If you’re like me, (a long-time reader and only-recent poster on the SDMB,) you often find yourself in the BBQ Pit, ranting or mini-ranting about the crummy things that have made your day miserable. On the flip side of that coin, though, it’s sometimes harder to recognize or to acknowledge the really nice things that happen to you, especially when you don’t expect them.
For example, in this thread http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=525323 , I happily remembered a terribly kind gesture from a near-stranger who made life a little bit easier for me and my family, and who gives me a wonderful memory from a time that I’d never expect to have any fondness for. Or tonight, when I came to work, I was absolutely exhausted and dreading a long eight hours before heading for home and a much-needed nap. Instead, I had the great fun of training and hanging out with a very congenial former colleague, who will be a part-time relief person for my position when I get promoted next month. I totally expected to spend half the night drinking too much coffee and trying to stay awake. Instead, I had the privilege of catching up with a person I really like.
So, what’s you’re opposite of a mini-rant or Pit thread lately? Had a great customer service experience? Someone put money in your parking meter? Share, please. It would make my day!
Twice in the last two weeks, in two different restaurants where I had dinner after work, when they came to take my order the waitresses handed back to me the little plastic bottle of omeprazole capsules that I had forgotten on the table when I had last eaten there a few days before. I much appreciated this as the (two separate) packages were almost full at 50 capsules, and I’d have had to go and get a repeat prescription prematurely (also they’d have cost my insurance about €50 each - no copay but obviously it would have came out of all us insureds’ pocket).
I managed to flip (turtle) my catamaran a couple of weeks ago. The harbor patrol came and flipped it up. It tore the hell out of the thing. I lost the main sail hook, a jib pulley and ripped all the battens out of the main sail, and half broke the thingamajig that holds the main shroud.
I went to the harbor patrol and asked them what I owed them. It was free! So, I ordered some used parts from the internet, and both guys stiffed me. I was plotting my revenge, but today, all the parts showed up! My faith is restored! I went to my local catamaran shop (murrays.com!) and as usual they gave me a bunch of free used stuff along with my purchase, plus the normal sage advice for repairs.
BTW, I really like the term lagniappe, although it ain’t working it’s way into my vocabulary.
Early this morning I was awoken by someone ringing the doorbell. I wasn’t too please, but it turned out to be wonderful! My husband had gotten home from work very late via his motorcycle. He was exhausted and apparently had forgotten his key and left it in the ignition of the motorocycle, and the motorcycle itself was just out parked on the street.
Anyone could have taken it, but a kind man noticed and knocked on the door to hand me the keys.
This doesn’t exactly fit, but it was a nice thing that happened yesterday…
A girl I went to school with from elementary to high school is a friend of mine on Facebook. We’re not good buddies or anything, we’re just two people who have known each other since we were 6.
Anyway, she posted a status update lamenting about how she had a ton of boy’s 6-12mo winter clothes taking up too much space in her tiny house (it’s like 1000sqft and she’s got 4 kids!) She asked if anyone wanted them. I gave it a thought and realized that some other friends just had a kid and he’ll be about 6 months old this winter. I quickly messaged them and asked if they wanted the clothes. They said “yes!” so I told the other girl I had a taker.
I asked if she still lived in town and if so I’d come by to pick up the clothes. She does still live in town so I made arrangements to come get them after work. I got them and took them to the other friend (who also went to school with us, from elementary to high school).
Anyway, it was nice to just casually meet up with an old friend and help her out, and help out another old friend.
Bitch all you want about Facebook, but I contest that it is pretty cool that way.
My fiancee had ruined one of my favorite work shirts, and I was really upset. Money is really tight, with our wedding coming up, so when I came home from work today, he told me he had picked up another 6 hours at work so he could buy me another shirt. (His shift would make more than just what’s needed to buy another, but he took the initiative.) He said he felt really bad about it and wanted to make it up to me. I resigned myself to just not having it and he went out of his way to make it up to me.
This morning Mr. S was finally offered a 100% position where he works, and he accepted on the spot. He’s been 50%, but working full-time; but this just makes it official.
This is a Big Deal because he was downsized from his last Real Job in February of 2001 and slogged through several crap jobs from then until August 2007, when he finally quit the last crap job and took a CNA certification class. He passed, was certified, and got a temporary job working in a nursing home until he got the job he REALLY wanted at the state veterans’ home in February 2008. He’s been 50% since then, waiting for a full-time position to open up. Starting this January he got a full-time schedule in exchange for working exclusively on the Alzheimer’s unit in his building. With the full-time position, he may end up on a different floor, but his job will be basically the same.
But now he is a Real Genuine Full-Time Nursing Assistant 2 (recent promotion from NA1), with awesome bennies and a nice place to work. (And he’s now scheduled for only every other weekend, instead of two out of three!) It’s been a long haul from that winter day when Bush 43 was barely a year in office and my husband came home from work with his stuff in a box. A long 8½ years. But we’re back in the saddle now!
With our wedding anniversary this week, the promotion, and now this, we’re going to need some more bubbly . . .
Yay! Scarlett67 and Mr. 67! I know that y’all are celebrating his promotion and new sense of stability, and I’m so glad for you. Wishing you hangover-free bouts with the bubbly!
For me, the happy, unexpected event lately has been related to meeting my boyfriend’s relatives. I was so worried about making a good impression, especially on his mother and grandmother. According to the boyfriend, though, they both liked me very much. Such a relief! (And a huge shout-out to all of my older female relatives, who have schooled me in good manners, sometimes within an inch of my life!) It was so nice, though, to find myself enjoying the company of my boyfriend’s family, rather than simply working hard to try to ensure that they would tolerate me. Lovely, lovely people.
This is a VERY small thing, but I discovered some cornstalks, with little ears of corn growing, behind the butterfly bushes. And that wild grapevine taking over? There are grapes growing! Free food!
This may not sound like much to most of you, but all four of the veggie type plants I put in this summer are still alive. I have two separate tomatoes, a bean, and a pepper. None of them is producing, but at least they’re still growing. That’s a big deal for me, and it makes me smile just to see them out there.
I had a job interview today, without even much trying-* they* called me- and I had a date. He’s not exactly Prince Charming, but meh, we’ll see. Here’s to new beginnings and happy stories!
One very small, my co-worker brought me an Iced Tea this morning from a local bakery. The tea is divine, but I’m often too cheap to pay 3 dollars. He brought me one without asking, just because.
A major one, new friends that I met on a trip to Ohio 2 months ago, decided on Friday night to drive to Chicago to spend the weekend with me. They conspired with my best friend and walked into a restaurant while we were having dinner. I have had a rough couple of weeks and really needed something to celebrate. I spent the weekend showing off my city and having an unbelievably wonderful time! It was the best surprise ever.
My husband and I had a really stupid argument last night because we’d both had terrible days. I woke up with one of those post-fight hangovers - you know, feeling uneasy still and a bit upset. I walked into the bedroom after my shower to find my son tucked in bed next to my sleeping husband. I sat next to him and he wrapped his arms around my neck and whispered, “Mommy, you’re so beautiful. I so love you.” How did he know just what I needed to hear?
Back in March we did some yardwork, including digging up and transplaning a magnolia bush that had gotten too big for where it was.
The roots went deep. Very deep. Ivyboy has dug it up several times, but there must be some root still down there, because what’s sprouting up by the garage door again? A magnolia bush.
When I left the house this morning I saw some birds busily digging for worms in my rose garden.
I planted a Lady of the Night last week, then we had high winds which gave it quite a battering tearing off leaves and withering others. This week almost every place it could have a new green shoot - it’s got one.
The huge brown puppy that visits my yard quietly removed a tennis ball from the lawn right in front of me about ten minutes ago, looking back as if to say - hey I’m a huge brown puppy and I’m getting away with this. The small white dog always waits in the road.
I shared a giggle with the girl at the gas station - the old bloke in front of me was asking her for a date and the two boys behind me offered to share their ice cream with me.
I had another couple of really nice moments yesterday: First off, I got huge, extravagant thanks for going to the grocery store and cooking dinner. Seriously, who ever gets thanked for such an ordinary thing? (Of course, I did this for my boyfriend’s household, which currently consists of a 40-year-old total non-cook and the 19-year-old son of one of his former co-workers, who is bunking at Tony’s while mobilized for National Guard. I didn’t really do it for them, per se. I just couldn’t face another night of pizza delivery or Bubba Burgers.) But when I called the apartment to ask for help carrying groceries upstairs, the teenager’s reaction was “Groceries?! Awesome!” Mind you, the grocery store is less than a half-mile from the apartment…
Then, as part of dinner, I threw together a quick fruit salad as kind of an afterthought. I figured my guys would each eat a polite spoonful, and that I’d have the remainder for breakfast this morning and to take to work tonight. Nope! It was judged to be “off the chain,” both guys went back for seconds, and the 19-year-old carefully hid the remainder in the back of the fridge for his after-work snack tonight.
It’s nice to be appreciated! (And, since I’m going to be busy all weekend with my kids and my job, I’m cooking a nice pork roast and a casserole to leave in the fridge for the guys.)
Oh, and my spring landscaping? All still alive. If you knew me, you’d realize that’s nothing short of miraculous!
