What's upsetting you today?

[DanaC]

Ach damn, Limes, sorry to hear that.

[Sundae]

Meh Ocean, you got us now.

Infi, I received an email from work today that was incredibly unsympathetic and asking if I was considering handing in my notice.
Errrr, no.
I will not qualify for any benefits for six month if I do.
Now I am not a freeloader. You people have known me in work and out of work and working two jobs and volunteering when I was unemployed. I do not want to be in this situation. But realistically, given my medical situation, I cannot simply exist on air.
I would far rather be back at school. Far, far, far rather.
The mail I got today hammered home what I already knew - not going to happen.

Seriously chick - think about a break. Here or otherwise.
I can't come to you because of my health. You can come to us - me, Dana, Limey, probably CZ too. Don't leave it too late. Bri did. Horrible thing to say but it's true. Say "Fuck it" and come. Or of that's too big a leap (it's not) go see another Dwellar. Worked for me, temporarily. You know there's good folks on here. Some might even be in a position to pay your travel if you can't manage it yourself.

I worry.
More than I used to.
Which is natural I suppose.

PS - just realised I am giving life advice.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA........

[infinite monkey]

You're kind.
I worry more than I used to, also. Very difficult not to.

And you're right. I am not a freeloader either. But I won't get screwed out of what I'm owed. And I also can't exist on air.

Since it's quarter 'til 5 and I haven't gotten the magic tap on the shoulder, I guess they're going to run out my cap. But I'm ready. If I am able to retrieve what is rightfully mine, I absolutely could fulfill a long time dream and come to the UK (does UK sufficiently cover Wales...isn't limey in Wales...or Scotland?) I'm sorry, I'm a geographic noodge.

But, if they do keep me on the torture list I will at least be able to do a small road trip, maybe Ann Arbor if they'll have me.

I would love to do some travelling. I've NEVER been out of the states. I SAW Canada from Niagra Falls but that's IT.

(I should've made a Infinite's Infinite Work Whines...I don't mean to monopolize this thread. Sorry guys.)

[Sundae]

Limey's in Scotland, but I also cover Wales as a roving reporter.

"Long distance" fares - our version of distance, not Canuck or Aussie - are much cheaper than short distance. Capital to capital works well - London, Belfast, Edinburgh, Cardiff.

But you'd have to tolerate me yapping all the time about Torchwood if we went to Wales (Cardiff). It'd be weary, but worth it.

You know Monster better than me, and I'm sure she'd have you.
But maybe think about going further afield. No disrespect intended.
A change is as good as a rest? Rubbish. A change is a proper holiday. Time out is time well spent I say. Hmmm, wonder if I can copyright that phrase.

Go somewhere where the accent is different, the food is different, the weather is different. In the US the currency will be the same of course. But in my limited experience, change helps you put things in perspective.

Of course YMMV. It may be that what you really need is simply love and familiarity.
Either way, take photos, and love.

[Pete Zicato]

A young man who was a year before Zing 1 in grade school committed suicide by walking in front of a freight train yesterday. We weren't close to the family, but we knew the Mom socially.

Such a waste.

[infinite monkey]

That is tragic.

[Sundae]

I hate her.
I just hate her.

After the cheesecake debacle (still no idea what I did wrong in the two hours after cleaning the bathroom), she has consolidated her POV as me as not-daughter.

Diz bit my fingers.
Sounds silly, but I was trying to retrieve a cheese wrapper he'd salvaged from the bin. Greedy guts. My fingers met his mouth and damn the boy has a bite. I'm bleeding. Seriously. I don't mean hospital time, but blood is running over my hands, down my wrist and arm and dripping on everything in sight (bedding now in washing machine.)

So I'm cursing and everything, have to go into the 'rents room to get heavy duty plasters - twice - I didn't realise my little finger was also bleeding because my ring finger was going a gusher all on it's own. The woman is not deaf, she must have heard the commotion.

Go downstairs.
To clean up and put bloody washing in bloody washing machine.
Now no matter how mad I was at Mum, if she appeared with blood stains down to her elbow and bloody bedding, I would at least bother to ask.

I hate her.

[orthodoc]

So sorry, Sundae.

A cat bite that bad has at least an 80% chance of becoming infected (Pasteurella that all cats carry in their mouths, and their teeth create deep puncture wounds that are perfect for incubating infection). Please watch it closely and get care at the first sign of swelling - in fact, just go and get care anyway. It's one of the few bites we automatically give antibiotics for because the chances of infection are so high.

[Sundae]

Meh - I've been bitten plenty of times and never been infected.
I'm more worried about Mum's reaction to me than I am about my reaction to the bite.

I predict: stand-off where we don't talk to eachother; I creep about like a mouse between the walls when she's not around; five days later I make overtures and am ridiculously happy when they are not rebuffed. Same as always.

[Ocean's Edge]

*HUGS* .... I'm so sorry Sundae.

*sigh* looking for, trying to find words, say something that doesn't sound like tripe or platitudes or... sometimes on the internet that's all we have.

would give you a cuppa tea and a slice of lemon cake if I could, and we'd sit on my verandah even though it's raining and smile and nod about dysfunctional family life and how it alternates between 'annoying' to 'nasty' and back again.

I'm lucky, my mother is merely being annoying today and is blessfully 3000 km's away.... and it still gets up my nose.

[Aliantha]

Sundae, maybe you need to try and change the process of getting things back on track. Why don't you just tell your Mum about the incident instead of brooding on it? Of course she knows about it to an extent, and maybe it's ungracious of her not to help you out, but you have to remember the big picture. I suspect that your Mum resents it every time something else happens to you. Your parents are retired etc, and instead of mooching through their retirement in their own time, they have you back in the house again. I know you feel the burden of that too, and it's understandable, and it obviously affects how you behave at home also.

Maybe you should just go make your Mum a cuppa, tell her what happened, and you can sit around and curse the cat instead of you hiding it or pretending nothing happened for the next few days, then it comes out, your Mum bitches about cats etc, and you get defensive and it all blows up.

It just seems like it all happens the same way every time. One of you has to change something and it's probably not going to be your Mum, so it's on you mate. I don't mean you have to simper and sook. Just maybe it's time to sit down and tell your Mum how aware you are of what a burden it puts on them having you there, and how grateful you are for all they do for you and how supportive they've been of your troubles throughout your life. Regardless of it all, your issues have affected them Sundae. They have worried about you far beyond what normal parent child relationships should require, and it's going to take a long long time for them to believe you when you say you're getting your shit together, cause they've probably heard it all before. You know this. Maybe it's time to have an honest discussion with your Mum about it.

Of course, you could also tell me to STFU. I wont mind. I'll still love you. xxx

[infinite monkey]

Originally Posted by Sundae

Limey's in Scotland, but I also cover Wales as a roving reporter.

See, I knew that. I knew that as well as I know anything here...and my mind blanked.

I'm telling you, I have become so scatterbrained I am not even sure what is coming out of my mouth. I was talking to my brother about staying at a neat old hotel in Cincinnati and I said that my b/f (from a hundred years ago) had gone to a Red's game and stayed at that old hotel. Only mom says I used the name of this SCHOOL where I work in place of the guy's last name. Well, they both start with an 's.'

Makes me wonder how many incorrect or bizarre things I say without even knowing it.

I don't know if my scatterbrainity is a result of the stress or the meds. Probably both.

Sorry limey. I know better. I pay attention. You're one of my favorite dwellars so I'm sorry I tried to make you move to another country.

[limey]

Sundae - Ortho's right - keep a close watch on that bite and go to a doc as soon as there is the slightest sign of inflammation.
And maybe Ali's right? Maybe a change of tactic with your mum would help? I'm a big fan of communication, and being direct (or "blunt" as some people would put it ).

[chrisinhouston]

Trash collection... We pay about $18 per month for a private company to pick up our weekly trash and the service sucks. We don't have a choice as the Homeowners Association makes the pick each year and while the city would pick up for no additional charge (it's factored into our water bills) they require trash to be brought to the curb and our neighborhood sees it as a sign of status to have the private company trash men come up your driveway and do what they call "back door service" (no joke!!!)

That being said, they are extremely picky and won't take many things that the city collectors would. Any kind of construction debris needs to be hidden in heavy plastic bags or they just leave you a note saying that for a $50 fee they will be happy to pick it up. And they only take garden trash on Thursdays and it must be neatly tied with string and down at the curb. No empty boxes, they must be broken down and neatly tied with string and set at the curb. No CFL light bulbs which to the low IQ collector means no fluorescent of any kind! I usually just break them up and put them in a heavy plastic bag.

What is more you never know when they will show up. For over a year they have been coming down my street late in the afternoon so I tend to run errands or whatever and get the trash out mid day. Today they came at 7AM and I only had a few things out.

[glatt]

I'd hate that.