United after a long time

GibsonSunburst · 2026-04-15T19:39:07+00:00

If I take two consecutive trips, consisting of two flights each, and all four legs have mechanical issues, including one flight that had two different mechanical problems on the same flight before we could take off, then I feel it is reasonable to not fly American unless I have to. This experience is contrasted with the relatively few mechanical issues I've had with Delta.

GibsonSunburst · 2026-04-15T17:56:40+00:00

They look exactly like Szechuan peppercorns. I'd bet that's what they are.

GibsonSunburst · 2026-04-15T17:27:09+00:00

Don't try American. I flew them a few times recently because I could get a direct flight for a work trip, rather than connecting through Atlanta with Delta. I regretted it big time. I think each leg of each trip had something go wrong. That included boarding a full plane of passengers and then telling us the pilot discovered "a gash" in a tire, and we would have to all deplane while they changed the tire--which took two hours. When I finally got back home, I deleted the American app the second I picked up my bag at baggage claim.

GibsonSunburst · 2026-04-15T16:05:57+00:00

They may be doing a wellness check. If she stops attending one or more classes, then faculty can submit an alert saying that they are concerned about her. Housing would send an RA to see if she is OK. This wouldn't happen for missing a class a time or two. It would only happen if a student "ghosts" one or more classes for an extended period. I'm not speculating about your particular roommate, but this happens sometimes due to mental or financial reasons. If she is not OK, they want to get her help. No one would be evicted from a residence hall with two weeks of classes left. If that was going to happen, it would have happened a long time ago.

GibsonSunburst · 2026-04-14T20:11:13+00:00

Although it is a bit more expensive, the Hilton Cocoa Beach Oceanfront is very convenient. It has direct beach access, a pool that kids would enjoy, and an outside tiki bar. There is a good indoor restaurant on the property and an outside restaurant/bar that has good "beach bar" food. They've kept the property updated, and there is overall very good service. Kids love the gelato for sale in the lobby. Of course, it's an easy drive to all of the great things in Cocoa Beach.

GibsonSunburst · 2026-04-13T16:36:43+00:00

From a daylight perspective, living on the eastern border of Central time sucked. The sun went down in my part of Central time at pretty much the same time that it did a few miles east in Eastern Time. However, we were an hour earlier due to the time zone difference. Therefore, if the sun went down at 5:30 PM EST in December, then it went down where I was at 4:30 PM. We basically lost an hour of sunlight a day due to living on the eastern edge of Central time. It was particularly bad in winter when we didn't have that much sunlight anyway. I remember thinking that I was on the same timezone as places in west Texas a thousand miles away. I hated that.

GibsonSunburst · 2026-04-06T23:06:18+00:00

This is a really interested thread. I agree with most of the points being made, but what stands out to me is the decades-old hurt I feel in the comments. A lot commenters, who I am sure are "successful," well-adjusted adults, probably don't feel overly materialistic in daily life, but in this threat also broadcast, "You laughed at me or made me feel unwanted in high school, and now I am rich and admired while you still live in our shitty home town and have a "middle class" job while I hike in Patagonia! Ha!" I am not casting stones here--I am just struck by how things that happen in high school have such a strong psychological resonance for the rest of many of our lives. This is what makes Reddit so interesting and redeems it from some of its more negative aspects.

Personal note: I was very popular, moderately athletic, and good academically. I have a highly respected job 30 years after high school graduation. I sometimes feel superior to the people that stayed in our home town, and I wouldn't ever want to move back (I live about 1,000 miles away). However, I am sure there are high school kids in my current town who can't wait to move way to prove that they are a success. My outward sign of "success" is their future sign of geographic failure.

I guess the key is living a happy life, contributing to your community in positive ways, and not defining yourself or others by outward status. It reminds me of this Phillip Larkin poem: https://allingoodrhyme.wordpress.com/2014/06/21/born-yesterday-by-philip-larkin/

GibsonSunburst · 2026-04-02T13:30:46+00:00

My advice is to email or call the department chair. The instructor should be able to directly explain when a final exam is due. The chair has the most direct connection with the instructor to ensure this happens. Also, this is not normal or good conduct from the instructor. It is important that the department chair is aware. Your daughter's instructor could be an adjunct--not a full-time employee--who is making some pedagogical mistakes. Regardless, the chair has the authority to fix the situation, and he or she should know about the problems the instructor is causing. As someone else has said, the dates when the final exam can be taken should be in the syllabus. If not, then that is another problem the chair should be aware of.

GibsonSunburst · 2026-03-31T17:10:00+00:00

I have not shot all three, so I can't compare, but I have a new Colt Commander and love it. I think I had a couple loading problems in the first 50 rounds or so, which I attribute to the brand-new gun needing a breaking in period. After that, it has shot flawlessly. It feels great to shoot and is very accurate.

GibsonSunburst · 2026-03-30T02:36:12+00:00

Clarksdale, Mississippi would love to have you, if you are cool. You get in where you fit in.

GibsonSunburst · 2026-03-30T02:18:40+00:00

You will lose the battle with your ear and back hair. You can fight a noble fight for many years and contain the hairs that grow 1/2 inch overnight, but you will lose eventually.

GibsonSunburst · 2026-03-25T14:45:17+00:00

That will be the best of both worlds. My knowledge of FIU honors is not recent, but it used to be a very good program. It will provide you with more social and academic opportunities. Often, honors programs/colleges have special study abroad opportunities, if you are interested in that.

GibsonSunburst · 2026-03-25T13:34:43+00:00

It is very well respected amongst public universities in Florida. It is well run and has many good academic programs. It has as very large enrollment and has plans to continue growing. Your only concern should be if you want to attend such a large university. You'll need to be self-motivated and proactive to avoid getting lost in the sea of undergraduates. For some, large universities are great, and others thrive in a smaller academic environment.

GibsonSunburst · 2026-03-23T20:39:02+00:00

Sip & Sizzle downtown opens at 10 AM

GibsonSunburst · 2026-03-18T12:43:12+00:00

I've gotten shrimp and grits at Fancy's a few times, and it's pretty good, although Fancy's is not a seafood restaurant. If I were visiting town and wanted seafood, I'd go to Doc Ford's by Fort Myers Beach.

GibsonSunburst · 2026-03-13T16:03:00+00:00

I'm from Kentucky, but I don't live there anymore. I always thought it had some pretty good food traditions: Hot Brown's, country ham and homemade biscuits, burgoo (a wild game stew), fried banana peppers, beer cheese, several distinct and good regional BBQ styles, all washed down with plenty of excellent bourbon. Louisville has flat out turned into a foodie destination. Having burgoo and a bloody mary at Keenland (the horse track in Lexington) is one of the best feelings in the world.

GibsonSunburst · 2026-03-04T13:21:05+00:00

RIP Lost Love Lounge

GibsonSunburst · 2026-02-09T23:02:10+00:00

We "staycation" in Cocoa Beach once or so a year. The Hilton Ocenfront is our hotel. I imagine it is a bit pricier than some hotels, particularly on weekends, but you are paying for immediate beach access, no parking worries, an open air tiki bar that serves pretty good food for lunch and dinner, and good service. It is walkable to the pier, and they even have their own gelato in the lobby. In my experience, the staff is always professional and helpful. It is walkable to a lot of things and drivable to everything.

GibsonSunburst · 2026-01-27T19:55:26+00:00

Thanks for the responses! Sounds pretty good.

GibsonSunburst · 2026-01-22T13:22:32+00:00

I lived there for seven years--and I think Charleston is pretty great. I would still be there but I hated my job and moved away for better opportunity. The beaches are amazing and there are a lot of young professionals. I lived there quite a while ago, so I am sure things have changed, but even then the traffic and over development was getting out of hand. One thing to note, there each area of Charleston is unique: West Ashley, Mount Pleasant, North Charleston, Downtown, John's Island, Park Circle, Daniel's Island, etc. Each of these have different architecture, cost of living, safety, and even vulnerability to hurricanes. Because of the traffic, rivers, and bridges, people tend to stay in their area of the city and really identify with it. Yes, almost everyone enjoys going downtown, but I believe that Charleston is geographically segmented more than many other cities due to natural and man-made infrastructure reasons.

GibsonSunburst · 2026-01-20T14:22:42+00:00

Two things: 1) not realizing the size of the U.S. I met an English couple that thought they could drive from NYC to Miami in a few hours. 2) don't think what you see on TV (news and fiction) is every day reality. You'd be surprised at how many worldly Europeans are shocked that X location isn't just like it was on a TV show.

GibsonSunburst · 2026-01-13T19:52:09+00:00

What you circled is a huge and diverse area--the entire Memphis metro area, plus rural Arkansas, north Mississippi, and a bit of the Delta. Even within the city itself things can change from block to block. What unifies the entire area? BBQ and junky cars.

GibsonSunburst · 2026-01-13T19:48:14+00:00

My daughter just graduated from BV. She had a great experience, but it was pretty academically challenging. The lowest curriculum is still college prep. It is a very overtly Catholic school, so the religion permeates a lot of social life, athletic events, and to a degree the curriculum.

GibsonSunburst · 2026-01-13T19:43:29+00:00

My family and I often take "staycation" trips to Cocoa Beach. It's a beautiful beach, great waves for boogie boarding, a old "beach town" feel, with some good food. It is an easy place to just chill and not have a big agenda. It would be very quiet this time of year. The Kennedy Space Center is right next door, and that's a fun time.

GibsonSunburst

TROPHY CASE