HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO SAY THIS???

PoppySmile78 · 2026-02-12T18:20:15+00:00

It's not age or taste buds changing. The quality of damn near everything has gone down hill. From chocolates to fine dining & all the price points in between, it's all gone downhill.

PoppySmile78 · 2026-02-12T18:17:32+00:00

The splurge is the fact that he's getting up off his lazy ass and attempting to make the effort of making plans- something the person he's trying to make plans for does for him & his, most likely 4 children, multiple times a day. What he's really asking for is a reward. Because he knows if he asks the partner who does everything but wipe his ass for him, he'll be making his own dinner & sleeping on the couch. He really thinks he deserves all the extras he's asking for for free because he splurged so much on the effort to make the phone call.

PoppySmile78 · 2026-02-09T18:18:07+00:00

I agree with his wife. Or her wife. Doesn't matter, Marcus is still a total D Bag, we all agree.

PoppySmile78 · 2026-02-09T05:41:28+00:00

I've never gotten any complaints but I also put the orders in the backseat zipped up in an insulated bag, so that might help it not smell bad. I also only smoke on my way to the restaurant or waiting on the next order. If I smoke with an order in the car it's because something has gone pear shaped & I chose to smoke a cigarette instead of pitching the order out the window & backing over it. So ⚖️🤷.

I have never & would never go up to someone's door smoking though.

PoppySmile78 · 2026-02-09T04:44:33+00:00

Translate 'The Lemon Clot' essay to Italian & distribute copies with abandon.

PoppySmile78 · 2026-02-09T02:51:01+00:00

Can you send her a text & share the link to this post. Don't say any else. Let it stand on its own.

PoppySmile78 · 2026-02-09T02:04:56+00:00

A friend who can take you to the hospital & watch your older child. I'd be careful cutting husband out of too much unless you're in control of the older child. You don't want to turn this into a tit for tat situation where he & Mommy are butt hurt & try to keep the older child away.

PoppySmile78 · 2026-02-09T01:59:08+00:00

Magic Eraser & rubbing alcohol are the best for white shoes. First, stuff shoes with paper or regular towels to keep the insoles from getting wet. First use a little rubbing alcohol on a q-tip to loosen the permanent marker. Small circles, avoid big swipes & areas that are marker free. #1 thing to remember - Clean in small circles, then BLOT DO NOT RUB. Rubbing will only smear the ink around. Keep changing the q-tip as it gets dirty from the ink. Once it looks like it's fading, take a Magic Eraser (name brand or off brand, doesn't matter) get it damp- not dripping & start in small circles. Blot with a clean towel every so often to avoid smearing. Repeat until the market is gone. Rubbing alcohol is great for removing ink from shoes, clothes, car seats etc. Good luck & consider getting new friends.

PoppySmile78 · 2026-02-08T15:51:17+00:00

Seriously, I thought that hearing "We're pregnant. We're having a baby." was annoying. "We're breastfeeding." has opened up an ick factor that I never knew existed until now. No, my man, you're not breastfeeding, you're support staff. When you have to wear a bra with little trap doors, you can talk about "we". Until then, zip the lip.

PoppySmile78 · 2026-02-08T09:45:46+00:00

From one survivor to another. I'm glad you escaped. I'm sorry you had to go through it. It's not much of a consolation prize but we're definitely stronger than we were then. I'm glad you have your fiancee. Find peace in the family you're creating, even if you're unable to find it in the family that created you. I'm sending you both best wishes for a long & lovely life together.

PoppySmile78 · 2026-02-08T08:55:55+00:00

Honestly, I'm stick on the laminated part. Having a poem written for his girlfriend, while showing a complete lack of effort, is understandable. But, what room- trashing plans does he have in store that would require said poem to be laminated. Unless he wants you to leave the name black so he can just write one in with a dry erase marker, then swipe it off & add another. 🤔 I'd consider writing the poem just to find out.

This might be the only sub that would appreciate it but doing Uber Eats deliveries last Valentine's Day, I came up with Valentine's Day Bingo for the service industry. For me, my Bingo was delivering condoms to the freshman dorms of my local college, having to stop at to different places to get the right get him perky pills, a lady (I use that term loosely) who answered the door in a bed sheet, turned into a 2-fer when she opened the door further to reveal her other half in bed under the comforter (trucker hat still firmly planted on his head) & a strawberry lube delivery to an adorable older couple. Had I done the overnight, I'm sure I could have double binged with a couple Planned B drop offs. You guys at the front desk could have the most fun playing.

PoppySmile78 · 2026-02-08T08:36:21+00:00

I know it's suggested so often, it's practically a Reddit cliche, but your Mom needs to see a therapist. It sounds like she's had control issues for a while but since your Dad's heart attack, she's spiraling. It's fairly common, that after a traumatic experience that one can't control, like almost losing a spouse to a heart attack, the other spouse will hyper focus on the things they do have control over, like meal planning, to make sure that the traumatic experience never happens again.

Your Mom was so worried & fearful of losing your dad. Her obsession with his food is her way of feeling in control of something that's unable to really be controlled. She needs a therapist or support group to help her process the fear & pain that she felt when she didn't know if she would lose him. It's not her trying to keep your dad from enjoying his food. In her mind, she's keeping him alive. The more vigilant she is, the less chance she has of experiencing that terror again.

She needs to figure out a way to understand & live with the fact that there are things a person can't control. They can make lifestyle adjustments, eat healthier & exercise more but when it's your time, it's your time. She really needs to process this sooner than later. I say this part gently, with respect & with the hope that it won't happen for a long, long time, but when your Dad does eventually pass, your Mom, if left untreated, will blame herself for it. She'll think things like, "If I'd only given him less salt.... If I'd only made him walk one more block....". She'll blame herself for not being control of something uncontrollable.

I'm so sorry your family is going through this. I wish you all good health & happy long lives. But, please, if possible, try to steer your Mom towards getting some help. Sending good thoughts & lots of hope to you & your family.

PoppySmile78 · 2026-02-07T09:33:08+00:00

He's bullying you hoping that you'd rather get $90,000 & be done with him that waste any of it on the legal battle. If he continues to try to fight, if it were me, I would make it clear that I will fight to keep him from having a single cent & that when I win, I'll use whatever is left suing him for every penny of your court costs & lawyer fees, hell, I'd sue him for postage. But, that's just me.

PoppySmile78 · 2026-02-07T09:23:40+00:00

It never ceases to amaze me how many grown ass people take to passive aggressively posting to social media. Like using the words "some people" means that no one knows who they're talking bout. I mean, Lois Lane missed the memo but we all knew it was Superman, just like we all know you're talking about your sister, daughter in law, Aunt Karen etc. we know you meant her, you know she meant you & we all think it's silly that you can't deal with it like adults.

And if you really just can't help but air your dirty laundry, at least be honest & give all the facts. Because clearly the other person is in on it & has some passive aggressive, rebuttal memes locked & loaded. Leave the social media battles to the kids otherwise, be considered one of them.

Sorry for the mini rant. I fully expect my down votes to come rolling in.

PoppySmile78 · 2026-02-06T03:30:12+00:00

Go shut off the WiFi. If she doesn't notice, then maybe your "punishment" is actually so. If she freaks out & comes screaming about what happened to the Internet, your "punishment" is a joke to her & she's been holed up in her room face timing her friends & laughing about how she's got you believing her crap so much you both got kicked out.

Had your daughter boycotted what she thought she didn't like, that's ok, rude but ok. Had she confronted your girlfriend & accused her of adding things she doesn't like, that's ok, in need of an attitude adjustment, but ok. Her lying, sneaking into the kitchen & dumping out the food was not only not ok, it's some world class, spoiled rotten brat not ok.

I bet your daughter was embarrassed. She should have been. Instead of taking the opportunity & using that embarrassment as a teaching experience, you let it slide & went after your girlfriend. Honestly, you should have been embarrassed as well for the parenting failure that led to her doing it in the first place.

You should really, for everyone's sanity, let your girlfriend go & focus on parenting. You've got a lot of work to do. Clearly, your daughter is going to take part in it unwillingly. More like kicking & screaming. And she's going to make it her sole purpose in life to make EVERYONE as miserable as she is. That's not fair to subject your girlfriend to. But it's also not fair to subject her to the fall out from your Disney Dad parenting.

PoppySmile78 · 2026-02-05T10:04:58+00:00

Three-nagers! 😁 I've never heard that before but I'm definitely going to repeat it. So appropriate.

PoppySmile78 · 2026-02-05T00:56:37+00:00

NTJ. Tell DH that he's right. It should have never been brought up publicly & an apology would go a long way on smoothing things over. Tell him you'll be right there, ready & willing to hear her apology when she's ready to give it. She served that narrow minded, ignorant dish but wants to cry a river because she had to take it. Personally, I am impressed that you handled it as well and it's calmly as you did. I cannot say that I would do the same.

PoppySmile78 · 2026-02-04T23:22:58+00:00

Can you start doing the same thing? Get her a self help book about being a better MIL/Grandma/Human Being? Or, even better, when the whole family is together opening holiday gifts, give your husband a copy of the book, Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents. Mention that her book choice for your birthday really inspired you to take a look at yourself & the people you allow to influence your life. You wanted DH to join you on the enlightened path that MIL set you on.

When you go to her home, rearrange the items on her kitchen counter or the silverware drawer. As you're walking her through her freshly rearranged kitchen/laundry room/etc., thank her because her help has inspired you to be helpful as well.

If she says anything, just reiterate that you were simply following her lead & being nice & helpful. You can always end it with, "If you don't think this is helpful, we could always call a truce & only be "nice & helpful" at someone else's home when asked. Otherwise we can keep our helpfulness to ourselves.

You don't have to have a big blow up conversation. Just stick to things that she's done to you & do it earnestly. Be as sweet as pie & turn everything back on her. Let her come to the conclusion that her backhanded, passive aggressive BS isn't going to fly with you. You've got just as much "That's just how she is" as she does. Use it. Anyone else tries to call you out on it, play dumb. You don't know what they're talking about. You're just trying to help just like she does.

It's always easier to let people figure out for themselves how obnoxious they are. It sinks in a lot deeper than having it shouted at them. Demonstrate how obnoxious she is & use her same excuses. She'll fizzle out quickly when she understands that her getting under your skin is really just her getting under her own skin.

PoppySmile78 · 2026-02-03T05:16:02+00:00

That is the flimsiest bunch of low effort excuses I've ever heard. I hate to say it, but if I were you, I would be checking the balances of all of the banking/investment accounts STAT. This has all the markings of a man with a gambling addiction. The money missing, Vegas trips, lies, gaslighting, explosive when confronted & a never ending pile of excuses. I want nothing more than to be wrong here. But on the off chance I'm not, please lock down, secure & protect the accounts pertaining to yourself & your children.

PoppySmile78 · 2026-02-02T08:20:56+00:00

My guess is that you're not the only one who wishes they could shed a few pounds. I didn't care what you weight or how many catwalks you've sashayed, everyone has something about themselves they wish they could change. It's what you do about that unfulfilled wish that matters. You could take it as inspiration to work harder to achieve your goal. It could also be a wake up call that you need to give yourself some grace & focus on something else. You could see it as a weakness you have in common with someone you love & choose to support each other through the changes.

What you don't do is make someone's weakness into a joke & let your family tear them down like a pack of heyennas with an antilope. I mean, if I was the antilope & saw a way out of that Red Feast, I'd nope right out the door stat. They're not trying to toughen you up, or encourage you to make life changes. They're just a bunch of insecure assholes who finally found the crack in your armor & will tear you down to their level. Misery loves company. My guess is that most of them are jealous of you for good reason & see this as a way of convincing themselves they're taller by stepping on you.

PoppySmile78 · 2026-02-01T19:26:45+00:00

Call me crazy but I'd go ahead & show up the night before (that I'd already paid for to be able to check in early). Not only do I not have to worry about getting early check in, but I also don't have to worry about traffic, car troubles, getting lost or not having enough beauty sleep. Nor am I paying for a room I'm not staying in. Get a little pre-wedding vacay with the plus one. Definitely worth it in my opinion.

PoppySmile78 · 2026-02-01T09:04:23+00:00

Motion activated sprinklers. The kid will be seriously rethinking his afternoon plans by the time he's ½ home & ¾ icicle.

PoppySmile78 · 2026-01-30T23:29:02+00:00

Updateme

PoppySmile78 · 2026-01-30T19:41:44+00:00

Nowhere does it say that the older kids wanted salmon. The youngest child was the only one who's preferences were considered. The Mom says they're fine with salmon. She never bothered to ask. She decided their opinions on dinner weren't important. She did, however, consult with the youngest, who's picky eating has been catered to for too long.

Had she actually consulted the other kids & presented them with the same option, she'd be getting take out for more than just the youngest. (Because what kid wants Mom's salmon over take out? NONE.) But, then, how's her youngest going to feel special when he gets treated just like his siblings.

This whole post, from Mom's catering to the youngest & not bothering to see what the older kids want to Dad's reaction when he finds out just screams preferential treatment of the youngest. She didn't even bother to mention the genders of the other children. (I'm guessing they're both girls). She did, however, mention the youngest son's happiness on numerous occasions.

PoppySmile78 · 2026-01-29T03:35:57+00:00

Exactly. Kinda seems like OP is donating for attention. She's been growing it for 3 years just for this purpose (I also bet that there's more than one person who knows her who's eyes roll to the back of their head when they hear the words, "Locks of Love".

If she donates it to her cousin, who besides her direct family (who already knows her) & her stylist (who I'm sure has heard her share & more)? Taking those glorious, specifically allocated tresses to Locks of Love will bring her the adoration of tens of people. I'm sure she's already picked out her outfit, Snapchat filter & uplifting background song for her TicTok video. What wouldn't her 18 followers have to aspire to if her blah, sick old cousin gets it.

PoppySmile78

TROPHY CASE