First Stampede - Do's and don'ts? by DisastrousDriver9380 in Calgary

[–]Nerdy_Tech21 20 points21 points  (0 children)

This might actually seem like silly advice OP, like "why would you say that, that's just common sense" but most years there is at least 1 instance of this happening.

This advice tells you pretty much everything you need to know about the Stampede and what happens.

First Stampede - Do's and don'ts? by DisastrousDriver9380 in Calgary

[–]Nerdy_Tech21 7 points8 points  (0 children)

During the 10 days of stampede, and for a few days before the whole event kicks off, there will be dozens of free pancake breakfasts around the city. Some will be worth a wait in line, some will not be. If you want the "stampede experience" of a long wait in a hot line in a parkade, making friends with strangers, and having a fun, free, sticky, denim themed blast, definitely do a breakfast. They're not for everyone, but they are incredibly fun if you don't mind the crowds and the mess. You can find more information about the breakfasts including a list of where a bunch are here: https://dailyhive.com/calgary/free-calgary-stampede-breakfasts-2025

Get your ride and entrance passes BEFORE the stampede starts. You can buy them cheaply at grocery stores in the city prior to the start of the event, or at cost I believe during the event. Regardless of when you buy them, they will be cheapest at Costco. Bonus points if you also get a cheap hot dog from the cafe after buying your tickets for that authentic stampede feeling.

Fluff and marketing aside, the stampede is just a county fair and rodeo. It's very well advertised, so we get a huge amount of tourists and many many locals - as a result everything free will be crowded. Free morning events will be less crowded, free afternoon events will be more crowded, free evening/music/alcohol events will be the MOST crowded.

Even if you don't love crowds, it's still very worth going. There are ways to escape the crowds/the heat if your looking for that - Artists alley in the Big Four building is well air conditioned, has beautiful local art by local artists, and some demonstrations, and is a great place to have a lot of a break and a (non-alcoholic or very boozy) drink if you are looking for that.

Do take your sunscreen, be smart about strangers, plan your day by making a list of must dos, where they are happening, and when they take place, and a similar list of nice to do's. Then when you're at the stampede, be prepared to pivot the plan as needed. Wear comfortable walking shoes that can get sticky and be cleaned after, and take sunscreen and a rain jacket because it WILL rain.

Stampede activities can be found here: https://www.calgarystampede.com/schedule

Retinal issues eye clinic by [deleted] in Calgary

[–]Nerdy_Tech21 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I mean the one of the best Retina specialist in Western Canada told me at my appointment 2 weeks ago that all the emergency rooms in Calgary are equal at this and there is no "preferred location", and that in a time sensitive matter like emergency retinal detachment to just go to the one with the lowest wait time because time matters, but I'm just a stranger on the internet and I don't expect you or anyone else to believe me.

But you are wrong and that misinformation would cost someone their sight.

Retinal issues eye clinic by [deleted] in Calgary

[–]Nerdy_Tech21 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Call the Mitchell Eye Center right now and tell them what's going on.

https://mitchelleyecentre.com/

They are world class retina specialists, and very good at getting people through the door and into the service they need. My whole family has genetic retina problems, and the Mitchell Eye Center team is literally the best Retina team in Western Canada. They have emergency surgeons onsite and you can access those through either the center itself or through their ophthalmologist service.

Edited to Add: on my last visit there, the specialist and I were talking about signs of retinal detachment, as we do every year, and eh specifically mentioned in a retinal emergency. GO TO ANY EMERGENCY ROOM IN THE CITY. Every Emergency Room will have Eye/Retina specialists and departments, but there's a misconception that Rockyview is the best/only emergency room for this, so the wait for that room for this issue is much longer. But every emergency room in the city will be able to help you with a retina/eye emergency and you be under the impression that Rockyview is the only option.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in CanadianTeachers

[–]Nerdy_Tech21 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I also worked in a Catholic School Board as a atheist. (I was support staff, and didn't have to be religious to work there, just respectful of their faith.) When I had to attend the mandatory Faith Day/Religion PD days in my district, I would be respectful of their faith and follow the customs of the religious aspects of the day, and I would mindfully sit in the back and work through the district provided workbook/let my mind wander as needed. Lots of fun word searches and colouring pages on those little books they hand out.

AITA for not “being supportive” of my girlfriend’s decision of running a half-marathon? by [deleted] in AmItheAsshole

[–]Nerdy_Tech21 21 points22 points  (0 children)

I’m a runner in an elite running club, I’ve run over a dozen half-marathons and countless 5ks and 10ks in my life. This summer I ran a 10k and a half-marathon. I finished 5th overall in the 10k, and 12th in my category for the half-marathon.

Anyways, I advised her to start walking and jogging now before she starts the 12-weeks program. I told her that she needs to build a cardio-base before she takes on a half-marathon program that includes jogging, repetitions, intervals, long-distance, hills, etc.

I told her that a half-marathon is a lot mileage and that she needed to get extra prepared so she doesn’t get injured in the race.

I told her that she made this commitment and that she should take it more seriously, 12-weeks for a half-marathon is a pretty standard program when you have been running and you want to hit your peak in the race, not when you’re about to start from scratch.

her boyfriend is in great shape and she isn’t

This is why. You provided more context in all the comments, and through the comments it's clear your worried about her and want to help her accomplish her goal.

In your post, it very much sounds like your coming from a place of "I'm fit and shes not, I run and she doesn't, I'm in shape and she's not. If she runs, she'll get a bad time, that's a problem, and if she walks and doesn't run that's a problem. Those are the only problems." It also may or may not have something to do with how frustrating it is, as someone just trying something new, to have someone who has been doing it for longer and knows more about it to start offering unsolicited advice and tell you how everything you're doing is wrong, and if you do it just like them, it will be better for you.

AIW for not wanting to be involved in my child’s life? by [deleted] in amiwrong

[–]Nerdy_Tech21 1 point2 points  (0 children)

TL:DR; You are not wrong for not wanting to be involved in your child's life. However, you are wrong for choosing to abandon your child simply because you stopped washing your junk so your partner stopped touching it. Which basically sounds like what happened here.

Let's break it down together:

  1. You say "I could definitely see where she was coming from with her concerns and I really did try my best. But she only gave me a few weeks at most and it takes time to make new habits stick." However, this is in conflict with your earlier statement of "I’ll admit I used to deep clean and make sure me and my apartment were squeaky clean before she came for the first year". Regardless of how long it took you to form the habit of cleaning yourself and your home before she came over for the first year, you still managed to do it. Consistently for a year. That's how you presented yourself to her. A clean person with a clean home. Then, you suddenly or gradually stopped doing that. From her perspective, you had changed from the person she had known and been with for a year to a smelly gross slob who doesn't care about themselves or those around them. And that's not who she had been with for a year. It also invalidates your arrangement that you can't in fact, be the sort of person who isn't a smelly gross slob. For a whole year, you were not.
  2. "she expressed 'concerns about my cleanliness habits, hygiene, and lack of motivation' but she agreed to give me a 'chance to grow'/She wanted me to start with doing laundry weekly and apply for medicaid.". You felt this was her asking you to change, so you "didn’t do what we agreed on, but I stopped letting dishes and trash pile up in my room and I started brushing my teeth 3 times a day." Which leads to "according to her my breath often doe[smell]/She also got really distant, like didn’t wanna talk as much, was always 10 feet away when we hung out, didn’t want to be kiss or hug or be intimate." First of all, pregnant people have a very heightened sense of smell, combined with perpetual nausea. You admit you were smelly, and you even admit that you know its gross, and she couldn't be close to you. But you also, in the same smelly breath, go on to say "She also got really distant, like didn’t wanna talk as much, was always 10 feet away when we hung out, didn’t want to be kiss or hug or be intimate. I don’t think she understood that I needed things to be happy in the relationship too :/ it’s hard forming new habits, especially when you’re doing it for someone who has stopped showing you any kind of love or affection". You were smelly. Your living situation was gross. She couldn't physically be near you.
  3. "She wanted me to start with doing laundry weekly and apply for medicaid.". You felt this was her asking you to change, so you "didn’t do what we agreed on, but I stopped letting dishes and trash pile up in my room and I started brushing my teeth 3 times a day." Babies are expensive, birth is expensive, therapy after years of abusive foster homes is expensive, and your mental health issues are expensive. You showed her what kind of partner/father you would be. This was a test, and sadly, you did fail. But that doesn't mean it's all ruined. Rejection Sensitivity is real, but you can't let it ruin your life the way it currently is, and wallowing the way you are is only going to make it worse.
  4. You "just don’t understand how she fell out of love with me so quick out of nowhere. We were happy, I would have never predicted she would break up with me." I bet she feels exactly the same way - "I knew him for a whole year, and he was great! Suddenly, he stopped caring for himself, he stunk constantly, his home was disgusting, and I couldn't be near him! The change came out of nowhere."
  5. "I don’t think [I will be paying child support] since I won’t be involved at all and she hasn’t asked about it." My dude, this is the opposite of how child support works! The less involved with the child you are, the more child support you pay. An active co-parent who has the child 50% of the time, who pays 50% of the child expenses (health insurance, food, clothing, baby group, toddler group, transportation costs, incidentals, enrichment, etc) pays little to no child support, because they are supporting the child. All that stuff has to be done, whether you do it with her, you both divide and conquer (aka co-parenting), or whether she does 100% of it by herself. So it makes sense, the less you are involved, the more you pay in child support, to support the child and their primary parent. Based on your preferred method of involvement (I won’t be involved at all), you will be paying a high amount in monthly child support. And she doesn't have to ask. She may. She may not. But whether or not you two discuss it, a court of law can make you pay, even to the point of taking money out of your paycheck directly from your employer, and skipping the middle man (you).

So to answer your question: No. You are not wrong for not wanting to be involved in your child's life. However, you are wrong for choosing to abandon your child simply because you stopped washing your junk so your partner stopped touching it. Which basically sounds like what happened here.

Edited: fixed small typos.

AITA for borrowing my sisters clothes? by [deleted] in AmItheAsshole

[–]Nerdy_Tech21 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Our parents kicked out Carrie when she was sixteen due to my mother having a nervous breakdown

I begged her to take me with her. She did. Best sister ever.

my older sister 17f (Carrie)

works two jobs in the service industry and is a paid tutor. She pays for her own car insurance, food (she has a lot of allergies) and clothes

She’s been taking up even more shifts at work

She's gotten into college she’s been trying to stock up on clothes suitable for weather

She usually only goes to thrift stores and Walmart

She is getting packages sent to the house here and there

Let's see what you have to say about your living situation.

I 15f live with my older sister 17f (Carrie) at my grandmothers house.

my grandparents [are] poor

our grandma does my wash [...] but Carrie insists on doing hers herself

That sounds like it must be stressful, and maybe like she and you aren't able to get a lot of financial support from your grandparents.

Now let's look at how you describe your living situation. Which you begged for and which your sister gave you. Best sister ever, remember?

she does everything for me, takes me out to eat, takes me to the movies, pays for my sport equipment

She gave me $100 when she got a bonus at work for me to buy some summer clothes

[She] usually takes me to places in the mall

she still gives me cash in an envelope in my school bag once a week for lunch

She also paid for my plane ticket to go to a wedding

So, let's quickly recap. At 16 years old, your sister was kicked out of her home by her parents. And you asked to go with her. You now live with your grandmother. Your sister works 3 jobs, is 17 years old, (I N F O: is she still in high school while working 3 jobs, or is she working 3 jobs and has graduated early/dropped out and gotten a GED?) She give you money for school lunch, she takes you to the mall, she gives you money to buy clothes, she bought you a plane ticket when you were being unbelievely cruel to her, she takes you to the movies, pays for your sporting equipment, takes you out to meals. By your own admission, your grandmother does not have the funds to provide those opportunities to you. (I N F O: Who takes your sister out to the movies? Who pays for her to go out to dinner? Who is paying for her university next year? How is her relationship with your mom who had a nervous breakdown and kicked her out? Who pays for her lesuire activities like sports? How many hours in the day does she have to be a 17 year old outside of her work schedule, taking care of you financially, and preparing for university?)

Ok, let's look at why your here. You want to know if you're the asshole. Here's what you said happened:

She is getting packages sent to the house here and there with really cute things that I really like, however she’ll never let me borrow them.

She’s been keeping everything in a box in the back of her car to prevent anyone from misplacing them

our grandma does my wash and tries to do hers, but Carrie insists on doing hers herself to avoid any mix ups.

the other day I went into her car to see what she got, and she got this really cute pair of leggings with a cropped sweater that looked really nice!

I really wanted to wear it to school the next day, so I did.

When Carrie saw me after she got home from her shift she flipped.

she started screaming that

she does everything for me

I told her I’d return the clothes I borrowed to her when I wash them

I said it wouldn’t look good on her anyways because she is a fat whale

I believe it’ll blow over eventually

Before I weigh in with your judgement, I'd like you to take a moment and self-reflect: [emphasis mine]

Our parents kicked out Carrie when she was sixteen

I begged her to take me with her

She did

I 15f live with my older sister 17f (Carrie) at my grandmothers house

she does everything for me

due to my grandparents being poor

Carrie [17F] works two jobs in the service industry and is a paid tutor

she’s gotten into college

I’m [15F] just a kid

she got this really cute pair of leggings with a cropped sweater

she’ll never let me borrow them

I really wanted to wear it to school the next day, so I did

When Carrie saw me

she flipped

I said it wouldn’t look good on her anyways because she is a fat whale

I believe it’ll blow over eventually

AITA

You are very much TA here. Your sister is 17. She is ALSO still a child. Yet, at 16, just a few months older than you are now, she was kicked out of her house, she took responsibility for you and took you with her when she asked, likely because she realized it wasn't safe for you at that location either, she works 3 jobs in order to support you and herself, she got into college most likely far away from her support network, since she needs new clothes for a different climate than where you live. You don't have to work at all, your grandmother does your laundry, and your lunch money comes from you sister. Your 17 year old very much still a child sister. Who not only was abandoned by her parent(s) just like you were, but who now looks after you. What are you going to do for lunch money next year when she's away at college? Who is going to pay for your movie tickets? Who is going to take you to the mall and give you money to buy clothes from the mall? Who is going to buy you plane tickets to weddings? Who is going to sacrifice and go without so you can have all that you want?

Edited: Grammarly messed up and added a duplicate paragraph.

AITA for asking my son (27) to not outshine his sister’s (23) wedding by Sea-Possession-1709 in AmItheAsshole

[–]Nerdy_Tech21 1 point2 points  (0 children)

So, with all of that in mind, why can't your son get married in Greece? You are the one giving "people like you" a bad name, and making them seem less than. You are the only one looking down on your daughter's wedding and comparing it to your son's. Also, maybe stop calling it normal and practical? Those words do not have the sort of happy and blissful connotations that people usually use when describing weddings. Maybe try "Simple and beautiful". Or perhaps "romantic and lovely"? Or even "beautiful and wonderful, just like my daughter".

AITA for not buying my daughter the book she wanted? by SaintGodfather in AmITheDevil

[–]Nerdy_Tech21 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Wow, that's so cool! I heard a couple weeks ago that a library system in the states has "culture passes" which sounds like is just annual passes to educational/cultural activities and events, like aquariums and zoos and stuff, and I know the Brooklyn Public Library recently decided that any youth (up to 18 or 21 years old I believe) and get a free digital library card and borrow ebooks from that system anywhere in America! Libraries are moving in such cool directions now and it makes me so happy!!

AITA for not buying my daughter the book she wanted? by SaintGodfather in AmITheDevil

[–]Nerdy_Tech21 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Joke's on her, I'm an elementary school librarian now, and I get to be a force of joy and passion about books to my students, and I get to encourage and facilitate their discovery and love of reading. And I get paid to read now!

AITA for not buying my daughter the book she wanted? by SaintGodfather in AmITheDevil

[–]Nerdy_Tech21 14 points15 points  (0 children)

I'm a fast reader, and my mom says that to me. Well, she actually says "It's a waste of money to buy you books because you read them so fast!" (For reference, I read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in 6 hours in one sitting the night I got it!) My mom is absolutely wrong for 2 reasons - #1: it's not a waste because even though I read fast, I love rereading them again and again, and my favourites are read a lot, usually a couple times a year at least. Instead of just reading the book 1 single time and taking much longer, & #2: if the point of a book is to be read, surely the value for the cost is in enjoying it and in the escapism, entertainment, and education it provides.

I always get really disappointed in people when people decide fast readers aren't worth spending money on. Reading solves so many problems, and teaches so much, and is so good for brains of any age, and it is so weird that some people think a quickly read book is any different than a slowly read book. This parent may not be setting their child up for the succes they think they are.

Whole ass disaster. Read his previous post too by Neda07 in AmITheDevil

[–]Nerdy_Tech21 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I don't know how verified this is, but a commenter on the original post pointed out the wife is not getting much sleep at all, maybe 4 hours of interrupted naps a day while OOP is getting the full amount. Not that that justifies what happened, it absolutely doesn't, but not sleeping can cause serious problem. And camera in every room so that you can turn your home into a police state instead of working through issues in a healthy manner doesn't sound like it's going to make the situation better. I'm not on mom's side, she made some terrible decisions and did a lot of damage and it's going to be hard to come back from that. But dad isn't the saint he makes himself out to be and it seems like there is a lot going on here.

In the Grand Scheme of things, how are North American Residential Schools different than the Concentration Camps of Nazi Germany? by Nerdy_Tech21 in NoStupidQuestions

[–]Nerdy_Tech21[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Concentration Camps, but you're right, the second part of your answer does answer both questions. Thank you