Monday Randoms

[heygrey]

pandora89, wow. I hope your mom is strong enough to stay away this time and you can cut him off for good without losing her. I assume that all the people he is talking to realize his pattern of behaviour and how absolutely unhinged his stories are? Even if they know he's crazy, it doesn't make it easier to deal with.

[followyourarrow]

pandora89, I'm sorry! What an awful situation. I hope your mom is able to not go back.

[bcv513]

pandora89, I am so sorry for what you've been through. I hope your mom is able to stay strong and you are all able to stay safe.

[wanderingback]

I was supposed to work on Saturday but they were short staffed so my shift was canceled. It would’ve been a 6 day work week for me so that was a pleasant surprise. Since it was rainy I thought it was a perfect movie day. So I did my usual afternoon/evening solo movie date to the theater that has meals and drinks. It was perfect! I was thinking about doing something more "exciting" like going to a live music show or something but sitting in silence in a movie theater was perfect!

[basilosaurus]

I'm checking my calendar. It's still (barely) September, right?

At my local pub which pretty much always plays the same soundtrack with only occasional switches to their secondary (and far superior) list, there were about 6 Christmas songs in a row. WtF? I don't think they even play christmas music in December. I caught the eye of some Australian tourists singing along, and we burst out laughing. So strange. Being in a Muslim country usually shelters me from Christmas insanity, and I like it that way tyvm.

[janegold]

Sept 30, 2024 8:23:46 GMT -5 bcv513 said:

Also, it continues to amaze me how many people in my town also grew up in town and have never left. There are definitely two "groups" of parents. One that moved to town as adults and another that has always lived there, their parents live there and are friends, etc. It's intimidating.

My town's like that too. Well, actually, it's not that one group never left but that everyone left and then came back to raise their families.

I'm in a weird in-between because my H is one of the ones who came back, but he doesn't really care about hanging out with people for the most part.  Meanwhile, I moved here barely knowing a soul and although everyone is friendly, it's intimidating trying to break into a social circle of people who have been friends for decades.  I wish H would be more motivated to be social sometimes, but then I remind myself that we have tons of competing priorities right now between little kids, two full time jobs, aging/dying parents - it's okay if socializing isn't a top priority.

[janegold]

pandora89, I'm sorry to hear all that. It must be so stressful for all of you. I'm glad your mom is out and I really hope she can find the strength not to return.

[jinkies]

I posted a few weeks ago about DS having issues with his bike, and it's affecting his performance at his races this year. To H and I, watching him, it seems REALLY obvious that the problem is his bike-- he is pedaling like a crazy person and getting passed like he's standing still. He went from a solid middle of the pack racer (generally placing 35-40 out of 80-90 riders), to dead last in 2 of his 3 races so far this year.

After this weekend's race, we told him that we wanted to buy him a different bike. We even found a really good deal on a perfect used race bike on facebook marketplace.

He is really down on himself for a lot of reasons right now, and is insisting that it's not the bike, that he just sucks, and he doesn't want the pressure of us buying him a new bike and not doing any better in the races.

To be clear, I don't care where he finishes; he'll never be in contention to win. I just want it to be fun for him again. It's not fun to finish dead last in every race, and it can't be coincidental that he got a new bike at the end of last season, and can't keep up at all this season. He did better in his first season, when he was just learning to ride.

We did get him to agree to time himself this week riding a set course on his own bike, and then someone else's. I'm hoping it will be obvious after that.

[stemmie]

bcv513, wow. Something similar happened to a friend. She and her DH bought a house and at a team building meeting (100 miles away),she got to talking to a newly transferred person who grew up in the house. This woman even sent her pictures of it from the 1980s.

pandora89, I am so sorry. My dad was a heavy drinker who behaved as you are describing. He developed an alcohol-related dementia that caused him to be suspicious, paranoid and mis-remember events. Even when there's a "reason", it sucks.

[fangoriagurkel]

I had a lovely brunch with my partner, their nephew and spouse. This is only my second time hanging out with nephew and spouse but wowzers is the nephew being spoken to poorly. I know that you NEVER know what goes on behind closed doors, but my goodness!

It wasn’t being snarky, more like misplaced anger with the partner not moving quickly enough, anticipating needs, etc… It was an extremely uncomfortable experience. I asked my partner (via text) wtf is up and he said that it’s “just their dynamic”.

I didn’t want to be a weirdo and interject but damn.

[jamaicam]

My dad died of cancer in the UK 2 weeks ago. Apparently the wait time for crematoriums is long at the moment so the funeral is next week. I am flying up on Friday for 2 weeks. I am desperate to see my mum , it has been so weird being here while he was going through that. THe kids are not coming with me so I am busy this week trying to make sure everything is organised for them while I am away.

[maudefindlay]

((jamaicam)) so sorry for your loss. I'm glad you will get time with your Mom.

[midwestmama]

pandora89, thank you for being willing to share more information, and I'm sorry to hear of everything you and your family have gone through. I hope your mom is able to stay away from your dad going forward, and it sounds like it is safer for everyone involved to be no-contact with him.

[TR]

I have had chronic stomach issues since I was, like, 13. I had tons of tests done at that time at a world renowned children’s hospital and nada. I had another (lesser) round of tests done around 20/21, again, nothing.

But I’m so fucking tired of randomly feeling nauseated or no appetite or messed up digestion. It’s been really acting up for the last month or so and it always makes me think “ok, something must be really wrong because this is not normal” but if it was something serious, wouldn’t it have killed me by now? It’s been almost 30 years. And I want to find a GI, but then I remember all the tests I’ve had with no answers and it feels hopeless. So I just take my Zofran and feel sad about it.

[ssmjlm]

pandora89, I hope your mom can get some help and stay away. That sounds like an awful way to live.

jamaicam , so sorry for your loss.

[Leeham Rimes]

beerlover, we had a flea issue in our last house and we learned that fleas will cling to clothing while walking outside and we can bring them in. Our flea issue ended when we had a pro treat the inside and outside of our house. The effects were immediate from what I recall. I remember there was a two step treatment for inside, a spray and then a carpet sprinkle that would kill eggs—or the fleas once they hatched, or something. it was almost 10 years ago so there may be a better way but I do remember it only ended once we professionally treated both inside and outside. Then we got in a contract that was yearly, it was pretty affordable at the time. They treated quarterly and if we had any infestation, that was free. We never had another infestation.

[Leeham Rimes]

jamaicam, I’m so sorry for your loss.

[meanie]

We went to kid bday parties on Saturday AND Sunday. My back hurts and I am so tired from standing around making small talk for hours on end.

DS has his bday party next weekend at a trampoline place and I really, really hope people just drop off their kids and leave us alone 😂

[Scout'sHonor]

Sept 30, 2024 11:53:02 GMT -5 meanie said:

We went to kid bday parties on Saturday AND Sunday. My back hurts and I am so tired from standing around making small talk for hours on end.

DS has his bday party next weekend at a trampoline place and I really, really hope people just drop off their kids and leave us alone 😂

We did too! And they were at places right next to each other. Luckily yesterday's was drop off so H and I got to have a nice lunch.

[TR]

jamaicam - I am so deeply sorry I can’t imagine how hard it’s been being so far away during this time ❤️

[rubytue]

((((@jamiacam))))

Another crazy house story. I knew a guy from college (VA) who live in Oregon. His father lived one county above me in MD and his mom down in VA beach. Friend was in town visiting his dad and we all went out to dinner. Conversation lead to “my in laws lived in that neighborhood, I think on that street.” Friend ended up coming over and, yes… we bought his maternal grandparents house. 3 bedroom, 1.5 bath… raised 7 kids in it.

[MrsDarcy]

Sept 30, 2024 8:42:22 GMT -5 bears said:

DS bought a drone on Saturday and lost it in the woods behind the house on Sunday. The battery promptly died, then it rained all night. We walked the woods, but no idea where it ended up. I'm pretty sure it's in a tree somewhere.

I had offered to take DS to the school so he can practice flying it in a big field first, but he was too impatient. Poor kid learned an expensive lesson.

Something similar happened to our son after he got a drone for Christmas. I challenged neighborhood kids to find it for a cash prize with no luck. About 2-3 years later it was spotted in a tree in our front yard.

[beerlover]

Sept 30, 2024 11:48:42 GMT -5 Leeham Rimes said:

beerlover , we had a flea issue in our last house and we learned that fleas will cling to clothing while walking outside and we can bring them in. Our flea issue ended when we had a pro treat the inside and outside of our house. The effects were immediate from what I recall. I remember there was a two step treatment for inside, a spray and then a carpet sprinkle that would kill eggs—or the fleas once they hatched, or something. it was almost 10 years ago so there may be a better way but I do remember it only ended once we professionally treated both inside and outside. Then we got in a contract that was yearly, it was pretty affordable at the time. They treated quarterly and if we had any infestation, that was free. We never had another infestation.

That's exactly what we are doing. It's a two visit treatment for the fleas, and then I'm going to pay for a plan for them to spray for bugs quarterly, and with that plan, if any fleas come back, they'll come for free. I'm just annoyed I have to spend money on this bullshit. I never should have gotten a 2nd cat (who I'm pretty sure is who brought them in), everything was fine before that, and now I'm basically miserable. And no, I'm not getting bitten a lot or anything. I'm only seeing them here and there, but they are on my sheets no matter how many times I wash them and I'm just going insane truly. I'm glad to know your problems stopped when you got the professionals in though, that gives me hope.

[lavenderblue]

I am so sorry for your loss jamaicam,

[rosiebear]

I’m so sorry, jamaicam

[Gato]

My H went on a harbor cruise for work a couple years ago and his boss made up t-shirts for everyone that said, “I’m on a Boat!” across the front. I always chuckled inwardly when I saw him wearing it. I just assumed he knew the joke. But yesterday the teen smirked and laughed when he came in after yard work, and H was like, “they always laugh at this shirt and I don’t get it.” So we watched the Lonely Island sketch for his first time and THEN he said he didn’t know about the “Watcha Say?” sketch so we watched that too.

Oh H. We used to be such hipsters and you were the reason why. Not anymore, apparently!

[Gato]

pandora89 I’m so sorry about your mom’s situation but happy she’s at least out of the house now. My thoughts are with you and her.

jamaicam I’m sorry about your dad. Take care of yourself as you grieve. ((HUGS))

[fangoriagurkel]

Also, Sweet Screaming Jesus! The smell in our city right now is like nothing I have ever experienced! (Please Google “Atlanta chemical plant fire”) I walked about 1.5 blocks towards the subway after brunch and was ready to Tony Parker flop.

There’s no clear guidelines of when the smell should dissipate either.

[beerlover]

I got my flu and Covid shots today at 1pm. I've historically had zero reaction to the Covid vaccine, but watch, now that I have to be out of the house tomorrow for the exterminator, and have to prep for him, I'll probably get sick, b/c that's the way my life is going this month, lol.

[wanderingback]

TR have you or any doctors explored any mental health reasons for your GI issues? There are a lot of connections between the mind and gut. Not everyone feels anxiety or depression with their mood fully/only, it can be felt with change in appetite, digestive issues, nausea, etc.