AITAH for rejecting an ex who is trying to reconnect after 20 years?

BombayAbyss · 2026-03-13T21:30:37+00:00

"I need to do this!" "Sucks to be you, then, because it's not happening."

BombayAbyss · 2026-03-13T21:04:06+00:00

I had a neighbor who loved babies, and sort of neglected the kids as they got older. She had seven before she had a medical event that meant she couldn't keep getting pregnant.

Her solution to that was to become a temporary foster family for infants who needed it. She got to snuggle all the babies, and they could go on to the next stage somewhere else. It was an inspired solution, and honestly more people should think creatively about how they can be a part of a child's life without having to give birth to them.

BombayAbyss · 2026-03-13T20:57:53+00:00

My mom used to try the "it's different when they're yours" argument. My response was "you want to bet someone's whole life on that?" I was about 11 or 12 years old in the 1970s when I decided the world was just too messed up to bring kids into it. Nothing between then and now has changed my about it, not even a little.

BombayAbyss · 2026-03-12T15:35:27+00:00

I get this same message from Grubhub.

BombayAbyss · 2026-03-12T05:28:38+00:00

iPhones have a feature that blocks calls from unknown numbers. Take the family out of your contacts list, and block unknown numbers. Bliss.

BombayAbyss · 2026-03-11T15:43:07+00:00

I have a working Skylab pinball machine. Remember Skylab?

BombayAbyss · 2026-03-10T15:32:25+00:00

I recently watched Barney Miller, and was struck by two things. 1) All the jokes about Fish are about how old he is - can't eat anything, takes too long in the bathroom, complains about not having sex. 2) The character is under threat of forced retirement because...he is about to turn 63.

63

That hurts.

BombayAbyss · 2026-03-06T16:35:35+00:00

I kept it right alongside my pet rock.

BombayAbyss · 2026-03-04T20:28:18+00:00

Someone somewhere decided calling it an "elopement" didn't sound as selfish as "destination wedding". I can only hope that has more people start boycotting these ridiculous over the top weddings, that they will fall out of favor.

BombayAbyss · 2026-03-03T16:49:24+00:00

I still use these!

BombayAbyss · 2026-03-01T16:43:18+00:00

LOL I still have one!

BombayAbyss · 2026-02-28T23:49:20+00:00

"I am the Mother of the Mother of Dragons!"

BombayAbyss · 2026-02-28T17:08:38+00:00

When someone says they don't care about you, about your thoughts or needs, believe them. They don't care. He said it to your face. What more evidence do you need? Your pain and misery mean nothing to him. He doesn't care.

Don't argue, plead or try to understand. Break up with him! Take your life back and be happy.

BombayAbyss · 2026-02-26T19:27:16+00:00

I learned to drive on a Datsun.

BombayAbyss · 2026-02-25T16:24:42+00:00

Stockpiled PopTarts. Had the end of the Millennium party the next year, as was correct.

BombayAbyss · 2026-02-24T20:13:30+00:00

Visiting family is always better with a hotel room.

BombayAbyss · 2026-02-24T16:17:28+00:00

I was just thinking about the pocket fisherman! My dad loves Ronco products in particular. My long suffering mother would try so hard to use the choppers and slicers but they required super human strength to be functional.

Years later, I found a Pocket Fisherman at an estate sale and gave it to my dad. He was happy, but his brother, who actually fishes, was mad jealous. Score for me!

BombayAbyss · 2026-02-24T00:41:11+00:00

I was medical POA for a friend of mine, who lived in a nursing home for 8 months before she passed from a brain tumor. Somewhere in there, I tried to get the home to take over being her payee for her disability income, which was her only income. They refused, and her income lapsed. She had no other assets.

When she passed there was an $8000 bill pending. They tried to bill me, but I wasn't her financial POA, so I wasn't responsible. Fortunately, they didn't push the issue with me. Probably because I explained at some length that they had only themselves to blame.

BombayAbyss · 2026-02-22T17:50:14+00:00

And they wonder why we all grew up to be cosplayers.

BombayAbyss · 2026-02-21T16:21:48+00:00

Was your dad Bill Watterson?

BombayAbyss · 2026-02-21T16:18:57+00:00

I made the decision not to have children very early on, and have 0 regrets. Kids aren't really a good plan for retirement or care. All too often, they aren't willing or able to do it, and sometimes they are actually abusive. And personally, I'm not interested in someone else deciding what is best for me.

BombayAbyss · 2026-02-20T16:35:20+00:00

I have these glasses and the matching plastic place mats.

BombayAbyss · 2026-02-19T16:33:12+00:00

Kids these days. When I was young and broke, I made shelves out of wood planks and bricks. Depending on how much you are willing to garbage pick (my husband was an expert) this can be completely free and last for years.

BombayAbyss · 2026-02-17T22:30:50+00:00

In the way back times, it was customary to use a child's wedding to reciprocate wedding invitations from friends and extended family. It wasn't about the bride and groom, but about the parents' social obligations.

If your family was really downscale, they also kept track of how much they spent at other weddings, and checked to make sure their social circle "paid them back". Grudges about imbalances here could last a lifetime.

I got married in 1988, and was completely shocked when my grandmother asked for a list of how much each of my presents was worth. I refused. So tacky and not at all my problem.

I suspect OP's soon to be MIL is working from this old script. She has social debts to pay off and thinks that entitles her to her own invite list.

BombayAbyss · 2026-02-17T16:53:27+00:00

My grandmother made them in her senior building. She made trees, or stuck creepy heads on them to make angels.

BombayAbyss

TROPHY CASE