Open Letters

[mae0111]

Anything?

[rere]

Dear agency,

I was excited to volunteer to be on the board and expand my volunteer work. However, the 4 meetings a year and 2 fundraisers have turned into 5 fundraisers and weekly meetings about fundraisers. Plus, asking me to sponsor a $500 table for Friday's fundraiser. No, I'm not doing that. None of my friends want to go to a trivia night. So I won't be there, because apparently I won't have a place to sit. I also don't have the connections to go out and ask for sponsorship. I hate asking for money and didn't realize that's really what this position is. I'm more of a doer, not a fundraiser.

Signed, I need to vet my volunteer commitments much better in the future.

[rere]

One more,

Dear Saturday,

Please hurry up. That is the day my offspring will be back at their respective home bases and I can sleep.

Signed, bigger kids, bigger worry

[mae0111]

Dear time change -

You are the worst. You're teaming up with perimenopause to ensure that I just never sleep again. I haven't had more than 3 hours of uninterrupted sleep since Saturday evening and I'M TIRED.

Show some mercy mmmkay? At least my kids are on break this week and can take their time adjusting.

Mae

Dear Body -

I know it's hard to not get sleep. But you have to stop trying to eat ALL THE THINGS. You're doing well with moving and being healthier, and you've dropped some of the weight that you really needed to take off. But that's going to end if you can't stop scarfing down everything you can get your hands on. So, belly, stop with the rumbling and the nausea and just... behave.

Thanks,
The Management

[mommyatty]

Dear Sleep,

Why have you abandoned me? I need you.

Signed,
Tired

Dear Job,

Please stop sucking.

Signed,
Applying for Jobs Because I Am Exhausted with You

[sdlaura]

Dear WP,

I'm not sure if I'm the only one who gets constant Jones Road makeup ads on IG, but I bought the "neutralizer pencil" as a concealer replacement, and I really like it.

Signed, buying from those ads is always hit or miss

[mae0111]

One more...

Dear WP -

Which option would you choose?

Option A: I go to the wake for my Awful Aunt after dropping DD1 off at PT (getting there at around 920, when visiting hours are about 9-10), duck in and pay my respects, and leave hopefully before I really have to interact with anyone with the excuse that I have to pick her up.

Option B: Wait and go to the funeral at 10:30am, sit in the back of the church, and speak to no one. Hopefully sneak out before the funeral procession goes to the cemetery, or sit in the parking lot until they all leave for the graveside ceremony and head home from there.

Which option gets me out unscathed and without having to answer a bunch of questions about my dad's absence? Awful Aunt and Dad were the only siblings left - now it's just Dad out of 6 kids. She was terrible to him for like his whole life, and my cousins don't know about any of it. He refuses to go, my mom is supporting him, and I don't blame him. But I do feel an obligation to at least show my face for my cousins.

[sdlaura]

mae0111 I'd probably do Option B so you're not on a timeline in case you change your mind at all/end up in a conversation with a cousin you like.

ETA - if anyone asks about your Dad I would just have a set response and then change the subject. Like "he couldn't make it."

[k3am]

sdlaura, so many. I just ordered the tinted moisturizer/SPF from DRMTLGY and am hoping it's even half as wonderful as they claim to be.

[rere]

mae0111 I'm usually an option A person so that I can get in and get out. But if you are looking at avoiding people, I'd say slipping in the back of the funeral is your best bet and no one can say anything about you not coming.

[waverly]

mae0111 , My co-worker had perfected the wake, and we all just followed her lead. Talking about people who passed relating to work.

She went in, circled the room, talked to people, stopped by the casket, and headed out. Whole thing took about 15 minutes tops. I suggest that option. I know you don't want to talk to people but likely it will happen anyway, so my advice is to have canned responses.

Where is your dad? "You know, I didn't chat with him about it, so I am not sure when he is coming." OR "I'm not sure of his schedule." OR "He might be coming later" even if you know it's a lie because it's not your job to report his whereabouts to them. Repeat as necessary.

 You are not his schedule keeper, and mentioning a fued is inappropriate at that time.

[mae0111]

waverly, oh agreed. I'm not going to mention anything about their relationship.

I have missed other family memorials due to this awkwardness, and it led to some ugliness with one relative in particular. I kept my mouth shut then too. I didn't explain why I didn't attend, and I didn't address the nasty social media comments that were thrown my way.

Family stinks sometimes.

[186momx]

mae0111, I think I would choose option A because you would be spending less time there which hopefully means less drama. Plus having to pick DD up from PT is a very good reason to need to go at X time.

Dear Email
Why are you causing me so much stress? I had to close you down yesterday because you were upsetting so much.
Over people & emails
Me

Wps
When I finally got my period it was big and heavy and came every 4 weeks like clock work. DD is just having annoying spotting but she is on her 5th period since the middle of January. Is this normal? Every 2 weeks is crazy. She had her last one Feb 27th-March 2 and started up again yesterday at school.
Puzzled mom

[waverly]

Dear time change-

I like more daylight at night but overall you are making me tired and cranky.

Signed,
Annoyed

Dear co-workers,

When I come into your office to ask for a computer part, I don't expect to be grilled on things that you can read in a manual.

Signed,
Not answering all your questions that have no relevance and are just for curiosity. Also, how am I supposed to tell you who stole something? How would I know unless I stole it which I did not.

Dear general public,
Please do not leave our stuff in the middle of a 4 lane highway, which intersects with another 2 lane highway because I just had to run out in the middle of the road to retrieve it.

Signed,
Don't like the general public

[supertrooper1]

mae0111, I would go with option A. Get in and get out, using your DD as an excuse as to why you can't stay long. And if they ask where your dad is, just say you don't know.

186momx, I don't know if every two weeks is normal at that age, but I know mine were sporadic when they started and it seemed to be linked to undereating at that age and not enough protein. Always best to check with a doctor to be on the safe side.

Dear work,
I was the only one in an empty office today to join a nationwide TEAMS call that I could have very well joined from the comfort of my home office. This policy of making us go into the office for our monthly division meeting is ridiculous.
Signed,
Would rather work from home 100% of the time without a bra

Dear Beau,
I know you've been sluggish, not feeling great, not sleeping, and generally down this week. I also know it's because this week is the 4th anniversary of your son's death. It's ok to grieve and I won't pry if you don't want to talk. But quit acting like it's nothing and you don't know why you're feeling "off".
Love,
Your empath

[dglvrk2]

Dear Bowling for Soup,

I appreciated listening to your song "1985" on my way to work today. However, I'm just a little too young for it to really resonate with me. Might you do a remake about 1995 about a younger gen-xer? You know, "Jenny just hit a wall, never had it at all."
And she really liked Pearl Jam, now drives in minivan...

I mean, some days I really just want to go back to cargo pants, flannel shirts, Doc Martens....and better politics.

Just think about it.
This 90's Lady

[librarychica]

Mar 13, 2024 18:24:38 GMT -5 dglvrk2 said:

Dear Bowling for Soup,

I appreciate it. Listening to your song "1985" on my way to work today. However, I'm just a little too young for it to really resonate with me. Might you do a remake about 1995 about a younger genexer? You know, "Jenny just hit a wall, never had it at all."
And she really liked Pearl Jam, now drives in minivan...

I mean, some days I really just want to go back to cargo pants, flannel shirts, Doc Martens....and better politics.

Just think about it.
This 90's Lady

Right? My kids love that song and try to tease me, but I was born in 1985 not a teen during it!

[k3am]

dglvrk2, the clothing is making a comeback. And the politics weren't any better, you just didn't have a 24/7 news cycle to amplify every single issue and response.

[dglvrk2]

librarychica, I was born in 1977. I vaguely remember 1985 pop culture, but really liked white snake and Duran Duran by the time I was 11.
k3am, you're right about the overwhelming news feed. I wish we had some balance. All I had in the 90's, until I got to college, was Fox news and NPR. The trustworthy source was very apparent years before I could vote, thankfully.

[librarychica]

Dear work,

Please just handle yourself. I’m off Friday and I’m over it.

Love you I guess but only because you pay me

[mae0111]

Dear WP -

I went to the wake and it was largely ok. Only one cousin asked if my dad was coming - daughter of the deceased - and I said that I didn’t know what he was planning, but that I passed along the info. She said she understood if he didn’t come. So maybe she got some additional information about things?

Two cousins were whispering and staring at me - both have had issues with me and they were the ones I was assuming would be an issue. I just… didn’t care, which surprised me. And a number of cousins just didn’t come. So that made it easier.

I caught up with a couple of cousins that I wanted to see, and then slipped out before the funeral procession queued up. I won’t see anyone for a while, if ever. So it’s done!

Thanks for the support, as always!

Mae

[mommyatty]

Dear Mortgage Lenders,

Holy crap, how does anyone afford you? I just ran the numbers to buy a house in the Northeast, and between the property taxes and the interest, it’s…. Holy crap. DH is right, even with the absurd amount we could put down on a house, there’s just no way this is doable.

Signed,
Sad

Dear Perspective Job,

I really want you, but unless you let me work remotely until interest rates come down, I just don’t see how this is going to work.


Signed,
So Sad

[supertrooper1]

mommyatty, it's an insane market right now. I have almost 20% down for a house, but my payments would be 2.5 times my current rent. It doesn't make sense for me to buy.

[186momx]

mommyatty, a couple of my relator clients said they are expecting interest rates to level out over the summer around 6/7%. House sales have basically stopped because no one can afford to buy due to interest rates.

[mommyatty]

Dear DH,

I’m not sure how you are running numbers that are so different than the ones I ran, but I think it’s because of property taxes in New Jersey. So if we take taxes out of the monthly equation and consider that we could pay them annually, things become actually very affordable. Also, the fact that our kids could go to good public schools that don’t have almost 1,000 kids in the graduating class would save us almost $60,000 a year.

Plus, I would get my LGBTQ kid with a uterus out of Texas, which feels more urgent by the day. And my AuDHD kid would get better supports.

Signed,
Wife Who Was Doing Mortgage Calcs at 3 am

Dear Self,

Running mortgage calcs at 3 am is slightly insane. Know what normal people are doing at 3 am? Sleeping.

Signed,
Tired of Insomnia

[mommyatty]

186momx, rates are between 6-7% now. My current mortgage rate is under 4%. More like 3.6%. I read at 3 am that they are anticipating them to drop below 6% by the end of the year.

[sandandsea]

Mar 13, 2024 11:47:35 GMT -5 k3am said:

sdlaura, so many. I just ordered the tinted moisturizer/SPF from DRMTLGY and am hoping it's even half as wonderful as they claim to be.

I bought this and have been using it. It’s okay. It is really light and provides almost no coverage. I was hoping for more but it’s fine.

[k3am]

Mar 15, 2024 12:25:37 GMT -5 sandandsea said:

Mar 13, 2024 11:47:35 GMT -5 k3am said:

sdlaura , so many. I just ordered the tinted moisturizer/SPF from DRMTLGY and am hoping it's even half as wonderful as they claim to be.

I bought this and have been using it. It’s okay. It is really light and provides almost no coverage. I was hoping for more but it’s fine.

Not what I wanted to hear. 

[sdlaura]

mommyatty a lot of people are leaving CA because taxes. DH threw out TX and FL and I told him no way because politics (or political/religious leaning of many residents, included in that).

Like you, I also couldn't see leaving my low interest rate. Our is under 3. 

Could you rent? I always think if we make a big move we would want to rent first, to get a real feel for towns and school districts and stuff before buying.

[sdlaura]

Dear Insurance Company, is it really necessary for me to pay my entire $6k annual insurance bill for auto and home on 4/1? Can we not figure out some kind of installments? Time value of money and all....I'd like to spread that out.

Signed, I'll even pay you some kind of transaction fee if you want