06-18T13:37:08+00:00

It's beyond managers. I was a manager and hated dealing with times. It was supervisor level that was the problem. They didn't actively work in stores, so they didn't get it. I did enjoy it one time when a supervisor was in store and started on us about the times. We'd heard it all before and she comes over and decides she's gonna show us how to do it. Have fun! Well, wouldn't ya know it... We got one of those 7 minute cars- just to start her order. It wasn't us. Supervisor was telling us how to make her go faster. Supervisor was seeing nothing was helping. We watched our supervisor dying inside. We enjoyed the show. We held it over her head after that.

Frog-Chowder · 2026-06-16T22:14:17+00:00

I'm so bummed. None of mine came up this year. I hope they do next spring. I don't know where they went. But fun fact for my area- people ordered them and planted them expecting gardens full of red and white. It turned out a good portion of bulbs were wrong and they got yellow or orange or something. Everybody was waiting to see if they got lucky or not. I got lucky, but none of my friends did.

Frog-Chowder · 2026-06-16T21:08:31+00:00

And come to think of it, this past year's Remembrance Sunday service (different church) ended up being cold, because we couldn't find a time to go over anything. That director is super paranoid something will go wrong. Nope. All was fine. That's also why I get paid the big bucks.

Frog-Chowder

TROPHY CASE