Dear So and So

(((((Catrin))))) Feel better soon. Depressed is a sucky place to be in.

Indigoiis, that burping? Sounds like my parents on a bad day. They both have GERD and a bad day goes like "Urp. Excuse me. Urp. Urp. URRRRP. Urp. Urp" with the occasional dry heaving thrown in. Oh and the hiccups too. It happens so much I've gotten used to it. But yes, definitely noise-cancelling earphones help. I believe somewhere out there exists these ear plugs with white noise, those might be helpful too. And discreet. :D

(((Catrin)))

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Blueberry

Dear 61% of the voters in my state:
You suck. You really suck. I've never been this ashamed of where I live. Blergh.

---

Ridiculous, isn't it? Still, I was very proud to see that Orange County voted NO by 79% to 21%. And the entire Triangle (Wake, Durham, Orange, and Chatham) voted NO. Since I'll be returning to that area before too long (I hope), I'm proud to inhabit a tiny bastion of sensibility in a sea of ignorance and fear.

Hope your family issues are behind you soon. You have really had more than your share to bear in that department!

Where are you moving, if you are willing to say? PM me if you like! :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Blueberry

Dear 61% of the voters in my state:

You suck. You really suck. I've never been this ashamed of where I live. Blergh.

---

Dear Blue - I'm very glad to know you're part of the 39% who understood the widespread ramifications. Hang in there with the BIL.

~SK

Dear Coworker;

Do you really think you have been "given" a "bad" group of kids for the last four years? Seriously, I am tired of hearing that I have all "the kids who care", "all the supportive parents", "all the kids who can think". And that it's been this way for four years now.

Maybe it's not the kids. Whenever I tell you about something cool going on in my class, you say, "Oh, my kids couldn't do that." Have you tried? Yeah, we talked about Pythogorean Theorem in class the other day. Most of the kids didn't get the formula, but they loved seeing it work when they drew out right angles with sides of 3 and 4 and 6 and 8. So what if it's a 7th grade standard. :D It's your job to teach them to think. That means pushing them out of their comfort zone.

When we meet to divide out classes for next year, you better voice your concerns. You're the one who thinks things have been done unfairly in the past. Although I took two of your "bad" kids from last year and have turned them around and you have repeatedly said some of my students would drive you batty!

Veronica

Oy.
I hear my own voice from year's past.

Dear in-laws, when you call and no one answers, please just leave a message and your son when call back at his earliest convenience. Do not keep calling back at half hour intervals. The fact that you leave a message that merely states you will be calling back in a half hour is annoying. It's even more annoying that you leave a message stating the same thing with each call. I know you may find this difficult to hear, but he/we sometimes have other things to do than chat on the phone with you. You two need a hobby.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by indysteel

Dear in-laws, when you call and no one answers, please just leave a message and your son when call back at his earliest convenience. Do not keep calling back at half hour intervals. The fact that you leave a message that merely states you will be calling back in a half hour is annoying. It's even more annoying that you leave a message stating the same thing with each call. I know you may find this difficult to hear, but he/we sometimes have other things to do than chat on the phone with you. You two need a hobby.

---

That is annoying . . . along the same lines:

Dear Inlaws,
Do you really have to call every day the second DH walks through the door? You guys work together all day long, can't the work take a break for 60 minutes so DH can have a chance to see his kids for a few minutes before they go to bed? I know its difficult to believe, but "the business" will not fall apart if you wait an hour to call. Sheesh.

Dear DH,
Is it that hard to tell your dad you'll call him back after the kids are in bed? That's all I'm asking. The kids are only conscious for a handful of minutes by the time you get home (if you even get home before their bedtime). Can't you spend that precious time with them? It's really not that much to ask and it means the world to them.

~Limewave

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by limewave

Dear DH,
Is it that hard to tell your dad you'll call him back after the kids are in bed? That's all I'm asking.

---

Oh, that sounds familiar... My always-helpful, always-polite dh is forever coming home late even if we've arranged a set time "because he met x in the door" or "got a phone call as he was leaving". I have never understood why it is so hard to just say "Sorry! I was just leaving. Can it wait until tomorrow?"

*sigh*

But then, I'm the cranky one who won't even pick up the phone if I don't feel like talking. Send me a message, that's why mobile phones were invented.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by lph

But then, I'm the cranky one who won't even pick up the phone if I don't feel like talking. Send me a message, that's why mobile phones were invented.

---

In the last couple of years, I've gotten really hostile when it comes to talking on the phone. I used to sort of enjoy it on some level when I was single, but now I just see it as intrusive. I rarely call anybody and I rarely get calls myself. So, when the phone rings, I know it's likely my inlaws. Not that I begrudge them talking to their son, but they're just so dogged about it.

It IS intrusive! When the phone rings, for some reason you're expected to drop anything else you might be doing, stop talking to whoever you're already talking to - who might even have taken the trouble to actually come over and visit in person, turn off any music you might be listening to or movie you might be watching, hop to it and take the phone, to talk to whoever fancied chatting with you right now, because they're bored in a car or something.

Heh, no wonder no-one ever calls me.

That's the beauty of cell phones - ringtones specific to the caller. Even if you have a landline, you can forward all calls to your cell and get that functionality.

My phone lets me route numbers straight to voicemail. DH's phone doesn't, but this (.wav file) is the ringtone he's assigned to numbers from known spammers. :cool:

The BIL is gone. Yay! Ended up not staying with us because of the blanket pillow requirement (chose to stay in his friend's empty house instead). He did, however, insist that he wanted to take us to the most expensive restaurant in town because he wanted take us out (despite our protesting for more modest fare). He then stuck us with most of the bill. Nice. My DH has got to get better about telling him no - I can with my family, there's only so much I can do with him. The fact that his training plan is wrecked because said brother insisted on going and lifting (this is his current "fitness") and he didn't say no might help teach him a lesson. Thankfully with no long lasting damage.

On the phone issue - I definitely hear you all. I detest talking on the phone. If I don't recognize the number, I won't answer. We're in the process of getting rid of our home number, so right now it forwards to both of our cell phones. My mom will call my cell phone, call the home phone, call my cell phone again, and never leave a message. She then gets irritated when I don't automatically call her back based on the missed calls. She knows it rings the same phone. She always wants to talk at someone (I can say 10 words in a 30 minute conversation) when she's in the car. She hangs up when she gets to her destination, and never has time to talk to anyone when she would otherwise have to interrupt her life. I've gotten very good at not answering the phone - otherwise it's 30-45 minutes a day of her complaining. I feel for my grandmother - she starts and ends every day with my mother's calls, but won't not answer because she feels it would be rude. She doesn't enjoy the calls.

I hate phones. I hate that my students have cell phones. Birthday cake boy who has the mom who texted him during class, was sending texts after school to one of my girls, which she ignored. She finally got sick of it and texted him to stop texting her, she was busy. He replied, "Suck it!"

How nice.

Veronica

I hate phones too, and ironically, I worked in the telecom industry for 25 years on telephone software -- things like call forwarding, call waiting, and all those "fun" things that phones can do now that they couldn't do many years ago.

Of the gals I worked with, most of us hated phones! Very strange. But yes, they are intrusive. Before email came along, they were much more necessary than today. I thank the computer gods for inventing email. And I thank the mobile phone gods for inventing texting. Anything to avoid an actual call!

This is one thing I love about Belize. Texting is pretty popular, but other than that people just don't use phones all that much. The only calls we ever get are either wrong numbers or notification that we have a package at the tiny airport cargo area. That's pretty much it. We make a call maybe once every two weeks to inquire about a package, make an appointment, or something. I have never made nor received a "social" call here. Everyone here communicates primarily on Facebook, it seems, to set up meetings, meals together, etc.

I'm glad I'm not alone in my hate of the telephone. I rarely get phone calls anymore; they dropped off a lot after I married a couple years ago. My family never calls me (and I rarely call them). DH mostly gets calls from work and from his parents. For some reason, their phone calls get on my nerves, even when they don't involve repeated calls and voicemail messages.

I'm not sure why their calls to him bug me so much. Part of it, I'm sure is that I'm jealous that his parents pay at least some attention to him, as mine mostly just ignore me. But I think it goes beyond that. They just seem so obligatory on both ends, and that makes me kind of sad for everyone involved. My husband and his parents don't talk weekly because they actually have anything to say to one another or something meaningful to discuss (unless their weekly visit to Subway is "meaningful"). Rather, they appear to be driven because of some shared parent/adult child obligation. It would be nice if their conversations were born from something deeper and more genuine. It just seems really superficial to me. Maybe that's normal; I don't know. I have so little normal in my own familial relationships.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Blueberry

The BIL is gone. Yay! Ended up not staying with us because of the blanket pillow requirement (chose to stay in his friend's empty house instead).

---

I must have missed something here? The Blanket Pillow Requirement? What is that????:D

Dear local postal service,

for the last time, might I remind you just how RIDICULOUS it is that I have to send an email to London to find out that my package is indeed in Singapore? All because you 'attempted to deliver' my parcel and yet somehow choose not to notify me in any way of the 'attempted delivery' and then let my stuff sit in your warehouse until I email the merchant in LONDON to find out all of the above. And by the way, your customer service rep's excuse that you do not leave delivery notifications like the regular mail service does when a failed delivery has occurred because you 'do not know if [I] have a mail box'? When you consider that this is a country where everyone with a legit mailing address has a mailbox within 1km of their residence? It's so ridiculously stupid I don't even know where to begin. *Headdesk*

Well, at least my wetsuit is here. I'm finally ready to race in Onset. It's a NICE wetsuit too. Yay. :D

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by spokewench

I must have missed something here? The Blanket Pillow Requirement? What is that????:D

---

We're moving in just over a week. All the extras are packed and in a storage unit. He got quite ticked when we asked him to bring his own (we do still have sheets and a futon). He said he wouldn't have room in his car because he would have passengers (he ended up with none) and then traffic was too bad to swing by his condo and pick them up as he was leaving. Spoiled brat.

Your BIL sounds like a tremendous piece of work, Blueberry. I'm glad you got rid of him, although who the heck "treats" someone to dinner and then sticks them with the bill? That's awful.

Back from our vacation to Cancun... it was two days of heaven followed by three days of hell. We both got so sick we ended up catching a early flight home to see the doctor. Got home today around 1:00, went to Convenient Care and got some drugs, home to bed. We either have salmonella, e coli, or both.

On the plus side, my second good day I got to do a swim clinic with Diana Nyad, it was wonderful!! She told me I have an excellent stroke. :)

Pax, I'm so sorry you got so sick on your vacation. I hope you're both feeling better now.

I'm stoked that Diane paid you such an awesome compliment. Very cool!

Pax - hope both of you are feeling better soon!

Dear Mom's Oncology doctors,

I just learned this morning you think my Mom's lung cancer has returned...in exactly the same place as before. I also understand you think there is a chance that it is only scar tissue from her two surgeries in November and from the MRSA infection that came out of the first surgery. Give her good news in June, ok? She's already had cancer twice so she needs a serious break and she is really tired of people telling her that she has cancer. I also can't come this time, so she can't get bad news without her eldest there...

(((Catrin))). I sure hope it's just scar tissue. Keeping you and your mom in my thoughts and prayers.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by emily_in_nc

I hate phones too, and ironically, I worked in the telecom industry for 25 years on telephone software -- things like call forwarding, call waiting, and all those "fun" things that phones can do now that they couldn't do many years ago.

.... I thank the computer gods for inventing email. And I thank the mobile phone gods for inventing texting. Anything to avoid an actual call!

---

+1. Don't get me wrong; I'm glad there are phones but 17 years with da' phone company in customer service on the phone all day, every day, non-stop, like one endless call ... took days after work before I could stand to make a personal call. Maybe by Sunday evening. :o

Where is the statue to the person who invented caller id? Emily? Did you invent it? Thanks! :)

(((Catrin & Catrin mom))

Awwww Cat.... (((( hugs ))))

Keeping you and mum in my thoughts!

((((Pax)))) So sorry about your vacation being cut short - but amazing complement! Keep up the good work.

((((Catrin))))) Sending hopeful thoughts that it's just scar tissue.

Indy - He is a piece of work. He's 30 and a perpetual frat boy. There are so many more stories - and more to come. He just proposed to his girlfriend, we we have a giant, formal church wedding to look forward to:rolleyes::rolleyes:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Trek420

]
Where is the statue to the person who invented caller id? Emily? Did you invent it? Thanks! :)

---

Nah, I'm not nearly that smart! But I did make tweaks to it from time to time when it was broken on certain phone sets. :D

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Blueberry

((((Pax)))) So sorry about your vacation being cut short - but amazing complement! Keep up the good work.

((((Catrin))))) Sending hopeful thoughts that it's just scar tissue.

Indy - He is a piece of work. He's 30 and a perpetual frat boy. There are so many more stories - and more to come. He just proposed to his girlfriend, we we have a giant, formal church wedding to look forward to:rolleyes::rolleyes:

---

Wheeeeeeeee...won't that be fun!?!?! NOT! :(

Ditto on your condolences to Pax (getting sick on vacation is the WORST!) and Catrin (hope it's NOT the big C again, your poor mom!)

Pax, I'm glad the first bit of your vacation was good, at least. Sorry about the bacteria, though. I hope you both feel better!

((Catrin+mom)) Yikes. Good thoughts for both of you, and fingers crossed that it's scar tissue.

(((((((Catrin & mom))))))) Sending good thoughts her way.

Pax, bummer about the vacation, but such a cool compliment! Hope you both feel better soon.

Blueberry, hang in there with the family and the moving. Just ugh.

Hoping for your mom to have good news, Catrin.
I am enjoying my time in Grand Junction so much. Today is Richard's (actual graduation (former exchange student). Hard to believe it's been 10 years. We met his dad, finally and his mom and uncle will be there today. His girlfriend has a huge family. It's like the UN here; English, Spanish, and German spoken, and everyone is nice.
Too bad my real family isn't like this.

(((Catrin))) Hoping the best for you mom.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by OakLeaf

Pax, bummer about the vacation, but such a cool compliment! Hope you both feel better soon.

---

As we were laying in bed feeling absolutely awful, I'd turn to my honey and say "I have an excellent stoke", we'd both smile wanly and go back to sleep. :p

Dear self: Put that SPF lip balm in your saddle bag before you forget...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Pax

As we were laying in bed feeling absolutely awful, I'd turn to my honey and say "I have an excellent stoke", we'd both smile wanly and go back to sleep. :p

---

Pax, you crack me up. Your sense of humor is right up my alley. My own honey and I have taken to saying "parp" randomly to one another thanks to you!

(((Catrin)))..sure hope good news is on the cards for june

Dear legs,
Good work today at the 1/2 marathon & thank you for working in the manner I wanted. I wanted 2:20 & ended up 2:21.

Dear Tummy butterflies...wrong time to come to the party...good thing for dense bushes at the exact right time...:(. We need to figure out a way to get food into you during an event without you going south or making me feel funny.
I got the best of you though & kept on running :p

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by indysteel

Pax, you crack me up. Your sense of humor is right up my alley. My own honey and I have taken to saying "parp" randomly to one another thanks to you!

---

:D I just said PARP! to my honey and she cracked up. We may be sick but we still have our sense of humor.

Dear friend/colleague who died:

You are probably the only Mormon Stake President friend I will ever have, and I wouldn't be surprised if I am the only communist colleague you ever had.

I liked working with you; I learned a lot from you; I miss you.

Whatever it is that you've got now, I hope it is good for you.

I'm sorry for your loss, malkin :(