My "whine moment today." What's yours?

Hope, that is one nasty neighbor you had (with the cats). I had a neighbor once who took in any and all stray cats, but once her very tiny house became overrun with cats and their myriad offspring, she just started keeping all of them outside. I paid a relative to till up a portion of my small yard for a garden - which I planted and tended with great care - only to find I couldn't use anything from the garden, because her cats were using it as a litter box. When I brought up the fact that she had quite a lot of cats outside, she remarked that she had 15 inside, and no room for any more, so that's why they were outside. I suggested she take them to the shelter so they could at least have a chance to find homes, and she responded with a horrified stare, saying they would be killed at the shelter.

Ok, so you're leaving them outside, feeding them, but providing absolutely no medical care for them whatsoever - and many of them have running eyes and noses, ear mites (constant head shaking and ear digging) and are obviously not vaccinated, so there's the concern of FIV and Feline Leukemia, not to mention distemper and other diseases - and fleas/ticks. At least 4 of the 20+ outdoor cats were pregnant. I told her she could be reported to animal control for having so many...so she turned right around and told me they weren't "hers", that she just fed them because she felt sorry for them. Ugh. Sorry lady - if you feed them and they stay in your yard, they are YOURS.

Was so glad when I moved away from there.

OK..my whine moment for the day....the neighbors who have female dogs and do not have them spayed.....these dogs are fenced in, BUT now we have dogs coming in from all over the countryside.....my issue with it in addition to just the mere idiocy of folks who don't assume responsibility for allowing animals to overpopulate and hence contribute to the sadness and horror of how many animals are put to sleep every day because of it....BUT back when a neighbor moved away and willfully abandoned her cats...just put them out in the yard and left....I told her that in and of itself was animal abuse as you can't just abandon animals to fend for themselves....she told me, oh I know you'll take care of them...well, thanks for that...anywhoooo.....of course I did find homes for all but one, that one was not neutered (she said he was) and the entire neighborhood was raising h*ll at ME for allowing this cat to roam the neighborhood...he wasn't roaming anywhere, he was sitting at that empty house meowing for his former owner...it broke my heart...they began to threaten him and I took him in, had him neutered and long story short, he is now part of our family...and very much loved...BUT...once again, I get b*tched at for trying to do the right thing....and all the other neighbors just let their dogs run loose and that's ok....but from past experience, I already know if I report the dogs my cats will become a target...can't win for losing....thanks for adding more to my already full plate.

Credit control is incredibly difficult for sole traders, especially when you're hiring out expertise rather than selling goods. I suppose it's a case of "fool me once, shame on you…" And you sort of grow antennae about people, too, don't you. Goodness! - that's one thing I'm not missing at the moment, problematic clients. Bless their little cotton socks.

Susan I'm sure you and I could swap a number of horror stories :)

I hear that Ashlynne!

I actually had to fire one of my very first clients - turns out he was fishing through the freelancing sites to find people that would work for him based on his promise that he would pay upon completion of the project. Being new to the freelancing game, I fell for it, hook, line and sinker. Worst case of scope creep - ever. The project never "ended" - so I never got paid. Turns out it was good I left when I did - he was being investigated by the IRS for his shady business practices. He's still out there, taking on new freelancers and never paying them. I don't know how he gets away with it. I counted it as a loss (and a hard lesson learned).

Phanna don't even consider bringing your mother home. She's safe and cared for where she is and the staff won't put up with her shenanigans. To bring her home would literally be the end of life for you.

Susan I've "fired" (very sweetly and professionally) two or three clients over the years and the minute you do it a huge weight lifts off your shoulders.

Phanna the last thing you want is to bring Mom home. For a start you will loose any chance of earning a living she will make sure of that. She will call you constantly to come home and her calls will escalate till there is one of the I"ve fallen and can't get up" so you rush home and there she is happily sitting in front of the TV with a half eaten pack of cookies on her lap. She will keep this up till you get fired which was exactly her intention. It won't worry her one little bit that you cant pay the bills She has her social security and that will buy her candy or a pity call to one of the sibs and they will drop by with whatever it is she needs and berate you for being so stupid as to get fired.
No don't fall for that pity line. Of course she would rather be at home but she knows perfectly well that she needs full time care. Anyone who has ever tried to manouver a walker and carry a cup of coffee can tell you they need help.
Yes you have been used but you have let it happen so don't even think of making things worse for yourself. You may have to supervise her care but don't visit more often than you have to. Let her calls go to voice mail and then call back when it suites you. Tell her she can call one of the other sibs if it is that urgent. Sounds cruel I know but this is a harsh world and this is as good as it is going to get. She has got a lot that many others don't have but don't expect her to appreciate anything you do. She is not capable of that. Overweight of course she has probably been home alone for years and comforted herself with food. Lazy, well probably but depression encourages that. Dementia doesnot excuse the way she has always been but now she can't help it, that is what dementia does to people.Many others share your problems and will sympathise but only you can look after yourself and help your self in this situation. The staff will haul her out of bed and make her walk and take a shower and take her meds, be thankful that is not your responsibility. Visit if and when you want to. This is about you and your mother not your siblings who have made it clear they have no intention of taking any responsibility. If you really don't like her and that is OK and don't want to visit then stay away but you do need to keep in touch with the staff and visit ocassionally to make sure she is being cared for. When you get there if she is unpleasant and especially if there is a nasty history between the two of you you don't have to stay. Let her know when you are able to visit and ask her to have a list of things she needs so you can plan ahead. Arrange to call her at regular times. Every evening for 20 minutes or once a week on sat it's your choice. other times don't answer or cut her off. You don't have to be nasty just firm. You are not being a bad daughter by imposing some discipline into this relationship. I doubt you can afford the gas to drive six hours every week end either. You have done a fantastic job so far. Many will be jealous of your ability to find placement for her in only an hour. If you do actually want more interaction you may be able to find a facility closer to your home that she could be moved to. Blessings

Assandache - you are so right. I used to just suck it up when my boss would chew me out for something - not anymore. And this is NOT my boss - he is my client - something I think he's forgotten. I can fire him anytime I want (provided I've got other work lined up to replace his) - I think he's forgotten the relationship is not that of an employer and employee.

Thanks, Veronica -

I've never let him know that I need his business, but he's very aware of how the freelancing game works, and he knows that a long-term, weekly gig at a decent flat rate is a rare thing to come by - but he also knows my skill set and that he's getting a bargain at the rate I'm charging him. So it's kind of a balancing act. He ticks me off now and then and I get really irritated and think about dropping him, and then realize that I really need to get my ducks in a row and more work lined up if I'm going to do that....so it remains status quo.

This is the first time that he pushed me to the point of seeking other work with my other clients to fill in his work space - if one or more of them offers enough work to keep me busy long-term - enough to replace his work completely or close to it - I'll drop him like a hot rock and not look back. He can go back to using overseas contractors, paying $3 an hour and getting results worth exactly that - $3 an hour.

LadeeM noooooo! Ugh, if it's not one thing it's another..

Phanna I don't think you should let her return home.. I know she may realllly want to but she is much safer where she is..

Susan it used to be some much easier to kiss butt when we were young and stupid!

My whine moment of the day - am the eldest of 5 children (2 girls, 3 boys) - my mom was recently placed in a nursing home (my decision) I only had 30 minutes to find a place because the doctor discharged her from a rehab facility and she could not go home. I have dual POA, and no help from any of my siblings. I had heard more excuses than I could ever imagine, so even though I live 3 hours away, I make weekly trips to visit my mom, handle all of her personal, financial and medical affairs, and try to maintain working 40 hours a week because I live alone, and live from check to check.
This past week my mom has been calling me relentlessly saying that she just wants to go home and die, cannot walk or move her legs, and is totally helpless. I worked with the staff and her physician over the weekend, and discovered that my mother has been playing me like a fiddle. She can move her legs, and she can walk with a walker but has been acting out when I come around so that I will feel sorry for her and bring her home. I can't afford to quit my job, and I can't trust anyone else to really be there to help. I have had family members not show up for scheduled times they were going to help or bring her to dr visits, or just not show up at all when it was their turn to help out. I feel as though I have been used both ways, and I am just disgusted with the whole situation. I know my mother has bouts of dementia, is extremely overweight and just too darn lazy to help herself. Why should I have to be the one to take responsibility for everything? Is anyone else dealing with anything like this?

Yesterday and today.... got home from work at 7 am, the freezer door was open and the floor was soaked... old fridge.... now broken fridge.... later, I leave for work, my car is full of FLIES..... looked like something from Steven King....the lady next door does NOT pick up the dog poop,,, no explanation needed here I hope..... I go to work, in the middle of the night... it starts raining.... uh oh, my window is down in the car.... long story short, a black plastic bag on the door , couldn't get the window up... in the pouring rain.... earlier this morning... I hear an unusual noise... go to check on L..... she is setting beside her bed on a TRASH CAN!!!! A plastic one.... that was the noise I heard.... the cracking of the plastic..... she will NOT let me help her up.... thank God she didn't pee in it.... but I think that was her intention...... so ya, I'm whining.. hope the whole week is not like this.... haven't had a drink in almost 30 years, but am considering it.....

PS Susan and never let your clients know how desperate you are for their business, even if the cupboard is bare. they will screw you every time.

A sweet email to his boss saying you perform work as instructed not what your crystal ball tells you to do

oookkayyyy...I have to let loose a major whine here, or I'm going to explode. And it's not even caregiver-related, but I hope that's ok.

Why is it even remotely acceptable for someone to dump their mistake on me, when it wasn't even close to being my fault?? Not caregiving related - work related. One of my clients screwed up and blamed it on me, so now HIS client is emailing me directly and wanting to know why something wasn't done, and saying how things always go to sh*t when the boss leaves the work in someone else's hands when he's on vacation.

You have got to be kidding me.

I've been working with this client for over 2 years now, and he's pulled some shady stuff before, acting like something was my mistake when it was his, but this is the first time he actually came right out and blamed me for something when it was completely his fault. I am SO close to firing him as a client right now. The only reason I don't is that I need the income he provides - and he knows it. But there's only so much crap I will put up with - and being falsely accused of screwing up his work is definitely on my NO FREAKING WAY list.

Sometimes I don't know what I'd do if I couldn't get on here and whine once in a while....I'm still so dang angry...sorry about the ugly words earlier...but I just can't believe how unthoughtful these people are....my brother can look at me and see how dog tired I am...I look horrible. People used to tell me I didn't look my age...now when they say it it is for the totally opposite reason...and it is like my hair has gone from blonde to gray so fast during all this...that may not be the reason but I can almost feel my body breaking down ....Lord knows I can see it happening...oh well, at least they all went for a sunset cruise Saturday evening and a nice cookout.... #:*@$&*#

Get em girl!!... This is where "they don't get it" comes into play. THEY DON"T.

Quick to forget, quick to judge, quick to ignore is my new word for siblings.

Hope the mother probably doesn't want to be around the kid either.

Hope nor should you have to

And I will add that after sitting and waiting all day long I was already worn out anyway and had just about lost any desire, or ability to go anywhere...I am so angry that once again someone who doesn't have to do one d*mn thing to help me just gets a free pass....d*mn it!!!!!!!

Where the heck did the weekend go???? Sundays are the ONLY day I get to POSSIBLY leave the house at all ....my brother comes by for a short while...I usually never know when he's coming so if I am not ready to roll when he arrives I am usually out of luck. This weekend, I made sure I was ready to go and was...sat here most of the day then got a text late that afternoon letting me know he was getting the property secured and they were about to head back home (they have a palatial lakefront home..part of which used to be mine...another story for later) and he would drop by on the way..ok...still ready to go....he gets here much much later...and brings his grandaughter with him (by marriage)....which immediately means they won't be staying long...before they got in I was so angry I could feel the tears backing up.....they came in got in about a forty minute visit and were on the way back to their 2nd lakefront home in another city....great...thank you very much...and to make matters worse, the 14 yo grandaughter is at a place where she is very backtalking, very know it all and every comment I made when just trying to have a nice conversation with my brother had to have a remark made belittling what I had said, or trying to make what I said sound ignorant....I came a gnats knee shy of slapping the crap out of somebody yesterday...I am going to have a "chat" over this out of the presence of this child....GOING FORWARD...I EXPECT to have a break and he can sit here and leave that spoiled brat kid at home...she could have easily gone on with the wife...who never comes here anyway...and as ugly as it is for me to say, I don't have the fortitude to deal with a smart mouthed back talking teenager anymore....

Jessie, Oh, I'm not tough at all. I feel like an abused little kid sometimes. I told the cops that Dad was using them to bully me. They made him go to my brother's. I was soooo embarrassed! I HATE drama in the front yard. It was like we were on Jerry Springer, or something! Such trashy dirty laundry being aired! Thanks for listening. blou

This morning I had to call 911 for my significant other [68], he had fallen and had some type of seizure, he passed out and I couldn't wake him up... scared me to death.... I was shaking like a leaf. The paramedics were great as it was tough convincing my S/O it would be in his best interest to go to the hospital, he went. Earlier in the week he had hurt his back and apparently he mixed too many pain and muscle relaxer pills. He doesn't remember what happened.

Later this evening I will call my parents [92 and 96] what happened.... hopefully it will sink in with them that neither I nor my S/O will be able to help them as much as we use to, they still live in their single family home.... maybe now I need to have their groceries delivered to their door whether they like paying the delivery fee or not.

j had neighbors like your parents. he was 92 and she a bit younger but was fltying high on dementia.. i used to see him high in the branches of the apple tree. he finally decided they should move to assisted living and the day came for the move. they were all set and he called me and asked me to help him as she could not get in the car. I got her in the car and later learned she went directly to the hospital and later into the nursing home. He managed a little while in the aparment before he joined her
I don't know what your dad will do but don't expect them to move anytime soon. I guess the garden will just have to manage without mulch

Veronica91, regarding my Dad and mulch.... it's been a rough year with Dad constantly asking my S/O and me to drive him to Home Depot for mulch. We can't do it any more, that ship has sailed, never to return.

By not helping Dad with all these heavy chores we are trying to get him to realize that maybe it is time for he and Mom to move to a retirement community, there is one in their area that is like living at a 5-star resort. Dad liked the brochure and said "it would be a nice place in a couple of years".... couple of years????.... HELLO, you are 92 and 96.

Therefore, if my Dad wants mulch, he will have to do the calling and PAY for the delivery charge. I am not going to spoil him, otherwise he might take advantage.

oh my, we're just terrible, awful people, aren't we? LOL We have to laugh about these things, though...or we'd cry. You have to laugh at it sometimes to relieve the stress. I'm so, so, SO thankful for this site, where we can come to chat, rant and rave, scream and cry, and commiserate with others going through the same thing we are - because no one else truly understands. Not even our own families.

Thank you for being there for me - each and every one of you!

My mother is very "old school" about her hair. Will only have it washed and set once a week at salon. Doesn't matter how sweaty she gets I better not let her hair get wet when she gets a shower.I have always thought this was so nasty but she has always been this way. Even when younger and she worked out in the yard would bath but not the hair,phew! Hopefully I will get lucky and she will never make a mess bad enough for a hose but I am already thinking how long a hose would I need to get it to reach to the bathroom?LOL

Does letting them walk right into the sprinklers after telling them 15 times to please not go over there or you'll get wet, count?

I'm watching her purposely drop cheerios on the floor for the dog....