OT Febuary Chit Chat

[SuzE-Q]

Hi Jeanie, Tough time and additional challenges for you. Sending hugs to you and healing wishes for Jamie. Hope your vehicle issues are quickly resolved, sounds like you might have prevented greater damage by getting it back in so quickly.

[Howie]

Oh, you've done it now!!! 4 pages already!!! For shame!!!

[Jeanie Z]

:) The surgery removed 80% of the growth on Jamie's spine. Now we hope it comes back benign.

I got my van back this evening and paid $630.00. The cooling fan for the radiator and the parts that control it all had to be replaced. My van is now 15 years old. I hope it lasts as long as I do.

Thanks for al the prayers. Jeanie :)

[SalpalSally]

Howie, reset your thread per page count.
Mine is set at 40 threads per page, so I'm still on page one.


Jeanie, praying hard for Benign for Jamie.

[renee]

It's been absolutely spring-like in Florida ;>) this last week.
Sun, water, sand, sun. 300 hundred lounging manatees next to a power plant
warm water outlet. Hilarious.
Flying home tomorrow- definitely not ready to go back to blizzard central
but the cat needs me and I need some cat therapy.

Sis accidently left one of my wheelchair pedals on the top of the car today
to fly away on a Florida highway.

This is bad for carrying luggage between my feet...
but st*ff happens, eh.
Now she is going alpha on me.

Travel partner trade-in time.

Oh, but it has been reeaaaaallllly nice.
Have to do this every winter (minus the flying wheelchair parts)
-a promise to myself.

End of postcard.

R

[SalpalSally]

Basement walls n floor before n after water damage,
Dad's pooltable will be removed by DD n DS, SOON!

[Howie]

Wow, they did a really nice job!

PS I set it to 20 per page. That's the best I could do!

[Howie]

You know something that came up recently? I'm an older guy, and I say "girls and guys". Well I made a comment at the grocery store about "I am sure lucky to have the two prettiest girls in the store" and one acted insulted.

Both were black which means nothing to me. One knows me, and goes out of her way to speak to me, as do I. I've never seen the other girl again which is fine.

Black, white, makes no difference to me. We all inhabit the planet Earth!!! We are all related!!!

[Frog42]

I wonder if maybe she doesn't like being called "girl". That kinda rubs me the wrong way; I wonder if if bothers her too.

[SuzE-Q]

Howie, what did the one do or say to give you the impression that she was insulted? About how old would you say they were?

Here's how I see it from my own perspective. In earlier days, "guys and gals" would have been the two equivalent and maybe more casual expression of "ladies and gentlemen" for adults. That was more southern though to call a woman a "gal", so I think "girls" was often used instead.

But the term "girl" if you look it up (to paraphrase) means a "young female", as in "boys and girls", so pre-adult. It can also be used as an expression of endearment, as in "the boys (or girls) and I went out", but that would be speaking In an affectionate way about your friends.

But used by a stranger referring to an adult woman, it has a sense of paternalism and condescension since the word "girl" really means young female, before reaching adulthood, so it could sound like you were talking down to someone.

I hadn't thought too much about this until I heard a man call a mixed-aged group of women (including a woman in her 70's or 80's) "you girls". It sounded really disrespectful to the older women to be referred to as "girls" since I was pretty sure they had reached womenhood and deserved due respect as senior women.

So, I'm not sure your words conveyed your complimentary intention.

It might have also not come across well to be judged on appearance, which has no bearing on their professionalism or the job they were doing. It could have felt like they were being objectified rather than viewed as professional women. A compliment such as their friendliness or smiles "making your day" might have gone over better since being friendly and appearing approachable is part of their job, and you would have been appreciating that instead of their looks.

I know your intentions were good. Unfortunately, sometimes the way something is heard is very different than how it was intended. These might be possible reasons why you received a scowl instead of a smile in response.

[SuzE-Q]

Renee, sounds like your trip has been great...I'm so envious hearing of the warm sun and sand. Hopefully your sis will cover the replacement cost of your foot rest. Sisters...love them...until they annoy you and you need a break.

Those manatees have been on the news all over...amazing!

Sally, your reno work looks fantastic!

[nuthatch]

Sally, bet you're more than happy to have the work completed. Question . . . was that a hula hoop I saw on the chair in the before pic?
A pool table and hula hoop in the basement . . . you're one wild fun chick!

[SalpalSally]

OMG, must be DD's old hula hoop...LOL!

[renee]

Sally, the room rehab looks great.

Howie, I only refer to people I know well on joking terms as girls or boys
unless I am talking to a hardcore feminist with no leeway for familiarity.
Funny, in Florida I ran into a lot of honey and sweetie, but that is southern
so it's ok. In New Orleans EVERYONE is called baby- I like that.

When I have run into sweetie/honey in a hospital I tell the nurse or
therapist professionals on up to call me by my first name.
It makes for better adult conversation.
I'm not relying on CNAs to make medical decisions so sweetie-honey
is fine.
Just don't call me Honey boo-boo. Blechhh.

My sister isn't going to pay for the gone wheelchair pedal.
She is financially challenged so I quickly made a point of letting
her know I have a spare of a different color. It works.

Getting hauled off the plane tonight the skycaps and plane crew
got nervous about the single foot pedal.
I told the OOPS story…pedal lying on the Gulf Boulevard
or RT 245 flattened by a semi but 'I bore no resentment HA HA'
and thanked them for allowing to get that out of my system.
We cracked up.

Hey- it wasn't my usual plastic coffee mug from the past but it
could have been a lot worse.

Caught an accessible bus to a beachside bar and sang She's A Brick House/Rick James
with a bunch of 40 somethings on up.
Someone rang the sundown bell and we dispersed.

I missed a small blizzard home and well below zero weather.

Next Jan-Feb. I'm back.
8>)

R

[SuzE-Q]

Sounds like a fun trip and a great time at the seaside bar!
Welcome back!

Good to have a sense of humor about life's foibles, they make for funny stories at family get-togethers later on.