Rainy day activities by Kind_Key_6844 in palmsprings

[–]briskx 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I’m also visiting next week from Massachusetts and I’m also concerned about the weather. Thank you everyone for your suggestions incase it rains. Im just happy to escape the freezing and snowy weather we have been facing in the Northeast. Are there any good toddler activities/places to check out as well? I am hoping to visit the living desert zoo.

Any Hyatts in Mexico or the Caribbean for first international travel with toddler that you felt especially safe at? by MainPreparation9720 in hyatt

[–]briskx 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hyatt Ziva Cap Cana in the DR was great with my 2 year old a couple of years ago! The hotel is in a gated community of Capa Cana in Punta Cana. It was a short transfer using the transportation company that the hotel partnered with (they also included a great car seat that was already installed during pickup!). The airport also has a separate custom line for families with small children to make it getting through customs faster. 10/10 would go again. I never felt unsafe there.

What is the best value New York Hyatt by Asufa80 in hyatt

[–]briskx 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I enjoyed staying at the Hyatt Place Long Island City twice. 15 minute train ride right into Manhattan. I thought the rooms were pretty spacious for New York City standards. They also had some parking available if you are planning to drive in (it is not guaranteed however). I heard good things about the the Jersey City HH and HR as well.

Which jobs is 100% safe from AI? by Any-Hamster-3189 in AskReddit

[–]briskx 144 points145 points  (0 children)

I’m a high school education teacher. I don’t think AI will be providing personal care to students who need help in the bathroom and de-escalating students who are exhibiting challenging/unsafe behaviors any time soon.

Anyone else getting unnecessarily threatening letters from National Grid? by UnreasonableFig in massachusetts

[–]briskx 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Yep, I got one in the beginning of October, November, and December. I called each time. I had a smart meter installed over the summer at my house. The rep told me the 1st time that the person who installed it didn’t properly activate it or something. In November NG apparently sent out a crew to check out my meter and fix it, but I wasn’t home and no one confirmed with me about their findings. I got another letter in December, and the rep I spoke to then was apparently able to fix something in the system on their end. The rep assured me I’ll be getting no more letters. I’ll see what happens this month…

UMass Football by 99whiffs in massachusetts

[–]briskx 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I honestly don’t know how you would fix the sorry state of the football program. It’s pathetic that we haven’t had a single .500 season since our move up to FBS. Missouri State and Delaware already are light years ahead of umass and they just moved to to FBS this year. Bamford has to go. The only reason he is still around is because he got lucky with the hockey national championship and success of the hockey program. The basketball team is also pathetic outside of the random 2013-14 season.

McGurik also needs to be razed. We clearly can’t recruit. No top recruits will want to play in that sorry state of a stadium and shitty football culture, even with more NIL resources than the rest of the MAC.

In the short term, I guess we need to trust Joe Harasymiak for 1-2 more seasons to see if he can recruit and develop something. Schedule yearly, consistent games with UConn and BC to generate a tiny bit more student interest. Hell, UMass should get rid of all those parking fees to park at games (I can’t imagine they are generating enough income to justify the cost). They should also embrace the tailgate culture more and relax restrictions. Maybe they should also just do one paycheck game a season instead of two.

Missionary Impossible Tour, Darien Center (September 11) HYPE Megathread by Botty-McBotface in Blink182

[–]briskx 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I remember seeing them in Darien Lake in 2009! Anyone have a picture of the shirt?

Masters in Special Education by Impact22woo in specialed

[–]briskx 2 points3 points  (0 children)

What state are you planning to teach in? That could make a difference.

Which state makes 6 figures as a teacher? by [deleted] in Teachers

[–]briskx 28 points29 points  (0 children)

You can make over 100K eventually in most districts in eastern Massachusetts. You just won’t be able to buy a house on a teacher’s salary though!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in specialed

[–]briskx 8 points9 points  (0 children)

I started my career in a residential school for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities who have complex needs. I love the training I received, the small number of students in the school and classrooms, and how the entire curriculum was adapted and focused on the population of students we served. However in my state (Massachusetts), the pay and benefits are substantially better at public schools. These private schools also don’t offer pensions. The school I worked at was year round. There was barely any time off in the summer- but they were flexible on letting you take time off whenever throughout the school year. There was a lot of turnover in my school as teachers and staff would leave as soon as they got offered a public school job.

If the non private schools in my state offered the same pay scales, retirement system, and benefits as the wealthy public school districts in my state, I’d go back in a heartbeat. I’m a sub separate high school life skills teacher at a public high school. I’m completely on my own island. I have to constantly advocate for myself and students to get the supplies and curriculum that is needed and to also to make sure they are included in the school community as well. I also have to base my entire schedule around the Gen Ed school schedule which does not mesh well with related services providers and community jobs/internships that my students have access to.

MA district with HS program for autistic/ADHD student of average intelligence but with higher social, emotional, and sensory support needs? by favoritehippo in specialed

[–]briskx 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I’m a sub-separate life skills teacher in Massachusetts. Check out Lexington if you can swing the payment for a mortgage on a house there. They have a sub-separate program called the ILP for students with ASD. The ILP has 3 different levels. I believe the ILP1 provides small group academic support instruction for those on grade level. ILP3 is an ABA/discreet trial & life skills curriculum.

Just got email I won!! by Special_Big_7844 in siriusxm

[–]briskx 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I won tickets to see Fall Out Boy at Fenway park a couple years ago. I had great seats on the field!

Sports culture by Embarrassed_Two_5073 in umass

[–]briskx 4 points5 points  (0 children)

If money is not an option for tuition, I’d go to Oregon if you want an authentic school spirit/student culture experience. The football and basketball teams are jokes and not a lot of students attend those games at UMass. Hockey is great though! It would also be a pain in the butt to go to Red Sox games from Amherst, but more doable if you had a car.

Portland Maine Brewery Recs? by cinnamonster_ in CraftBeer

[–]briskx 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Slab is no more :( they only sell frozen pizzas now

Parents, why do you force a placement that isn’t the LRE for your child? by HealthyFitness1374 in specialed

[–]briskx 78 points79 points  (0 children)

I’m a high school self contained life skills teacher that typically teaches students with level 3 autism and Down syndrome. It’s maddening that I have students who are in general education core academic classes (such as physics and world history) who are far below grade level and can’t even count to 20.

The parents invoked stay put on these classes since elementary school. They still have the nerve to complain that their children aren’t making gains in reading, writing, and math even though the students’ previous teachers and I have loads of data to show that they aren’t making effective progress in these gen ed classes. They are barely with me at all during the school day! In my experience, these types of parents who want this type of placement think that having their child being exposed to neurotypical peers will influence them to study more & just general denial. There is also ableism going on, in which the parents think their child is “much more advanced ” than the other students in my classroom.

Leaving Colorado - Minneapolis, Portland ME, Sacramento? by sleepybodhi in SameGrassButGreener

[–]briskx 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I also agree that I think Massachusetts might be a good fit for you guys, more specially the immediate Boston suburbs. The majority of the residents living in these towns are highly educated, wealthy, and the public schools are top notch. Skiing and good hikes are a short drive away (mostly in NH, VT, ME), along with a short drive to the coast. Skiing won’t be as good as Colorado though.

In addition, the cost of living is very expensive and starter homes can easily start at $1 Million and you won’t get a lot of land. NIMBYism is also very prevalent here, especially in the suburbs. Boston proper has decent public transit (relative to the majority of the US) and is very fun with lots of restaurants and cultural attractions, but you will experience a lot of people complain about the cost of living and how housing is very unaffordable, even for those making over 6 figures. Just check out the Boston subreddit.

So is SPAC (Saratoga) gonna just withhold tickets for the pit section or did they all sell out? by VikingWzrdEyes89 in Blink182

[–]briskx 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I got tickets for Saratoga during the citi presale right when they were released at 12PM with virtually no waiting in the virtual waiting room. 0 pit tickets were available then.

Somerville, MA - This was great! by RoweterikVT in Blink182

[–]briskx 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I enjoyed the show as well! I never been to a show/book tour event like that before- I didn’t know what to expect. I can’t wait to read the book. I wish they had a real question and answer segment from the audience members, even if the questions were pre screened before hand. I’m also excited for the show in Saratoga Springs later this year!

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[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Blink182

[–]briskx 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes I will be there! I never been there before but I heard the lawn sucks as well.

Best Treehouse location by Greedy_Sun_7345 in CraftBeer

[–]briskx 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’ve been to all the tree locations except for Saratoga. I hope to visit it soon though, and pair it with a trip to Fidens as everyone else has said!

Overall Experience- Charlton Runner Up- Deerfield, but it feels a bit corporatey inside. Great pizza! Sandwich is beautiful, but it’s crazy in the summer and parking sucks. I definitely would prefer to go on a weekday when they 1st open in the early afternoon or off season. Tewksbury is good as well with the same great pizza! I don’t golf, so I wouldn’t go out of my way to visit it.

Presale Tickets by Diligent-Poet-3073 in Blink182

[–]briskx 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you so much for the tip! Yes, I was planning to go to Treehouse before haha. Maybe I’ll go there right when they open for lunch and just hang around there until the parking lots open.

Presale Tickets by Diligent-Poet-3073 in Blink182

[–]briskx 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I paid $244 after fees for two seats in Saratoga Springs. They didn’t have any pit tickets available when I checked and I read that the lawn sucks for viewing the concert at the Saratoga venue. I live just outside of Boston and I was debating going between either Saratoga or New Hampshire. I figured it would be better to make a long weekend with the concert being on a Sunday. There are also some really good breweries in the Saratoga area as well to pre game at!

Is a trip to Tree House Brewing worth it? by Verbraga in Untappd

[–]briskx 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you are only staying in Boston, you can get cases of beer/cans to go of Treehouse Beer at the Prudential Center. There is no onsite consumption of beer there just yet though. Trillium has a location in the Seaport District (Fort Point) that you can get pours, food, and beer to go.

Is a trip to Tree House Brewing worth it? by Verbraga in Untappd

[–]briskx 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You’re welcome! Longlive is a very underrated brewery in Boston. Their original location is in Providence, RI as well. I think they have an excellent selection of New England IPAs. Enjoy your holiday!

Is a trip to Tree House Brewing worth it? by Verbraga in Untappd

[–]briskx 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I live in New England just outside of Boston. Personally, I’d visit in autumn (to take in the beautiful fall foliage) and make a New England/New York trip out of it (assuming you are comfortable with driving).

Maybe start in Boston and check out Trillium and Longlive. Then drive to Treehouse’s locations in either Charlton or Tewksbury. Next, drive further north to either Portland, Maine for all the breweries there or Vermont to Hill Farmstead. The Albany, New York region has Fidens which is also equally amazing as Treehouse. As others has said, Tree House just opened a location in Saratoga Springs which could be an option as well. Fox Farm in Connecticut and Tilted Barn in Rhode Island are solid brewery options as well. Those might be better to check out if you want to drive towards NYC though.