No, please, let's not do it as a tick box exercise!!! :D

As long as they'll still grade on the curve.

In reply to Eggy (msg # 1131):

Good god! LMAO. I actually LOLed. And here I came to vent!

Well poo, I don't feel so bad now. ;D

Anyway...yeah, I came here to fruit curse, but I'll refrain...for now.

My ceiling fell in. It's sort of my fault, like some low non-zero percentage, but still. Long story short, our home is technically unlivable. By any code, it should be legally require repair. BUT...and this is my grace for you all saying "THEN FIX IT!" We've tried. Many times. My best friend's parents own the place. They have us in contract, but they've been sticklers and...honestly, downright mean people. But here'
s the thing. They violated the contract, so my friend and I pay zero rent. And...well...my fault comes for not just moving out. I mean yeah, it's horrible. Leaks, vermin, MOLD, YES mold. But I live in an area of very high rent. Saving $800 a month, so I can have dental work done (which NO dentist will accept payment plans without a BANK loan, which I have no credit [as credit is something poor people should never use--it's evil])...sorry for the tangent, anyway, money that would be toward rent is huge for that bill being paid that much sooner, since I have one good tooth on the top and very crudely functional bottom teeth. So I stay here, to "mooch" off the "blackmailed" people that wouldn't let US fix the damn leak because "it has to be done right. I'LL fix it" No, you're not! IDIOT. You literally put drywall and stapled it over the hole in the ceiling, you fruiting idiot. The LEAK.. the thing that MADE the hole, is still leaking. God condemn fool, and lazy fruit!

Now an infestation of roaches fell on my bed. YES, it was nightmarish. So...I'm not happy. But I'm SOOOOO close to having the $2000 (AFTER insurance D:<) to get dentures, and I'm 35! So I'm not happy about the fact it's been one abuse relationship after another. I need to eat damn it! I haven't been able to enjoy food since before I was 17.

If I wasn't within a month or two of getting that money I would start packing tonight! *sigh* But medical bills take the lion's share where I live. And my teeth are horrible. I also need care for my mental illness and PTSD, and no homeless shelter will allow my opposite sex, FRIEND live with me, and medicare won't help give a live in aid solely because my friend has always kept good care of me, so there's no reported "incidents" so if I live in group room, and I black out...*UGH!* *sigh*

If I just deal with one problem though, the sh... poopy house I can cope, but when I won't...it causes a chain of moderate problems, that which the sum is far greater than the house burden alone. WE don't live in good times, right it certainly ain't, but truth it be!

Simply put....I'm pissed! WE would FIX the leak. WE would pay for that. THEN rent. But no! The 78 year old man, who I legitimately think is senile, and as non-hyperbolic term, LITERALLY not all together man; doesn't believe a (5-star review rated) professional can be trusted.

Then again, maybe he's mentally ill and has always been so, he's also been paranoid his whole life, thinking the US Army still has him as a sleeper agent from the bay of pigs, that minorities are stealing his garden manure, and when my roommate was a youth, requiring her to have all the blinds closed, have no friends, be inside at 4 PM, and never talk to the neighbors or speak above an "inside voice" which was barely loud whisper. And then beat her anyway! He has an utter god-complex....so the leak remains, and will remain unless his wife, who I hear is being abused now (D:<)....can help seize authority. As soon as he is fruiting dead though, I'll spit on his grave. I wish almost daily for some entity to grant that deathwish. Domestic abuse alone warrants that, but all this just makes me sweat venom for the man.

Ahhhhh....so yeah...*big sigh* that's my lovely news. Sincerely though, the prior comments did bring levity. I needed that.

Your description of your land lord sounds like he is Very much insane and possibly dangerous to those around him. Everything there points to the fact that he has been so for a Very long time. As such it would not take much to have him put in a special safe place (hospital with padded walls) and that would allow you to get the worst of your place fixed. Or you could just remove the old building and put in a prefabbed building - I have read of what is basically outbuildings being turned in to homes in some states. (this was done to battle homelessness and it seems to work pretty well.)

I get the part about the teeth. I am in a bit of a catch 22 for that myself. I got 7 teeth that need to come out, but have an adverse affect from things like valum and laughing gas (I get panick attacks even With those things) and as such sedation is the only answer. BUT I got a bad heart and because of that I can't be sedated as it may kill me. So I eat with a grand total of 2 working molars and 1 top front tooth (all my front bottom teeth are fine, so go figure). I got no molars on the bottom left of my jaw, the crown on the last of those broke off a couple years ago (2016). Same problem with getting that fixed to, sedation plus bad heart ... Ironically I have the money, but only because my Dad died last year and left me a trust Specifically to help with such problems (medical trust). The wording of the trust allows for some other uses, which is great as it's paying the bill on my car insurance and taxes for the car to. (Huge help that really - I like having a car.)

In reply to ShadoPrism (msg # 1133):

Oh yeah! That YOU! Yeah, I meant to reply to that vcnt. Because I'm probably one of the few people who knows it, and you liekwise.

Yeah, as far as putting Bill away (Anne's father and our landlord) been there, tried that. Three times.Once/twice here, and then follow up to which that said "Nope he checks out, and seems very safe. We have no grounds for admisison" and the once to the Arizona law inforcment,which come to find out LOVES Bill and he could do no wrong. He's good  ol' boy and has an unofficial invitation to go shoot off at the range any time.

Bill is salseman, or was for over ten years. A sociopath very likely. We ARE going to move out. But right now it's lily pad in murky waters, it';s better than risking the unknown. Not to mentioned moving costs too. And that where we live will impact Anne's (my roommate's) school schedule, because she' barely squeeing by to get home, get toi work,m and get to school. Some variation in travel time could screw up both work and school.I mean, yeah, eventually she'll HAVE to deal with it, but it's not worht it now. She's LESS than a year from graduating. And then it's likely we'll be out of here, of Bill will be out of our life at least. The man is basically going blind and goes 90 on the highway and changes lanes violently. I'm hoping no one else is hrut, but that man can only defy death so long. HEck, he CAUSED an accident when he was driving us to the car repaire for OUR car. I was livid. Some poor fool goes into the ditch and I just stare gaping jawed, while Anne is crying out for her father to "Look out!" and her mother is prattling on about "Well that's just how they drive here./ ANYWAY, so I was watering the plants..." totally oblivious, and I'm just speechless as Bill nearly causes an accident and runs yellow light by speeding up. I am pie-faced how he gets off with zero kharma, just astonished. So either age, chewing tobacco for forty years, his remission of cancer, or disaster will kill him. He's a slippery SoB though. That's for sure.

Anyway, yeah, he's bad news. I never should have accepted the invitation, but like I said, he's salesman. He was acting very generous to Anne, and we thought, ya know what, he' can change and be better, might as well give hima shot.Anne is very forgiving, and very generous. I was AWLAYS hesistant, but even I fell for the ruse, just so he could have control. I could tell many stories, and some are even found in the other vent thread. So yeah, I now have zero trust of the man. And less for the mother, albeit she's a victim too.  Anne's parents are spitting images of my own. Sociopathic abusive father, immature over dramatic older brother mooch, and enabling naive mother. Just lacking the alcoholic insecure arrogant older sister.

Anyway, We need to move ASAP. And I just needed to write this susie-pie out to really see it. It's being unable to put out the fire, and so refusing to leaving the building too. So yeah, no later than next year we're out of here. Unless the gods of Creation decide today is a good day for a Botch for Bill. ;p

Heaven does not want him and it seems neither does Hell, only reason I can come up with how such people live so long.

What I'm about to say may sound small, but it's just the start of a day and I'm not looking forward to the rest of it now.

I was supposed to be in the clear. I really was. Just finished my last classes (besides student teaching) and so my semester was over. Other people are finally settling in too, so some of my personal projects could finally get off the ground (and I could get back to gaming). Yes, there were some troubles with some videos at work, but that's work, and my work troubles are pretty minor in comparison to a lot of folks (even in comparison to my own work troubles in the past).

But this morning I woke up to a dead phone (despite it literally being charged to 100% right before I went to bed, and I do  mean literally 100%, and literally right before bed). Luckily, I wake up automatically aabout 15 minutes before my alarm goes off every morning, so I didn't run late to work or anything, but my phone doesn't even show me what the grape took up all of that battery life (the percentages only add up to about 50%). Normally it does, but not this time. So I've got to test it now to figure it out.

But the bigger and worse news I woke up to this morning was that, after months of waiting for an artist to get free from other obligations to work on a project with me, he apparently finally actually looked at the project and said "Not for me. Sorry." I am a patient person. I really am. But he got free two days ago, posted some WIPs yesterday, and then this morning I woke up to "Sorry, but I'm leaving the project. Not my cup of tea." And, just... it feels like this was the plan from the start, you know? Like he was just stalling as long as he could before needing to say no... But that's my paranoia talking.

So, now I'm down an artist, my phone is possibly dying (that or an app is invisibly taking up all my battery), and it's only 8 AM. This day had better turn around...

And, you know what? I'm gonna try to start that turn right now.

What did the green grape say to the purple grape?
"BREATHE!"

Had a bit of a scare last night. Thought I was having a heart attack and called 911. Had 3 different groups show up (fire and Rescue, EMTs and an ambulance) which seems to happen around here allot.
Got me to the hospital where they noticed my abnormally high blood sugar which they focused more on than the heart problem. Turns out I did not have a heart attack but it took some careful questions to find out what Did happen. Cause I could not get the doctor to focus on something other than my chronically high blood sugar (I have had that problem for close to 3 years now and am under a doctors care for).
Turns out my electrolyte count is extremely low and it has been the cause behind all these muscle spasms I have been having over to past several months. Last night spasm were the muscles in my left shoulder and chest. NOT thankfully the heart. Getting that information was like pulling teeth though. The doctor only wanted to talk about getting my sugar down by pumping me full of insulin (which if that is all it would take I would be in better shape by now. Take mega doses of insulin and similar as it stands).
Had to leave 'against doctors orders'. Which I only did because they were only trying to fix one problem and ignoring the rest.
I did go out today and get a good electrolyte supplement (lots of research last night / this morning on that). So hopefully I can get that built up.
Irks me how many doctors don't believe in Insulin Resistance (she was implying Allot that I was not taking my meds and that was why my sugar was over 500 last night.) Hate it when people basically call me a lier with no evidence to back them up.

You and I have similar gateway infections; bad teeth. I also have muscle spasms and heart palpitations, but nothing so far as to demand ER visits.

What I can also identify with is the stupid doctors dealing with an issue to the exclusion of another.

Now, I'm a big believer in talking about bad stuff to get over it, but I must use colorful language just to get the point across safely.

---

Spoiler for my ordeal: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)
A few years ago I had a necrotic abscess on the left jewel. I'm worried enough I show my roommate, and she's like "Oh yeah! ER" I get my temperature taken. No temperature. The doctor forces a swab by having the male nurse hold my arms back, putting a swab too far into a small opening and literally causing tearing pain.

So then I finally get wheel off. AND THE IDIOTS TELL ME I HAVE PNEUMONIA! Um...no. I have no temperature, no cough, no X-ray to show this. Yet they say "I'm just rerading the chart" Well, then, you passed the reading test, and succeeded on the "I am an idiot" test with a 99%, only failing the reading portion, because yes, you can read...so you're not an idiot there. shucks. Jeez!

So I'm sitting in the Hospital for THREE Motherhating days! They say "Well, we think the pneunomia is gone" Well, gee, thanks. I guess I'm good to go. Oh wait. Yeah the NECROTIC WOUND on my flipping jewel!.

So it takes literally half an hour of me saying "I came here to get this fixed you are GOING TO FIX THIS. I have a dentist appointment tomorrow, get your crap together!" then another half hour to get the excision. With NO Anestetic!

So on that note, it's made oral pain (from bad teeth) more qualifiable. I now know a 10. Which is the hours in between morphine drips when the necrotic wound would trigger the nerve endings to my jewel.

---

So, this all goes to sympathize with you. Medicine is absurd these days. Better or worse depending on location. Communication is a necessary component MANY, FAR TOO MANY doctors lack these days. BAD hand writing is bad enough for prescription mix-ups, inability to verbally and non-verbally communicate is just unacceptable.

I get better health care from the woman working in the healthfood store than the doctors. Or at least that's how it feels.
I been looking for something to help control my blood sugar that is not a drug. I Finally found it (Gymnema) which according to many of their clients works very well. I started on it Thursday. Being of the homopathic type it will take time to tell if it's helping. So I have some hope there.
The other problem, the one that got me Into the ER with a false 'heart attack' was muscle spasms in my chest muscle which I learned was do to a low amount of Electrolytes in my system. That felt like I had to pull the doctors teeth to find out cause of her focus on my abnormally high blood sugar.
So I am taking a suppliment for that to. As I have only had 3 doses I can't tell if it's working yet. But I am Seriously hopeful about it.

I'm so sick of people who get mad at me for calling them out on their fake service animals.

Define 'fake' please.

I wrote about this in a vent awhile back.

The latest batch I saw: Untrained pets that have a vest with the words "Service Animal" on the back. Had a lady kicked out of café I was in after her service animal ate something out of a display and pissed on a table. She said that's how she knows it's safe because it felt comfortable enough to urinate.

ok THAT is not a service animal, that is a walking health code violation.

There is a scam artist in my town who sells these vests to people after they complete an online questionnaire. They haven't been arrested yet and no one does anything about these people with their fake service animals other than threaten to call the police and usher them out of shops.

They used to sell puppies by the side of the road. I think they have a puppy mill? Now they claim to sell puppies that will be easier to train as service dogs because they were bred from retired service dogs. They claim that the vest is for when the puppy is fully trained.
This message was last edited by the user at 10:40, Fri 11 May 2018.

Being 'bred' from a service dog does not mean they are easier to train. It's not Genetics after all.
There are some breeds that are better suited for such things but it's not by any means universal.
It's like saying ALL German Shepards make good police dogs. So not true.

There was a story recently about a dog trained to be a service dog who ended up not being allowed to be one, because instead of only doing things on command, the dog would do things when it wanted to. Turn on the lights, open the fridge, things like that.

At least where I live, service dogs and their handlers must now be certified. They don't need to have a service dog vest, but they do need to be on leash and under control. I have mixed feelings on the certification aspect, but at the end of the day, I just take it on trust when someone comes in with their service dog, because I have never personally met a service dog or service dog owner that didn't know and follow the rules.

I really -want- to take all service dogs that I see out in public at face value, but I've discovered lately that a few of my friends and neighbors have those "service dog" vests for their dogs, and claim to have certificates marking their dogs as "therapy dogs", and it just (because I know these dogs personally) sets off my 'Something isn't right here' Spidey sense.

Look, I get it - you love your dog. You like having your dog around. Your dog makes you feel relaxed and easy. So does my cat. That doesn't mean you should be able to go get some BS form/doggie decor that makes it so no one else with any sense can tell you 'your animal doesn't belong in here' because you can scream "DISCRIMINATION!" over it.

'Service dog' and 'Beloved Pet' are not interchangable, and really shouldn't be treated as such.

If it is a 'service' animal it will have a license.  Written documentation.  A vest with the word 'service animal' or 'Therapy animal' is not enough in some places.  The owner "user' also has to carry an ID card as well incase it gets separated.  No ID, Not a true Service or Therapy animal.  Also I have noticed some people carrying animals with no recognition of being such in to supermarkets and other places ...I call on the store directors to have them escorted out.  You may like your pet...but I don't have to and If your dog lifts a leg or squats...I will taze it.  And yes I am an animal lover...I also love shopping in stores that don't smell like animal waste.

I would like to note that this varies from place to place. Where I live, you cannot require someone to produce papers or ID as evidence that it is a service dog. They are available, however.

Friend: "Hey, I've totally got this great idea for a game! And it's in a system you love! Here's the plot idea! I'm inviting other people, -but not you-, to the game!"

Me: "Yeah, that game really does sound fun. Something I'd dig."

Friend: "Yeah. Not inviting you! I'm so excited about this game!"

Oh. Okay. Game sounds fun. Thanks for telling me about it.

In reply to CrazyIvan777 (msg # 1150):

Why?? Don't they realize they are torturing you?

I can't imagine that's their intent. But they know well how ... third-wheel-ish I sometimes feel (both with them and with life in general) so... I'm hoping they're just unaware of it. It just sucks, and makes me feel even more of an outsider.

In reply to ShadoPrism (msg # 1141):

I work in a hotel, so people constantly try to bring in "emotional support" animals and other fake service animals. The ADA CLEARLY defines the actions and behaviors of legitimate service animals, as well as the two questions locations are legally allowed to ask.

So yeah...when someone comes in with an anklebiter that dosn't behave, it's clearly a fake and I'm going to tell them they can't stay or they will pay the $300 cleaning fee if they do. IDC how much they threaten me or claim to be a law student.

In reply to CrazyIvan777 (msg # 1150):

That happened SO often to me. I can't say for you, but for me those people weren't my friends. They were jealous of my time, and wanted to waste it. In fact two of said people said I wasn't invited and I shrugged it off. In one instance I decided to start my own game, since I was at the LGS same night, same time anyway. NO ONE showed up for their game! It was hilarious. He just sat there occasionally rolling some dice, darting his glance over at me and writing something on his paper. Watching my three player group and my game. Sad.

Another was on RPOL and their cast list remained empty. Then they made some NPCs and said "Oh no, they're players" and promptly switched them to player status. I was tempted to report them, but it was beyond my purview to know or decide that, for all I know they were prepping. Bottom line is the game died within two months, so it was short lived if nothing else.

Most of the time people do that, in my experience to catch my attention, to make me interested to boost their ego. People are like that, salivating over meal to make it taste better as the hungry look on.

I just don't play into it. If something is beyond my reach, I consider it only long enough to feel confident it's beyond me and then I think about something else. I have OCD, and so that's easier said than done, but eventually enough noise, enough faking interest or need into something else, makes that envy go away. Soon enough, people who would bluntly "NOT" invite me, stopped doing that.

Or...alternatively, maybe you need to ask them WHY you're not invited. Maybe you do something they don't like. I have friend I won't play under. He makes gods perform miracles FAR too often, and so once I flat out told him "Sorry man, I don't play under you because I have no agency. Your NPC gods move or halt the game, I have little to no control over the story of my character's fate." and he took objection, There was no mystery in my motive, and it was something for him to ponder and address (not alibi). He wanted to argue, I didn't, but I was at least honest.  Maybe you're friend will do the same. OR maybe you live far away. Or maybe he's invited two couples, and needs four players and you're single. There could be numerous reasons.

I'd guess he's trying to be provocative though. It is two different things to omit an invitation and just neglect to mention any invite and quite another to say "but YOU're not invited". That seems childish. It's a tactic to provoke attention, and some people need that.

Best of luck though. I hope you find another GM or game to invest that languished time into.