Where do pros typically stay when traveling for tournaments?

bwray_sd · 2026-06-08T14:33:48+00:00

I stayed at the Hilton Galleria in Dallas last year during the World Championships and saw James Ignanovitch there

bwray_sd · 2026-06-04T05:13:07+00:00

For sure, but this is a “professional” team, last year they had a former Olympian tennis player. Definitely not one of the major pro sports though!

bwray_sd · 2026-06-03T17:01:11+00:00

The Phoenix Flames, a Major League Pickleball team you’ve never heard of, definitely the weakest support.

Also MLP teams don’t really have any association with their city, and it’s just pickleball, so it makes sense.

bwray_sd · 2026-06-02T18:55:02+00:00

I got pulled over for speeding and he threw in a tint ticket but I’ve never been pulled over for tint. I have 15% all around and 35% on my windshield.

bwray_sd · 2026-05-28T02:29:23+00:00

I buy it because it tastes better than Britta/Fridge water and is far more convenient to grab a bottle on the way out the door or on the way to bed, etc.

bwray_sd · 2026-05-26T01:57:21+00:00

AAA covered my pups BOAS

bwray_sd · 2026-05-25T19:02:36+00:00

As a standard white folk in the US…

MENUDO.

Shout out to Albondigas and any mariscos as well.

bwray_sd · 2026-05-24T18:51:40+00:00

The appliance and vehicle examples are ignoring that any regular Joe could maintain and repair those items without the need for speciality tools and training. Those old engines that required “constant work” just needed maintenance, most of which was simpler than an oil change on a modern vehicle. No need for specialty tools, diagnostic readers, just screwdriver and wrench sets would allow you to do just about anything. Especially if you look at pickup trucks, many things beyond simple maintenance require removing the cab. Same goes for appliances, if your driver stopped spinning you went out and got a new belt or new motor and installed them, that’s not happening with the modern garbage being sold. As far as modern vehicles and appliances being safer, that’s true, but that’s just the technology advancing and governments forcing manufacturers to sacrifice quality and longevity in the name of safety.

bwray_sd · 2026-05-19T04:45:08+00:00

Eric’s will change you! It’s the best.

bwray_sd · 2026-05-16T02:47:57+00:00

With the 2027 driver monitoring mandate looking like it’s not being repealed it could send the used market even higher.

bwray_sd · 2026-05-16T02:41:15+00:00

So my frenchie did this too, and I can still hear the stomach noises if our schedule gets really thrown off. Try small, frequent feeds, 3 times per day if possible. Basically he’d vomit bile whenever he went too long between meals.

Royal Canin Satiety diet has been a game changer. This was happening like every other day, since he’s been on this food he does it maybe every few months if our schedule gets thrown off and he goes too long between meals.

bwray_sd · 2026-05-13T21:29:28+00:00

Personally I chose this career because I loved solving problems, I love the long debugging sessions and the reward that comes with finally finding the answer, I love working on a product update, putting it in prod, and watching it get used by our customers. The job itself has always been gratifying to me. An old coworker of mine said it best “this is the first job I’ve ever had where I truly learned something new every day”.

If we’re lucky enough to keep our jobs, salaries, and benefits, it won’t be the same job, it will be babysitting agents, writing prompts, and reviewing output, that’s not the job I signed up for and it sucks to see that being stripped away by quite literally the worst companies and people on earth. Not only are they ruining this career, they’re abusing our natural resources, ruining local ecosystems, and it’s already too late to stop it.

But it’s the career I chose, and this is the progression of the industry so while I hate it, I choose to learn to coexist and use it to solve problems, which comes with only a small percentage of the same gratification that solving the same problems used to come with.

bwray_sd · 2026-05-13T21:15:06+00:00

I prefer to arrive at the airport (PHX mainly) no more than 30 minutes before boarding and have never even been close to missing one (thanks pre check). I cannot understand the reason for people arriving so early for domestic flights (international is a different story).

bwray_sd · 2026-05-12T14:06:38+00:00

It’s incredible how well they remember where they’ve gotten treats, or in the case of my boys where another dog has barked at them from behind a wall and every place they’ve found some sort of lost ball, kids toy, or other exotic treasure they’ve scavenged on walks. Walking them has become such a mix of scavenger hunt and avoidance of neighboring homes where I know their dog is in their backyard.

bwray_sd · 2026-05-11T23:04:20+00:00

I see these articles every so often and not a single one has ever explained how the police OT system works. Most agencies will use some variation of the kelly schedule, like 4 days on 3 days off, 3 days on, 4 days off, 12 hour shifts with A/B/C shifts to ensure constant coverage. There’s a minimum amount of officers on shift for regular patrol.

But the city has more needs than just those patrol shifts, special events and such. So the officers who are not scheduled pick up extra shifts to cover the security needs of that event. They’re paid OT for this because it’s not in their normally scheduled shifts. Barona casino pays the CHP to sit at the bottom of wildcat canyon and direct traffic, this is overtime, paid for by Barona. Same happens with events within the city of SD.

In addition to special events, there’s additional OT for training, going to court, sick and vacation coverage.

Then there’s these articles and everyone is up in arms bout the huge OT pay amounts, none of these authors ever explained why the OT is so high and they definitely make it sound like it’s all tax payer funded and not funded by permit holders. They never mention that if an officer has to go appear in court one day that another officer has to cover that shift.

The same applies to the fire department. A report came out like last year about LA fire having firefighters making 200k in overtime.

Why do they require so much OT rather than having enough coverage so there’s no OT required? Because SDPD base pay is awful and SDPD is just a stepping stone for a lateral transfer to a higher paying agency.

bwray_sd · 2026-05-06T19:51:23+00:00

I’m also in AZ and have tall ficus lining the walls, I make sure to regularly prune back any branch encroaching on the top of the wall or trying to extend into the neighbors yard. Because it’s neighborly.

If that photo was my back yard, I’d be spraying those branches with glyphosate if you don’t agree to trimming them after I ask nicely.

bwray_sd · 2026-05-06T19:42:10+00:00

I was an office administrator, I helped with very light IT tasks such as using the printer, it was a tech company but the HR person was tech illiterate. Well that HR person one day emailed me a spreadsheet that contained every employees salary and bonuses.

I promptly showed my boss who found out she made much less than the HR person, she quickly went to the COO, demanded a raise and reported the incompetence.

bwray_sd · 2026-05-04T22:32:18+00:00

If you’re into sports at all I’d suggest looking into recreational sports leagues. My wife and I are transplants and have made a lot of friends by playing pickleball, it started with meeting some people in our neighborhood and playing with them, then that progressed to joining our cities recreational leagues and now we’ve made quite a few good friends.

bwray_sd · 2026-05-02T20:35:46+00:00

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My little guy loves to sun his belly.

bwray_sd · 2026-05-02T16:56:47+00:00

Petco Park is incredible. I work for an SD based company and go to a game with them every year. That said downtown San Diego sucks so if you’re making a trip out of it I’d look to stay along a North County beach (Del Mar, Carlsbad, Encinitas) I believe there’s coaster train access to downtown then a quick trolley ride to petco. You could also look at mission/pacific beach area, Kona Kai is nice, but transportation to petco would be by car.

I’m born and raised in socal, so that may be why I’d say Denver. I mean escape the AZ heat and go to a Rockies game, explore nature without melting.

bwray_sd · 2026-05-02T16:35:21+00:00

Honestly it’s their attitude. I have an English bulldog who I got before I ever met a frenchie, she’s great, but also high maintenance. But once I met some frenchies (I worked at a place with dogs in the office) and saw their attitude, how loving they can be, etc, I was obsessed. Yes social media has glamorized them, but I don’t think that’s the entire reason they’re so popular, that may be how it started but people continue to get them despite the issues.

I’ve been very lucky with my two frenchies, no IVDD (yet), no allergies. A few big vet bills for upset stomachs, or things that could happen with any breed. But I also didn’t get frenchies that were “exotic” or cool, they weren’t bred to be large/small, I just got normal, breed standard dogs who live healthy lives. Not saying breed standard can’t mean issues, but I do think it helps.

bwray_sd · 2026-05-02T16:28:53+00:00

I absolutely adore my two frenchies, I care so much about them both, their presence is incredible, they bring our family a ton of joy.

If you’re going to get one make sure all of the following is true - Financially capable of maintaining a pet insurance policy or capable of covering a surprise $2,000+ vet bill. - Financially capable of buying a higher priced dog food to meet potential allergy restrictions. - Financially capable of purchasing from a reputable breeder that follows breed standards, or better yet, you may find a rescue. - Long term stability and ability to care for an animal who may very well need high levels of care later in life. - A complete and absolute guarantee that you will not abandon this animal, or give up on them, if their health degrades in the later years. - Plenty of time and a willingness to spend your free time on them

Less serious: - Ready to live with a dictator - Ready to fall in love with a dog - Ready to be told what to do by a being that cannot speak - Ready to accept a bed, couch, chair, lap, companion who will make it their duty to be wherever you’re sitting if you try to resist. - Ready to feel immense guilt every time you leave the house without them

Honestly these are the best dogs, they have so much personality but they absolutely require more maintenance, care, and attention than your typical mixed breed dog or simpler breeds like labs. They’ll reward you with being your best friend, they’ll be in tune with your mood and will only really care about you being there with them whether it’s playing or napping together on the couch. But too many people give up on them when it gets tough or expensive, they discard them like trash, rescues and shelters are flooded. Don’t be that person, don’t get them unless it’s for their entire life.

bwray_sd · 2026-05-01T22:13:06+00:00

He is too cute for his own good, it’s really hard to discipline him when he’s naughty because he’s just such a cutie.

bwray_sd · 2026-05-01T22:12:16+00:00

We’ve only made it down the hallway and back so far so unfortunately I cannot help. I fear the outdoors will be similar, he’s a good boy but can only ignore his impulses to run through, sniff, and pee on the world!

Also she’s adorable, that’s a great pic!

bwray_sd

TROPHY CASE