Things that are AWESOME...

[Hoss]

I'm sorry about that bit about your sister-in-law. I have a selection of golf clubs, and I don't golf, if you catch my drift.

Washing tire rubber off a knife is harder than advertised.

[nfreeman]

So there's this thing called Camp Widow. It's what you'd expect, except it's at a hotel, rather than at a campground. Lots of workshops and all that.

 

I went last year, but I overloaded on workshops and it was too soon. I left midway through, and I was just bawling.

 

I went again this year. I got back at halftime of the Bills game.

 

It was ###### AMAZING. I just feel so differently than I did last week. I feel so energized about moving forward (not moving on, that's different and never will happen, I learned) with my life. I saw friends from last year (they all were "freshmen" last year, too), and they're all the same as me--moving forward.

 

I can't and don't expect anyone to understand WTF I've been through, but wow, these past four days were amazing and I feel like a real human being again for the first time in nineteen months.

Awesome.

Really glad to hear this man.

 

Yesterday capped off suicide prevention week with many 'Out of the Darkness' walks around the country. I wasn't able to participate (worked dayside) but my family was and they had a blast. So many good people who cared surprisingly showed up to support my family and those who knew my brother. My mom, who has been very introverted since my brother's suicide and other incidents, got out and ended up raising over $500 for the cause (in a small town that's a ton of money). She was so happy at the end of the day when we talked about it.

A great day.

Also awesome.

[qwksndmonster]

Awesome stuff in the awesome thread  :cry:  :)

 

Eleven, on moving forward instead of on... That rings very true.

 

/hugs

[Sabres Fan in NS]

Very awesome 11 and Hoss.

 

I get it, really, I do.  Not going into details.

 

:wub:

 

-----

 

Also Happy Awesome Birthday to our awesome Josie.

 

[shrader]

So there's this thing called Camp Widow.  It's what you'd expect, except it's at a hotel, rather than at a campground.  Lots of workshops and all that.  

 

I went last year, but I overloaded on workshops and it was too soon.  I left midway through, and I was just bawling.

 

I went again this year.  I got back at halftime of the Bills game.

 

It was ###### AMAZING.  I just feel so differently than I did last week.  I feel so energized about moving forward (not moving on, that's different and never will happen, I learned) with my life.  I saw friends from last year (they all were "freshmen" last year, too), and they're all the same as me--moving forward.  

 

I can't and don't expect anyone to understand WTF I've been through, but wow, these past four days were amazing and I feel like a real human being again for the first time in nineteen months.

 

Do they have people of all ages at these things?  My mother-in-law needs that badly... really badly.

[Eleven]

Do they have people of all ages at these things?  My mother-in-law needs that badly... really badly.

 

Age range was late 20s to early 70s.  They do one in Tampa, San Diego, and Toronto every year.

[shrader]

Age range was late 20s to early 70s.  They do one in Tampa, San Diego, and Toronto every year.

 

Maybe there are some other organizations that might hit the Boston area.  We may have to look into that for her.

[TrueBlueGED]

So there's this thing called Camp Widow. It's what you'd expect, except it's at a hotel, rather than at a campground. Lots of workshops and all that.

 

I went last year, but I overloaded on workshops and it was too soon. I left midway through, and I was just bawling.

 

I went again this year. I got back at halftime of the Bills game.

 

It was ###### AMAZING. I just feel so differently than I did last week. I feel so energized about moving forward (not moving on, that's different and never will happen, I learned) with my life. I saw friends from last year (they all were "freshmen" last year, too), and they're all the same as me--moving forward.

 

I can't and don't expect anyone to understand WTF I've been through, but wow, these past four days were amazing and I feel like a real human being again for the first time in nineteen months.

Awesome, good for you.

[PASabreFan]

Ditto all the stick taps for Eleven.

[X. Benedict]

So there's this thing called Camp Widow.  It's what you'd expect, except it's at a hotel, rather than at a campground.  Lots of workshops and all that.  

 

I went last year, but I overloaded on workshops and it was too soon.  I left midway through, and I was just bawling.

 

I went again this year.  I got back at halftime of the Bills game.

 

It was ###### AMAZING.  I just feel so differently than I did last week.  I feel so energized about moving forward (not moving on, that's different and never will happen, I learned) with my life.  I saw friends from last year (they all were "freshmen" last year, too), and they're all the same as me--moving forward.  

 

I can't and don't expect anyone to understand WTF I've been through, but wow, these past four days were amazing and I feel like a real human being again for the first time in nineteen months.

That's great, man. I'm really glad you shared this. 

[josie]

Good for you 11!

 

And thanks NS :) 

Minus the food poisoning, New Orleans was fantastic. We will have to go back and spend more time. I missed the tour of the Oak Alley plantation (where Gone With the Wind was filmed) thanks to my heaving, but man, the World War II museum may have been the highlight. I need to go back when I can actually eat :/

 

However, my own problem notwithstanding, I have NEVER seen so much vomit in a city. Good lord. 

[shrader]

The WWII museum was amazing. The pacific half was an eye opener, thanks to the crappy history courses I had growing up

[drnkirishone]

The WWII museum was amazing. The pacific half was an eye opener, thanks to the crappy history courses I had growing up

hard to sell schools on pacific theater considering how fierce the fighting was and the way it was ended. Easier to just preach the european theater.

[LGR4GM]

I'm going to watch this... yup... definitely. NSFW

 

Edited September 15, 2015 by LGR4GM

[That Aud Smell]

Minus the food poisoning, New Orleans was fantastic. We will have to go back and spend more time. I missed the tour of the Oak Alley plantation (where Gone With the Wind was filmed) thanks to my heaving, but man, the World War II museum may have been the highlight. I need to go back when I can actually eat :/

 

We did not catch the WW II museum when we were there; we'll have to do so on a return trip.

 

Sorry you were afflicted - tough to miss out on the food there.

[shrader]

That trailer makes people want to see that movie? :huh:

[That Aud Smell]

That trailer makes people want to see that movie? :huh:

 

Agreed. It prompted a couple laughs. But, on balance, the bits seemed to miss their intended targets.

[Hoss]

Neighbors was hilarious. This is the End was funny the second and third time I watched it. The Interview was funny.

It's all hilarious if you don't try to take it too seriously. I think comedy movies have been pretty terrible for years and these cheesy, terrible movies are the best we've got left.

 

I'm with ya Liger. You buy the popcorn and I'll buy the drinks?

Edited September 15, 2015 by Hoss

[shrader]

I DVRed Neighbors the other day, haven't seen This is the End, so the jury is still out on those two.  The Interview was a steaming pile.  If the requirement is to shut my brain off for a few hours, I'll settle for taking a nap instead.

[josie]

The WWII museum was amazing. The pacific half was an eye opener, thanks to the crappy history courses I had growing up

There was no Pacific half when I was there- it's all under construction as they build a full exhibit for it. I plan to go back.

 

My favorite touch was the extreme air conditioning and projected snowflakes in the Ardennes section... snow and exploded trees with amazing surround sound effects... I normally find museums that attempt these kinds of experiences a bit over the top/reaching, but this was very effective. 

 

Makes me wonder if they'll crank up the humidity/unleash a million mosquitoes in the Pacific exhibition... 

 

hard to sell schools on pacific theater considering how fierce the fighting was and the way it was ended. Easier to just preach the european theater.

Pretty much true. Easy to skip over our internment of the Japanese Americans here and the morality of the bomb and focus on Hitler's evil. 

 

I REALLY appreciated that this museum put a lot of emphasis on the lesser talked about theatres- North Africa and Italy. Sure, they're mentioned, but most WWII exhibits focus on DDay and the Battle of the Bulge and the discovery of the concentration camps. All were covered, but also with a lot more information on the Gustav Line and invasions of Italy. 

 

Some of my favorites experiences in my life have been traveling to various battle sites around the world and seeing how they're presented by the people there. The bridge at Remagen, the SS museum in Nuremberg (Germans of all ages around me sang along with the national anthem of the third reich... that was surreal), Buchenwald in Weimar, the Peace Museum in Hiroshima... nice to get the non American viewpoint. So many sides to everything. This museum had a bit more of that touch than most. 

[LGR4GM]

Neighbors was hilarious. This is the End was funny the second and third time I watched it. The Interview was funny.

It's all hilarious if you don't try to take it too seriously. I think comedy movies have been pretty terrible for years and these cheesy, terrible movies are the best we've got left.

 

I'm with ya Liger. You buy the popcorn and I'll buy the drinks?

Come visit the theater down here has beer.  It is wonderful.  They do make you buy food (popcorn, pizza, burgers, whatever...) with it. 

 

As for the comedies, I walked into 21 jump street because I missed the other movie I wanted to see. I walked out with a tear in my eye because the movie was funny but didn't take itself to serious.  It's just my style of humor. Also JGL and Seth Rogen I like as actors and Anthony Mackie is growing on me.

[Weave]

 

My favorite touch was the extreme air conditioning and projected snowflakes in the Ardennes section... snow and exploded trees with amazing surround sound effects... I normally find museums that attempt these kinds of experiences a bit over the top/reaching, but this was very effective. 

 

 

 

 

This is something they must have added since i was there 4 yrs ago.  Very nice.

They had a Pacific Theater section when we were there.  Awesome that they are making it bigger.

[shrader]

 

Pretty much true. Easy to skip over our internment of the Japanese Americans here and the morality of the bomb and focus on Hitler's evil.

 

That's not the stuff I was talking about with the Pacific section though.  The thing that stuck out to me about that half of the museum was how brutal it was over there.  The Japanese culture made it a very different war than most we ever heard about in school... or at least the schools I was at.

[josie]

That's not the stuff I was talking about with the Pacific section though.  The thing that stuck out to me about that half of the museum was how brutal it was over there.  The Japanese culture made it a very different war than most we ever heard about in school... or at least the schools I was at.

Oh absolutely. Their torture techniques alone were definitely not something you teach schoolkids. One of my teachers back in high school actually did go into it... amazing how a class full of reasonably well educated 17 year olds had not even heard of larger events such as the Rape of Nanking or the Bataan Death March beyond a brief mention in a history textbook. 

[shrader]

Oh absolutely. Their torture techniques alone were definitely not something you teach schoolkids. One of my teachers back in high school actually did go into it... amazing how a class full of reasonably well educated 17 year olds had not even heard of larger events such as the Rape of Nanking or the Bataan Death March beyond a brief mention in a history textbook. 

 

And let's just say that the Pacific half of the museum was a lot more graphic than you would have expected.  It wasn't anything over the top, but it definitely was an eye opener.