There will be options. I'm just not thinking clearly right now.

And I finally just stopped trying to make sense of it and get some records fixed. No, I won't be delivering your numbers for you, have Inst. Research do that. All I have time to do is fix manually, fix manually, fix manually.

It's lunch and I could lay my head down on my desk and go right to sleep.

Thanks for listening. Thanks for the support. Thanks for caring. I don't really deserve it but somehow you all still find a way to care. :comfort:

Hey IM how about a free week with an old goat? Then you just might think things are't so bad. JK. George Dickel is doing it for me. but but I gotta wash my rags before it rains.

Stop that right now, or there will be slaps.




Sorry it's all on top right now, hon. Deep breaths. Deep calming breaths. And maybe a dartboard with a selection of cow orker mugshots to aim at?

:)

Thanks.

Old goats are alright by me, busterb! However, I might prefer a different beverage.

I'm breathing and calming. So tired my face wants to fall off. Getting some small stuff done, like glatt said...maybe I'll be re-energized on Monday. I do know everyone is tired today: we all worked our brains to death this week.

I'm so glad to hear that.

IM - you've already gotten a lot of good advice. But you know I can't stop myself when I've thought of 2¢ to put in.

I think it will help you to remember what is true.

TRUE - You are a good person.
TRUE - You are a good person who is trying to do a good job.

So whatever shit storm is going on around you, it doesn't say anything about you. They can create chaos all they want. But it won't change the fact that you are a good person.

One of the teachers died on Friday. Heart attack.
Male teacher, private man, but one who had taken time out to thank me for the cakes I left in the staffroom (he was in Key Stage Two so we didn't really share a break) and also complimented me on my weightloss.

I just didn't realise when I got to a certain age that people would start dying around me.
That was something that happened to Mum's friends. I've been asked not to mention it online because school is out and they want to let his class know in person. He also had a distinctive name. Sorry I can't do better as a eulogy, Mr W.

They come to collect Dad's car today.

Sorry to hear that, Sundae. I know what you mean, it's unsettling when it's our generation starting to die.

Do you mean that when a person's license is pulled, his car is impounded? Could your parents have sold it if no one else was going to drive it? Not trying to pry, just wondering how the medical removal of license issues work in Britain.

No, they sold it - sorry, it wasn't clear.
Just that given he was told he is no longer eligible to drive it made sense to get rid of the car ASAP. And today was the day the garage he sold it to came to collect it.

He went out to take a photo before it went. This is a milestone in his life.
They went to the supermarket on the bus (part-way at least) for the first time ever. They could go all the way if they shopped at Sainsburys or Morrissons, but Dad still wants to collect Tesco points in the hopes they can go on holiday. Whether he'll still be up to travel/ insurable is another matter.

In truth, with Dad getting older and petrol and general car ownership costs rising, it will save them money not to own a car. But it needs a real change of mindset, and that's hard.

If and when I can be trusted to be sober, I would like to own a car to help them out. Ste doesn't drive and Laura is far too involved in her own family ever to offer lifts (she didn't when Dad was in hospital for example, back when I lived in London.)

If I need another reason to dry up that surely must be it.

So much happening all at once! Hope things look up for you soon, Sundae.

Popdigr poured a fucking ginormous glass of lemonade into the modem last night.

And I'm forty bucks poorer today.

At least I was absent for the clean-up.

(continued from foot's thread)

Part of the reason I lost it before was that my mom had called and I was crying and telling her that she doesn't want to talk to me about my work struggles and the deaths of friends and she assured me she cares and she was so happy when I committed myself and yet I could see her face this weekeend and it felt to me like she hates me, hates everything I say and do. Well maybe not hates but it's like she wishes her daughters-in-law were her daughters. I bring up the tiniest thing about work and she doesn't want to listen. But she SAID I could talk to her.

And you wouldn't believe how perfect my brothers and their families are. THey would make a normal person look bad: think how they make the black sheep crazy daughter look.

It could be a monday feeling but if I put in a resignation I won't get unemployment but they would pay out my vacation time if I gave 30 days.

I don't know. I'm feeling miserable.

That is all.

I'm sorry Infi.

I don't have any advice for you. The practical side of me would tell you to not leap until you have a place to land, but if you're that miserable, maybe you just need to quit. The jobs outlook these days is kind of bad. You might regret it if you do quit. But you'll also regret it if you don't quit. I'm sorry you're in a bad place now.

Thanks glatt.

I know. It just goes back and forth and keeps returning to the surface.
Torn in too many directions. I can't pick an outcome. I can't pick a resolution. I'm freaking tired of using my new 'skills' to continually overcome the fucked up mess that this is. I'm tired of talking myself off the proverbial ledge. Sick to freaking death of it all. And no end in sight.

But I'm catastrophizing and mind-reading etc and so on.

Lenny: "You're such a Cassandra"
Cassandra: "I'm not SUCH a Cassandra....I'm Cassandra!"

--Woody Allen, Mighty Aphrodite


Like I said, I'm especially down today. Perhaps it'll start perking up again.

Take time off. Tell them you are taking time off. What's the worst that can happen if youjust decide you're having your owed holidays?


[eta] put in a formal request dated to a week on monday.

Well I don't know what's wrong with me. Spent most of the time in tears at the PT. Don't feel balanced even though my balance test was great, vision feels fucked even though it's fine. I guess I'm too old to pull off 4.5 hours of sleep. but it's not like I wasn't well-rested until last night. And I'M NOT OLD! :( Can I join you in a corner somewhere, infi?

yes, I know post-stroke depression via that omnisavant wikipedia editorial collective

but I'm getting shit done and I do have purpose and I am interested in life, I just can't stop damn well crying and feeling sorry for myself. And I can't make shit better.

...maybe i was just more fond of maggie than i thought, eh? ;)

It's the Maggie/Annette combo, I'm sure. I suppose it's the earth maintaining balance in the eternal battle between good and evil...

Infi, I wouldn't be too sure about unemployment being denied if you quit. Sometimes when there are mitigating circumstances you'll get it.

Maybe I should look into that. I hadn't thought of it. Surely with my mental health issues, and the physical issues that the mental issues lead to...

Thanks.

Infi, what would happen if you (a) stopped giving a shit and (b) started refusing to do any part of your job you don't feel like.

Psycho Bitch: Bring me a provisional report on the blah blah process (even though it's a huge amount of effort for no benefit to anyone except the power tripping bitch.)

Old Monkey: Oh, okay [works madly and bottles up resentment]

New Monkey: No. [gives good reasons which are ignored]

Alternate Monkey: Sure. [Goes and writes email to psycho bitch and CC's management and an independent legal firm, announcing you're not doing it because it is a stupid pointless waste of time, and not what was in your job description.]

Serious question ... why is it financially so hard to leave? do you have a mortgage?

Yeah, I'm already beginning to respond to any complaints with, "Oh yeah? What kind of film do you use?"

I would like to be Alternate Monkey. I felt I was doing good telling my story to a wig o' big in a meeting. I said that I would keep telling my story until someone heard me or they let me go. That felt a bit like standing up for myself.

Have my weekly meeting this morning, where I get to be confused and nervous.

My 'helper' The Sidler has been very helpful in many ways, but I know that he is making himself look good in hopes of grabbing this job when it's free. He keeps doing research on different reports he thinks will help...what I can't do is tell him I've looked at all those reports and right now, as we were told, we need to keep fixing stuff. But if he finds a better way then great.

My cap is over on April 22. Maybe the next day I can surprise my 'rents on their 53rd wedding anniversary with news of my 'detachment from employment.'

In short: I don't have a mortgage but I have bills. The family pressure is there, too. And I'm not brave. I might be more brave except for that nagging feeling that I suck, and if I didn't suck so bad everything would be fine. And this is the 'best' job I've ever had, in terms of compensation and benefits. Those things mean much to a single middle-aged woman.

Going over to read "15 reasons you might be feeling bad."

1) you do not suck
2) you are brave, but also cautious. This is not a stupid combination. think cats vs dogs.
3) yes, i just did :D

Thanks. :)

You are in the kind of job at the kind of level you are at, because of a number of reasons, none of which involve any kind of suckage whatsoever.

I'll throw in a few suggestions as to possible reasons, based on what I have learned of you over the years.

1. You are drawn to an employment environment where you are actually able to, in whatever small way, make life a bit easier for someone who would otherwise struggle (such as students who need help financing their studies).
2. You are not a bitch. You are not equipped to play the bitchy, bitey, organisation-be-damned self-serving, stamp the fingers on the rung below arseholery needed to be a [quote] success [/unquote] in the kind of organisation you are in.
3. You took a little while to figure out what sort of things actually matter to you and make you happy, because you didn't fit an arbitrarily defined set of dimensions for 'success'.

and 4. You give a shit. And it's hard to just keep quiet and carry on when you see arseholes breaking the fabric of the organisation with their petty fiefdom biulding and managerial incompetence. This means you don't generally get the arsehole managers on your side.

None of that reflects badly on you.

I just had a meeting with the Int Dir and head of HR. Questions fired at me: well why NOT?

Because this, because that, I tried this...

I got the condescending crap, the incredulous look. ID told HR the Sidler is helping because he has a very special skill set.

No, I have that skill set. He has time. He has them convinced he is here to save the day.

I almost walked out. As it is I'm crying uncontrollably and shaking and humiliated.

THey're still in there, talking about how crazy I am, I'm sure. Diversity doesn't really mean anything unless it's in terms of race or even a disablity they can visually see, can touch. It couldn't be possible that I am, and have been overwhelmed. It couldn't be possible that my ex boss treated people like shit, with short sharp answers that don't lead anywhere except to make you feel stupid.

So the sidler has a skill set? I got more skill than he'll ever know. I'm just in the most fucked-up situation and I'm back to square one: I am nothing. I am not doing my job. I am not as 'talented' as those who have time to chat all day.

I can't put any of this into words any more than I can organize my words when I am being beat down like that. They put it like they're trying to help you 'succeed' but I don't know how that can be when they won't listen.

I've excelled at almost every job I've ever done. Now I'm like the office idiot and the real office idiot is a god among men.

I'm so ashamed.

Maybe you should just ask them to fire you. Seriously.

It's all lies and crap. I almost told them to fire me. Maybe they are planning to right now. Do it. Because right now all I can think about is making myself hurt more than they've made me hurt.

I'm the weakest person on earth. I was sure I was in a place where I was making them understand. I felt stronger. But they have the power to put me back into my place. I can't fucking quit. I just can't. I know many here think I should and goddam it would be liberating but I can't do it.

I'd love to tell them to let wonder child do it all. I'd love to yell from the rooftops that I am more than a capable human being. But maybe I'm not anymore.

I see my psych on Friday. I might ask about some options.

Monkey, did you have an advocate &/or moral support person with you in that meeting? Bring one. Introduce them as your attorney.

Or consider the following.

I would definitely insist on taking the holidays I was owed. Just put in a formal request for leave, starting on whatever chosen day, give them a week's notice and if they try and say no, that it is not a good time right now, then ask them when would be? As in the specific dates.

Too soft. If they say no, ask them how they would cope if you were suddenly ill and had to be absent. Whatever they would do in that situation is what they can do in this. Maybe point out that if you don't take this leave you WILL become ill, and/or maybe point out that you are actually ill and should be on paid sick leave, and are doing them a favour by taking it as holidays. Put it in writing, CC an attorney.

Oh and here's a tip. If/when you leave this place, you will lose access to the work email, and all the record of this dispute. Set up a single purpose Gmail account and FWD all their mail, and BCC all yours, to it.

Well, yesterday was clearly a nightmare. Lowest of lows.

Time to think has made me realize that it's a skill to make people quit...that's why they brought in The Dragon Lady from Humid Recourses. They save money. I won't quit.

I have been working very hard. Anyone who has ever stepped into this office can see that. The Dragon Lady was firing questions about stuff she has no IDEA how it all works. It was awful. I was the deer in the headlights. Completely caught off guard. It was brilliant on their part, really, but it didn't work. And I have to thank you folks here for helping me, letting me vent it out. I was so close...so so close to walking out.

I have documentation. Actually I print stuff out. I have reams of documentation.

As to making me sick, it's funny that I have a sore throat and a slight fever today. I think I caused it, crying, sinuses all clogged up, draining away. And also: I really don't believe I would have needed to go get help had it not been for the pressure here. All my medical history is documented. The pattern is easy to see, the accelerants to my depression and anxiety are quite easy to pinpoint.

I will take a vacation, if I am still here in two weeks after my cap runs out. If not they have to pay it out.

I lost my way yesterday. I gave into almost everything on the 'what's making you feel bad' list. I have to keep telling myself that this is my life. Whatever happens I will survive. That they can kill you but they can't eat you. I am woman hear me roar. Well, not really, I'll leave the roaring to The Dragon Lady.

Thanks again everyone.

I'm glad you are back on course. :)

Shit, Infi, come over here.
Beg, borrow, steal (if you have to) money to get a flight.
I'm a big fuck-up but I can do hosting. At least I think so, I haven't had the opportunity for such a long time now.

Turn up at Heathrow without a penny in your pocket and we'll work it out somehow.

I'll show you my spider veins...

you know i'd love to. when i get my brave and fearless spontaneous self back, maybe i just will.

sick today. fever, chills, sore throat and ear canals. so i call and say i won't be taking tomorrow off like i'd planned, but won't be in today. i have a doc appointment this afternoon and rescheduled my appointment with my psych that was to be tomoorow. next appt is a month and a half away. doesn't matter i think this dram will have come to its inevitable conclusion by then.

work called me back to tell me something i did wrong. then i logged into webmail to an email about how i didn't do this vague assignment they gave me right.

really, they're very good. i may not up and quit but thinking of tendering resignation with 30 day notice so i can at least get my vaycay paid out. tomorrow may change all that though.

and i care. i used to really care about my work and the institution, but it is obvious its a bad fit where i am now.

wishing for a miracle, like horses, but mostly i need to figure out my own way. i hope i can.

For any of you who may be thinking of buying a home, but will need a mortage
... the world has changed.... Be prepared for PAPER TRAILS.

My daughter has been in the process of making an offer on an existing home,
having the home inspection, and securing a loan from a well-known bank.

Although created of the banks, by the banks, and for the banks,
the banking fiasco has made loan-seekers give up their time and money to satisfy almost impossible audit trails.

An earnest money check delivered to the Title Company,
then generates a demand from the mortgage company for
a bank statement of the account from which the funds were drawn,
which then (weeks later) generates a demand for a photocopy of the canceled check (front and back).

Likewise, employment records are demanded from the employer,
a bank statement is then demanded of the account(s) where any of the paychecks were deposited.
Of course, the companies that provide this data charge a fee.

If there are any other (non-paycheck) deposits to that account,
statements are "requested" for the originating account from which such funds were drawn.
If such a deposit was a gift, then signed forms are demanded
from the gift-or and gift-ee with statements of "irrevocability" and "purpose".

It goes on and on, and the same income and bank statements are queried at least 3 times during the loan-approval process.

On top of being an enormous pain, there are lots
of opportunities for mistakes and/or misunderstandings.
Each of which requires further documentation, etc., etc.,

YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED
... have your accounts in order BEFORE starting the loan approval process.

P.S. The business about "pre-approval" is pretty close to being
Mickey-Mouse paperwork of the real estate industry.
The mortgage company has little interest in whatever may have been pre-approved,
and it certainly does not save any time or effort for the Buyer.

The best alternative: Pay cash !

When I worked for Boeing, they would verify I was employed. Period. No more information would be forthcoming without a court order.

It was the same for me with Carphone Warehouse. I moved to Leicester and tried to sign on with an employment agency, but they required a reference. Fair enough.
Turns out the company would only accept a written request - not email or fax, snal mail only - and even then would only provide the dates I was employed.

The month it took to sort this out ate up most of what I'd saved to live off when I moved.

And it's hardly as if it was part of the Official Secrets Act, pushing mobile phones.

Crazy stuff Lamp et al. Good luck Monkeygirl. My cow-orker burden got much heavier this week so I used some honesty. We'll see how that goes...

Our younger cat, Maurice, hasn't been well for some time. Hard to define, but definite weight loss and gradual decline, certainly.
Today's trip to the vet reveals he has a large tumour on one of his kidneys. Inoperable. Hard to say how much his kidney function has been compromised without blood tests which can't be done til Monday. Depending on the results of those, special food and medication may make him feel better for a while ...
:(

Oh, no. Poor Maurice. Sorry limey. :(

Oh Limey I am SO sorry. Maurice is such a gem of a cat.
What horrible news. Must hurt like hell.

All my love to you and Mr Limey & Jasper.

Poor kitteh. :(

It's so hard when they don't feel well; they can't tell you what hurts.

Hope Maurice gets better soon, limey.

And Griff...good luck dude. They be hatin' my honesty here. HATIN' it. :lol:

And I'm glad I have no desire of following along the American need to own a home. Good for those who do. Since I have no gumption I rather like living in old house apartments where there's nothing permanent and repairs have to be done by the Lord of the Land. I can pick up and move if need be with a much smaller financial impact. This works well for me, too, because I don't see me living 100 years or anything. Part of that is living alone too...I got no honey to honey-do, and I probably wouldn't anyway. Also, no offspring. I'm a nomad in a corporate rat's body. For now. ;)

Damn that sucks limey

I'm so sorry limey - I hope they're able to come up with something for him I lost a cat to kidney disease some years ago.... :(

infinite monkey - I feel for you. I walked out of a job that was making me crazy and sick and no respect, no support, back in 2010. Literally handed in my pass card and my cell phone and said "I can't do this anymore" and walked out. In some ways it was the best thing I've ever done..... BUT, it totally f*cked my career, I'll never work in the industry again, and it's ruined us financially. OTOH - I've never been happier - it's all kind very twisted, but not a course I'd recommend to anyone.

In my own corner of the world - we're muttering and mulling over whether or not we'll have to rehome the new puppy - the big guy is still extremely anxious about her, and I'm not willing to turn him into a nervous wreck over it. So far everything we've been told we've already tried. I've got a trainer we just connected up with - setting up a meeting with him, but we need to find some solutions soon one way or another.

Him's heading back to Oz for a month in a couple weeks and .... I'm gonna be miserable enough about that.

Ach damn, Limes, sorry to hear that.

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........

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.)

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.

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.

That is tragic. :(

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.

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.

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.

*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.

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

:facepalm:

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. :o

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 :o).

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. :mad2: