Grrrr. Argggh.
Jan. 3rd, 2006 10:37 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
molly_oI've been in a Buffy frame of mind, and the Mutant Enemy slogan suits my frame of mind this evening.
First, the story with a happy ending: I stopped on my way home and bought RM a few Sharpe DVDs as a belated xmas gift. I mistakenly got on the wrong subway train, which I didn't realize until we reached the end of the line and the driver started flashing the interior lights and ordering everyone off the train. I rushed off ... and left the DVDs! But as the train pulled away, I got the car number. And then I realized the train was going to come back in less than five minutes, headed the other way, so I waited and hopped on -- and couldn't find the DVDs, they were *gone*.
Now, when the trains turn around, the driver has to walk to the opposite end. Apparently he'd picked up my DVDs on his way. So I went to a kiosk, and the folks there were unbelievably nice*: It took 10 minutes of calling around to various stations, but they managed to catch someone who could run down and meet the train and get my DVDs from the driver. I took the train out to that station (practically where I'd started, but nevermind) and retrieved the DVDs!!
*"Y'all are so nice to do all this for me," I said. "Miss, we get paid to do this," one of them said.
Next, the saga of Mark's cousin ... I can't remember if I've blogged about her before, she's *just* turned 21 and has an 18-month-old and her divorce will be final in May. Her schooling/pregnancy/marriage/divorce has been the source of MUCH ongoing family drama. In the latest chapter, she's been living at her parents' house since her husband left, and they had a big blow-up*, and RM offered up our basement (with my complete support), and she and her little boy have moved in for an indefinite period of time. He seems to be a real sweetie, and she seems to be a great mom, but she is SO IMMATURE it's unbelievable.
She says things like, "I don't know, I think my parents have gone CRAZY! They used to be FINE with babysitting Jonathan while I went out drinking with my girlfriends!" I don't think she has the faintest IDEA how that sounds. The single thing that has endeared us to her the most is not the offer of our basement, nor is it the abundance of childproofing gear RM purchased and installed yesterday morning -- it's that we don't have any rules** about whether or not she and her boyfriend can have sex under our roof. Seriously: She has mentioned that in tones of awed gratitude at least 10 times -- no exaggeration, 10 times!! She and her toddler have been kicked out of her parents' house, and her biggest worry is how she's gonna get laid? If I'd gotten knocked up at 19 and had to leave school and marry a twerp and then move back in with my parents, I'd be looking for a chastity belt, not a hookup.
*My personal theory is her parents got tired of her taking their support for granted, but instead of sitting her down and saying, "Look, we've gotten tired of this, there need to be some changes," they just got tough, without telling her what was going on. If they'd spelled it out calmly, she might've been OK with it -- but the very fact she needs it spelled out is probably a lot of what ticks them off.
**(We do have SOME rules: let someone know if you won't be back by midnight -- which is also our rule with each other -- and NO DUMPING Jonathan on us. We MIGHT be willing to babysit OCCASIONALLY, but don't assume we'll be available anytime you need a sitter.)
Also, I have the worst cold EVER.
First, the story with a happy ending: I stopped on my way home and bought RM a few Sharpe DVDs as a belated xmas gift. I mistakenly got on the wrong subway train, which I didn't realize until we reached the end of the line and the driver started flashing the interior lights and ordering everyone off the train. I rushed off ... and left the DVDs! But as the train pulled away, I got the car number. And then I realized the train was going to come back in less than five minutes, headed the other way, so I waited and hopped on -- and couldn't find the DVDs, they were *gone*.
Now, when the trains turn around, the driver has to walk to the opposite end. Apparently he'd picked up my DVDs on his way. So I went to a kiosk, and the folks there were unbelievably nice*: It took 10 minutes of calling around to various stations, but they managed to catch someone who could run down and meet the train and get my DVDs from the driver. I took the train out to that station (practically where I'd started, but nevermind) and retrieved the DVDs!!
*"Y'all are so nice to do all this for me," I said. "Miss, we get paid to do this," one of them said.
Next, the saga of Mark's cousin ... I can't remember if I've blogged about her before, she's *just* turned 21 and has an 18-month-old and her divorce will be final in May. Her schooling/pregnancy/marriage/divorce has been the source of MUCH ongoing family drama. In the latest chapter, she's been living at her parents' house since her husband left, and they had a big blow-up*, and RM offered up our basement (with my complete support), and she and her little boy have moved in for an indefinite period of time. He seems to be a real sweetie, and she seems to be a great mom, but she is SO IMMATURE it's unbelievable.
She says things like, "I don't know, I think my parents have gone CRAZY! They used to be FINE with babysitting Jonathan while I went out drinking with my girlfriends!" I don't think she has the faintest IDEA how that sounds. The single thing that has endeared us to her the most is not the offer of our basement, nor is it the abundance of childproofing gear RM purchased and installed yesterday morning -- it's that we don't have any rules** about whether or not she and her boyfriend can have sex under our roof. Seriously: She has mentioned that in tones of awed gratitude at least 10 times -- no exaggeration, 10 times!! She and her toddler have been kicked out of her parents' house, and her biggest worry is how she's gonna get laid? If I'd gotten knocked up at 19 and had to leave school and marry a twerp and then move back in with my parents, I'd be looking for a chastity belt, not a hookup.
*My personal theory is her parents got tired of her taking their support for granted, but instead of sitting her down and saying, "Look, we've gotten tired of this, there need to be some changes," they just got tough, without telling her what was going on. If they'd spelled it out calmly, she might've been OK with it -- but the very fact she needs it spelled out is probably a lot of what ticks them off.
**(We do have SOME rules: let someone know if you won't be back by midnight -- which is also our rule with each other -- and NO DUMPING Jonathan on us. We MIGHT be willing to babysit OCCASIONALLY, but don't assume we'll be available anytime you need a sitter.)
Also, I have the worst cold EVER.