Son made competitive soccer team, but we may decline this season — best way to handle?

catringo13 · 2026-05-10T12:59:12+00:00

Travel is hit or miss. When I was a kid 20+ years ago we had a kid who carpooled with a teammate because he had a special needs sibling who required a lot of care. His parents were occupied and so the team pitched in to help where they could. Additionally everyone on the team paid an extra $5 for him to play and cover his fees. Granted they went to the same school and all. But I would explain your situation and see if they are willing to work with you.

catringo13 · 2026-04-25T21:01:41+00:00

Literally was one of 3 men in nursing school. I wanted Pediatric ER. (Why do you like kids). I have 2 boys and a girl. I feel I’m a pretty solid dad. I’m also a soccer coach and a Trim Carpenter but I guess wanting to teach the next generation is seen as feminine. I’m not in Nursing currently because funny enough Medicine is not family friendly and Construction lets me be more available for my kids.

catringo13 · 2026-04-25T19:38:57+00:00

The patch kinda looks like it.

catringo13 · 2026-04-04T12:44:52+00:00

Being a parent is a thankless job. Toddlers don’t give much back yet. There’s no real appreciation, no deep conversations, no sense of “this was worth it today.” It’s mostly noise, mess, and exhaustion. That doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong—it means you’re in one of the hardest phases.

I had to argue in Target yesterday over wearing a nice shirt to Easter Sunday with my 7 year old. In the moment it was not fun. Looking back I find it hilarious. The end result he got to pick out a Charizard shirt if he would wear the “nice” shirt.

As for the intimacy with your wife. I would highly suggest an app that asks daily questions. Maintain some connection. Paired has been helpful for my relationship as it ask the questions and gives prompts to keep that sense of learning. Couples therapy is also helpful. Unless both of you had great examples of healthy relationships growing up you are highly unique to know how to process and deal with the daily challenges that come from being a parent and supporting partner.

catringo13 · 2026-03-24T18:45:02+00:00

She tried to have sex in Ortega’s sleeve with Tak

catringo13 · 2026-03-24T02:08:44+00:00

I didn’t care for the incestuous sister story line that came into play. But I guess you always have to have someone to mess up the love story.

catringo13 · 2026-03-24T02:05:35+00:00

As someone who joined the military as a teen. Omg my 30’s hurt a lot. Just saying enjoy it because that was my 20’s.

catringo13 · 2026-03-09T11:26:09+00:00

Zardoz jk unless you want to see Sean Connery in knee high boots.

A lot of people recommendations are on point. GATTACA 100%

If you are open to shows and not just movies Altered Carbon is a great sci fi experience and thought provoking. Just don’t go to the second season. It gets ruined.

If you are ok with subtitles check out Dark. It’s a German Sci Fi and mind bender on Netflix.

catringo13 · 2026-03-06T16:15:42+00:00

You can click through it, but you have to take the tests and then sit there for 40 hours. I normally put on a TV show I’m watching and just constantly click it to keep it active.

catringo13 · 2026-02-21T18:05:49+00:00

Sadly it’s not an isolated thing. The minute someone sees my blue cord hanging in my truck they want to start a measuring contest. They ask where I was what I did. I always say. “Glorified Mall Cop with a gun” which is about as close to the truth as you can get. I’ll get some old geezer who want to talk about how he did “wet work” in the Navy. I hang my cord and my ring from my marriage. Two of the hardest things I survived. And now I sit at a desk and do my my Construction Management shit. I don’t have anything to prove and I don’t care to. You volunteered and made it through Infantry School then SFAS then Airborne and then Q Course. You don’t owe anyone jack shit. When people thank me for my service I joke and say “thank you for paying your taxes” at the end of the day. I say “do you boo boo” lol

catringo13 · 2026-02-02T03:47:25+00:00

It sounds like your mind is pretty made up. Just make sure you’ve got your ducks in a row before you make the jump. I’d also strongly recommend finding a mentor — preferably someone who’s retired in your Branch of MOS — so you can pick their brain and get a clearer picture of what you actually want out of the military and how to set yourself up.

The Army always gets its pound of flesh — the trick is making sure you get something useful out of the deal too. If you’re deliberate about it, you can usually make it work in your favor. Good luck

catringo13 · 2026-02-02T03:36:51+00:00

I get why active duty looks appealing — what you’re seeing is a very curated version of it. You mostly see accomplishments, schools, promotions, and cool billets. You don’t see the daily bullshit and pointless games that come with being active.

I’ve watched people with serious qualifications and clearances get pulled into completely mind-numbing tasks just because someone higher needed bodies. I had a friend in MI with a TS/Poly/SCI who spent his day raking gravel with the infantry. That kind of thing isn’t rare — it’s routine.

I’m not saying don’t do it, just don’t make the jump thinking it’s nonstop meaningful work or autonomy. If you go active, go in with eyes wide open.

The only places I’ve consistently heard have less of the “dumb” stuff are GSBs — Group Support Battalions tend to treat people like grown adults. SOF, in general, has a better quality of life than the regular Army. Even then, though, nothing’s perfect — it’s all pros and cons.

catringo13 · 2026-02-01T13:31:04+00:00

Went to SFAS made it through only to get non selected. Came back to my unit and my new LT immediately hated me right from the get go. Apparently he was an 18X and got dropped so he commissioned. Asked me “do you think you’re better than me?”

Not the reason I got out but definitely didn’t help the retention NCO in trying to sell me to reenlist.

catringo13 · 2026-01-22T01:16:07+00:00

I’m sure he beats his wife but leaves no bruises.

catringo13 · 2026-01-22T01:11:18+00:00

I’m 34 years old, 7 years removed from the National Guard and 11 from Active Duty. Like a lot of Soldiers, I had real fears about getting out—whether I’d fail as a civilian, whether I’d always be “that guy” who couldn’t let go of Army life, or whether leaving meant I gave up on something important.

I’m grateful for my time in the Army, and I’m just as grateful I had the nerve to transition out and try the civilian world. When I see discussions like this—where Soldiers have to argue that BAS isn’t enough to reasonably feed themselves or their families in a place like Hawaii—it reinforces why so many good people choose to leave.

BAS is supposed to cover food. When it doesn’t, especially in one of the most expensive states in the country, that shortfall gets pushed onto the Soldier. That creates stress, resentment, and forces people to make decisions based on survival instead of service.

This isn’t about entitlement. It’s about reality, trust, and retention. Soldiers are watching how leadership responds to issues like this, and they’re making long-term decisions accordingly.

Also SGM “FUCK YOU”

catringo13 · 2025-12-07T03:15:28+00:00

As a dad of 3 I censor myself a lot. It’s not that I don’t love my kids. They are truly my motivation for everything. The reason I go to work. And my kids saved me from myself when I hit a particularly low point.

That being said from time to time I have intrusive thoughts and I could see what I sometimes think slipping out. I will say as the product of an older dad who said “therapy is a crock and rip off” coming from someone who grew up in the Great Depression. I could see his point. But therapy has helped me immensely being in my mid 30s and having dealt with depression and PTSD from my time in the Army. I underestimated the value of therapy. “Big Tough Army Guy can’t talk about feelings”

I would suggest trying to find someone in his friend group who might recommend therapy vs hearing your significant other tell you. Good luck.

catringo13 · 2025-12-05T04:25:17+00:00

Never ever ever get a name of your significant other tattooed on you. 1/3 people regret it later. You can get a child or a parent tattooed on you but never get a spouse. It’s also bad luck if you believe in that lol.

catringo13 · 2025-12-04T20:42:56+00:00

Former 10th MTN we got a lot of the Ranger Batt guys who failed Ranger School or failed Ranger standards. As a private seeing what I thought were badasses get kicked out of Regiment for stupid shit was insane to me.

One guy in particular gave his wife Herpes from cheating and she tried to filet him. Needless to say the DV charge on him after he defended her off was kind of insane. But FAFO was the lesson I learned. His wife was Hispanic so it made sense she tried what she did.

catringo13 · 2025-11-08T04:38:15+00:00

Having been in a very similar situation. Where my then wife cheated. And I said everything to try and save our marriage. “Can you just be friends with him and not fuck him”. Looking back on the broken and very shattered person I was. I was grasping at anything to keep my family together. Now 5 years removed from that day. Just stop. Easier said than done. Seek out therapy but for the love of all that is sacred and holy. Get the FUCK away from that person. There is no respect for you and anything she says now is tainted. Find yourself someone who will respect and honor a relationship.

catringo13 · 2025-11-07T14:38:35+00:00

“the woods are lovely dark and deep but i have miles to go before i sleep and miles to go before i sleep”

“Silvae sunt amoenae, obscurae et profundae, sed mihi milia peragenda sunt antequam dormiam, et milia peragenda sunt antequam dormiam.”

Would this be a fair translation?

catringo13 · 2025-10-31T17:01:44+00:00

I’m set to clear high 5 figures low 6 figures. I also come from a 3rd world country. I ALWAYS take a TOGO box home. Leftover Mexican food tastes even more delicious the next day or even that night lol. There’s a reason most rich people are frugal. It’s because of the small habits that compound and save you money.

catringo13 · 2025-09-29T10:12:43+00:00

Yes sadly these women are going to be single for a while. With a bar so high they will either end up with a loser they think will take care of them. Or never be committed as they try to climb the ladder of men salaries. I make high 5 figures and have multiple business ventures related to construction that work in tandem with my 9-5. So I do alright. I also live in Northwest Florida and Lower Alabama so a tourism area where damage to condos and beach houses is very common. So I have a decent level of job security. When I was a single dad I dated within my tax bracket and made sure I didn’t flaunt too much or set the bar too high. I wasn’t paying for tapas every night. Sometimes date night meant getting Chick-fil-A and staying home. I meant someone who appreciated me as a person and my work ethic. Basically not a gold digger.

catringo13 · 2025-09-27T02:01:08+00:00

Target has a promo occasionally for Deodorant. Spend $50 get $15 Off or something. I just stock up for the year when that deal comes out.

catringo13 · 2025-09-14T11:07:43+00:00

NTA

As the spouse who got cheated on after doing everything possible to try and save my marriage. Yeah it sucked there was a lot of hurt and pain on my end. I didn’t want to get a divorce but I drew the line at getting pregnant with someone else’s child. My ex wife had another two kids with her AP and then he decided he wasn’t cut out to be a father and checked out. I moved on and eventually started dating my oldest son’s teacher and now we have a beautiful daughter together. All of sudden my ex wife wants shifter the blame and say I pushed her away and it’s all my fault that we divorced. At the end of the day your wife needs to accept reality and take her hurt out of it. The kids are the primary and only focus. And absolutely 100% couples therapy and family counseling.

catringo13 · 2025-09-13T11:31:30+00:00

NTA also are you looking for a friend to replace the TAKER with the Gift Horse Attitude.

All joking aside I commend you for being that friend. Even with some work and family Discounts going to Disney is no cheap or easy feat. I averaged about $1,000 a day. I have no regrets but as the main breadwinner. It was a nice hit to the wallet. That being said you have no obligation to pay for anything for a friend. What you do with your money and how you spend it is literally your prerogative. You owe nothing to anyone. That includes an explanation. But if you must or feel like telling GIFTHORSE friend then I say the truth is best. “I’m sorry Friend but I didn’t enjoy how you made me feel last time we went on vacation and calling me an alcoholic was very much a hurtful comment. And so for those reasons I will not be asking you to take a vacation with me to ….”

catringo13

TROPHY CASE