LaLadyinTx

quote:

---

Roughly 7% of high schoolers play in college.

About 1.5% of those get drafted.

Less than half of draftees ever play one day in the big leagues.

The odds of our kids going pro are somewhere between “struck by lightning” and “find a $100 in old shorts.”

I love youth sports (all my kids play a bunch of them) just keep a good perspective my friends. ??

---

I agree with all these things. But, as the parent of a NCAA diver who spent her life in gymnastics and diving, the promise of a scholarship should never be the why. It also isn't really the reward either. I'm sure we spent as more than these travel ball people.

This is the thing. The real reward in being dedicated to a sport is the other lessons they learn. It's time management. It's commitment. Working hard, etc. Those lessons are priceless. Can you get it other ways than travel ball? Sure. But you also aren't getting it in a super relaxed fun league either.

quote:

---

With baseball do you keep pursing this false hope by jumping around to different travel teams and paying for hitting coaches? Do the mental gymnastics end quicker for football and basketball?

---

See above. Mental gymnastics of assuming you will get something someday isn't the why. There isn't a single gymnast or diver my daughter trained with (25+ hours per week) that isn't a successful adult. Without fail, they are the most dependable and hardworking young adults I know. They do not fail and I would bet on them every single time. That's the why.

quote:

---

Jobs You Had as a Kid
The Torch
Worked at a peach orchard in North Louisiana freshman summer of high school, day one the owner told us all to eat as many peaches as we wanted.

I haven't eaten one since.



The old man knew how to cure stealing peaches

---

Also worked at a peach orchard in North Louisiana. I still love peaches. We got to take home the overripes. But the guy who owned it was not very nice. It was in a field outside a very old farmhouse, but the breeze always blew in those oak trees by the house. $2 per hour, paid cash every day.

quote:

---

Hated it. I’ve always said, go back to original Survivor. No rewards, no twists, one idol. Early season(s) Survivor. 39 days again too.

---

I love this. But I'm not sure many younger folks want to watch this. They are so used to the reality shows with just drama and nothing else.

The "Dream Team" needs to get to work on a lot of different challenges as well. Aubrey won that spinning ball one because she ordered one and practiced it in her yard. Bring back the old memory, Jeopardy type challenge. Play some type of Capture the Flag. Let them bring a single luxury/personal item. I always thought that was interesting to see what they brought. Less idols, less rewards. Jeff makes a huge deal about earning it, but they earn too much.

They will never go back to 39 days. They are happy to have less expense. I was just happy they had a big finale show this year. I like seeing them all dressed up and back to civilization. I bet they don't keep it because it was an additional expense.

quote:

---

Yall need to make peace with Aubry winning in a final three with Joe and Rizzo.

---

I hate her so much. There will not be peace. I am certain that she would drive me bonkers IRL.

quote:

---

Houston

And yes that was some hyperbole with truth mixed in

---

LMAO! Not sure where you are, but I feel every bit as safe here now as I did 30 years ago.

quote:

---

Ozzy just telling Aubrey (the one he's trying to vote out tonight) his whole strategy and who he's taking to the end.

---

Ozzy doesn't know the difference between "having a good social game" and telling all of your secrets.

Ozzy deserved to go. Moronic play! He was so dependent on Cirie that he couldn't even decide to play his idol on his own.

One of Jonathan, Rizo, or Devens will probably win and I don't hate that. They at least showed less of Rizo's annoying side this episode. They will probably keep around Emily or Tiffany (challenge threat) to take to the end, unless they are all stupid enough to keep Cirie around. If they keep Cirie...she wins and Emily knows it.

quote:

---

Don't worry, I started early at Lopez Mexican Restaurant in Stafford!!

---

Definitely not my part of town. I'm Soto's or Del Pueblo for the last 30 years. But it's still month end, so I'm still busy.

I remember when I used to be excited about playing the Dodgers.

quote:

---

I don't understand how folks spend hundreds of dollars a month on random luxuries, but freak out when gas eats an extra $50.

It seems irrational.

---

I am lucky that I live near work and don't fill up but a couple of times a month. However, many people fill up weekly and if they go somewhere extra on the weekend, more often than that. I drive a 2018 Toyota Rav 4. It's a decent car. At the end of January, it was around 2.50 per gallon and now it's 3.70 at HEB in the Houston suburbs, probably some of the better pricing in the country. That's about $15 per tank for a pretty reasonable car. If someone fills up weekly, that's $780 per year. Go on vacation or do some extra trips somewhere, like travel team Braxton is playing ball in Austin, etc. and you are easily paying $1000 per year more on gas. Drive a Tahoe and it's a lot more than that (of course, that's what Braxton's family drives.)

$1000 + per year is absorbable into many family's spending, but that's $1000 per year for less of so many luxury type items they are used to. Can they give things up? Of course...but why would you want to? It's also probably $2000+ per year when you look at how much the cost of gas factors into every other price we pay for things.

I bet most people's gas bill has gone up more than $50 per month since January.

quote:

---

Cirie is the favorite but one week going against her is all it takes.

---

Cirie will win if she makes it to final tribal, I believe. However, someone will have to take her to final tribal because she will never win immunity. I think Tiff/Emily, even Aubry or Joe may be the goat at final tribal. Joe is so stupid to just go run to Cirie with any info he has.

I believe it will be one of Rizo, Johnathan, or Ozzy. If Devens or Cirie makes it to the end, they have a really good shot. I would not take them to the end.

quote:

---

I can make a shite ton of recipes (which include overpriced meat) that could feed 5 with leftovers for $10-12 bucks.

- Chili
- Tacos / Fajitas
- Soup / Stew
- Casseroles
- Spaghetti w/ French garlic bread

Hell with chili I've done chili one night, chili Mac another and chili omletes another time on one big pot.

---

Agreed. Are all these people cooking like a masterchef every night?

When my kids were home, we had a lot of chicken and a lot of ground beef. I could make every one of those same chicken dishes now with a rotisserie if I chose to. We had all the things you listed. We also had

Chicken/sausage jambalaya...the easy version you do in the oven
Chicken spaghetti...made like a casserole
Chicken tetrazini - white sauce chicken with cream of mushroom soup and sauteed onions
Chicken King Ranch Casserole
Chicken and rice
Chicken and dumplings
Chicken tacos...cook your chicken in the crock pot or instant pot...add a jar of rotel or salsa.

There are a lot of easy meals out there that feed a big family or small family and you have leftovers.