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0388631

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Right on to that. Most of my cards are cash back and I tap them out for their full value each year. Some cards carry incredible warranty, access to lounges even when full, concierge service, etc. Responsible credit card usage is key. Unfortunately, many seem to think it's free money.

While the money spent isn't relative, it's not bad to get thousands back each year.
 
Gutwrench

Gutwrench

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Original poster
Jan 2, 2011
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I’m thinking I need to make the bed but Lulu is still getting her beauty sleep. I’ve tried to initiate a rule that the last one out must make it, but she doesn’t respect it. :mad:
 
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Scepticalscribe

Scepticalscribe

Suspended
Jul 29, 2008
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In a coffee shop.
Apple fanboy said:
Family issues.
Long chat with my mother who’s not getting along my sister.
I didn’t really feel like I could do much other than listen!
Click to expand...

kazmac said:
Sometimes, listening is the best thing to do.
Click to expand...

Apple fanboy said:
Agreed. Families can be trying. Even when you never see them!
Click to expand...

kazmac said:
And I agree right back. QFT!
Click to expand...

When my mother passed away, just under a fortnight ago, my brother and I chose one (reliable) person from each side of the family to notify and requested that they pass on the word to various other branches.

We didn't feel up to fielding questions and offering reassurances. Anyway, the designated pair did indeed do what they had been asked - in good faith, they each contacted at least one member of all of the branches of cousins (who were then meant to contact the remaining members of their own families).

However, this week, we have learned that at least two cousins - one on each side of the family, had not been notified about my mother's passing (deliberately - family feud stuff, stuff that we hadn't known all that much about, and would not have paid too much heed to, had we known - we had more than enough on our own plates to deal with).

So, today and two days ago, have been dealing with aggrieved phone calls - although they (the respective callers) were at pains to accept and stress that we were not remotely at fault, and that this family feud stuff was not our problem to deal with.

So, yes, families.......they can be somewhat testing at times.
 
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LizKat

LizKat

macrumors 604
Aug 5, 2004
6,770
36,279
Catskill Mountains
Apple fanboy said:
I keep it simple.
I talk to my wife every day (even if away).
I talk to my Dad every week.
I talk to my Mum every week.
Haven’t talked to anyone else in years.
Click to expand...

I generally don't phone up members of my tribe who are working parents, figuring they are up to their eyeballs in challenges most of the time, and that they will text or phone me if there's something they want me to know about. I might ship them an email with a cartoon once in awhile. I have always told them "You're the ones with less free time, so you pick a time to phone me instead of the other way around." It seems to work ok but probably because we're all close-knit and confident of each other's affections, and don't take offense over not hearing from each other all that often.

With nextgen who are in their teens or 20s, I text or email them on birthdays or just to say hi or set up a get-together, and occasionally will ask one of them to run a shopping errand for me if it's local for them and not far out of their way to drop stuff off here.

The kinfolk who are retired, I do phone up fairly often, if I haven't heard from them via email or gotten together with them someplace. They do the same with me.

On all this I'm guided by my own past experience of how I felt when I got phone calls at different phases of my life. Sometimes it was "oh not again, gee... does she think I have nothing better to do at 7:55am then fill her in on how I'm doing??!" and sometimes it was more like "Wow, how sweet of her to think to call me."

And to be honest there's always the answering machine, although if I'm home I don't filter calls, I generally will pick up and deal with whoever or whatever it is unless I'm in the middle of something that can't brook the distraction. Again, this works OK with people like my own kinfolk, who all seem to take it for granted that an answering machine is a useful device and not a method of avoiding contact with them in particular!

When it comes to imparting bad news, I'm not very good at it and I hate doing it, but at least I usually suggest the person sit down, by way of a clue that it's not a regular social call, and then I don't beat around the bush or mince words, just convey the facts as I know them and promise to follow up with email or another call later on as warranted.
 
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0388631

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Sep 10, 2009
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Many years ago I witnessed a NYC rat dragging half a pizza all by its lonesome down an alley at night.
 
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Apple fanboy

Apple fanboy

macrumors Ivy Bridge
Feb 21, 2012
56,916
55,857
Behind the Lens, UK
LizKat said:
I generally don't phone up members of my tribe who are working parents, figuring they are up to their eyeballs in challenges most of the time, and that they will text or phone me if there's something they want me to know about. I might ship them an email with a cartoon once in awhile. I have always told them "You're the ones with less free time, so you pick a time to phone me instead of the other way around." It seems to work ok but probably because we're all close-knit and confident of each other's affections, and don't take offense over not hearing from each other all that often.

With nextgen who are in their teens or 20s, I text or email them on birthdays or just to say hi or set up a get-together, and occasionally will ask one of them to run a shopping errand for me if it's local for them and not far out of their way to drop stuff off here.

The kinfolk who are retired, I do phone up fairly often, if I haven't heard from them via email or gotten together with them someplace. They do the same with me.

On all this I'm guided by my own past experience of how I felt when I got phone calls at different phases of my life. Sometimes it was "oh not again, gee... does she think I have nothing better to do at 7:55am then fill her in on how I'm doing??!" and sometimes it was more like "Wow, how sweet of her to think to call me."

And to be honest there's always the answering machine, although if I'm home I don't filter calls, I generally will pick up and deal with whoever or whatever it is unless I'm in the middle of something that can't brook the distraction. Again, this works OK with people like my own kinfolk, who all seem to take it for granted that an answering machine is a useful device and not a method of avoiding contact with them in particular!

When it comes to imparting bad news, I'm not very good at it and I hate doing it, but at least I usually suggest the person sit down, by way of a clue that it's not a regular social call, and then I don't beat around the bush or mince words, just convey the facts as I know them and promise to follow up with email or another call later on as warranted.
Click to expand...
Texting or emailing my parents is a pretty pointless task! Both in their 70’s and despite me trying to drag them kicking and screaming into the 21st century, I’m failing.

As for other family members I haven’t had any contact with them in years, so I don’t really think about them as family. I certainly don’t have phone numbers or email addresses.
 
LizKat

LizKat

macrumors 604
Aug 5, 2004
6,770
36,279
Catskill Mountains
Apple fanboy said:
As for other family members I haven’t had any contact with them in years, so I don’t really think about them as family. I certainly don’t have phone numbers or email addresses.
Click to expand...

There are a few ex's of family that I don't keep in touch with any more even though we got along ok and used to trade gifts at Christmas and even do stuff like run errands or lend each other vehicles on occasion. It all just seemed awkward after the split-ups, even though those were amicable enough.

In my family it's more the 70-somethings who are techies and the 40-somethings can manage their own gear ok. The 20-somethings, gee, some of them hardly know how to restart their mobile devices much less back up a laptop. I handed out some gear, some tutorials, some advice, some lectures and finally some "hey, don't call me when it crashes" notices. :D
 
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kazmac

kazmac

macrumors G4
Mar 24, 2010
10,103
8,658
Any place but here or there....
Apple fanboy said:
Texting or emailing my parents is a pretty pointless task! Both in their 70’s and despite me trying to drag them kicking and screaming into the 21st century, I’m failing.

As for other family members I haven’t had any contact with them in years, so I don’t really think about them as family. I certainly don’t have phone numbers or email addresses.
Click to expand...

Agreed. My mom uses her iPad 2 for research and I have to check her email address every so often. She was thinking about an iPhone and then saw me use mine and ran back to her flip phone (which I have trouble with. :p)
 
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Scepticalscribe

Scepticalscribe

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Jul 29, 2008
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In a coffee shop.
kazmac said:
Agreed. My mom uses her iPad 2 for research and I have to check her email address every so often. She was thinking about an iPhone and then saw me use mine and ran back to her flip phone (which I have trouble with. :p)
Click to expand...

Actually, I miss those old flip phones - I used to love them for ease of use and sheer portability. (And they looked cool).
 
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