Whine like a baby, now with 500% more drama!

Woke up this morning and my cat Anya (age 11) wasnt around, which was weird. Drive in to work to cut checks and I get a video from my wife asking if her breathing seems weird. I finish up and come home and yeah, super shallow breaths, so we call the vet and they say to take her to the animal hospital. Turns out she has fluid in her chest and they don't know what caused it bit it was probably her cancer history that metastasized. Wige and I decide we are not putting her through another surgery.

Spending the next hour with her before we take her to the local vet. I'm a little heartbroken as I'm used to waking up with her sitting on my chest. Wife and I have been sobbing for hours now, and I'm just tired and sad.

The worst part is I don't know if I get to be there when they do it, and that feels super shitty.
 
Thank you, and thankfully we were able to be there for her at the end. She didn't complain at all about being there. She was a great cat and I'm going to miss her sitting on my chest in the morning as I wake up and cuddling next to me. She'd give me lovey eyes and smack her forehead into mine. Here's some pictures.

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I'm going to miss my polydactyl kitty.
 
Just said goodbye to the doggie we'd been taking care of for the past 5 weeks.
I mean, we know going in that it's just temporary and we're just nursing them back to health etc, and then have to let them go, but just like last time, I'm bawling my eyes out here.
I really don't get it - I mean, it's normal to get attached, especially to a cute littel loving doggie like him who you're with nearly 24/7, but even so - I'm crying more than I was when any of my grandparents died. Maybe this whole foster home thing isn't ideal for us, I'm too emotional these days.
There's still one doggie here now, but she's also just sitting around looking lost and wondering where her buddy went.
 
Suddenly remembered that I used to dedicate a significant amount of my time and life to writing and it just makes me depressed because I've given up on writing.
I'm not saying you need to start writing again today or anything like that, but I'd be willing to bet the foundations you established for yourself over the course of your many hours of writing are still there. It's like picking up an instrument after not playing for a while, or getting back into a sport after not playing for a while, or speaking a language after not speaking it for a while. You'd be rusty, but the foundations are still there, so you'll probably be able to recover your previous proficiency more quickly.

So, one day in the future, if you decide to try writing again, you'll probably feel rusty, but I wouldn't be surprised if you find yourself getting back into the groove faster than you'd expect.
 
As someone who has a LOT of, "Man, I miss the days when I used to xxxxxx..." going on, it's tough, but that's just what happens over the course of your life. The only way I can think you could avoid this would be to pick something as a teen, do that thing, and then never do anything else BUT that one thing for the rest of your life. But then you'd miss out on everything else.

--Patrick
 
My work computer is driving me to drink. Which I can’t.

I am trying to get something done before my procedure Friday and this $&@#% thing is sooooooo slow. It hangs when I type. I do not type that fast.

I love the machine they gave me because it’s tiny and portable which works for people with mobility issues trying to travel, but omg it needs some more power.
 
stuck on a tech support call for one of the computers at work. I only need this thing to keep going for another week, but it seems to have decided to quit this building early.
 
ARG! I am so close to cutting all ties with my mother. She's ... ug.

Some history:
- back in early summer, she insisted that I come down to her place (a 2 hour drive one-way) and "pick up my stuff". OK, fine, I had some things of hers to drop off that wanted back and were large, so Eriol and I rented a U-haul, and drove down.
- upon arrival, she meets us at the detached garage, and points out a piece of paper that she wants me to sign that stipulates that after that date I will no longer have any claim, ever, to anything that she possesses. Anything that my grandparents had that they earmarked for me? Too bad. Any inheritance (which, if she doesn't loose it all buying and selling houses, should be significant)? Nope.
- I decline to sign, and show the piece of paper to Eriol who is livid on my behalf.
- I say *nothing* to her for the reminder of the time down there, haul her stuff into the garage, pick up my canoe which she has been storing, because, you know, she has a detached garage, and a shed, and lives on the water, and I don't, and we leave.
- During this "visit" she declines to invite us into her house (which she has been bugging me for *months* to come and see), does not offer access to her washroom, or even a glass of water.
- months pass. the relationship returns to something resembling normal. (2-3 phone calls a week)
- in early November, she calls and asks me to come down again, because she wants help moving some heavy items (that are likely covered in mouse poop, by her own admission). I suggest she hire some movers to do that, because between me and her we are not capable of what she wants, and you know, it's a 4 hour round trip, and I'm working and going to school. She says she doesn't want to hire movers because they would have to come from the closest town (45mins away) and they'd charge for the driving time. I point out that the ridiculousness of this whole logic "train." Conversation moves on. During which time, I ask her for probably the 3rd of 4th time if she's coming up for Christmas. She says she'll get back to me.
- haven't heard from her since.
- This week, I get Eriol (whom she hates - astute readers will notice that in her previous requests they have all been just to me, that's not an oversight) to e-mail her and officially and formally ask her to come up for three days (Dec 24-26) for Christmas, since I'm the only family she has, and he and I both have the time off.
- She (eventually) declines.
- He asks for her mailing address so we can send presents to her.
- She equivocates, refuses to give the information, gives some snarky reply, and suggests that we come to her (even though by the logic of her previous excuse we shouldn't - COVID-hot-spot to non-COVID-hot-spot travel is not recommended right now)
- He asks again.
- She gives her address, with some more passive-aggressive nonsense.
- I am utterly exhausted by all this.

The thing is, in these past 6 or so weeks, I've been the least stressed (about her) than I have been in years. I haven't dreaded the phone ringing. Or the *ding* from my home e-mail. I am so much happier without her in my life. And that feels horrible to say "out loud" but it's true. She's a passive-aggressive narcissistic emotionally and verbally abusive bully. I know this. Eriol knows this. Hell, my therapist knows this! She hates my spouse, she insults my cats, (to say nothing of how she treats me!), and she's miserable to be around. Is she likely depressed? Probably. Will she seek help. Absolutely not. And at this point, I think I might finally be past caring.

So... to the question - as a Christmas present to myself, do I sever all ties? Or do I keep them tiny and thin in the hopes of future financial security?
 
Can't answer that for you, really. Severing ties will bring with it negative emotions of its own - how guilty, ashamed, whatever, will you feel if you do cut ties? Can it still count as "honoring" them as the Bible demands? I mean, I couldn't care less what the Book says but you might. Does she have redeeming qualities which may sometimes make you happy to hear from her? Are there grandchildren she'll lose track of?
It doesn't sound like she's very interested in keeping the connection going, either, and cutting ties absolutely can be the best decision - there's several forumites who have done so. I haven't, despite my history with my father. It's a very personal decision to make.
 
Can't answer that for you, really. Severing ties will bring with it negative emotions of its own - how guilty, ashamed, whatever, will you feel if you do cut ties? Can it still count as "honoring" them as the Bible demands? I mean, I couldn't care less what the Book says but you might. Does she have redeeming qualities which may sometimes make you happy to hear from her? Are there grandchildren she'll lose track of?
It doesn't sound like she's very interested in keeping the connection going, either, and cutting ties absolutely can be the best decision - there's several forumites who have done so. I haven't, despite my history with my father. It's a very personal decision to make.
I can answer the scripture question (because I can distance myself from the topic at hand!) - given that my God is a God of love, and well... abuse sure as hell ain't that, I think I'm good. And just in general, to quote someone smarter than me: "God isn’t out to trick you. God is out to love you, walk with you, even restore and redeem that which has been lost in you (and all of us to some extent). Put more directly, God did not chisel the fifth commandment in the hopes that you would remain or return to an abusive situation. That is, by any reasonable standard, outside of the character of a loving God whose heart, compassion and grace is on display throughout the canon of Scripture." (actually, a surprisingly good editorial about this: https://www.relevantmagazine.com/life5/how-do-i-honor-my-father-and-mother-if-they-were-abusive/)

As for redeeming qualities - I like hearing about her dog?

No grandchildren are in the picture.

And basically, I really don't know if I'll feel any worse without her around than I do whenever I currently have to interact with her.
 
a piece of paper that she wants me to sign that stipulates that after that date I will no longer have any claim, ever, to anything that she possesses. Anything that my grandparents had that they earmarked for me? Too bad. Any inheritance (which, if she doesn't loose it all buying and selling houses, should be significant)? Nope.
- I decline to sign, and show the piece of paper to Eriol who is livid on my behalf.
This is the thing that upset me the most, honestly. She already has a way to withold her possessions from you after death, it's called a will. But denying you other people's possessions? That almost makes me think she has plans of some kind, or is keeping something hidden.

Sooo... I guess my advice would be not to write her out of your life entirely. Leave that bridge intact, just don't use it. It's there, you both know it's there, but it's like a fire escape--you both hope you never have to use it, but you'll feel a little better about knowing it's there.

--Patrick
 
Matthew 12:46-50 (NIV) said:
While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.”

He replied to him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”
 
This is the thing that upset me the most, honestly. She already has a way to withold her possessions from you after death, it's called a will. But denying you other people's possessions? That almost makes me think she has plans of some kind, or is keeping something hidden.

Sooo... I guess my advice would be not to write her out of your life entirely. Leave that bridge intact, just don't use it. It's there, you both know it's there, but it's like a fire escape--you both hope you never have to use it, but you'll feel a little better about knowing it's there.

--Patrick
More likely that her parents have told her, point blank, that she's not getting something she wants because she's evil incarnate and it's going to her instead.
 
I'm very biased on this issued but I'm going to give my five cents* of advice anyway.

My mom tried to control me all of my life, down to the point where she planned where I was going to go to college (local university so she could keep an eye on me), what I was going to major in (education, just like her), which sorority I was going to rush (are you fucking kidding me?), who I was going to marry (doctor or lawyer; at least I had a choice there), and where I was going to settle down to live the rest of my life (someplace in Mobile, AL in the suburbs with 2.5 children and a white picket fence and a drinking problem). She never consulted me; it was just her way or the highway. She denied my depression and said I was doing it for attention, leading to multiple suicide attempts on my part. I tried for years to do anything to earn her approval and love but it was never good enough. Nothing I did was ever good enough, unless it was what she wanted. I moved to Canada to get away from her. It took years for me to work up the strength to finally sever all contact and I don't regret it for a moment. The only thing I'm sad about is that I have a mother who can't or won't love me for who I am but I see that as her problem, not mine. Cause frankly - I'm awesome. Her loss.

You're also awesome, @Dirona. And if your mother can't see that and just wants to control you, that's her loss. She doesn't deserve you and you don't need her abuse. Kick her out of your life.

*Canada doesn't use pennies anymore, so advice is rounded up.
 
The only thing I'm sad about is that I have a mother who can't or won't love me for who I am but I see that as her problem, not mine. Cause frankly - I'm awesome. Her loss.

You're also awesome, @Dirona. And if your mother can't see that and just wants to control you, that's her loss. She doesn't deserve you and you don't need her abuse. Kick her out of your life.
Requoting for truth.
 
So... to the question - as a Christmas present to myself, do I sever all ties? Or do I keep them tiny and thin in the hopes of future financial security?
I recall you mentioning something like this before, that must be one hell of a carrot she's got dangling over your head. In my opinion it seems pretty clear to me you'd sever ties without much regret were it not for that. How many years do you figure until you'd get the inheritance? And how big is it? Is the $/year worth the mental stress?
 

figmentPez

Staff member
@LittleKagsin was talking about nostalgic foods, and I remembered these:
Minute Maid juice bars.jpg


Haven't thought about those in years, haven't had one in probably 30 years. Minute Maid's site says they still make them, but I can't find any stores that carry them. There are ghosts of listings at Walmart and Target, but nothing that appears current or in-stock. Damn you nostalgia!
 
@LittleKagsin was talking about nostalgic foods, and I remembered these:
View attachment 36524

Haven't thought about those in years, haven't had one in probably 30 years. Minute Maid's site says they still make them, but I can't find any stores that carry them. There are ghosts of listings at Walmart and Target, but nothing that appears current or in-stock. Damn you nostalgia!
I have some in my freezer. You can get them up here.
 
My whine: My snow blower (that I admittedly got super cheap on Woot) has given up the ghost after 6 years of faithful service.

Ace has a better one that I like that's self propelling and other cool features. But it won't be at my store for 5 days.

In the mean time, I have to shovel my sidewalk and driveway. But since I have to work all day, I really can't get out there and spend hours doing it--whereas I could snow-blow in like 15 minutes. Therefore, I gotta pay a guy to come out and do it.

Joy.
 
Note from Amazon last week: "Surprise! Your December 22 package has been rescheduled for the 17th!"
Me: :)
Note from Amazon two days ago: "Your December 17 delivery has been delayed and should now arrive the 22nd."
Me: ..."why did you even send the 1st note?" :confused:

--Patrick
 
I've been working as an amazon associate this holiday rush. Might have been one of the packages I carted around that were missing its shipping bar code as I shrugged and threw it on the conveyor anyway. Sorry!
 
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