Now I really did it :((

[marcy]

Hi NIRDIs!

Jimmianne, the view from the apartment you stayed looks fabulous. I couldn’t come up with a glam photo of my Arby’s junior and curly fries. Too funny. I did give my sister her rings and she is thrilled with them. I bet mowing is a full time job for you this time of year. Are your critters all delighted to have you home?

Junebug, that ring is a wonderful thing to dream of and have on your wish list. It is such a pretty color. I am glad to hear your mom is getting adjusted to being at your house and great idea to set things up similar to how she had it at her home. My sister is thrilled with her rings and she was enjoying them at work today. I had to answer quite a few questions for corporate today about our mistake but I doubt it shows up on the lists of personnel errors. We will see. I am glad you and your husband got out for a graduation party this weekend. I think it’s great to find some exercise classes or something to give your some time to and for yourself. Good luck with arranging home health care this week. Thinking of you and hope you start to feel less stress. Hugs to you!

Gypsy, it’s always nice to have a lovely day and just take it easy. Farm fresh tomatoes sound delicious.

Missy, grr to your aunt. I hope you are feeling better tonight. I am sorry to hear your fingers are still swollen today. Have a blast playing with OEC tomorrow and I know you and Patty will enjoy the day. Both guest rooms are ready to go so no worries either way! Glad you had a great ride yesterday, ice cream and a Fresca 2 sighting. I’ll be looking forward to lots of pictures tomorrow.

LLJsmom, have fun in NYC and visiting Missy!

Hi Kristie, Sharon, CJ, Scandinavian.

We had burgers and corn on the cob cooked on the grill for supper. Marty is growing lettuce now for his salads so he had a bowl of that as well.

I was all excited to get a refund from Apple iBooks in the mail. I was hoping it was enough to buy a platinum ring. Sadly it was only $3.14. It must be from when I had a Sony Reader. I had it about 4 months and was teaching at the time so didn’t buy many books. But hey it was pink.

Have a great evening!

Marcy

 

[marcy]

I just found a letter of resignation from the new guy who asked last week to go back to his old job. He wants to work till the 15th. And says if "anything could possibly be done to help curtail my decision, I am willing to be cooperative." How about don't let the door hit you in the ...


Marcy

 

[Gypsy]

Dear NIRDI's.

I want to tell you all something I realized today (I'm slow on the uptake). This thread, all of you individually with your posts, your life stories, your pain and trials, your jokes, poems and humor and grace and concern for one another have been such a light in the darkness for me. And it's a cumulative light. The more exposure I have to it the more it penetrates the gloom. So much so that just the thought of you all made me feel an optimism today that I haven't felt in a while and I had a really good day. Not for anything in particular that happened. But just because I felt cared for, and involved in something bigger than myself, and life someone (other than John and the cats) listens and cares. And that's such a powerful thing.

My post on the "One of those years" threads is largely due to you guys. Reading your posts gives me a sense of connection I've been lacking for the last year and I'm like a sponge soaking it up. I love reading about the feral cats Missy, about your wonderful house chores and terrible co-workers Marcy, your support and caring of EVERYONE Callie, Seeing Scandi's happy doggie pictures, hearing about you Rainwood navigating life through such hardship with such grace.... the list goes on and on, and THIS IS NOT INCLUSIVE or in any particular order about anyone because you are ALL so vital and alive and your words and voices, no matter what you are talking about reach out through the screen and into me in a way I had no expectation of.

So I just wanted to let you all know how much you mean to me. And how much I value you all.

And I can't thank you or PS, or anyone enough for you all.

Much love to you all from me. I hope I can repay you all in some way for all you've given me some day.

 

[Gypsy]

I just found a letter of resignation from the new guy who asked last week to go back to his old job. He wants to work till the 15th. And says if "anything could possibly be done to help curtail my decision, I am willing to be cooperative." How about don't let the door hit you in the ...


Marcy

So... the question to ask is... What would Gordon Ramsey do?

And then fantasize about going just that with a nice glass of wine. At least he's not sticking around to be (another) permanent pain in your neck. Best to weed them out quickly.

 

[MarionC]

Did you see that Sparkladdict is selling three CVB bands size 6 on LT?
A year ago I would have jumped on THAT.
Now, no more jumping LOL

Gypsy I feel the way you do about the NIRDIs. This thread is my first stop when I wake up every morning and for good reason.

I just received a letter from my neighbor's attorney. The neighbor is going to sue me and put a lien on my property if I don't immediately pay my portion of the bill for a shared driveway up in the development next to my farm [I own 2 lots but don't use the driveway. No one in the development does because we all bought up the land to keep it from being developed, he only repaired the road because he has two last lots to put on the market].
My reason for not paying so far is that the man is an odious person & I hate to cave in to him. Even the attorney who sent me the letter alluded to the fact that he is obnoxious.
The man never got my permission to do the work, he just sent a letter saying he was doing it and then sent me a bill for $2500 [in PS currency, one CVB band on LT]. I don't think that's legal, so I've dragged my feet.
But I think I will just go ahead and pay to be rid of him. yes?

I love this song:

Cats and rabbits
would reside in fancy little houses,
and be dressed in shoes and hats and trousers,
in this world of my own.

All my troubles?
only things a child could understand,
and,
if somehow things could be that way,
my little world would be a wonderland!
: )

 

[Scandinavian]

Good morning Missy Hope the kitties are well today Miss seeing pictures of your domestic ones

Marcy - rats and good riddance!

Gypsy - off course we care about you!

Jimmianne, I don't know how the legal system is where you live, but here where I live, you would not have to pay the horrible man. If a lawyer sent the letter, perhaps you could enquire as to the legal basis for said claim?

 

[missy]

Good morning girls!

Marcy, Good riddance to someone who would have surely become a big pain in the butt. I am sorry he was not the employee you were hoping he would be and better now than dealing with this later when it becomes more involved. I am sorry you keep getting such not wonderful employees and hope you find a reliable conscientious and smart addition to your team very soon!

How exciting that Marty is growing lettuce. I love that and my mom and aunt grow many of their own veggies too. I have a dream that when we retire to the beach house full time (if we do) I will start my own veggie garden. My aunt has a lovely greenhouse so she gets to grow the veggies all year long but my mom makes do with growing them seasonally. Anyway love this idea. I know nothing about growing plants and vegetables etc and have the opposite of a green thumb.Is that a red thumb because that makes sense as my fingers are more pink red than not especially when swollen but I digress. Anyway please let us know how Marty's growing lettuce experience is going and if he is going to start branching out.

Too bad about your refund only being a few dollars. Though if you wait a few months you never know as investments are falling and who knows what platinum could go down to? JK I hope. Really want the financial world to hold steady because we are too close to what we are hoping is retirement.

Gypsy, thank you for sharing your thoughts and your post really touched my heart and made me teary eyed. Thank you. I too find it so helpful reading about the NIRDIs experiences, trials and tribulations and joys and successes. All you girls are very special and dear people and I feel so lucky you are all here. It's funny because never in a million years did I think I could become so close to people I have not yet met (with the exception of a few) in real life but I have and I am and I value these friendships as much as any real life friendship and even more in many ways.

And I also appreciate so much you sharing this for another reason. Sometimes I think, oh no, I am sharing (and have shared) too much but then I realize that for me, sharing the boring details of my life is what is helping me deal with my stress and anxiety and persevere and succeed through what sometimes feels like unmanageable experiences. Knowing you girls are on my side and I am on your side and as you say have something bigger to worry about than just me and my "world" expands my world and gives me more meaning and value in my every day life if that makes sense. Having that connection with people who I know really care and who I really care about too is something so incredibly precious and at times incomparable to any support I have received from my family and other dear friends.

Words are not my strong point and I hope I am conveying the thoughts so you guys really get how much you all mean to me. Sharing my day to day life with you girls allows me to work it through and is a cathartic experience and hearing about your lives is also invaluable. One without the other would not have much meaning. The sharing and the giving and the taking and the support that works both ways and is a cathartic experience. Priceless. And when I think about what happened 2 years ago (June 27, 2014) it gives is more meaning beyond the actual accident which is also precious to me because sometimes I still think how much my life has changed because of that stupid accident and then I realized a lot of good came from that accident too and while I can never go back and change what happened (though I sometimes wish I could but that is useless energy) I am forever thankful and grateful for all the good that came from that one accident.


OK sorry for the book Gypsy but your post touched me in a way I had to let you know. (((HUGS))). And I know good things are coming your way. I feel it deep down and I am sending bucket loads of good vibes your (and all the NIRDIs) way.


Jimmianne, ugh to odious obnoxious neighbors. I will ask Greg what he thinks about this but yes my gut says pay it and be done. What does your attorney advise? He did it without your permission so if your attorney says he thinks you can successfully avoid paying I would definitely choose that option not wanting to give your horrible neighbor the satisfaction and positive reinforcement that he can just do what he wants whenever he wants without going through the proper channels. So that is one thing that would give me pause yanno? But I also know if it is a bigger headache than you want to deal with sometimes just paying it and moving on is the best course of action. If this was me though I would see if I had a good chance of winning this case and if I did I wouldn't mind a little fight. However if it is going to become too big of an ordeal then I would probably just pay and cut my losses. I like to stand up for principle but I also like to pick and choose my battles wisely so it comes down to what your attorney advises and what the likely outcome of fighting this battle is. You know we are on your side no matter what!

Love that poem. Is it from Alice in Wonderland?

I saw those 3 bands. Is that significantly less expensive than the original cost? They are my size but since my fingers are still swollen (darn heat) I am not buying any more bands. Yesterday I felt like an engaged woman haha because I was only wearing my ER on my left hand though I did have one WB on my right it just didn't feel the same as both on the left hand. And my R hand was not feeling super comfortable with that band anyway. I might play engaged woman today and go ringless on my right and only ER on my left. I don't think Greg would mind.

Hi Scandi, nice to see you here. Any photos of the day? I will see what domestic kitty photos I have to share.

Have a good day girls. I am thinking of all of you and a special shout out to Junie. Hoping your mom is sleeping through the night and that you are too. And hi to Rainwood, Callie, Kristie, Sharon, CJ, KaeKae (I think you are in OG now!) and of course LLJsmom! And anyone else I missed a big hello and hug from me!

 

[missy]

Haha this is the last photo I took of any of our kitties Scandi. It is from this past Saturday when we had my family visit us at the beach house. Here is Tommy who finally came out and is looking up at me and my niece as if to say, OK when is everyone leaving already? I have had enough of the noise and the nosy little girls looking all over the house for me. Time for everyone to leave now please. Bye bye.



Adding a photo of my sweet nieces from this weekend.
They can be so angelic at times and at times little devils.

 

[MarionC]

Missy,

There are covenants for the property and they say that he has to get permission from all the owners.
He said he got that and also that everyone but me has paid.
I did not give him permission and I never got any paperwork asking for my permission.

You are right - I hate to let him "win" but I don't need the stress of pursuing this either : )
I'll do a little research and then probably drop it.
Some people are so difficult - they must have horrible lives.
If I can just feel sorry for him and send the $%^&* check!

going back to bed, perchance to totally get over jet lag.

from fuzzy brain.

ps. I paid 1800 for my pre-loved CVB band, a 3/4 with 9 antique french cuts and 4 quatrefoils.

goodnight!

 

[missy]

Jimmianne, did you check with your other neighbors to see if what he is saying about them paying is true? I wouldn't put it past him to lie and also could you strike a deal with your attorney. Ask him to cap his fees at 2500 if he can successfully fight this because I would rather pay the money to the attorney and not to the neighbor and if you have nothing to lose over the 2500 that is that is the way I would go!

By the way Ann released Fresca yesterday and we just saw her eating in the overnight pics woohoo! Fresca 2 looks almost exactly like the original Fresca but now we know who is who since the original Fresca has her left ear clipped.

Hope you have a good nap and don't let this nasty neighbor stress you! (((Hugs))).

 

[Scandinavian]

Good afternoon from Scandinavia

So much to do today, have not started working yet, so it is really about time... so what do I do...? Check in with you girls, off course! LOL

Oh well, the important stuff (you) first.

Update on the log situation:
The construction firm has been here a few days ago and done some test. As it turns out, the oil is not too far into the wood. Mainly because we have ordered slow growing wood that is very "fatty" (no idea what the right word is in English, and the dictionary does not have the word at all, lol, it only likes business words..). So it might be possible to sand down the wood 1-2 mm so that the wood with the oil in it is removed. A lot of work and quite expensive, but it is possible to do from a technical perspective at least. The good thing about this solution is that the oil is completely removed, and that we can check to see that it is all gone - is shows in/on the wood so we can see where it is. Then for the downside: we received an email yesterday (and that took the better part of yesterday to resolve) from the construction company saying that a painting company was in the car heading our way to test washing one of the walls with lye or some other sort of alkaline solution. SAY WHAT???? Testing a wall?? And if it does not work or makes it worse??? I was so furious, because we have agreed (several times) that any testing shall be sent to us for our written approval up front, and that it shall only be done on surfaces that are not visible, such as beneath the floor etc. I was so mad that my DH had to call them, because he considered it unsafe re further collaboration that I should talk to them... lol. So now we wait - again. I think the problem is that the insurance company does not want to pay for the manual removal of the oil by sanding down the wood - will probably take a few weeks with a lot of men... But come on... JUST FIX IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (as you might be able to read between the lines, I'm still a bit frustrated... )

Kristie, I've been thinking on all the things you have said, and I really want to get all the oil removed manually, not just by chemicals as I do not think that will really remove the oil, just improve the looks. So thank you again for all your help and input!

Gypsy, re your post yesterday. I'm so very happy that you had a good day!! And I hope you will have many more and more and more until they are all good! I'm so proud of you for hanging in there. Keep trying. Keep moving. Keep getting out of bed and applying for new jobs and doing 10 min cardio and hugging the cats! That is what we all do. It's just that right now it is a bit more challenging for you than I would like it to be. Hugs!

Missy, that picture is adorable!! I love all your kitties! It is so funny that he does not look like he likes guests, lol. My in-laws have a cat, and it is exactly the same. It hates guests, us included. Even my DH (no wonder though, as the old kitty is dead...) The only confusion is that the new kitty look exactly the same as the old kitty and has the same name ("Kitty" in Scandinavian) so it took us a while to understand that it was a new kitty... Bad DH... LOL. And my poor DD and DS, who wants very much to talk to Kitty, but Kitty hates them... they are STRANGERS and he HATES STRANGERS. Can't really blame him, we all smell like dogs.. But we don't bring the dog (not allowed) so I guess it could be worse for Kitty... LOL.

Jimmianne, I know exactly what you mean re your neighbour. Sometimes it is just not worth it. But then again some times it truly is... So you just need to figure out if you want to hit him or pay him.. or bought... Sorry, just joking. Just had a door-to-door seller her yesterday after the fight with the construction company, I slammed the door in her face... Bad me. So you can se that I'm no help for guiding you on a peaceful path today... Btw, do you have any more pictures of your new house? Would love to see them I just can't believe that you have bought a house in France!!! That is so amazing!!!

Marcy, Marty growing lettuce is amazing! Only thing my DH ever grows is a bead when we are on holiday... I do think you have been very unlucky with your employees! Bad things comes in threes, is that not what they say? So - are there three bad ones now so you can move on or one to go....? lol. Oh I do hope the rest of the week is going to be better! But please keep us informed of all mishaps! Better to read than any soap opera! You do write the plots so wonderfully amusing!

June, thinking of you! Exercise classes sounds wonderful!

Callie, I love you already. Forgot to write that in all the log drama, lol. I do think we have tons in common, your list is like reading my own! Add shoes and we are good to go I too buy waaaaaaay too many dresses, I just love them! I love bling even more perhaps, but very rarely buy my own bling - my DH loves to buy it for me as surprise presents for birthdays, Christmas etc, so I kind of leave that to him, perhaps with a few specific requests every now and then, lol. Like my ring in the picture above. I have been wanting a diamond to go with my wedding band (here, we wear the ER on our left hand and the wedding band on our right hand). Good DH! I have now idea how I ended up posting here, just that I broke my ankle kind of like Missy, so wanted to see if she had healed well also. And so here I am thanks to Missy's leg..

LLSmom - are you in NYC now? Oh you are so lucky!!

Rainwood: love all your mishaps, as you write about them so well. Sorry. But how are things going re the island?

Oh and all NIRDIs - I think we must be very special people to have such eventful lives! I can not believe that this much stuff happens to normal people, lol.

 

[Scandinavian]

No picture from today, but one from a few weeks ago: DD and I put up at new swing at the summerhouse so I had to try it

 

[rainwood]

Missy, that photo of Tommy is so expressive. He was ready for things to be back to normal, that's for sure. And good things did come out of you breaking your ankle - that's how we met too - as I'm also a member of the broken ankle/plate & pins club. It's hard to believe it was 2 years ago yesterday for you. I too enjoy checking in first thing with the NIRDI's although my first thing is way later than you east coast early risers!

Jimmianne, neighbors can be such a pain, but this guy isn't a neighbor, he's a developer. He'll be gone when the last lot is built. And I'll put my lawyer hat on for a moment. If it's worth it to you to make this go away by paying $2500 now and not having to do anything else about it later, then it makes perfect sense to pay the $2500 to be done with it. But only you know if that's the case. If you're interested in not having to pay if possible (for whatever reason), then it would be worth it to take at least this next step. Yes, check with your neighbors to see if they've paid. If they haven't, then the guy has lied to his lawyer and you can include that somewhere in your response. If they have, it doesn't necessarily mean you have to. Then write back to the lawyer and say something like, "I've checked the covenant and Paragraph ___ requires that all of the property owners must give their permission [does it say it has to be in writing?] to have a road (or driveway or whatever it is) put in. I have never given my permission so the terms of the covenant have not been met. If ______ (name of his client) is claiming that I have given my permission, please provide a copy of whatever correspondence he has that asked for my permission to put in a driveway and a copy of whatever correspondence he has showing that I gave him permission. I will then forward those to my lawyer.

My guess is that you'll never hear from the guy again. And if you do, you'll know what the basis for his claim is. He may say you gave him verbal permission and if the covenant requires written permission, that's not enough even if it were true. He's not going to sue, get a judgment against you, and then try to foreclose on that judgment lien when all he has at stake is $2500. He's a developer and his main concern is his bottom line. He's just trying to get you to pay up if he can and it was worth having his lawyer write one letter. It will not be worth paying his lawyer to start a lawsuit.

Marcy, what an odd non-resignation, resignation letter. I assume from his awkward English he was saying 'put me back in my old job or I quit.' And your bosses are going to have to realize they aren't going to get the caliber of entry-level employees for your department they need until they pay more. As you said, 'If you pay peanuts . . . . ' And if they don't up the pay, they'll continue to get people who don't care about their work and make errors. Their choice. Not fun for you, but it sounds like a more fundamental problem than you can successfully manage them out of.

Scandi You definitely should hold out for manually sanding the affected logs and I'm sure Kristie can say more but doing the sanding with dust collection systems so the contaminated sawdust doesn't land on the ground or elsewhere. Using chemicals to clean up the oil is just causing a different kind of pollution. You certainly don't want lye splashed around everywhere! That's crazy.

Gypsy, thanks for the thoughtful and kind words. Life can be a struggle for all of us at various times. One of the rules that I put into practice was I couldn't be in a funk for more than three days in a row. If I just couldn't muster up the physical or emotional energy to get going then that was okay, but it couldn't be more than three days. More than that and it starts to be a pattern, that pattern becomes a habit, and then it's permanent. Usually it was only one day, but when I wasn't sure I'd get myself out by the third day, I'd ask myself 'Okay, what do you want to do? Do you want to let this destroy you or do you want to move forward? It's your choice so which is it?' And I've always chosen to move forward. It's f#*$%ing hard sometimes, but that's what works for me. Seeing that it's a choice helps me make the right one. And if the choice seems to be the wrong one, then that's when it's time for professional help. Getting out into the world (even if you're an introvert) and getting some exercise which I know is crucial for dealing with RA can help a lot. You're taking some good steps so keep it up.

And my MIL is a bit like your parents. She can suck the joy out of a room faster than anyone I've ever seen. When you're feeling vulnerable, you just have to protect yourself and either not see them or set immediate boundaries if you do. As soon as they start to cross the line, you stop them, tell them why, and see what they do. If they persist, maybe tell them you're not up to seeing them today if they behave like that. Sometimes people can change a little bit if they have to. I can only do that so much with my MIL who is 94 and almost deaf. But I have on occasion said I had to go when she persisted on certain topics that I've told her before I'm not interested in talking about with her. It doesn't necessarily change her behavior much, but I feel like I'm doing something to protect myself rather than sitting there and trying to be nice. And I have another rule which is I only see her when it's more painful (as in guilt) not to see her than the pain of seeing her. And until I get to that point, I don't and I'm okay with that. It took awhile to get there, but I now realize it's her behavior that keeps me away, not mine, so there's no reason for me to feel bad about her bad behavior.

Whoa, aren't I the one doling out advice today? I'm sure everyone's check is in the mail!

I've blathered on enough so hope everyone I didn't get to in this post is doing okay.

 

[azstonie]

PAGING SCANDINAVIAN:

"The construction firm has been here a few days ago and done some test. As it turns out, the oil is not too far into the wood. Mainly because we have ordered slow growing wood that is very "fatty" (no idea what the right word is in English, and the dictionary does not have the word at all, lol, it only likes business words..). So it might be possible to sand down the wood 1-2 mm so that the wood with the oil in it is removed. A lot of work and quite expensive, but it is possible to do from a technical perspective at least. The good thing about this solution is that the oil is completely removed, and that we can check to see that it is all gone - is shows in/on the wood so we can see where it is."

Hi Scandi!~
I believe we have a misunderstanding here---the scenario above is not good. Here's why:

1. The *construction company* did the test.
Unacceptable. Businesses who do environmental testing are beholden to their client. They will take the test portions from the least contaminated areas, for example, there are many many ways to "cook the books" when it comes to taking samples, running tests, and interpreting results. The offender does not select the testing company, YOU do (or the state does).

2. When toxic and hazardous wastes contaminate anything (soil, air, water, your logs for example) that is called a release.
The only thing worse than the FIRST release is a SECOND RELEASE THAT HAPPENS DURING ATTEMPT AT REMEDIATION. What you describe above, the grinding of the surface of the logs, IS A SECONDARY RELEASE AND IS JUST AS DANGEROUS AND UNACCEPTABLE AS THE INITIAL RELEASE.

This is why I advised you that the only safe option is REMOVAL OF THE LOGS. The contaminated logs must be REMOVED from your property.

Samples must be taken of the soil and any ground/surface water on your property to test for the presence of the oil and its constituents. (I don't remember if you said the first release happened to the logs while on your property OR the release happened OFF your property, so I'm letting you know about this sampling if the release happened on your land. If you're not sure, ASSUME IT HAPPENED ON YOUR PROPERTY.)

GRINDING DOWN THE WOOD, IF DONE ON YOUR PROPERTY, ONLY MOVES THE OIL FROM THE SURFACE OF THE LOGS ONTO YOUR SOIL, AIR AND WATER. IT SIMPLY MOVES IT FROM ONE MEDIA TO ANOTHER. IN FACT, IT BECOMES MORE DANGEROUS BECAUSE AFTER GRINDING IT BECOMES MOBILE---ONTO YOUR DOGS FEET, FUR AND SKIN; YOUR CHILDREN WILL PLAY IN IT, ETC ETC ETC.

Scandi, I'm not trying to be obnoxious about this, its just that above you mentioned that this possible avenue would be in line with my past comments. Its not and in fact, its even more dangerous than what you have now.

 

[azstonie]

Jimmianne, you got a letter from a lawyer, SO WHAT? The good thing about that letter is that it cost the ******* money to have it ginned up and sent A letter from a lawyer is a letter. Why whip out the ol' checkbook because a letter has been delivered to you? Pick up the phone and call this lawyer. This is going to cost Mr. ******* some MORE MONEY! Make Mr ******* spend and spend and spend more money as he tries to pull his "fast one."

Tell Mr. Lawyer there is no proof of agreement to pay and if Mr. ******* feels there is an agreement in place, you'd like to see it yourself! Until such an agreement is interpreted by THE COURT, you have other things to tend to. You might throw in for good measure that you don't consider sending lawyer letters to be operating in good faith unless there is an actual contract and dispute going on.

Seriously, JA, don't pay until a court finds that you must. If you do, every small town crook there whose family members have all been 1st cousins for the last 150 years is going to come at you because word will be out that you will just pay up.

 

[azstonie]

Thank God for you, Rainy, I'm really trying hard not to dole out the advice/comment any more but there are times I JUST FAIL IN THAT GOAL!

There are a couple of areas that I'm an honest to God expert in and Scandi's problem is one of 'em. Even so, I should shut up.

 

[azstonie]

THAT PIC OF TOMMY?



Could NOT be more clear if he had Bobby and Fred holding up signs saying: Get Out NOW!!!

Maybe Aunt Nasty told Tommy his whiskers were the wrong color or his fur was too furry

When Bob's parents had guests who stayed too late (very hard to do, Bob's dad loved a party), Bob's father would eventually appear in his pajamas and hold the front door wide open

 

[azstonie]

I just found a letter of resignation from the new guy who asked last week to go back to his old job. He wants to work till the 15th. And says if "anything could possibly be done to help curtail my decision, I am willing to be cooperative." How about don't let the door hit you in the ...


Marcy

Soooo, based on the letter of resignation, he acknowledges he has not been cooperative to date.

"Curtail my decision..." Well gosh, there are a LOT OF WAYS to curtail a person's decisonmaking---closed head injury, open head injury, medication. TAKE YOUR PICK. We will borrow one of Marty's golf clubs if for choices involving the first two

 

[azstonie]

Gypsy, right backatcha! All kinds of good stuff here, so glad you're here too!!!

 

[Scandinavian]

PAGING SCANDINAVIAN:

"The construction firm has been here a few days ago and done some test. As it turns out, the oil is not too far into the wood. Mainly because we have ordered slow growing wood that is very "fatty" (no idea what the right word is in English, and the dictionary does not have the word at all, lol, it only likes business words..). So it might be possible to sand down the wood 1-2 mm so that the wood with the oil in it is removed. A lot of work and quite expensive, but it is possible to do from a technical perspective at least. The good thing about this solution is that the oil is completely removed, and that we can check to see that it is all gone - is shows in/on the wood so we can see where it is."

Hi Scandi!~
I believe we have a misunderstanding here---the scenario above is not good. Here's why:

1. The *construction company* did the test.
Unacceptable. Businesses who do environmental testing are beholden to their client. They will take the test portions from the least contaminated areas, for example, there are many many ways to "cook the books" when it comes to taking samples, running tests, and interpreting results. The offender does not select the testing company, YOU do (or the state does).

2. When toxic and hazardous wastes contaminate anything (soil, air, water, your logs for example) that is called a release.
The only thing worse than the FIRST release is a SECOND RELEASE THAT HAPPENS DURING ATTEMPT AT REMEDIATION. What you describe above, the grinding of the surface of the logs, IS A SECONDARY RELEASE AND IS JUST AS DANGEROUS AND UNACCEPTABLE AS THE INITIAL RELEASE.

This is why I advised you that the only safe option is REMOVAL OF THE LOGS. The contaminated logs must be REMOVED from your property.

Samples must be taken of the soil and any ground/surface water on your property to test for the presence of the oil and its constituents. (I don't remember if you said the first release happened to the logs while on your property OR the release happened OFF your property, so I'm letting you know about this sampling if the release happened on your land. If you're not sure, ASSUME IT HAPPENED ON YOUR PROPERTY.)

GRINDING DOWN THE WOOD, IF DONE ON YOUR PROPERTY, ONLY MOVES THE OIL FROM THE SURFACE OF THE LOGS ONTO YOUR SOIL, AIR AND WATER. IT SIMPLY MOVES IT FROM ONE MEDIA TO ANOTHER. IN FACT, IT BECOMES MORE DANGEROUS BECAUSE AFTER GRINDING IT BECOMES MOBILE---ONTO YOUR DOGS FEET, FUR AND SKIN; YOUR CHILDREN WILL PLAY IN IT, ETC ETC ETC.

Scandi, I'm not trying to be obnoxious about this, its just that above you mentioned that this possible avenue would be in line with my past comments. Its not and in fact, its even more dangerous than what you have now.

Hi again

The construction company only did a side test, we have labs (best in country + one government research facility) to do tests also. The preliminary tests from these two labs that we have hired in does not indicate that the oil is not all that toxic, so there will be no removal of the logs. If they are "sanding down" the logs, we can choose that they recut them instead of sanding them down, so it can be done with only a minimal amount of dust that is collected with vacuum. The legal system is a bit different here, so no chance for new logs. And we can not pay for that ourself, its about 1 million USD to replace them. Hence, we have to find another alternative. Like it or not, we do not have the money to replace them. Soil etc is being replaced, so that is ok. For now, all we can do is wait for the final report from the labs that are testing the oil samples.

 

[azstonie]

Scandi, the logs have been used to build already?

Or are they simply on site?

 

[Scandinavian]

Used to build.

 

[azstonie]

So they would disassemble your house to re-cut the logs? Sand the logs?

 

[azstonie]

Jimmianne, regarding what the neighbors. Talk is cheap, they can tell you anything they want to. In fact, it wouldn't be surprising if the neighbors and the developer are taking a run at getting JUST YOU to pay for the road upgrades.

 

[Scandinavian]

So they would disassemble your house to re-cut the logs? Sand the logs?

Don't know yet. Waiting for written suggestion to the problem..

 

[Scandinavian]

Oh and Kristie, you are not obnoxious, you are kind and helpful.

 

[Calliecake]

Hi Missy, I'm so glad you had a fun day today. I love the pictures of Tommy. You can definately tell he has had enough of visitors and wanting his mom and dad's attention back on him again. I really think they just don't like to have their routines changed. My furbaby likes to have my niece's baby here for about an hour then she wants her life back to normal. i am going to watch her the next couple of days so this should be interesting. I hope I get the happy baby and not the terrible two's baby. I bought lots of bubbles so if she is unhappy bubbles usually improve her mood greatly. Thank you for talking to me about the lost dog. I wish I would have been able to track down his owner. People really need to keep collars and a tag with the dogs name and owners phone number on them. URGHHH

Marcy, I'm sorry your having another not terrific week at work. I bet you can't wait for this guy leave. Do you have a replacement lined up for him or do you have to go back to interviewing new candidates. Is Marty growing anything other than lettuce? Ni wish I would have planted some tomatoes. I have been spending most mornings working in the yard for a few hours. Today was the first day it has been cooler here. These 90+ days are killers on the flowers. I was complaining to my husband that I need to have the sprinkler system added to the flower beds.

Gypsy, Honey I am sorry you have been going thru a rough time. Please take time for yourself and try to do some things that make you happy. Please be kind to yourself. Just know you have a whole support system aside from John. Is there anything I can do to help you? We are here for you and will help you anyway we can. You give so much of yourself to everyone here. I'm so glad you started coming to this thread.

Scandi, I hope you get the log situation settled quickly. It's a shame the company didn't just admit their fault and replace the logs. I can only imagine how frustrating this must be. A lost dog found his way into my yard early this morning. Unfortunately he had no collar and was kind of afraid to get too close to me. He was quite large so I was afraid to grab him for fear I would frighten him. You could tell he was stressed. I tried to find his family with no luck. Thank goodness my dog wasn't outside. She doesn't play nice with large dogs. Not knowing if he was safe bothered me all day today.

Rainwood, Did you watch the Southern Charm reunion show. Talk about a train wreck. I can't believe I get so sucked into these shows.

Junie, How are things going this week? Is your mom doing better with getting her days and nights on the correct schedule? Are son and daughter still living at home? I wish you sister was able to stay a little longer to help you.

LLJsmom, Well you had quite the day today. I hope you are having a fun time. Any day jewelry shopping is a good day, don't you thing!

Jimmieanne, Something sounds fishy about this whole thing. This guy could be lying about the neighbors and just trying to get you to pay. It seems like he is hoping you will just write a check. I would consult a lawyer.

Hi Kristie!!!!

 

[marcy]

Hi NIRDIs!

Gypsy, what a touching and moving post. I know exactly what you mean about being part of this thread can make a difference in your life. I haven’t had as many or severe of bouts of depression once I start visiting with the NIRDI’s everyday. Everyone here is so full of love, life, caring and sincerity that it really makes a difference. I am delighted to hear we have made an impact on your life. LOL to imagine what Gordon Ramsey would too. That will be a smirk on my face at work that no one will know why.

Jimmianne, I’m not going to look at those bands - my left hand is size 6. Must save money for our vacation. What an awful neighbor. He should have come over and talked to you and see if you would agree to pay for half of driveway. I get why you avoided paying it but I would also just be tempted to pay it and be done with the guy. Grr. Why can’t people all be neat like the NIRDIs? I think you are right - people like your neighbor must have miserable lives. Life is too short to go through it angry and bitter (IMO). Get rested up!

Scandinavian, I definitely am thinking good riddance to my employee. I sure plan on keeping him busy. I sat on the left side of my cube this morning and between 9:04 and 9:56 he left the room twice and was gone collectively for 24 minutes. I told my boss this morning I wasn’t impressed with him when he worked for my boss and I am less impressed with him now. WTH they were sending someone to try lye on the walls? Is your home owner’s insurance helping you deal with them? I get why you are frustrated. This is taking a long time to resolve. I feel at this point in time if I can’t laugh at my employees what can I do? I told a friend at lunch my employees strive for mediocrity and succeed in meeting it.

Missy, I agree that employee would have been an additional headache for me. I told my boss today I am tired of getting someone else’s rejects. Marty is enjoying his lettuce. He picked a bunch for supper. I picked up a flat strainer (about the size of a single sink) and it worked really sick to clean his lettuce That is wonderful your aunt grows produce year round in her greenhouse. I hope the market stabilizes soon too. I often think the same thing you do that sometimes I share too much here especially my feelings about my parents but just being able to kind of let those feelings out for some air helped pull me out of a pretty dark place. Sorry to hear your fingers are still swollen. My WB I wore with my 1 carat diamond was oval and about 4 months of the year I couldn’t get it on until afternoon sometimes. If it was warm I couldn’t get it off my finger. I dug out Windex a lot to pry it off my fingers. I can see Tommy saying that! I’m with him. Your nieces are adorable as always. Good deal you can tell Fresca and Fresca 2 apart now.

Rainwood, great advice to Jimmianne; that you for putting on your lawyer hat. Ironically you said pretty much the same thing I told my boss today about my employees. I taught for 21 years and while I only had students for 16 weeks I was able to reach many of them and turn them in to better students. These guys have no desire or motivation to do any more than just get by. They are happy being mediocre and until they decide they want more I won’t get anywhere with them. I just don’t get that kind of thinking. I always want to do my best and if I make a mistake I am the first to wave my hand and say “hey I screwed up” and will do everything I can to never make that mistake again. I know I told you this before but I really like your 3 day rule - I think it’s a wonderful idea. Your MIL sounds like a charmer - I can think of people I know who can suck the joy out of a room. Good idea to only deal with her when you can handle it.

Kristie, I love to hear your advice and comments. I like Bob’s dad approach to hey it’s time for everyone to go. Very good point about my employee not being cooperative before. I think he is a stereotypical millennial. If I smack someone with a golf club do I have to yell “Fore?”

Callie, I probably can’t start looking to hire someone new until this guy leaves. If there is someone internal one of the directors wants to move I may just be informed they are moving to my department, That is how I ended up with 5 of my 6 employees. They love to move people around usually it’s a personality or skill set conflict so they’ll pick another employee to swap them for; it works sometimes but usually not. It doesn’t set well with the employees. But it’s that part of our job description - other duties as assigned. 90 degrees is tough on flowers. We have 11 flower pots out front and Marty put a drip system on them. It works great but if I remember the pictures you posted before your yard would be a chore to set up on sprinklers. It is worth it though.

My new employee is quitting on the 15th. I wanted to get rid of him now but I guess I’d have to fire him to do that. He talked to my boss and me this morning. We both think he was waiting for us to tell him we’d move him to some other job. We both told him we understand this job isn’t for you so you’ve got to do what works for you. I told the girl training him to not waste her time teaching him anything new but keep him busy with what he doesn’t know how to do.

I didn’t sleep worth a darn last night so I am tired tonight.

I have tomorrow off - it’s our 25th anniversary. Marty seemed to be ho hum about it and I didn’t even buy him a card then I saw a charge at Hallmarks on our account tonight so I’ll be shopping in the morning. Brat!

Have a great evening.
Marcy

 

[marcy]

Who will blink first?

 

[Calliecake]

Marcy, Happy Anniversary!!! Twenty five years is quite an accomplishment. I hope you enjoy your day off tomorrow. Are you going out to dinner to celebrate your anniversary?