The General Chat Thread (2016-2022)

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I seem to have a care free life, I knew my great grandparents who were good people, and mum passed away 23 years ago, so looking after her was a no brainer. Our wills are power of attorney so whoever survives can carry on without legal issues. The assets are split 50/50 between our two kids. Btw they don't need our money but it's set up that way. Lately I'm thinking the grandkids might benefit as its so hard to start on the house ladder.
I have a good family and friends so I don't want a lot.

Russ
 
TastyReuben said:
Between us, my wife and I had about 6,831 reasons not to have kids (give or take a thousand) and one of those was that we did not ever want to be an obligation to kids who've grown and established their own lives. We'd rather saddle the state and the taxpayer with that. :laugh:

Now, some people will argue if you raise them right, they'll not see it as an obligation and they'll want to do it, but the reality is, it's still a responsibility we'd rather not put on someone, whether they're willing to do it or not.

My brother is the primary caregiver for my parents, and he's one who'd tell you he's proud to be able to help them, but he also is a very sensitive person, and it really bothers him mentally and physically (he's no youngster himself - he's 65) to help them with all that he helps them with. We'd never want to put someone in that position.
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One time, I told a colleague that I didn't want children and her immediate response was- who will look after you when you get old? my reply was that is not why you have them!
 
Lullabelle said:
My colleague has generously passed her cold onto me
:(
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This happened to me at my last job, but it was viral bronchitis 2 weeks before a trip of a lifetime (Japan) and it really put a damper on my trip. I forgive her, this was before Covid times and we were not as careful as we are now.
 
Next week I'll be attending a training session with Erin Meyers, author of The Culture Map, so I've been listening to a couple of her interviews. She's a management teacher who spent some time working on a framework that defines cultures across 8 different dimensions. The dimensions are things like communication style, approach to time and scheduling, or decision making. She's also a very eloquent speaker who tells a lot of funny stories about awkward business encounters between people of different cultures :laugh:

I feel like she also reinforced my feeling that I must have been Israeli in a previous lifetime, because Israeli culture is a lot like me: direct, confrontational, but egalitarian (perceiving the boss as one among peers) :laugh: I don't resonate that much with Portuguese culture at all.
 
TastyReuben said:
I'm older (55) and our personalities sound very similar that way. I have a very strict unannounced visitors policy and have had to enforce it (with family, too) - it's kind of a running joke with my family now.

I also love being alone. Days on end being alone. I imagine, should my wife die first, that when I pass away, it'll be one of those where I've konked it and no one notices for a good month or more. :laugh:

I would, in no way, give in to that neighbor. Much like other things in life, she's less interested in the social interaction and more interested in knowing she's got you on a string, so to speak, and can give you a little tug and you'll jump, any time she wants. It's about control, not companionship.
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Don't be so sure about that. I live alone, work alone, eat alone, sleep alone -- well, me and psycho-poodle. Covid made things even more "alone" as my lunches with friends and other social activities became rare. That, at least, is getting better.

It's easy to say you like being alone when you aren't alone.

CD
 
caseydog said:
Don't be so sure about that. I live alone, work alone, eat alone, sleep alone -- well, me and psycho-poodle. Covid made things even more "alone" as my lunches with friends and other social activities became rare. That, at least, is getting better.

It's easy to say you like being alone when you aren't alone.

CD
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You ever see that Twilight Zone episode with Burgess Meredith getting trapped in a bank vault, then nuclear annihilation comes, and he's the last guy alive (Time Enough At Last)? That's me. :wink:

I prefer doing just about everything by myself. Eating meals, going to a movie, watching TV, going on vacation, going shopping...I've done all those things by myself, and I much, much prefer it.

I like companionship in small doses. :laugh:
 
TastyReuben said:
You ever see that Twilight Zone episode with Burgess Meredith getting trapped in a bank vault, then nuclear annihilation comes, and he's the last guy alive (Time Enough At Last)? That's me. :wink:

I prefer doing just about everything by myself. Eating meals, going to a movie, watching TV, going on vacation, going shopping...I've done all those things by myself, and I much, much prefer it.

I like companionship in small doses. :laugh:
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Same as me 😂 boyfriend is the opposite. He can't even go to the supermarket alone. Can't do anything alone basically. I do enjoy being with him but I need time alone. He works shifts which is the perfect arrangement for me. I can plan my weeks around spending time with him and spending time alone. And I really don't know how some people went through 347489 confinements home alone with their partner. I remember a coworker saying "I really pitty people like you, spending all this time alone". Whaaaaat??? If I'd spend months alone in the house with someone I would have killed them.
 
LissaC said:
Same as me 😂 boyfriend is the opposite. He can't even go to the supermarket alone. Can't do anything alone basically.
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That's how my wife is. Back when I had to travel occasionally for work, she'd complain about being bored and wishing she could have a particular meal out, etc.

I'd tell her, "Go out! Go to the movies! Go get something to eat! Go shopping!"

She'd always say that she felt that other people would see her and think, "How sad...that woman doesn't have anyone to eat with," or "It's so sad that poor woman has to watch a movie alone."

I love going places by myself. Always have, and I've never thought that a person looks "sad" doing so (unless they obviously look miserable). I see people eating by themselves and reading a book or goofing around on their phone, and I think they look a-ok.

Back before all the health stuff set in, we had work schedules where my wife usually had half of Saturday off, and one other day midweek, and I worked from home three days a week. We arranged it so that none of my work-from-home days collided with her midweek day off, which meant we saw each other evenings and a day-and-a-half during the weekend, and that was it.

Since it was just one day (her day off) when she was home alone, she didn't mind, because she didn't go anywhere and she could just get caught up on her TV shows or veg out around the house.

Since 2013, though, we've been together pretty much 24/7/365, and it can get to be a bit much, even for her. The difference is, she won't go anywhere, whereas I'll gladly go do things on my own.
 
That said, I would still require people around to wait on me and repair things for me, sell me my clothes and whatnot. I just don't want them to talk to me. :laugh:
 
Garage rang about wife's car, radiater needs replacing, another $800 on top of the $700 already paid. It's been kinda building and pilling up for a few months so we bit the bullet. The most expensive bill we've had in the 14 years we've had it.

Russ
 
Lullabelle said:
That is a concern, covid went to my chest and wiped me out so not keen on anything else going that way.
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I had pneumonia in February of 2020. I could do without that again. Sleeping was the hardest part. I had dreams that I was gasping for breath, then wake up gasping for breath.

CD
 
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