Small Talk: The Prayer Closet

[Zella]

People on Reddit are assholes. 

People who ghost are assholes.

I was trying to do a syllogism with this, but I'm too tired to think. LOL

But just know that you're not the problem here. :)

Also I think your read on the one guy is accurate. 

Edited January 12, 2019 by Zella

[BitterApple]

People on Reddit are nasty, vicious bullies.

Meghan Markle managed to score a Prince at 36. You're hardly used goods at 31. 

[ChiCricket]

28 minutes ago, Zella said:

People on Reddit are assholes. 

People who ghost are assholes.

I was trying to do a syllogism with this, but I'm too tired to think. LOL

But just know that you're not the problem here. :)

Also I think your read on the one guy is accurate. 

I just learned a new word. 😊

[Christina87]

5 minutes ago, BitterApple said:

People on Reddit are nasty, vicious bullies.

Meghan Markle managed to score a Prince at 36. You're hardly used goods at 31. 

Awwwww thanks!!!! That is so inspirational because I LOVE Meghan Markle. Hahahaha I would be her BFF in a heartbeat. 😆Reddit sucks. I haven't been on there long, and was enjoying seeing the different subreddits. Now I think I'll restrict my activity to lurking on r/letsnotmeet. Creepiest stories ever!!! Great spooky bedtime reading if you're into that sort of thing. 

Just now, ChiCricket said:

I just learned a new word. 😊

The only place I know that word from is when they're testing sheldon's intelligence on Young Sheldon (adore him!) and he says, "syllogisms! Neato!" Funniest scene ever!

[Scarlett45]

@Christina87 I’m sorry it sucks when people are inconsiderate. And reddit is full of mean people, we are all kind to each other here. 

Peer to peer though- I’m going to give you some advice about meeting guys online. Let THEM initiate convos and plan dates until you are “established”. Sending a guy a like or a message when you see his profile is fine (because he may not see yours based on the algorithm) but after that let him be the assertive party. I say this because 99% of the time (yes there are exceptions to everything) in a heteronormative frame work, if the guy wants you he WILL put in the effort to talk/spend time/have dates etc. A lot of guys are cowards, HATE confrontation and will not HESTITATE keep a woman “in queue” or “on the bench” for when they are bored or are interested in partnered sex. You’re looking for a serious relationship that could lead to marriage- if the gentleman cannot plan a decent date he’s not worth it. Of course he can ask you questions (like what food you like to eat, what time do you want to eat dinner etc) but he’s got to put in the effort in the beginning. 

[Christina87]

@Scarlett45 thanks so much!!! I agree with you completely. The weird thing is that these guys did start messaging me first, pushing for dates, etc. I just don't get it! (Hahahaha the nice people on reddit said I'm a stuck up bitch if I don't ask guys out, but I don't care what they say haha). They both asked me for the date; the first one asked if I could go out this weekend, and i told him I had plans to go out with a friend, and I needed to check with her to see what day she was thinking. He said that was no problem, as he was available both nights, so I checked with her and she wanted to do Friday. So I asked him if Saturday was good with him, and he said yes, but then I never heard from him again. The other guy had said he wanted a second date when I got back in town, so I told him I was back, and he suggested Saturday. Obviously neither of these losers planned anything, though. I'm absolutely not a last minute person until I know someone really well, so it bugs me when people ask me to do something and then give zero details. I asked him last night what the plan was, and if he wasn't feeling well, he could have said that then. It is so annoying! I wish he'd just admit that he's not really interested, but online guys will never do that. They'd rather die than give up a future option, and will hold onto that option for dear life!

it's just been bothering me more and more, though, to realize that some people are okay with this behavior. Both of these guys look decent on paper, and maybe they will treat someone they really like with respect. It bothers me SO MUCH to think of my future husband treating anyone this way, no matter how "unworthy" or "expired" she is. If anyone over 25 at the oldest stands people up and ghosts them, or even worse, the ghost / block combination, I don't want to talk to them. Maybe the online daters on Reddit represent the worst of the worst. 

[Scarlett45]

@Christina87 I wanted to let you know I think it’s REALLY GOOD, you’re thinking about how your future husband treats others! I’ve noticed too often from women, they will have concrete knowledge that a man was an asshole or down right evil to another person and not have any problems with it OR just think it will never happen to them because he “loves them” and they are “special”.

An extreme but common example of this is a man not providing for or being involved with children from a previous relationship and then the new woman being “oh so shocked” that he does the same thing to her children once the relationship ends. Good for you looking for a man of sound moral character to ALL humans no matter how he feels about them personally. 

 

I think that many people are VERY VERY bold behind a screen. It’s easy to be cowardly when you don’t have to look people in the face. 

[Christina87]

Hahahaha my post posted twice!

Edited January 12, 2019 by Christina87

[Lisa418722]

Must be something in the air.  I had a message from someone this morning and I asked him about where in Ohio his town is located.  At 10:30 he replied it's about 8 hours from Atlanta and he would like to surprise me.  I didn't see the message because I've been busy today, but he sent another one about 3:00 that said "I thought you would have replied to me."  Come on, (a) I didn't see the original message and (b) I didn't really have anything to say about the message that he wants to come here.  This was his fourth message to me.  I know NOTHING about you and you are already talking about driving eight hours to surprise me. 

[Christina87]

33 minutes ago, Scarlett45 said:

@Christina87 I wanted to let you know I think it’s REALLY GOOD, you’re thinking about how your future husband treats others! I’ve noticed too often from women, they will have concrete knowledge that a man was an asshole or down right evil to another person and not have any problems with it OR just think it will never happen to them because he “loves them” and they are “special”.

An extreme but common example of this is a man not providing for or being involved with children from a previous relationship and then the new woman being “oh so shocked” that he does the same thing to her children once the relationship ends. Good for you looking for a man of sound moral character to ALL humans no matter how he feels about them personally. 

 

I think that many people are VERY VERY bold behind a screen. It’s easy to be cowardly when you don’t have to look people in the face. 

Awwww thank you!!! I agree with that so much too, that women overlook a lot of red flags sometimes. I try to avoid the guys who have a lot of "crazy" exes, because they are the common denominator. Now, if he says, "we just weren't right for each other" and then later on tells the real story, and she really WAS crazy, then I can respect that (although if this happened ten times, it still says something about his judgment)! I don't think anyone should smear their ex, especially early on, but so many women think, "I'm different, and he would never do that to me," only to find out he would. 

Now, if it's abusive relationship, and they say they ended it because of the abuse, that is different and understandable. 

When I need a bad example of dating, I look to my cousin. All of his exes WERE genuinely crazy, but you know what he leaves out? That he had so many chances to get with good women, but they weren't exciting or fun enough for him, so he dumped them. I love him to death, but he will never learn. To hear him talk, he sounds like a real victim, but he has taught me that he's the kind of guy to look out for! He's a good person apart from his dating life, and really charming, so good women flock to him thinking, "he'll appreciate me because of all the crazies he's endured!" Then they're horrified when he goes back to someone crazy. He has:

• married his original wife, who was sweet, but high strung. She pushed for a baby at 22, so he divorced her. 
• At the divorce lawyer's office, he met a woman who had a baby and no daddy. He immediately started dating her, and soon got her pregnant. 
• They had a rocky, horrible marriage and terrible breakup because she was insane. 
• He dated a girl who took some of my grandma's furniture after her death, when they had been dating like a month, even some china! Made me so mad! She also alluded that they were pregnant on fb to keep his exes away and "claim" him, when thankfully they were not. 
• After her, he met a beautiful, thin blonde with a great career who had it together. Dumped her quickly. 
• Got back together with pregnancy faker
• gave it another go with his ex wife, but then she got too crazy for him
• met a wonderful lady who wasn't super attractive. Stayed with her several years and then dumped her because he "never wanted to settle down again"
• Dated a ditz who posted like ten paragraphs a day on fb about the divorce she was currently going through
• back with ex wife again. Invited her to live with them, and paid all the bills. She still stole money from him, and purposefully destroyed his property. 

I love him to death, but any sweet new woman he meets is going to need to watch out! These women always get reeled in because they think it will be different with them, but the thing is, he doesn't truly want to settle down, and likes excitement. His mother has given up all hope!

7 minutes ago, Lisa418722 said:

Must be something in the air.  I had a message from someone this morning and I asked him about where in Ohio his town is located.  At 10:30 he replied it's about 8 hours from Atlanta and he would like to surprise me.  I didn't see the message because I've been busy today, but he sent another one about 3:00 that said "I thought you would have replied to me."  Come on, (a) I didn't see the original message and (b) I didn't really have anything to say about the message that he wants to come here.  This was his fourth message to me.  I know NOTHING about you and you are already talking about driving eight hours to surprise me. 

Yeah, that would creep me out too. I also HATE when people are needy and clingy, and call you out for not responding fast enough. Once I had a wonderful first date with a guy, to a community theatre production, and we had so much fun. Then he started texting me all the time, completely freaking out if five minutes passed before I answered. I was like...dude...I'm in front of children all day! Give it a rest!

Did that guy expect to stay with you? Because if yes, that makes it even more creepy. Hopefully if he has money for gas, he has money for a hotel too!

Edited January 12, 2019 by Christina87

[Sew Sumi]

48 minutes ago, Lisa418722 said:

Must be something in the air.  I had a message from someone this morning and I asked him about where in Ohio his town is located.  At 10:30 he replied it's about 8 hours from Atlanta and he would like to surprise me.  I didn't see the message because I've been busy today, but he sent another one about 3:00 that said "I thought you would have replied to me."  Come on, (a) I didn't see the original message and (b) I didn't really have anything to say about the message that he wants to come here.  This was his fourth message to me.  I know NOTHING about you and you are already talking about driving eight hours to surprise me. 

Now that's an 11 on the creep meter.

[Scarlett45]

@Lisa418722 that is Creepo to the 500th Power. The “why didn’t you reply?!” After less than ONE DAY is the biggest turn off and sets alarm bells off in my head. 

[jcbrown]

2 hours ago, Lisa418722 said:

Must be something in the air.  I had a message from someone this morning and I asked him about where in Ohio his town is located.  At 10:30 he replied it's about 8 hours from Atlanta and he would like to surprise me.  I didn't see the message because I've been busy today, but he sent another one about 3:00 that said "I thought you would have replied to me."  Come on, (a) I didn't see the original message and (b) I didn't really have anything to say about the message that he wants to come here.  This was his fourth message to me.  I know NOTHING about you and you are already talking about driving eight hours to surprise me. 

This reminds me of what my 50 year-old sister has been going through. She has been doing the online dating thing and, although she is very cynical (or pretends to be), she has a tendency to fall and fall hard way too fast. She has currently been talking to someone for like a month, never met him. He said he wanted to get together but he works on the opposite coast. He claimed to want to see her one weekend when he was supposedly in town, then conveniently is unreachable. He apologizes, then says he wants to fly her to LA for the weekend. I commented that that did not feel like a safe way to meet someone for the first time. Now she says she is in love with him even though they have still never met. His contract that keeps him on the coast is supposedly up next month. We shall see. I feel like I am much more cautious but I've fortunately never been in her situation.

3 hours ago, Scarlett45 said:

I think that many people are VERY VERY bold behind a screen. It’s easy to be cowardly when you don’t have to look people in the face. 

I totally agree with this @Scarlett45 and @Christina87. I was on a message board on the Alzheimer's Association website for about 5 minutes. I was asking if anyone had any suggestions for assistive technology for helping my dad run his TV and receiver without messing it up and having to try to get tech support from me 2500 miles away. Dad would not have moved into the memory care facility without a TV. Would have been a complete non-starter. I was completely blasted on the message board by people blaming me for putting him in the situation and saying I had made terrible decisions by moving his TV friend with him. There were a couple of people who were nice but they were completely outweighed by the people saying terrible judgmental things. On an Alzheimer's Association board! Some people are just jerks who think they have no accountability for being human online.

Edited January 12, 2019 by jcbrown
the fact that letters are next to each other on the keyboard does not make them interchangeable

[Lisa418722]

2 hours ago, Christina87 said:

Yeah, that would creep me out too. I also HATE when people are needy and clingy, and call you out for not responding fast enough. Once I had a wonderful first date with a guy, to a community theatre production, and we had so much fun. Then he started texting me all the time, completely freaking out if five minutes passed before I answered. I was like...dude...I'm in front of children all day! Give it a rest!

Did that guy expect to stay with you? Because if yes, that makes it even more creepy. Hopefully if he has money for gas, he has money for a hotel too!

 

 

1 hour ago, Sew Sumi said:

Now that's an 11 on the creep meter.

 

1 hour ago, Scarlett45 said:

@Lisa418722 that is Creepo to the 500th Power. The “why didn’t you reply?!” After less than ONE DAY is the biggest turn off and sets alarm bells off in my head. 

I told a friend and she asked me why I hadn't blocked him because his original profile didn't seem like a match for me, but I'm trying to keep my options open.   Good question.  He hadn't blocked me when I went back in to block him.   I may not have much of a life, but I do more things than just stay on the computer 24/7 waiting on someone to send me a message.   Anyone that is not local starts wanting to meet me without us even talking on the phone sends up to many red flags for me, especially 8 hours away.

Edited January 12, 2019 by Lisa418722

[Minivanessa]

1 hour ago, jcbrown said:

I totally agree with this @Scarlett45 and @Christina87. I was on a message board on the Alzheimer's Association website for about 5 minutes. I was asking if anyone had any suggestions for assistive technology for helping my dad run his TV and receiver without messing it up and having to try to get tech support from me 2500 miles away. Dad would not have moved into the memory care facility without a TV. Would have been a complete non-starter. I was completely blasted on the message board by people blaming me for putting him in the situation and saying I had made terrible decisions by moving his TV friend with him. There were a couple of people who were nice but they were completely outweighed by the people saying terrible judgmental things. On an Alzheimer's Association board! Some people are just jerks who think they have no accountability for being human online.

OMG, @jcbrown, that is just horrible. Online jerks, usually hiding behind screen names, are just the pits. Here's a news story from yesterday about that very thing, although the trolls got drowned out by a lot of very decent people: https://www.9news.com/video/news/local/next/coloradans-band-together-to-make-sure-12-year-old-girl-gets-a-bike-for-her-birthday/73-0a474cb2-a9fc-4714-a4f8-0d9fe194fb5b 

Reminds me why I don't visit very many discussion forums these days. This forum excepted. Thank you all for being decent people online!

[Christina87]

7 hours ago, Lisa418722 said:

 

 

I told a friend and she asked me why I hadn't blocked him because his original profile didn't seem like a match for me, but I'm trying to keep my options open.   Good question.  He hadn't blocked me when I went back in to block him.   I may not have much of a life, but I do more things than just stay on the computer 24/7 waiting on someone to send me a message.   Anyone that is not local starts wanting to meet me without us even talking on the phone sends up to many red flags for me, especially 8 hours away.

That is soooo creepy! It adds another level of disturbance when you say you hadn't even talked on the phone yet! Yikes! Does this guy NORMALLY get this creepy with women? Does it normally work? I'm just so fascinated with men who use these stupid techniques, because you reason if they've used them before, they must have been successful, right? Gives me the willies. I'm sooooo glad you blocked this guy! he needs to focus on finding a date closer than 8 hours away. Maybe he has scared off every woman in an 8-hour radius!

[Barb23]

How's everyone surviving in the snow?  Here in Maryland we were originally told it would be only 1-3 inches. Then forecast was changed to 5-8 inches because storm is slow moving & will last to dinner time or this evening.  At least the storm hit over the weekend so most people can stay home & let the plows do their thing.  I did get my wish of having it snow during the day so I can watch it come down. . The snow was originally supposed to happen overnight. Be safe everyone!!

[latetotheparty]

1 hour ago, Barb23 said:

How's everyone surviving in the snow?  Here in Maryland we were originally told it would be only 1-3 inches. Then forecast was changed to 5-8 inches because storm is slow moving & will last to dinner time or this evening.  At least the storm hit over the weekend so most people can stay home & let the plows do their thing.  I did get my wish of having it snow during the day so I can watch it come down. . The snow was originally supposed to happen overnight. Be safe everyone!!

Here in  Minnesota we have nothing. Nada. Zip. What’s wrong with this picture?

[Christina87]

1 hour ago, Barb23 said:

How's everyone surviving in the snow?  Here in Maryland we were originally told it would be only 1-3 inches. Then forecast was changed to 5-8 inches because storm is slow moving & will last to dinner time or this evening.  At least the storm hit over the weekend so most people can stay home & let the plows do their thing.  I did get my wish of having it snow during the day so I can watch it come down. . The snow was originally supposed to happen overnight. Be safe everyone!!

You took our snow! 😂😂😂 we were supposed to have it in NC! Some parts got ice, but Charlotte got nothing. Enjoy the snow!!!

[ginger90]

Where I am in PA we got enough for the streets to be salted, no plowing or shoveling needed, though. I was just glad they did the roads. Sometimes it seems when it snows on a Sunday, they forget not everyone has the day off.

[Westiepeach]

1 minute ago, Fostersmom said:

What? Jeremy will be like the majority of parents who document all sorts of stuff about their first kid, half ass it for the second, and then not even attempt it for anymore after 2?    

I was the fourth kid. There is no record of me at all. I’m not even sure I exist. 

[lascuba]

11 minutes ago, Westiepeach said:

I was the fourth kid. There is no record of me at all. I’m not even sure I exist. 

I'm the third kid, and we're all girls. I think the oldest picture of me that exist is when I'm about 10 months old. My parents swear there are pictures of me as a newborn, I've just never seen them. 

[Westiepeach]

10 minutes ago, lascuba said:

I'm the third kid, and we're all girls. I think the oldest picture of me that exist is when I'm about 10 months old. My parents swear there are pictures of me as a newborn, I've just never seen them. 

Same here. All girls. I am nothing. 

[BitterApple]

33 minutes ago, Westiepeach said:

I was the fourth kid. There is no record of me at all. I’m not even sure I exist. 

I'm the last as well. I think I have maybe three baby pictures of me, total.

[galaxychaser]

I got a dusting of snow. Keep the snow away! 

[xwordfanatik]

I'm number two of two.  My baby book has my name, my DOB, and is almost blank, otherwise.

46 minutes ago, Westiepeach said:

I was the fourth kid. There is no record of me at all. I’m not even sure I exist. 

Great comment, and I get it.

[Sew Sumi]

No snow here in Cali. Then again, the last time I saw snow here was 1994, and it was flurries that didn't even stick to the ground. Oh well. 

[ChiCricket]

We only got about 3 inches. Easy peasy.

[emma675]

No snow here in Texas, boo. I think the last time it snowed in my area was around 2012 or even later. Snow in Texas is fun because we have no way to deal with it--no plows or decent sanding/salting equipment--so almost everything shuts down. Of course, it rarely snows here and when it does it only lasts for a day or two. You'll still get idiots trying to drive in it and inevitably causing massive accidents, but I take my laptop home from work every night and I can pretty much work from anywhere there's wifi, so I snuggle down with the dog under quilts on the couch, cook all day, and pray a tree doesn't take down a power line. I miss snow.

[galaxychaser]

Went to the gym yesterday for the first time.

 

today I can barely walk lol.

[latetotheparty]

24 minutes ago, galaxychaser said:

Went to the gym yesterday for the first time.

 

today I can barely walk lol.

That sounds about right. It will get better. 

[GeeGolly]

2 hours ago, Westiepeach said:

I was the fourth kid. There is no record of me at all. I’m not even sure I exist. 

Same. There's more pictures of my sister's best friend (mom's best friend's daughter) than me.

[HighHopes]

2 hours ago, Westiepeach said:

I was the fourth kid. There is no record of me at all. I’m not even sure I exist. 

You and me both! In my baby book under first steps I have “first noticed at ‘x’ age”. The photos of me as a baby are few and far between, yet my three so sisters have multiple photo albums and videos of them as babies/kids. Bitter? Me? Never 😜. But of course my oldest sister has a series of 12 photos of her eating a single cracker! 

[CalicoKitty]

As stated above, no snow in the valley in California, but we experienced a bad rain/wind storm last weekend.  A tree branch went through the roof of our church building last Sunday night and flooded our Sanctuary with 2 inches of water.  I had not seen wind like that for several years.  My power was only out for a few minutes, but my brother, who lives farther south of me, lost power for several hours.  I had a $1500 dent put in my car Sunday morning, I'm guessing by someone's door being caught by the wind in the parking lot.  It had to be a very hard hit.  Off to get a rental tomorrow so my car can be fixed.  Thank goodness for insurance. The dented fender is interfering with the driver-side door.  There is supposed to be more rain coming this week.  I never complain about rain, since we have experienced serious drought conditions in the last few years, but I do not like the hard wind.

[lookeyloo]

2 hours ago, galaxychaser said:

Went to the gym yesterday for the first time.

 

today I can barely walk lol.

Keep going and the soreness will go away and you will get stronger.  I drag myself to the gym 3-4 times a week, not because I want to, but because I feel better afterwards.

[sixlets]

This is one of those 'location, location, location' situations yet again for us.  We ended up with about 3 inches in our Baltimore neighborhood.  Mr. Six went out to shovel our walkway and sidewalk, and he also does the same for our next door neighbors who are in the late 70s.  We'll ignore the fact that their son-in-law, who lives 10 minutes away, never comes to do it.  He also cleaned both cars off.  He was only out about 20 minutes total.  The snow wasn't as heavy as originally predicted, so it was quite easy to handle.  We did remote start both cars to help out a bit.  After that, there were some light flurries that didn't amount to anything measurable.  Our sidewalk and road are down to wet pavement, so he should make it into the office tomorrow.  

Christina, as hard as it to ignore the Reddit comments, please remember that you have so much to offer, and I know you will find your Mr. Right.  You seem like a warm, caring, and genuine person.  Frick & Frack, there will realize what they are missing out on.  Those comments are probably coming from people who have ghosted others.  Most would never have the guts to say something like that to a person's face, but they think they're being so clever when doing it behind a screen.  In a way, that's true of all of us here, but damn it, at least we're nice people here, and we are rooting for you!

[Marshmallow Mollie]

Y’all will appreciate this, as it were. I am a pet sitter, and I am at a house where there are brushes and a hair dryer always in the kitchen by the sink. Always. Owner is an infectious disease doctor 🤮🤮🤮 At least do your hair in the bathroom 10 feet away.

[Jynnan tonnix]

8 hours ago, latetotheparty said:

Here in  Minnesota we have nothing. Nada. Zip. What’s wrong with this picture?

None here in Connecticut either! Nice and chilly (highs in the 20's last few days), but not a flake of snow. Barely any so far this winter other than about 4" back in November and a dusting or two. It's just not winter without at least three or four good blizzards!

[Happyfatchick]

5 hours ago, ChiCricket said:

We only got about 3 inches. Easy peasy.

Three inches of snow in my part of the world will shut us down for a minimum of 6 days.  My favorite (not really, it was terrible!!) was about 4 yrs ago when we had 2-3 inches of snow.  The forecasters ALL said the snow would be concentrated below Atlanta.  So all of our ice and snow equipment (you know, that one 1950’s truck...) was moved south of the city.  Keep in mind, Atlanta is a commuter city - everybody drives 30 miles in every day.  There was no panic, no need to do a contingency... all the snow was going to be below the city.

Except of course, it wasn’t.  So all this happened at the same time:  school districts let the kids out all at the same time.  Those kids now need to be picked up immediately, but their mamas are all 30 miles away.  So every office in Atlanta said, holy cow, it’s snowing!!  And shut down for the day all at the same time.  And alllllll those mamas (and some daddy’s) ran for their cars, or ran to the Marta station - only to find out that. everydamnbody  in Atlanta was on the road, and in the snow with them.  And right about then, the guy holding the keys 1950’s truck-for-emergencies looked around and said... this.Is.Not.Good.  It really was disastrous and made us look so stupid and backward.  Jon Stewart made fun of us on the Daily Show.  

The thing is, if we only see a snowflake once every 3 years or so, and then it’s really melted off by day 2 - it’s hard to get proficient driving in that white cold sparkly stuff.  We don’t OWN snow shovels.  (What kind’o Corn you plantin’ with that funny lookin’ shovel?).  That was the perfect storm, only not.  I saw on the news that night people picking up elementary kids on riding mowers.  (Not kidding).   While you guys in Connecticut are looking for snow with longing, everybody in Atlanta is dreading the day... we don’t love snowflakes that stay on our nose and eyelashes.

[marypat57]

I am the oldest of 8.  I was the first grandchild on one side of the family, and the first girl on the other side.  Naturally, there are more baby pics of me than of my siblings.  

I don't remember my parents taking still pictures, but my mom's sister took lots of pictures of us.  Unfortunately, she passed away when my next to youngest sibling was about 16 months old.  My folks were more into those 8mm home movies.  My youngest brother has the hospital baby picture, and a few snapshots at a family picnic when he was about 3 months old.  There may be a photo of him in his christening dress the following Easter (he was baptized at birth), but not too many others until the rest of us got cameras..

[Jynnan tonnix]

I'm an only child, but there are very few photos of me when I was young. I'm not sure my parents owned a camera, though there are a few photos from their honeymoon, so I suppose they must have. I guess they just couldn't afford to get pictures developed very often. My dad had a friend who was a semi-professional photographer with his own dark room, and he took a few photos of me here and there when he came to visit, but that's about it. I guess back in 1959 England not that many people really took a lot of family photos. There are only a handful of pictures of any of the extended family until maybe 7 or 8 years later.

I actually have more, better photos of my third baby than I do of the previous two because I got a good camera for Christmas just before he was born (in January 1991), so was able to get some nice closeups which my old Kodak instamatic was not capable of. And WAY more photos of all of them once digital cameras came along, but they were not all that fond of having their pictures taken by that point.

I suppose that more photos exist of my granddaughter than all of them put together by now :)

[Jynnan tonnix]

9 hours ago, Happyfatchick said:

Three inches of snow in my part of the world will shut us down for a minimum of 6 days.  My favorite (not really, it was terrible!!) was about 4 yrs ago when we had 2-3 inches of snow.  The forecasters ALL said the snow would be concentrated below Atlanta.  So all of our ice and snow equipment (you know, that one 1950’s truck...) was moved south of the city.  Keep in mind, Atlanta is a commuter city - everybody drives 30 miles in every day.  There was no panic, no need to do a contingency... all the snow was going to be below the city.

Except of course, it wasn’t.  So all this happened at the same time:  school districts let the kids out all at the same time.  Those kids now need to be picked up immediately, but their mamas are all 30 miles away.  So every office in Atlanta said, holy cow, it’s snowing!!  And shut down for the day all at the same time.  And alllllll those mamas (and some daddy’s) ran for their cars, or ran to the Marta station - only to find out that. everydamnbody  in Atlanta was on the road, and in the snow with them.  And right about then, the guy holding the keys 1950’s truck-for-emergencies looked around and said... this.Is.Not.Good.  It really was disastrous and made us look so stupid and backward.  Jon Stewart made fun of us on the Daily Show.  

The thing is, if we only see a snowflake once every 3 years or so, and then it’s really melted off by day 2 - it’s hard to get proficient driving in that white cold sparkly stuff.  We don’t OWN snow shovels.  (What kind’o Corn you plantin’ with that funny lookin’ shovel?).  That was the perfect storm, only not.  I saw on the news that night people picking up elementary kids on riding mowers.  (Not kidding).   While you guys in Connecticut are looking for snow with longing, everybody in Atlanta is dreading the day... we don’t love snowflakes that stay on our nose and eyelashes.

Haha...well, that's partly what I meant...we are used to dealing with it up here, so even though not everyone actually likes it, it doesn't throw us off quite as much. So I can appreciate, beyond the fact that I personally love a good snowstorm, that the world is just not quite right when you are getting all the snow which should have fallen up here.

[LavendarRose]

Chiming in here from the Southern Hemisphere - our weather forecast is for 4 days over 40 degrees. Over 100 Fahrenheit.  A heatwave is 3 days over 40.  And the nights will be hot.  And high humidity.  And my two doggies will be begging me to keep them in the house.  They have an instinct for when the temperature is going to be horrible and give me cutesy looks to win me over to bring them back in straight after morning ablutions.  They normally like to run around, check the fences, chat with their doggie friends and have a rumble.  On hot days my tough Australian Cattle Dogs, who are bred to work in harsh conditions, become sookie lap dogs.  But I love them and give in easily.  This is in Sydney Australia.  If you want a change from the snow - welcome!

[louannems]

11 hours ago, Happyfatchick said:

Three inches of snow in my part of the world will shut us down for a minimum of 6 days.  My favorite (not really, it was terrible!!) was about 4 yrs ago when we had 2-3 inches of snow.  The forecasters ALL said the snow would be concentrated below Atlanta.  So all of our ice and snow equipment (you know, that one 1950’s truck...) was moved south of the city.  Keep in mind, Atlanta is a commuter city - everybody drives 30 miles in every day.  There was no panic, no need to do a contingency... all the snow was going to be below the city.

Except of course, it wasn’t.  So all this happened at the same time:  school districts let the kids out all at the same time.  Those kids now need to be picked up immediately, but their mamas are all 30 miles away.  So every office in Atlanta said, holy cow, it’s snowing!!  And shut down for the day all at the same time.  And alllllll those mamas (and some daddy’s) ran for their cars, or ran to the Marta station - only to find out that. everydamnbody  in Atlanta was on the road, and in the snow with them.  And right about then, the guy holding the keys 1950’s truck-for-emergencies looked around and said... this.Is.Not.Good.  It really was disastrous and made us look so stupid and backward.  Jon Stewart made fun of us on the Daily Show.  

The thing is, if we only see a snowflake once every 3 years or so, and then it’s really melted off by day 2 - it’s hard to get proficient driving in that white cold sparkly stuff.  We don’t OWN snow shovels.  (What kind’o Corn you plantin’ with that funny lookin’ shovel?).  That was the perfect storm, only not.  I saw on the news that night people picking up elementary kids on riding mowers.  (Not kidding).   While you guys in Connecticut are looking for snow with longing, everybody in Atlanta is dreading the day... we don’t love snowflakes that stay on our nose and eyelashes.

I truely thought you were describing Seattle!  Everything shuts down and even the downtown hotels all fill up since workers can't get home.

[marypat57]

2 hours ago, Jynnan tonnix said:

Haha...well, that's partly what I meant...we are used to dealing with it up here, so even though not everyone actually likes it, it doesn't throw us off quite as much. So I can appreciate, beyond the fact that I personally love a good snowstorm, that the world is just not quite right when you are getting all the snow which should have fallen up here.

In NYC, they don't even close the schools unless there's at least 2 feet of snow, and sometimes not even then.  If the subways are running, school is open.  The schools did close for 5 days for hurricane Sandy  and for a few days after 9/11.  

[Christina87]

16 hours ago, sixlets said:

This is one of those 'location, location, location' situations yet again for us.  We ended up with about 3 inches in our Baltimore neighborhood.  Mr. Six went out to shovel our walkway and sidewalk, and he also does the same for our next door neighbors who are in the late 70s.  We'll ignore the fact that their son-in-law, who lives 10 minutes away, never comes to do it.  He also cleaned both cars off.  He was only out about 20 minutes total.  The snow wasn't as heavy as originally predicted, so it was quite easy to handle.  We did remote start both cars to help out a bit.  After that, there were some light flurries that didn't amount to anything measurable.  Our sidewalk and road are down to wet pavement, so he should make it into the office tomorrow.  

Christina, as hard as it to ignore the Reddit comments, please remember that you have so much to offer, and I know you will find your Mr. Right.  You seem like a warm, caring, and genuine person.  Frick & Frack, there will realize what they are missing out on.  Those comments are probably coming from people who have ghosted others.  Most would never have the guts to say something like that to a person's face, but they think they're being so clever when doing it behind a screen.  In a way, that's true of all of us here, but damn it, at least we're nice people here, and we are rooting for you!

Awwwww, thank you so much!!!! Everyone is so kind here. I think we snark on the duggars because we care about them (except for JB, Michelle, Josh, and Derick), and I think a lot of us would voice our concerns to their face if they asked. I don't think we'd walk up to them at Chick-fil-A and bother them, but if they said, "why are we experiencing ____?" we would nicely explain why we think their methods of raising kids have shortcomings. The Reddit people were nasty, though, and would not say that to anyone's face!!! I'm thinking, after a couple days, that you're right...they are the assholes of online dating (self-selecting as they're on Reddit), but probably most people out there are more decent. These are probably bitter loser guys who regularly ghost, maybe even incels who hate women! I think their hatred of me stemmed from being a woman over 30 who has the audacity to expect more than breadcrumbs. I think a lot of these loser guys hate women over 30, because they feel like we're bullies who are just now getting what we deserve. They get bitter when we're in our 20's and turn down "great guys" (who are probably disrespectful of women and/or at least 40 years old), and now they think we're finally reaping what we've sown by being alone at 30, and should be grateful for any scrap of attention. Obviously the guys I was talking to, while they stood me up and are not princes themselves, are even on a higher level than these losers, because they at least at first seemed excited to go out with someone over 30. These redditors probably would never send a single message to someone my "advanced" age!

then there was this guy on Reddit who was standing up for me, and sent me a private message, saying it sounds like the problem was that I'm fat, but sound nice. I told him I'm not fat, and sent him a picture via Imgur to "prove" I'm not, just to shut him up. I even sent one I'd taken five minutes earlier so he couldn't claim it was "old". He then proceeded to tell me that yes I am fat, and I need to "start an exercise plan" (I exercise for an hour a day) in order to ever get another date. He said at this weight, no one could possibly be interested in me past maybe a back burner option, and I'd be stood up every time. What the...? He also mentioned he was short, so maybe I am too big for HIM, but plenty of taller, bigger guys would find me ideal! I don't go after short, skinny guys anyway, or perfect tens for that matter, because I figure we will not be attracted to each other. I'd never tell these short guys that nobody would want them! Plus what's wrong with being fat? Even if I was, do I not deserve a good man? My best friend is obese...always has been...and she met a wonderful man online who adores her! She was bigger than me, and obviously got a date lol. 

Then I looked at his post history, and he spends all day on these hot or not type Reddits, where these insanely thin girls post pics and tools like this guy critique every little detail of their bodies. Get a life, dude!!!! He has probably never seen a woman IRL, except on the tv in his mother's basement. 

My gosh, people are dumb!!! That's what happens when you see a forum and just genuinely think it's a place to talk about relationships and get decent feedback. If only every online community could be like this one! This is the BEST. I went out with a friend Saturday and that definitely helped. For the record, here is the picture where I look "too fat" to get a single date with anyone on god's green earth:

Edited January 14, 2019 by Christina87

[Minivanessa]

@Happyfatchick, I think you described the Atlanta snow storm that I nearly got into. A few years ago. I'd scheduled a short trip to Atlanta to attend an event. The night before my flight, I watched the nightly news and saw the world's most incredible snarl/gridlock of stalled traffic (!!) because of snow and ice in HotLanta. Got to the airport next morning, checked a bag, Southwest kept saying oh the flight is leaving, until *finally* at the gate they admitted it was flying as scheduled to somewhere in FL, but then would *not* be flying on to Atlanta. Well, duh, it was already known that ATL was if not shut down, almost so (I can't remember all the deets). Fortunately it was Southwest and I didn't lose money on my economy tickets and I didn't have to fight them about it like I probably would have with any other airline. I had to come back to the airport a few days later to retrieve my checked bag which had gone to Florida without me and then come home. Not even lightly tanned. I guess it didn't get to the beach before they shipped it back home.

[Lisa418722]

14 hours ago, Happyfatchick said:

Three inches of snow in my part of the world will shut us down for a minimum of 6 days.  My favorite (not really, it was terrible!!) was about 4 yrs ago when we had 2-3 inches of snow.  The forecasters ALL said the snow would be concentrated below Atlanta.  So all of our ice and snow equipment (you know, that one 1950’s truck...) was moved south of the city.  Keep in mind, Atlanta is a commuter city - everybody drives 30 miles in every day.  There was no panic, no need to do a contingency... all the snow was going to be below the city.

Except of course, it wasn’t.  So all this happened at the same time:  school districts let the kids out all at the same time.  Those kids now need to be picked up immediately, but their mamas are all 30 miles away.  So every office in Atlanta said, holy cow, it’s snowing!!  And shut down for the day all at the same time.  And alllllll those mamas (and some daddy’s) ran for their cars, or ran to the Marta station - only to find out that. everydamnbody  in Atlanta was on the road, and in the snow with them.  And right about then, the guy holding the keys 1950’s truck-for-emergencies looked around and said... this.Is.Not.Good.  It really was disastrous and made us look so stupid and backward.  Jon Stewart made fun of us on the Daily Show.  

The thing is, if we only see a snowflake once every 3 years or so, and then it’s really melted off by day 2 - it’s hard to get proficient driving in that white cold sparkly stuff.  We don’t OWN snow shovels.  (What kind’o Corn you plantin’ with that funny lookin’ shovel?).  That was the perfect storm, only not.  I saw on the news that night people picking up elementary kids on riding mowers.  (Not kidding).   While you guys in Connecticut are looking for snow with longing, everybody in Atlanta is dreading the day... we don’t love snowflakes that stay on our nose and eyelashes.

I remember that day.  My boss left work to get his kids from school and he called me and said it was OK to leave early.  Normally I would get on 285 to get home, but I looked down as I was on the overpass and went "nope" and stayed on side streets the entire way home, so really it took a long time, but wasn't too bad, especially after a lot of people got onto 285.  Another part of the problem in Atlanta is we get snow, but then it melts and freezes so we end up with ice (not fun!!). 

As most of you know, the Super Bowl will be played here in a few days.  The last time Atlanta hosted the Super Bowl was in 2000 and there was an ice storm. I remember because the Titans played that year and a lot of people I knew were going to drive down here for the day (it was when I still lived in TN).  In other words, a lot of people had to sleep in their cars because they didn't have a hotel room and it was impossible to get home.

[ChiCricket]

Well,  *carp*....my granddaughter does have both a torn meniscus and a torn ACL.

 Surgery on the 29th :(

Edited January 14, 2019 by ChiCricket

[ginger90]

2 minutes ago, ChiCricket said:

Well,  *carp*....my granddaughter does have both a torn meniscus and a torn ACL.

 Surgery on the 29th :(

Good luck to her.