Not A Happy Camper....Uh, Do I Complain Too Much? LOL
By pyewacket
@pyewacket (43903)
United States
December 18, 2008 9:44pm CST
Okay scenario...
Some of my friends will know I started a discussion how two of my friends disappeared from the face of the earth, despite my trying to contact them...email didn't work, and they must be reaching them as they never bounced back...I'd call them but both friends phones are out of service...
THEN.......
The good news. My one MIA friend Lisa showed up out of the blue..so that's the good news right? Except for one problem...I was really ticked off. Tuesday I was right in the middle of working on my on-line grant application, the Aaron Siskind Fellowship For Photographers. I had just finished uploading photos to act as my "portfolio" when the phone rings. My message machine goes on, then I hear Lisa's voice. Instead of being elated I was ticked off....I mean crap I'M IN THE MIDDLE of my grant work. I answered the phone and have to admit off the bat I said "You're really calling at an incredibly bad time." Now it be one thing if this was JUST a phone call from her...oh, no siree....She was calling from her cell phone...SHE WAS RIGHT DOWNSTAIRS.....(she lives in the Long Island area of NY). So said okay, I'll buzz you in and she came up to visit and stayed about an hour or so. In the meantime I'm sitting near my computer to make sure I don't loose all the work I just had put into my on-line grant application.
Like I said..yes I was overjoyed that my missing friend showed up....but the timing was REALLY BAD. I mean if she had plans to visit me, couldn't she have called me on Tuesday, to tell me she would show up the next day/night? Instead of just out of the blue like that???? Is that right?
Now my other tick off. I just managed to get my Christmas tree yesterday. Today I stayed home to do a super duper cleaning...phone rings...sheesh.
My friend Cherie from California calls...this is my friend who doesn't believe that phone calls should be less than three hours long.
..like nope didn't pick up the phone as I was in the middle of my cleaning and don't like to stop as I might not be motivated to get back to it after a long phone call to her. Now she seems to think I'm in front of the computer 24 hours a day, and yes, while I am in front of the computer for a good long time doing my work, I do have other things I do with my life. My message on my machine clearly says, "I'll get back to you as soon as possible."--Like duh? That means something.
THEN--gets better. After I did all that cleaning, decided to start putting the lights on the tree...dragged them out...plug them in to test and....nothing...not one bulb was lit...I had extra bulbs and did some changes but still nothing. So tomorrow is supposed to be a crappy rainy, snowy day but I'll have to go out now to get new lights.
And How's YOUR Day/Night?
Am I wrong to be ticked off though? Do you think it was right for my one friend to drop in out of the blue like that...yes, happy to know she's alive and well...but just to show up without warning especially when I was in the middle of doing something important to me? And as far as my other friend...I've often told her my "schedule"...and how busy I am and not just computer work. And have any of you started decorated a tree only to discover the lights don't work?
Okay...you're turn to complain....
My friend Cherie from California calls...this is my friend who doesn't believe that phone calls should be less than three hours long...like nope didn't pick up the phone as I was in the middle of my cleaning and don't like to stop as I might not be motivated to get back to it after a long phone call to her. Now she seems to think I'm in front of the computer 24 hours a day, and yes, while I am in front of the computer for a good long time doing my work, I do have other things I do with my life. My message on my machine clearly says, "I'll get back to you as soon as possible."--Like duh? That means something.
THEN--gets better. After I did all that cleaning, decided to start putting the lights on the tree...dragged them out...plug them in to test and....nothing...not one bulb was lit...I had extra bulbs and did some changes but still nothing. So tomorrow is supposed to be a crappy rainy, snowy day but I'll have to go out now to get new lights.
And How's YOUR Day/Night?
Am I wrong to be ticked off though? Do you think it was right for my one friend to drop in out of the blue like that...yes, happy to know she's alive and well...but just to show up without warning especially when I was in the middle of doing something important to me? And as far as my other friend...I've often told her my "schedule"...and how busy I am and not just computer work. And have any of you started decorated a tree only to discover the lights don't work?
Okay...you're turn to complain....5 people like this
11 responses
@Aussies2007 (5336)
• Australia
19 Dec 08
Yeees!!! You definitely complain too much! 
Living alone does strange things to people. It makes them anti-social and selfish. And they don't like anyone interfering with their own little world.
You sound like my 80 year old mother.
She is always cleaning. I cannot possibly think how anything has the time to get dirty. Everytime I ring her... she tell me how busy she is. And complain about her sisters ringing her all the time... as well as her children. She wash her windows all the time... wipe all the doors in the apartment... and anything else you can think about.
I don't mind so much people ringing me... even so... they usually interrupt me doing something. But I don't like people dropping at my door without warning. Plooker is an expert at that. He just turn up whenever he feels like... and then get upset when people don't make him feel welcome.
At the end of the day... you have to decide what you want.
If you want friends... you have to make time for them.
You cannot fit them neatly in your time slot at 3AM in the morning when you run out of things to do.
If nobody rings you... you will then complain that nobody cares about you.
As for your Christmas decorations... I don't understand that one.
I did stop celebrating Christmas the very first year that I did find myself on my own. It would depress me to celebrate anything by myself.
Living alone does strange things to people. It makes them anti-social and selfish. And they don't like anyone interfering with their own little world.
You sound like my 80 year old mother.
She is always cleaning. I cannot possibly think how anything has the time to get dirty. Everytime I ring her... she tell me how busy she is. And complain about her sisters ringing her all the time... as well as her children. She wash her windows all the time... wipe all the doors in the apartment... and anything else you can think about.
I don't mind so much people ringing me... even so... they usually interrupt me doing something. But I don't like people dropping at my door without warning. Plooker is an expert at that. He just turn up whenever he feels like... and then get upset when people don't make him feel welcome.
At the end of the day... you have to decide what you want.
If you want friends... you have to make time for them.
You cannot fit them neatly in your time slot at 3AM in the morning when you run out of things to do.
If nobody rings you... you will then complain that nobody cares about you.
As for your Christmas decorations... I don't understand that one.
I did stop celebrating Christmas the very first year that I did find myself on my own. It would depress me to celebrate anything by myself.
2 people like this
@Aussies2007 (5336)
• Australia
19 Dec 08
Here is a Australian Christmas song for you
Dashing through the bush, in a rusty Holden ute,
Kicking up the dust, esky in the boot.
Kelpie by my side, singing Christmas songs,
It's summertime and I am in my singlet, shorts and thongs.
Oh! Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way!
Christmas in Australia on a scorching summer's day. hey!
Jingle bells, jingle bells, Christmas time is beaut!
Oh what fun it is to ride in a rusty Holden ute.
Engine's getting hot, we dodge the kangaroos,
The swaggie climbs aboard - he is welcome too.
All the family's there, sitting by the pool,
Christmas Day the Aussie way, by the barbecue.
Come afternoon, Grandpa has a doze,
The kids and Uncle Bruce are swimming in their clothes.
The time comes round to go: we take a family snap,
Pack the car and all shoot through, before the washing up...
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
19 Dec 08
LOL..nope believe it or not I don't clean all that much...ever since I "downsized" the cat population I hardly need to clean as much....but yesterday was my day to do the once a week..yes...once a week heavy duty cleaning. But I do realize the really weird schedule one acquires when one lives alone. As for people "interfering"---I'm trying to make up for the ten or so years I didn't do crap in my life due to my sweet mother....so now it's MY time,,to do for me..and if that sounds selfish or means alienating myself from people well, sorry, been in a sense career driven all my life...As far as your friend plooker...wondering how much time will pass before he invades this discussion....talk about a stalker...he's been stalking me for awhile now....
Yes I do take the time out for friends...like my friend in Calif...thing is EVERYTIME I do call her...the phone is busy, busy, busy...this woman LIVES on the phone
Nope even living on my own I do the whole Christmas thing with full blown decorations...okay it might only be me seeing them ....but in my mind I deserve to have some fun and festivity..just like I go whole hog in celebrating my birthday...I give myself a gift, buy a card and birthday balloon for myself and fix my special dinner...I did this and started this tradition when I realized my mother wasn't going to do anything for me
Oh just LOVE the Australian Christmas song
@scarlet_woman (23463)
• United States
21 Dec 08
it's amazing how everyone seems to rematerialize at once..it's like they know 
i really don't have any rants today (don't let the shock kill you 
)
except maybe this cold and snow if for the birds.i've had enough of the 19 degree weather,thank you.although i shouldn't complain,one of my friends is dealing with
-45 wind chill winnipeg.
i really don't have any rants today (don't let the shock kill you )
except maybe this cold and snow if for the birds.i've had enough of the 19 degree weather,thank you.although i shouldn't complain,one of my friends is dealing with
-45 wind chill winnipeg.
@scarlet_woman (23463)
• United States
23 Dec 08
it wouldn't be so bad if we had more tall buildings to block it.
3 floor limit here.
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
22 Dec 08
It's gotten very cold here too..but sure glad we don't have really low wind chill factors either.
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
24 Dec 08
Nope--tall buildings wouldn't help...my apartment building complex is only three stories high....all the rest are about eight or ten stories high....walking down my block on a windy day is an "adventure"--I feel like I'm bucking through a wind tunnel as the tall buildings seem to exaggerate the wind--I practically need heavy weights to keep me from flying...LOL
@Katlady2 (9904)
• United States
19 Dec 08
I agree that your friend should have had the common decency and courtesy to call you at LEAST one day in advance instead of popping in on you out of the blue like that. That was a bit on the rude side. I have a friend that loves to talk for a minimum of two hours....every day! I don't have the patience to do that any more. I have things to do...I DO have a life that doesn't revolve around her. And oh the horror and drama if I don't talk to her every few days. She then thinks I'm mad at her and then she calls crying and leaving messages on my answering machine (half the time she's drunk on top of that). It drives me completely up the wall! It's like...get a friggin clue! If I want to talk I'll answer the darned phone. And if I don't call back it means I have things to do! UGH!
As for the Christmas lights...I let hubby deal with those because if I did and something like what you're dealing with happened, I would end up chopping them up in little tiny pieces. LOL
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
19 Dec 08
You're friend sounds like a pain in the "a" like mine..hey it's not the same person is it???? LOL. The real kicker one time I asked her if she called a mutual friend of ours if she called her up often. Her response was, "Oh no, I don't call Vi that much as I know she's always busy." Duh?
I've explained what my schedule is like now...she's not listening apparently
Another winner message she leaves...."I know you're very busy and all, but you can't be THAT busy." Oh, no??? Oh yes I am. Another winner message. "I know you're busy but you can at least talk to me for ten minutes." Ten minutes..???? No such thing with her. The day I talk to my friend for only ten minutes will be the day I become a millionaire..LOL
I've explained what my schedule is like now...she's not listening apparently Another winner message she leaves...."I know you're very busy and all, but you can't be THAT busy." Oh, no??? Oh yes I am. Another winner message. "I know you're busy but you can at least talk to me for ten minutes." Ten minutes..???? No such thing with her. The day I talk to my friend for only ten minutes will be the day I become a millionaire..LOL1 person likes this
@Katlady2 (9904)
• United States
19 Dec 08
That's when you want to scream into the phone "If you know I'm busy then WHY are you bugging me!!!!!" right? LOL! Actually, the person I mentioned is the one that caused all the problems between me and my other friend last year. Do you remember that post? I sure do!! I guess I'm just a sucker. UGH!!!!!
1 person likes this
@Kashmeresmycat (6369)
• United States
19 Dec 08
Oh my gosh Pye, I haven't been around for quite some time and here you are going through all this garbage still, haha. Did you get your grant finished?..Did you get your Christmas lights?
Yeh, she should have called first but people are people. Remember last year you didn't have a tree at first. Now you have your tree and no lights, lol!
I know when I was seriously selling on Ebay and tried to make a go of it people didn't consider that a job in the least. Well, it is. Everyone just thinks working at home is slacking. I was on the computer days on end, passing up my lunch and never eating until dinner to get things done. I do understand that.
I'll be doing that again soon, as quickly as I can find a really cheap digital camera with macro mode to sell things on Ebay. I just lost my job last week. It's completely scary for me right now but I'm trying to stay a little happy just to get through Christmas.
You have a very, very Merry Christmas and wonderful New Year!..take care..Bobbie
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
20 Dec 08
Yup--did manage to finish my grant...so one major hurdle out of the way and can relax. And yup--even though it was a snowstorm today, I went out determined to get my tree lights...LOL. I have them on now and plan to finish decorating the tree tomorrow.
Aww--sorry to hear you lost your job...I feel sorry for all those workers at the car companies who were recently laid off...think over 40,000 workers all total were told not to come back to work for at least a month...
1 person likes this
@Kashmeresmycat (6369)
• United States
20 Dec 08
I know, those people are going to be hurting more than me probably. I would think because they were paid so well, you tend to buy more and charge more, so you'll have alot more bills and higher rent than I have. It's still scary and my stomach is in a knot. I'm not no young chick anymore and it was hard enough at my age to find anything decent. I'm sure the Angels are watching out for me though, somehow.
Have fun decorating today and enjoy your Christmas! You know, I keep thinking maybe those people were sent to see you for a reason. Only time will tell. Have a fun weekend!
1 person likes this
@dawnald (85137)
• Shingle Springs, California
20 Dec 08
Well it's like Ann Landers used to say. Nobody can take advantage of you without your permission. So you would have been perfectly within your rights to tell Lisa, "gee it's really great to see you and I can spare you a few minutes, but no more because I'm right in the middle of things" and to tell Cherie, "gee it's good to hear from you but I just can't do a long talk right now, sorry". And then usher the one out and say goodbye to the other. Hard to do though if you really like the person.
Christmas lights are my husband's problem though. (evil grin)
OK, small complaint. Went to LA on a business trip yesterday, flight delay due to weather. I get in to the car rental place and they have no cars. I'm not the only person who had to wait at least 1/2 to get one despite having a reservation. Grumble....
Hope your weekend is better! :-)
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
20 Dec 08
Yes, I do love both my friends, but the main problem is neither one "gets it"---the fact that I work at home. For some reason people think if you work at home you're not really working. I had this same problem years ago with a neighbor of mine....this was in the days I was still developing black and white film and prints at home....I'd be in the middle of printing photos when the doorbell would ring and it'd be my neighbor wanting to visit...I would tell her "Debbie, I'm in the middle of printing photos"--didn't phase her. The only way I could have gotten her out would to be to physically grab her by the scruff of the neck and toss her out...LOL..that woman just didn't get a hint I was busy
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
24 Dec 08
Not really. But then she's tends to be elusive like that even when asked a direct question
@Lakota12 (42600)
• United States
19 Dec 08
Well as I know you work hard for your grants . But so glad your friend is alive and well!!!!
And I love to surprise friends by dropping in with out calling and they do me too . I just drop what I am doing and enjoy the visit! You might could have said tho hang in there a min this is something I have to finish before I lose it.
Well I have dome of our outside lights get thrown away by mistake so we had to buy more!.
Son in law havent got them put up yet!
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
20 Dec 08
No this grant work application wasn't really something I would have wanted to do while someone was hovering around me....I just know I would have made tons of mistakes then.
@miamilady (4910)
• United States
19 Dec 08
I don't know why it is that life has a way of throwing you curve balls at the WORST possible times.
It's okay to be frustated and go on rants. I just hope you didn't scare your friend off! ;-)
I don't like it when people show up unnanounced either. It always seems to be a bad time for me! Unfortunately I have several people in my life that seem to think it's okay to do that on a regular basis.
I don't know if it's a cultural thing, or if it's just some people grew up in more casual envirnoments, but I just like to get a warning before I have company.
I hope that overall, your visit was nice. It's good that she turned up, even if it was bad timing...right?
Take care
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
20 Dec 08
Yes I did enjoy her visit, unfortunately this isn't the first time she popped up unannounced....she did that one time late at night...uh, when I was in the middle of taking a bath....sheesh
@nanajanet (4436)
• United States
19 Dec 08
I think that it was very rude for her to just show up without warning. A call to you, fine, and you could say, "I will call you tomorrow as I am in the middle of ......"
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
19 Dec 08
Yes I did think that was rude...she could have called to tell me of coming to visit me the next day at least
@Opal26 (17679)
• United States
19 Dec 08
Hey pye! I would have been really pissed off too! I don't
like anyone to just show up at my door! Not even my neighbor
friends! I have finally gotten it through to them sort of!
I still have one girlfriend/neighbor who doesn't exactly
get it and will still come over anyway, but she lives across
the street so I can tell her that I'm busy, but then again
she doesn't take no for an answer! So, I don't blame you for
being upset even though you wanted to know what happened to
your friend! If she knew she was going to come by why didn't
she just call you to make sure that you were going to be home
and not out or busy? How rude! I don't like when people do
that to me either! And you have spoken about your California
friend who likes to talk for 3 hours! That wouldn't work for
me either! I like to talk, but I don't want to be on the
phone for that long! Some people just don't get it! So I
don't blame you one bit! I would have been really angry too!
1 person likes this
@psspurgeon1 (1109)
• United States
19 Dec 08
Ok, so I'm fresh out of opinions BUT I'm well supplied with horror stories of Christmas seasons past! When my husband and I started living together some 8 years ago, we didn't have much thought in keeping our christmas lights organized. One year was incredibly bad. We got the daggone tree up after much fight. We got out our little box of christmas lights and bulbs only to discover our neat coil of lights in the walmart bag had turned into one very messy light. It took us hours to get them untangled and onto the tree. We were elated. We finally decided (after the blood sweat and tears) to test them before we put the rest of the decorations on only to find that they didn't work. At all. So we had to repeat the hours of work on a new messy strand. Finally the tree was done, although it might have been after christmas that year before we saw our tree light up! Another year, none the wiser, same scenario only to find that the lights were two different shades of the same color. I am a bit of a phobe so I had to redo the entire thing because the two shades were very clashing. Now, we neatly wrap our lights around a piece of cardboard and test them before we even start unraveling them. All those precautionary things my parents did when I was a kid that just delayed my joy of decorating the tree have come back to me as a kick in the pants and I had to learn the hard way. Literally now, it only takes us about 5 minutes to test and string the tree with lights. Oh, the wonderful lessons learned. But we all know it's worth it in the end, right??? I can also sympathyze with the delayed computer work kind of. I was filling out a rather lengthy application the other day, I think it took me a good solid hour of nonstop typing to get it completed. I hit the submit button, nothing. I hit again, nothing. I hit refresh, badabing, something. A fresh new application staring me in the face. All the hard work I had just done was erased at my own hand. Talk about peeing my pants I was so furious. And to make it worse, I knew from previous expierence that that was a bad thing to do, but in my haste and frustration I did it anyway. Never ever again!
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
19 Dec 08
heehee...I settled a tangled mess of lights by carefully wrapping them around a large piece of cardboard, otherwise I'd have a mess too..LOL. Oh no! Sorry to hear about your own application disaster..that's why I kept the computer on watching it like a hawk while my friend was here so my own application and work wouldn't go bye-bye
