Family | Piss and Moan

Babysitting

Posted on February 3, 2020 by backuphill

Photo by mentatdgt on Pexels.com

I have known for quite a while I don’t like little people. That’s why I didn’t become an elementary teacher. I just couldn’t handle it. It drove me nuts.

Then I had my own child and I survived the little people stage. It wasn’t as challenging as I thought it would be, but I was glad when it was over. I definitely didn’t want to repeat it again. It’s one thing to watch your own young kids. It’s another to watch someone else’s, no matter who they are.

So, naturally, I hate babysitting.

But, I find that I am required to do so once in a while for a family member. Mostly it is because I feel obligated and can’t really say no, even though my selfish heart really tells me I should. I have no desire, at all, to spend time with little people. None.

Unfortunately, my sister needed some help this last Saturday and thus, I am obligated to watch my 3 year old niece. She is smart. She is relatively well behaved. I still don’t like it. I can’t wait for nap time to come.

Like really.

Nap time for her. Nap time for me.

Why do I say yes to this torture……??

Spinning

Posted on January 29, 2020 by backuphill

grayscale of woman in black flat sandals walking

Photo by Eneida Nieves on Pexels.com

Keeping the plates spinning today will be challenging at best, but maybe a pending disaster is inevitable anyway.

Work like if busy as hell and personal life is in disarray.

Challenges seem to be coming from all directions and dealing with them would be much easier if there weren’t other challenges already being dealt with. Or challenges on top of challenges. Or challenges loaded onto the plates that are already spinning.

A plate spinner can only keep up for so long…

“Emergency”

Posted on January 27, 2020 by backuphill

Photo by Dustin Tray on Pexels.com

Why is someone else’s “emergency” suddenly mine?

How does someone’s repeated poor choices, bad decisions, and terrible money management become my problem?

Why am I forced to suffer the consequences of others’ stupidity?

These questions, unfortunately, will never be answered. I am just unlucky enough to have to ask them on a frequently repeated basis.

I had to buy a used car this weekend so that I could loan it to a family member for a short period of time. Because they have no transportation and desperately need to keep their job, which is needed to keep other disastrous things from happening…which might still happen anyway.

It’s something I really didn’t have much of a choice in because I am damned if I do, and damned if I don’t.

Huh? sigh

Posted on January 24, 2020 by backuphill

It’s only 11:13am and it has already been one of those days. On a Friday, no less. Aren’t Friday’s supposed to be easy?

It’s already a “throw your hands in the air” kind of day.

It’s an Arsenio Hall “Things that make you say HMMMM…” kind of day.

At work.

At home.

With family.

Relationships.

I’m tired.

I’m ready to pack it in.

I’m ready to go some place warm with a tropical breeze, by myself, kick up my feet, and throw back a few cold ones.

Photo by Melina Vargas on Pexels.com

Can I return this day? I don’t want it any longer. It’s only slightly used and in like new condition. I still have my receipt.

Obligation

Posted on January 23, 2020 by backuphill

Photo by freestocks.org on Pexels.com

I hate feeling obligated.

I hate feeling obligated to leave a tip at a restaurant if the service I received was just part of the ordering process. It’s one thing to leave a tip for a server and personal interaction. It is another thing to leave a tip for someone who took an order from behind a counter. I just won’t do it.

I hate feeling obligated to go out of my way for a family just because “we’re family.”

I hate getting invitations to an event and feeling obligated to go because someone has invited me.

I hate feeling obligated to eat the last cookie in the cookie jar because it is probably lonely.

I hate feeling obligated to do things for co-workers. I especially hate being invited to the wedding of a co-worker (by the co-worker, of course) I don’t particularly like all that much. I hate feeling obligated to go to the wedding because “everyone” (or nearly everyone) will be there. Look, just because you are a co-worker, doesn’t mean I want to hang out with you or celebrate your special moments with you outside of the workplace. We just aren’t that close and we never will be. So, I hate having the feeling obligation when it comes to attending this event.

How do I solve such a dilemma?

I’ll just stop having feelings. I am pretty good at that. No feelings? No feeling of obligation.

Done. Solved.

Off

Posted on January 21, 2020 by backuphill

Photo by Chait Goli on Pexels.com

Apparently I took the day off yesterday. I don’t think I meant to as I totally remember thinking to myself that I needed to write something and click publish. But, between family in the house and the coffee cup, I must have gotten distracted and forgotten what I was doing.

So, thanks to those of you who still stopped by yesterday, even if there wasn’t something new to read.

Maybe I needed a day off. I am not sure. Of course, here in the US it was a holiday. As such, I wasn’t at the office and I wasn’t doing my telecommute thing. The schedule was off so I guess so was I.

Here’s the weird thing though. When I am off, like off from work because of a holiday, there is scorn in the house. Scorn because the holiday doesn’t relieve everyone in the house of their work responsibilities. Because I get a day off and get to do what I want to do, I get scorn. I hear things like:

“What did you do today?”

“What did you get done today?”

“How were you productive today?”

“What did you do with yourself today?”

It’s some version of that. Scorn.

How about I just get to take time off for me? How about I get to do what I want on these days because I can? How about I just get to do me today?

I am off. I have no work. I don’t feel like doing work at home today either. In fact, I left a 15 year career in teaching so I didn’t have to dedicate my whole life to work, even when I wasn’t at work. Get it?

I.AM.OFF.

(Oh, and for the record, I cleaned the house and put away laundry since dinner guests were coming. There. I did something.)

Now, leave me alone.

***Dang, back to work today…***

Glitter

Posted on January 13, 2020 by backuphill

Maybe this is a weird topic, maybe it isn’t. I don’t have a lot to say about it. I may have even talked about it already on the ol’ blog, but I was reminded again this weekend…

I hate it. With passion.

It is evil.

If ever there was someone who deserved to be drawn and quartered, it would be the inventor of glitter. I don’t even have to look up who invented it because I don’t care. 1000 cursed deaths upon whomever it is.

I can’t even continue writing this post because it upsets me so much.

I’ll be back tomorrow with something less traumatizing. I apologize if this triggered something for you.

Stolen retirement?

Posted on January 6, 2020 by backuphill

People who aren’t relatives, but look like their retired. Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

This morning’s irritation doesn’t really have anything to do with me, so much as it has to relatives. Well, this isn’t really an irritation for just this morning. This is an ongoing irritation that flairs of on a regular basis, especially when I feel like someone is being taken advantage of.

I have some family members who are generous people. They like to help others.

I have some family members who make poor choices and like to ask for help when things get tough.

As you can see, this combination of two types of family members makes for some behavior enabling and as a result, I don’t think anyone in the situation wins.

The biggest problem here, as I see it, is that the family members who think they are being generous and helpful are the grandparents of said family members who can’t seem to get their adult life and behavior figured out. Sure, the grandparents are free to spend their money as they see fit. They are adults and they are still of sound mind and body (at least as far as any of us are).

However, the issue I have is the frequency with which the grandchildren take advantage of their grandparents’ generosity. Less than six months ago, one of the grandchildren got a huge chunk of money (to the tune of about $3500) so they could move their family into a different rental house, one that was really beyond their means. Now that same grandchild is in need of a more fuel efficient vehicle (rental house is too far from job) and they don’t have the money for that either…and so an offer from the grandparents is on the table again…

I just can’t help but wonder if the grandparents are being robbed of their “golden years”? They live within their means and they obviously know how to manage their money, but we are often told they live meagerly and they can’t afford this or that, or they can’t get a better car for themselves, or they don’t go to doctor because they don’t think they can afford it. It’s stuff like that. Is that really how they should be living in retirement?

As the parent (step-parent/SNL, at that), when is it appropriate to say “Enough is enough” or to “Stop” or to “Step back”? Or, do I just stay out of it and let it go…none of my business kind of thing?

Price gouging?

Posted on January 2, 2020 by backuphill

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

What do you guys thing? Could this instance be considered price gouging or just market demand?

New Years Eve plans weren’t set in stone yet, so going to the movie theater was determined to be a good idea. Killing a few hours at a movie would help get the evening along and help me make it to the new year (instead of being an old, grumpy person – er, like every other day).

Anyway, we only have one movie theater that is local so to the AMC we went. During the ticket purchasing process it was discovered that the normally $5+ tickets at the theater were just the normal price of $11+. Huh? What’s going on here? Discount Tuesday has been a thing for years and this last year has been no different, so why suddenly are prices not the normally discounted price?

Come to find out, because both Christmas Eve and New Years Eve are the night before a holiday, the theater suspended the special price to take advantage of the fact that maybe more people would want to go see movies. Really? They’re going to jack the normally low price up for two days just so they can take advantage of their customers?

To me, it smacks of “price gouging,” because it is taking advantage of an abnormal situation to make more money. The official definition doesn’t say anything about a “state of emergency” or “disaster,” but if you look at legal definitions it tends to lean in that direction.

I guess it probably isn’t really price gouging, but it feels really shady when you are standing in line to buy tickets with your kids and what would have been a $25 night at the movies turns into $60 (before you even buy popcorn or snacks) because you have no choice at that point. I watched family after family be surprised by the unique “price adjustment” and the unspoken visual debate between husband and wife take place via their eyes. There were some who just turned around and left, but not very many. As parents, it’s hard to turn around and leave when you have all those eyes staring at you in expectation. So, they break the budget to make it happen.

Real shady, AMC. Real shady.

Reflection

Posted on January 1, 2020 by backuphill

Photo by Javon Swaby on Pexels.com

As 2020 comes crashing in and we usher in a new day, month, year, and decade, I just wanted to pause for a moment and reflect.

Ok, not really. Why reflect? It will only bring back the things we weren’t successful with, the things that weren’t fair, the things that sucked, the things that were disappointing, and the things that just plain didn’t really need to happen.

CRAPPY NEW YEAR!

I jest, of course.

But as we raise a glass to a new year, may we be blessed with more things to Piss and Moan about.