I am trying to find out as much as I can about TJ's business she has .. can anyone help?

I am a closet watcher of the board have watch the show orginally and now watch the reruns (what I can stomach) and will miss this show dearly. I read the postings but not one to do postings. Thanks for all the readings.

• RE: TJ's Bussiness in Denver,eire_heart74, 01:09 PM, 07-17-06
  • RE: TJ's Bussiness in Denver,petmama, 03:08 PM, 07-17-06
    • RE: TJ's Bussiness in Denver,magnoliaz, 09:37 PM, 07-17-06
      • RE: TJ's Bussiness in Denver,slickeronstate, 10:12 AM, 07-18-06
        • RE: TJ's Bussiness in Denver,slickeronstate, 10:14 AM, 07-18-06
          • WARNING,Bebo, 02:52 PM, 07-19-06
        • RE: TJ's Bussiness in Denver,Lela, 03:54 PM, 07-18-06
          • RE: TJ's Bussiness in Denver,Lela, 03:59 PM, 07-18-06
            • RE: TJ's Bussiness in Denver,Bebo, 02:53 PM, 07-19-06
              • RE: TJ's Bussiness in Denver,Lela, 10:42 AM, 07-20-06
              • RE: TJ's Bussiness in Denver,Lela, 10:44 AM, 07-20-06
        • RE: TJ's Bussiness in Denver,petmama, 06:34 PM, 07-18-06
          • RE: TJ's Bussiness in Denver,slickeronstate, 07:50 PM, 07-18-06
            • RE: TJ's Bussiness in Denver,techstyle, 01:27 PM, 07-19-06
            • RE: TJ's Bussiness in Denver,petmama, 04:34 PM, 07-19-06
        • RE: TJ's Bussiness in Denver,magnoliaz, 02:08 PM, 07-19-06
          • RE: TJ's Bussiness in Denver,slickeronstate, 04:39 PM, 07-19-06
            • RE: TJ's Bussiness in Denver,petmama, 06:54 PM, 07-19-06
          • RE: TJ's Bussiness in Denver,techstyle, 04:49 PM, 07-19-06
        • RE: TJ's Bussiness in Denver,buttercup2, 08:33 PM, 07-19-06
• RE: TJ's Bussiness in Denver,Labyrinth, 08:04 PM, 07-19-06
  • RE: TJ's Bussiness in Denver,magnoliaz, 09:06 PM, 07-19-06
    • RE: TJ's Bussiness in Denver,Labyrinth, 05:32 PM, 07-20-06
      • RE: TJ's Bussiness in Denver,buttercup2, 07:09 PM, 07-20-06

From what I have been able to piece together, I think TJ and her husband run and own a group home for adults with special needs who also work. I used to job coach teens with special needs and what I did sounds very similar to what she says. She always uses the term "mentor" but I think she just helps adults along to live more independently together in a home. That could be anything from teaching them how to clean and keep the house, shop on a budget for supplies, transporting them to and from a job. Maybe even showing them how to do the job, and then slowly pulling herself away from it as they get good enough to do it on their own.

TJ strikes me as a really good person at heart. I think with all her learning disablities, she knows what it's like to just need a little more help and more of a chance to prove oneself.

LAST EDITED ON 07-18-06 AT 06:29 PM (EST)

LAST EDITED ON 07-17-06 AT 03:10 PM (EST)

She mentioned working with, possibly mentoring, developmentally disabled adults. I guess she didn't want to say too much about her business to protect her clients' privacy. What I found interesting, from the first run episodes, is that her husband is also ADHD.

I caught that she was a coordinator of some sort with independent living skills for adults with challenges, I trying to figure out more information in reference to her business but she has been pretty private with information. She been able to earn a sucessful living as in one of the esipode it talked about her sucess and owning 2 homes.

With the way she was treated on the show and the lack of respect I don't blame how she protected her private life.

I work as a director for independent living skills resource center in the midwest and I was hoping maybe to gain more info about what she does and maybe to make contact with her.

All 3 seasons I believe she is the one that touch me the most and was the real deal not out for just 15 min of fame as the others.

Two points.

First, I wish people would proofread what they post. There are basic english grammar errors that make reading very cumbersome.

Second, and don't hate on me for pointing out the first point. I have always suggested invest in a hard copy dictionary when you have confusion over a spelling. Why was TJ's hub in a cast and crutches? Is he also physically disabled? I missed hearing the reason why on the first run of this season 3. Please inform...

Thanks.

Please don't bump me room moderators. I did not insult anyone in particular. Was a general comment. I apologize now.

These forums are for discussing the show and its participants. Leave your comments to that and cut out the criticizing - whether general or specific - of how posters behave. We expect posters to take responsibility for their own actions and think before they post, so apologies after the fact just don't cut it. Make sure you follow our guidelines before you hit that "Post Message" button if you wish to be allowed to continue posting here.

OUCH!!!!!!!! You bite!

"OUCH you bite" was directed at Slicker........lol......geez darling this is only a message board not a college term paper!
Chill now.....it'll be alright. Try doing something IMPERFECT and see how FREE-ing it can be...oops is that a word......WHERE'S MY DICTIONARY???? My sentence structure sucks big time! LOL!!!!!!!

I'm just giving you a hard time Slicker....I love ya!
Gotta go mow the yard in this X-screw-she ating heat!!!! Smile
(That was cute wasn't it....hehe!) Ciao! Lela

Lela, we have guidelines here - there's a link at the top of the page. Keep the discussions on this forum related to the show and its participants, and if you have a problem with how another poster behaves, alert the moderators and let us handle it.

Hello Bebo.....you know something....take your guidelines and do what you must/need/should do with them. As far as I know....this is still America....and I will write whatever I choose to write. But it won't be on THIS FORUM ever again! Handle that dear moderator #####-tator!!!!!!!! Bunch of snots!
Who needs you?.....I've had enough of people like you! Moving on! Ciao....have a wonderful day!

((((Lela, we have guidelines here - there's a link at the top of the page. Keep the discussions on this forum related to the show and its participants, and if you have a problem with how another poster behaves, alert the moderators and let us handle it.))))

And that word was dictator.....spell it anyway you choose.....you got my meaning, right? Smile!

Hi,Slick! Thanks for your heads up. I just got rid of my extra "a" in disabled. I'm glad this MB has an edit button. I don't think TJ's husband has a disability. I think it was just a temporary injury. A sprain, perhaps.

I apologize for sounding terse - was late and I guess I was bored.

One thing does keep bothering me - it is that TJ could not even spell "intimacy" during her day in the "box". If she is an instructor to the developmentally challenged I hope it is mainly physical activities. TJ struggled (editing notwithstanding) trying to even pronounce the word let alone spell it.

However - Christy beauty pageant queen was just as bad and never claimed to had a disability (other than self-pity). She spent so much time putting hearts on her "i's" that it was a good thing some other housemate took over the day of race agenda (recall Christy didn't know the difference between agenda and list of items to do on the day of the race)....

Please 'splain EMTBGRL! Would like to hear your thoughts.

Hearts on the "i"s in her often grossly misspelled words, you mean?

I am intrested in knowing about TJ's business as I am intrested in helping the public understanding learning, mental and physical disablities. It not only about making my life better but society in general. As a society if we can not see a physical disability we do not think it real and don't take the time to understand it. This is my first thread due to my own personal learning disabilty and the fact that it hard to post when you know others don't understand why you do things like spell incorrectly or make grammer mistakes that come so easy to them. I think TJ is helping herself so she can be a better person for more then just her personal life. I commend how she put ups with the insenstive others in the house and in society.
I believe TJ understands what a learning disabilty is and it is sad that the show did not do more to educated the viewers in the basic definition for the foundation of learning disabilties that states "A learning disability is a neurological disorder. which results from a difference in the way a person's brain is "wired." people with learning disabilities are as smart or smarter than their peers. But they may have difficulty reading, writing, spelling, reasoning, recalling and/or organizing information and have a diffcult time figure things out by themselves or if taught in conventional ways. A learning disability can't be cured or fixed; it is a lifelong issue." I wrote on my first posting how I was a closet board watcher due to the fear of the abuse of others as I seen her deal with on the show and I am sure in society and I am sure that happens else were in her life with people who are judgmental and don't understand disabilites but have to attack others to keep from taking the time to look at their own faults.

To be absolutely honest, I knew nothing about learning disabilities. It is my own ignorance that naively had me take SO as a learning tool to be educated via TJ.

Sadly, afternoon television ratings are not based on educational value (re: Maury, Oprah, Phil guy). I think this program leaned more towards the drama of the housemates rather than educating with trained professionals - what was that bogus degree Iyanla obtained online? Dr. Stan was the only legitimate person and I don't think he was even on during season one - they tossed him in later. I frequently noticed him grimacing - probably wondering if it was worth the blemish on his professional credentials to talk to these crybabies...

I didn't watch the firs season, but I've read, on numerous MB's, that far more emphasis was placed on actually helping the women. I think moving to LA really hurt the show. And, wonder if, had this move not occurred, there would be at least a fourth season of SO.

A short while ago EMTBGRL wrote something very interesting about the ability to spell correctly and about dyslexia. I have a lot of trouble myself. I use a hard cover copy dictionary and still have a difficult time. I know the ability to spell doesn't show how intelligent a person is-just as I know the content of what some say makes me cringe more than spelling or grammatical mistakes. I too wish the show went into more detail. I also know that the people we may not understand today may be the ones who can help our children tomorrow. ( or somethiong like that) Keep posting!

LAST EDITED ON 07-20-06 AT 12:03 PM (EST)

>Two points.
>
>First, I wish people would proofread
>what they post. There
>are basic english grammar errors
>that make reading very cumbersome.
>
>
>Second, and don't hate on me
>for pointing out the first
>point. I have always
>suggested invest in a hard
>copy dictionary when you have
>confusion over a spelling.
>

Uh oh, people in glass houses...

1. "English" should be capitalized.

2. The first sentence in the second paragraph is incomplete.

3. We don't "hate on" someone, we "hate" them.

4. The second sentence in the second paragraph is incorrectly written. A better sentence would be, “I have always recommended investing in a hardcopy dictionary when there is confusion about spelling."

5. Unless you (slickeronstate) are addressing a specific person for whom you have repeatedly recommended the use of a hardcopy dictionary, it is not appropriate to use the personal pronoun “you” in your last sentence; it is not consistent with the indefinite pronoun “people” in the first paragraph.

Did I mention that I am severely ADHD and take the same medication as TJ?

My real point? TJ is my new favorite! Today was the last day at the Habitat for Humanity house and I have gained a lot of respect for TJ. She works hard; she seems to play it straight with people; and she didn’t react when Christina told her to “F” off. I also like how she warned people that she was running out of her Adderal.

My least favorite? It’s a tie between Lisa and Allison. I thought the people on this board were being too harsh about Lisa, but as of this episode I think she is a really screwed up lady/girl. In my opinion, she is a strange mix of awkward, narcissistic, immature, perverted, lazy, spoiled, and self-centered.

I am totally annoyed with Allison’s philosophical summaries about everything. Is it just me, or does anyone else think she gets the most air time? I think that it is wonderful that TJ confronts Allison about her drinking—she IS her accountability partner and it’s not supposed to be a wine-tasting party for Allison. She needs to be called on her inconsistency (i.e., “a wino is not the same as an alcoholic”).

Christina sure looked childish (physically and mentally) on this episode. Did anyone notice the part where Lisa had her arm around her on the sofa? She looked like she was 10 years old! Her comments were transparent (trying to act like she wasn’t bothered by TJ). Did you also catch the tacky comment she made while she was digging (“I didn’t learn this at Stripper 101”)?

If you truly have a non-profit or business and want to contact TJ for that, I would address a letter to her on your letterhead with enclosed business card and mail it to Bunim-Murray, asking them to forward it (link to B-M's website is in the links thread in General forum). Usually when real television stars ask for their mail to be processed through the network that handles their show.

In this way TJ can keep her privacy and decide on HER part if she desires to contact you.

I like the idea of sending something to the network to see if it would get forward to her and I may take that as it a great idea that I had not thought of. I recently took a job working for adults who are trying to acquire independent living skills and was looking for new ideas and resources and how all this began about what TJ did for a living. Maybe if I do send something on letterhead we can make a connection and see where it goes. I really not sure how far I wanted to take this since I not wanting to weird her out about someone invading her privacy. I really respect her and how she has handled herself on the show and realize I am just a viewer who is a fan.
If anyone is interested in learning more about learning disabilities there are several wonderful sites that can help with information. Learning disabilities of American is a great site http://www.ldanatl.org/ but even on that site you have to sort through the info about kids to get to the info about learning disabilities of adults. Here is a link if anyone is interested in learning more about identifying adults with learning disabilities http://www.ldanatl.org/newsbriefs/index.asp.

LAST EDITED ON 07-20-06 AT 05:33 PM (EST)

I am not sure if you have seen the entire season but I would doubt that you will hear back from TJ so please don't be disappointed. TJ is not her real name and she was pushed verbally on camera by Lisa1 (I believe) in an attempt to reveal it.

She is also one of the very few HG's who has not don a MYSpace page. She has done no online chats either about her experiences at SO and has not been selling jewelry, paintings, knit hats or other crap all over ebay. Neither has the SO and B-M publicity machine put out a press release on how wonderful TJ's SO experiences were blah blah (I hope my sarcasm and respect for her not doing so shines through here).

I truly doubt that she wants the publicity that reality television has brought her.

You might send something to Jill via her website and ask her to pass it along to TJ also.

I sent the printout of the threads and a letter addressed to "TJ" (plus an extra envelope and plenty of postage). But I also sent a letter to B-M Productions (Attn: Starting Over: TJ Fanmail)

I left the letter to "TJ" open so that they could screen it and asked if they would mind forwarding it. Who knows? No big deal either way. I don't blame her for not wanting people bugging her.