Who needs to vent? Come in on!

my 15 year old son has a very different view on one particular issue. we have discussed it repeatedly, i have remained calm, heard him out, offered alternative options for him to consider. he is *not* budging, which i respect, however he seems to love to bring it up and debate with me. it can be *exhausting*.

i know his dad gets angry and takes it as a personal affront when DS expresses his own opinions, so i i feel an even greater obligation to engage longer than i would prefer. i have attempted to end the conversation several times with "we will have to agree to disagree on this but it was interesting discussing it with you and we can talk about it again".

we can't control how other people think. in my son's case, he is 15 and i think (hope?) that with some maturity, he may realize in life many people find themselves in situations that just aren't as cut and dried as we would like to believe.

((hugs)) to you - i can imagine how that must be tough to deal with.

It is fall break. Cases are rising and will keep rising with all the traveling.

The city school system has been face to face full time for three weeks and on Monday, the high school and the middle schools will go back to hybrid.

We are in the county, using the same health department. We have been on hybrid but are supposed to go back to school on Monday face to face four days a week for the first time.

Powers that be, please make your announcement of any changes before 5 p.m. on Friday. I have a few questions that really can’t wait till Monday morning but that are irrelevant if they follow the original plan.

I have been trying to find a 12" All Clad fry pan since the beginning of Covid. In mid-August I found a D5 at a Canadian online store and it was priced lower than a D3, which are impossible to find right now. I quickly ordered and within two days received an email that it wasn't in stock, so sorry.

Found another one a few weeks later at another Canadian cooking store, again a D5 at a bargain basement price, and ordered. They quickly informed me that none of their items are actually in stock. They promised that it would be ordered and I would receive it in 2-3 weeks. After a month, crickets. When asked, they told me that it should only be about another month and that apparently All-Clad was experiencing delays with some "parts". (This leads me to question whether everything is made in the USA. I had heard that lids were from China, but since the fry pan I was ordering has no lid, I'm wondering if the handles might also come from elsewhere. Hmmm) I said "no thanks" and cancelled my order.

On October 6 I finally found a 12" D3 at a third Canadian online store. I live chatted, having finally learned my lesson, and was assured that there were two in stock, available for immediate delivery. I ordered and on October 9 (record breaking speed for Canada Post!), I received my package. Which contained a D3 4 quart sauce pan with lid (one of which I already own). I screamed.

They responded immediately that I would be taken care of and that a paid return label would be emailed to me. Have written every day and still no return label has been issued, but they always answer promptly that it's coming soon. I'm giving them until next Wednesday and then I'm getting PayPal involved.

My only explanation, and it may not apply here is if you're dealing with a senior parent and their adult child. As in the adult child who IS internet savvy looked up your info, informed their senior parent that you do not accept walk ins, the senior parent either A. pretended that they didn't hear them or B. Flat out won't believe them and in order to convince senior parent that they are in fact correct they did a drive by of your home to show them that no, it's not a shop, it's a home. I often did this dance with my mom. She did NOT adapt well to look at it online and make an order. Much preferred to order in person and often refused to believe me when I'd try and convince her things were done online only etc. When confronted with the reality she'd get flustered and I'd need to keep my mouth shut.

then again, could just be an idiot who looked at your info and went well, it must be a storefront business so I'll just go in.

I work in a very small office. In March the decision was made that everybody but J would work from home. It really is best for J to work in the office as it suits her job duties and allows one person to be there to check mail, etc. (Which is part of her job.) J asked for this and made it VERY VERY clear that she wanted to be the only one in the office because she has extreme anxiety related to the virus.

Our entire team has accommodated her. To the point where we are having clients drive 45 minutes away to closings. In the beginning this is the only way the title company would close transactions-in their office. It has since changed as things have loosened up but we have maintained our 'closed office' policy strictly due to J's anxiety.

I have asked her on a weekly basis since March to please tell me ASAP when a check comes in the mail as what I have to do with the checks is time sensitive. Not one time has she told me. I have had the client contact me and say "why haven't you cashed my check?"

Yesterday I needed to order business cards for a new agent. I didn't think to grab any cards when we left in March. I asked J to please check the table where we keep them LITERALLY 4 FEET FROM HER DESK and send me a photo of any of the ones on there. No response. So when my boss checked in to make sure we were all set on the cards I had to tell him she didn't respond. And that she hasn't responded to my many requests about the checks-which I have shared with both bosses in the past. He sent me a copy of his and we're all good.

But OMG. We are essentially doing this *for her* and she doesn't have the courtesy to walk 4 freaking feet to send me a photo of the business card? I could drive to the office and take my own photo but that causes her a lot of distress because you're bringing in germs.

I need to try this on my DH next time he wants to debate just for the sake of arguing with me about something! (kind of tongue in cheek, kind of seriously.)

No vents yet for me, but it's not even noon here; give it time.

I get it, I do. For me, personally it had to do with a couple of things.
1. Mom and I did not have the best relationship. I bit my tongue a LOT in order to keep the peace between us.
2. Up until she got sick with what we later found out was flu and pneumonia, she was fairly independent and active. I had begun having conversations with her about selling her house and getting herself into a living situation that would offer her more nets but she was very afraid of how much of her independence she saw herself loosing.
3. Once she got sick, she got very sick very fast and refused to see the doctor in a timely manner. The after effects of the illness meant she spent time in both the hospital and rehab, where she HAD to give up a great deal of independence. She became very combative about any of us questioning her ability to understand things. (see above relationship issues). When I say keep my mouth shut, I meant along the lines of I told you so. Which while my inner 13 year old would be screaming at me to do, is not the adult thing to do.

Yes, I would have taken her out there to SHOW her there's no shop. It would have been the only way to make her see that no, you can't just walk in. It's either that or go round and round with her about why she couldn't show up.

But that's my own relationship with my mom. Had she lived, and gone into the assisted place we tried to get her into I suspect it would have become even worse as she had no choice but to give up her independence.

cakediva, cake is my favorite food. Seriously. Looking at your pages made me crave cake so much. You are stupid talented! I love the variety of methods and looks that you are capable of. You're an amazing baker!

Are you sure she's in the office???

I live in a state with a mask mandate. It is also a state with a 7 day rolling average of new cases of Covid that has doubled in 3 weeks. But everything is at full capacity, including groceries and bars.

We went to Kroger’s tonight. We saw 9 people not wearing masks. ALL were young, in their 20’s. My DH was pissed. So pissed he went and complained at the service desk. They basically said - nothing we can do about it. We don’t want to upset our customers.

We won’t be going back to that store.

I get this from BOTH parents. I’d say we’re pretty close. I try to never bring up politics, but my father enjoys baiting me.

It’s really hard to listen to. I get it.

I'm really sorry about your snake issue. I don't understand why it hasn't left of its own accord. When we had the one in our pool, it wasn't initially in the pool; Chris picked it up with the pool net, and it fell right in the pool and swam the length of it in about 2 seconds. He grabbed it again, lifted it up, it fell in the pool again! Third time was a charm and he tossed it over the fence (I told him that wasn't very neighborly). Those things are something else. First time I've ever had a snake in the yard. Hope it's the last time! And I hope you have it gone by now since it's pretty late. Like you don't have enough on your plate?