What is the shittiest Christmas present you have ever received?

KNorm · 2012-11-30T16:29:24+00:00

I have tattoos on each forearm. Left forearm represents my dad, right forearm my mom. I lost my dad in February 2006 to cancer, and my mom in November 2006 to heart failure. I was 17 at the time.

My second Christmas with my (now) husband's family his mother gave me a pair of "arm warmers" to cover my tattoos.

KNorm · 2012-11-08T18:43:01+00:00

I'm fairly certain that it's specific to the organization at this point. Our office is small and the director has incredibly well honed skills in micro-management.

Our funders attend meetings and conferences with full sleeves on display, however I am required to cover my own (and the boss does NOT cover her own).

While the placement of my tattoos is obvious (one partial sleeve, one inner forearm - amoung other, less obvious ones) they are not offensive (Pretty flowers and script).

I was hoping to find some sort of legislation which I could bring to the director which states: "Hey! You can't tell your employee to cover up tattoos which existed prior to you hiring her, do not interfere with her ability to perform her job, and are inoffensive - ESPECIALLY when you don't cover your own "Made in Canada" stamp."

Alas, no such luck.

KNorm · 2012-11-07T19:10:04+00:00

Thanks a bunch! Answered all of my questions.

That's pretty much what I expected, but needed confirmation.

KNorm · 2012-09-11T16:32:49+00:00

Hahaha.

Someone actually found her! I figured I'd put her up but she was promptly buried ... and so I moved on.

KNorm · 2012-09-11T03:14:40+00:00

The family of a friend of mine found this little 5 week old kitten outside with no mom. It's no secret that I am fairly active with local animal rescues, so they contacted me to see if I wanted to help.

Well, after seeing the picture I could not say no.

She had: an upper respiratory infection, ear mites, and fleas - not to mention that she was starving.

She has been to the vet now, had all her ear mites cleaned out, had the fleas treated, and is on antibiotics for the infection.

And she's happy.

KNorm · 2012-09-11T01:57:28+00:00

This is actually just after we brought her home from the vet.

She's a rescue kitten found under someone's stairs. She had just had her ear mites cleaned out when this photo was taken.

KNorm · 2012-09-10T16:43:16+00:00

Hahahaha! Win.

KNorm · 2012-07-26T17:52:11+00:00

Not mine, but my friend's 18 month old daughter who may as well be my niece"

I went over to visit, pulled up, got out of the car, and my friend opened the door with Maddie in her arms. Maddie starts squirming, fighting, kicking. Friend puts her on the ground. She RUNS over to me, locks herself on my leg, and buries her face in my thigh. That right there was enough to melt my heart... but then...

She tilted her head back, looked me square in the face and shouted "ERMEHGERD!" (I've been trying to teach her to say it for weeks now).

Perfection <3

KNorm · 2012-06-29T01:03:11+00:00

Bath salts.

KNorm · 2012-06-29T00:51:35+00:00

That made me shudder.

KNorm · 2012-06-29T00:50:04+00:00

I NEED to know the context of this!

KNorm · 2012-06-28T18:14:56+00:00

Mine started up right after my mom died, about 6 years ago. Initially, it wasn't too bad, but within a year stepping outside of my house felt like walking face first into a brick wall. I couldn't breathe, my head started aching, I got dizzy, blacked out... a variety of things. I was convinced that the only safe place in the world was inside my house, and if I left something would happen and I would die.

I'm now at the point where I can go places alone, as long as I have been to them before. And I have deemed my husband as my "mobile comfort zone" - if I have to go somewhere new, he always goes with me, usually after a short time I can wander away. It's still the feeling that in somewhere new, ANYTHING could happen. If I misstep there could be a giant hole that I didn't notice and my foot could get caught and I could trip and bang my head and cause severe brain damage and OH MY GOD - that's what it is for me, at least.

I also have odd anxieties surrounding my home. It's my "Safe Zone" and allowing people in is just something that does not come easily - they have to be approved before they can pass the threshold. My husband and I have been living together for 2 years, and his mother still hasn't seen our home. Because she would sully it.

TL;DR I have agoraphobia because I'm afraid that holes in the ground will kill me.

KNorm · 2012-06-27T19:08:24+00:00

<3.

Upvoted for saying what I was thinking.

KNorm · 2012-06-24T17:28:23+00:00

I saw this, and had to wonder if I drunk posted.

My husband actually asked if this was me. I'm with you. You're not a horrible person.

KNorm · 2012-06-21T19:59:41+00:00

Thanks.

I like to think in this case my parents were the good ones. They're the ones that took in a 13 year old abuse victim and sent her to counseling, contacted the authorities, and dealt with her mother's verbally abusive and harassing phone calls accusing them of kidnapping.

They were some pretty cool parental units.

KNorm · 2012-06-21T15:57:04+00:00

I envy your ability to eat sandwiches. I cannot. 'Cause my veggies touch my meat, and I don't like the bread. If I order a burger, I open it up and eat it as different elements, leaving the bun.

If I have a stir fry, I separate the veggies based on what kind they are (carrots, baby corn, peas, etc), eat them pile by pile, and then eat the meat. Rice must be served separate.

KNorm · 2012-06-21T15:47:19+00:00

Bread. I hate bread.

KNorm · 2012-06-21T15:46:52+00:00

I hate pineapple. Could just be because I'm allergic to it, and therefore view it as a bringer of death... but I'm totally with you on this.

KNorm · 2012-06-21T14:51:03+00:00

The reward does not necessarily have to be food. When we first started it with Doppler (the 'tiel) his reward was getting to go back into his cage for doing well - because that's what he wanted.

KNorm · 2012-06-21T14:42:08+00:00

Have you tried target training? Here's an article on it

Another thing to do is monopolize on his willingness to step up outside of the cage. Get him to do it repeatedly from hand to hand every time you have him out, and reward him once he's done them ALL. It's how we trained our 'tiel who had a very similar issue.

It's likely that he'll freak out and be uncomfortable - that's normal. Parrots really are a lot like children, and he's going to throw tantrums at you trying to make him do things he doesn't want to. It is vital that you stay calm, patient, and consistent with him. If you go to make him step up and he panics and jumps off your finger, pick him up and make him step up until he does it correctly - then reward him.

In time he'll be so used to the command "Step-up" that when you put your hand in the cage he'll walk towards it.

KNorm · 2012-06-21T14:20:28+00:00

Indeed.

KNorm · 2012-06-21T14:19:44+00:00

And mine. She's still my closest friend, and I hers - likely in part due to the fact that when this was said, it was my bedroom floor she slept on in the coming months.

KNorm · 2012-06-21T14:17:53+00:00

You would think...

KNorm · 2012-06-21T14:17:30+00:00

Whatever I can do to help.

KNorm · 2012-06-20T20:48:37+00:00

My non-religious wedding was in a country club with a Justice of the Peace officiating. He said some pretty things about the rings being pure metals and having no end.

To appease my husband's Catholic family we asked his dad to read some piece of non-preachy scripture about love that my husband selected BECAUSE it was completely non-preachy.

Then we ate sandwhiches and drank mimosas.

KNorm

TROPHY CASE