Apropos of Nothing v.5

Pony, that is FUNNY!!

even louder when beak is inserted into ear...

Katye, I hope I never find out. LOL!

My brother in law is actually afraid of hummingbirds because of the sound they make! Can you imagine? Pony, better put a hat on! I already posted this somewhere else, but since you are talking about hummingbirds, this little guy appears to be guarding this area for some reason. He was all fluffed up and didn't even leave when we approached, although I saw him fly to the top of the cedar tree so i know he is okay. There is a feeder nearby so likely he is making sure everyone else knows it belongs to him.

Pony, you need one of these:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZ24oBaO56

This was the guy I was looking for. I had seen him on TV. Didn't remember that it was a helmet, though.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uq7oOOXyoLk

Now you have me stuck on the Internet looking at hummingbird videos . . .

http://www.heatstick.com/_eYe2eye.htm

Love that hummer helmet. Wouldn't that be great for someone in a wheelchair?
The little boy playing was much better than the big one. My daughter used to make up songs while she was singing and it was really awful, but we did record it. ^_^

This message was edited Dec 12, 2009 4:42 PM

Patricia - I like that idea. I wonder if it would be good for autistic kids or alzheimer's patients or people recovering from emotional trauma. Sort of like a portable swim with the dolphins. Huh.

i'd say yes, but they are not worth $80. Seems like one could come up with a cheaper version.

Oh, absolutely. But if there was a demand, then they could probably be made more cheaply . . .

It's how fortunes are made. I've been over snooping on the Iris forum. They are posting beautiful pictures on the 'Clump shots for winter blahs' thread. Also on the Orchid forum they are doing the same. They are so beautiful. One lady has over 300 kind. Wow.

This message was edited Dec 12, 2009 5:44 PM

I've seen the hummer helmets- great idea, but yeah, way too expensive. It would be great if they went into mass production and got a lot less spendy. :)

I asked a man who does handy work for us if he would make me a greenhouse and he is already working on plans. He is as excited as I am. It will be half-shed, half-greenhouse because, 'famous last words' I don't need much space. There is a faucet and an electric plug on that side of the house so it can be jerry-rigged for heat and water.

"I don't need much space"??? ROFLOL! Are you kidding me? Those ARE famous last words. Rule of thumb: build the biggest greenhouse you can afford, then double it.

It's not money, it's space. I don't have any unless I tear out a lot of flower beds.

I'm so frustrated. A month ago, this gal named Tara posted on craigslist looking for a room. She couldn't pay what I want but offered to do all the cleaning & other chores as part of the deal. And said she could pay first & last deposit. So I agreed, against my better judgment. She has fibromyalgia & works 30 hours a week as a medical aide & high studen loans and just seemed like someone who needed a helping hand to get back on her feet.

Well, as Jack says, there is a reason that most people in the lower economic strata or whatever you want to call it (I live hand to mouth but DO support myself) are in those dire straits -- they tend to make poor decisions. So Tara disappeared for a week after making the agreement, then showed up out of the blue last week to renegotiate the rent because she might lose her job. Fine, whatever, I said, as long as you can pay your rent on time. So she said she couldn't afford to move in till the middle of the month. Fine, whatever. Then on Thursday she showed up out of the blue saying that everything was going to hades in a ski lift -- turns out, she had been considering a studio apartment that was $50 less than what I was charging but this cold snap had burst some pipes so the studio was out of commission for now, and the friend's RV she was staying in had also frozen up & the friend wanted Tara off her couch ASAP. Fine, I said, do you need to stay here tonight? She said she had to return to town to fetch her laundry & would either show up or call. Around 10:30 p.m., I called her cell to see what had happened to her. She SAID she had called around 8 p.m. & left a message saying that a friend had invited her to dinner & so she was going to stay in Tillamook, with the friend or with her family I don't know. She called Friday (this story will end soon, I promise) to apologize & say she wanted to move in on Sunday since I had expected to be in Portland on Saturday until the weather intervened.

So it's 5 p.m. & getting dark & I haven't heard word one from her. I'm really hoping she blows me off today & then I have a solid reason for telling her to go away for good. I DO need a roommate to make ends meet, but I just KNOW she will have continual problems. Every time I call her, her cell phone is about to die or run out of minutes. She does have family in Tillamook but says she couldn't stand to live with her mother. I'm afraid, though, that that's all she can afford to do right now. I was only going to charge her $350, everything included.

This was sort of a rant but I needed to put it in writing to see how iffy this whole proposition sounds. You know how people give you sob stories & are nice & you feel kindly toward them & it's a slippery slope? But I just want to protect myself from aggravation, too, finally having learned that most people who just seem to need a helping hand really will try to suck you dry, not evilly but just because they don't know another way to conduct themselves.

Grr.

If you can't keep your word, what else do you need to know? Out, out, out!

Is she not keeping her work? I suppose so; I have trouble distinguishing between being flaky & not keeping your word.

I myself can be a unreliable friend because of the hours I keep.

You don't need flakey either if you need the money. I can give advice because I'm an old lady. ^_^

Noooo. That one will be nothing but a pain in the assets. Tell her buh-bye.

It's good to help people. It's bad to let yourself be taken advantage of. Sometimes it's a fine line, but that one sounds bad to me.

I'm an old lady who rents a room out in my house so here's my 2 cents. This is going to sound really bad...my advice is never rent to anyone under 30, anyone unemployed, no couples, no children and no angry ex's. This girl is trouble with a capital T. You know she never called you that first night. And you know deap down she is trouble. She most likely doesn't get along with her parents because they stopped falling for her "poor me" excuses.

She's trouble. Trust your instincts. It's not hard to call and let someone who is trying to help you know where you are and what you're doing. If she can't be bothered, then neither can you.

I would call her now and tell her to stay in Tillamook or wherever she is - not to bother to show up at your door. It's okay to be miffed if someone is not reliable.

You've tried to help her. There's nothing you can do for her long-term if she won't help herself. There are tons of people out there who could use your help who will bother to call you and keep you informed. This would just be the beginning of a long nightmare, I'm sure.

Yeah, I can't tell whether she's not very smart or what the issue is. I'm sure that fibro can suck your energy. When she called Friday she told me that she was just touching base because she knew it was important to me to know what was going on. Which is true. So why ....

She only takes home $1,000 a month. That's one reason I felt like taking her in. What happens to those people if they run into a setback?

I've learned from experience that many people like this always find a way to get help. They become very good at the "poor me" story. I'm sure it has to do with self-esteem and habits and patterns, etc. The thing for you to decide is whether you want to have a relationship like this with her ongoing. I'm sure it won't change.

I have a relative who uses the excuse of FM (which I do believe she has) to get out of things she doesn't want to do or deal with. I believe she has challenges (pain and fatigue), but in the end she's always able to do the things she wants to or has to - it's the things she doesn't want to do that she doesn't do.

No, you're right. Thanks, all. I did need a little moral support on this decision. I know that she will call or show up tomorrow with a new plan and, while I'm perfectly able to stand my ground, I do not relish having to do so.

As things progressed with her, I DID say that I was only willing to commit to the arrangement through March & then we'd both have the option of ending it.

Perhaps that seemed wrong to her. (I'm trying, in her defense, to post anything that might reflect better on her since you are only getting my side.)

Summer, if you don't have children your first responsibility is to your self. There are many ways and lots of opportunities to give back to your community and to help the less fortunate. Putting your financial or mental well-being at risk is not a good choice. I agree with everyone else - she's out. Peace and happiness in your home is more important, and another potential roommate will come along. :)

Although, now that I think about it, the final red flag was that she on Friday that she could give me a check today or cash on Monday because her ATM only allowed her to take out so much.

My bank allows me to take out $500 a day & she had 3 days to come up with $400 total for December + deposit.

I get where you're coming from. But, the bottom line is that you're not doing this to be philanthropic; you're doing it because you need a reliable roommate. There are tons of other ways you could help her out if you felt inclined to do so. Just not this one.

You should be doing the happy dance because you've found a reliable roommate, not investing this much energy in trying to find a silver lining for her . . .

Do a happy dance because you had lots of warnings about this person - that's better than her settling in and then the problems begin.

Yeah. Judi, how was the party? How did the fondue go over?

Breathing a sigh of relief, yes. Want to hear about the fondue!

Now that I have water to cook with, am making the 44-clove garlic soup this evening.

The fondue was a big hit. It was fun to have an "interactive" dessert and there was a lot of chatter around the fondue pot! Great fun, and that's the whole point.

Yum!! It's really warmed up outside. No snow here yet, but there is snow elsewhere in Seattle . . .

Good choice, then!

One more thing about the fondue - my friend cannot tolerate any dairy at all so I used coconut milk to mix with the melted chocolate. Oh my, it was good.

It's cold here, and time for a hot bath. The dogs ran around for 4 hours out in the country today, and mine is passed out next to my bed. All partied out! Have a nice evening everyone.

Nothing like a nice, tired dog . . .

We are sitting again with Mandy theBichon. All three of them are strecthed out on the bed now, concked out. We have some white stuff on the ground. Probably 1/2". 36 out which is good snow temperature.

OOH, I'm 'jill come lately' to this discussion, but I completely second everyone else's opinion about the flake. Only other thing I'd add is that flakey is the same as not keeping your word. They are pretty much equal. Just say 'no' to flakey room mates who always have excuses as to their obnoxious behavior. Don't worry. She'll find someone else. That kind always do.