Mutter banned from losthorizons; situation deteriorating

[webhick]

Nice! Betcha can't put an owl on that sign.

I'm not 100% happy with how the owl doesn't quite look like it belongs there, but I still win. I stole the owl from cutedeadthings.com. Seemed more fitting than the "owl" on LH.

You are a seriously disturbed woman -- are you available for a few drinks and dinner?

Wait, you mean... I could have a social life? I haven't interacted with people outside a business situation in like a year. It could result in total system meltdown.

[Doktor Avalanche]

Yes, my dear - you win. Your kung fu is best.

[mutter]

Nice! Betcha can't put an owl on that sign.

I'm not 100% happy with how the owl doesn't quite look like it belongs there, but I still win. I stole the owl from cutedeadthings.com. Seemed more fitting than the "owl" on LH.

You are a seriously disturbed woman -- are you available for a few drinks and dinner?

Wait, you mean... I could have a social life? I haven't interacted with people outside a business situation in like a year. It could result in total system meltdown.

Are you serious? girl that is not healthy for you I know. Get out there and have some fun it keeps you young. Imbibe responsibly

[Imalawman]

Wait, you mean... I could have a social life? I haven't interacted with people outside a business situation in like a year. It could result in total system meltdown.

Are you serious? girl that is not healthy for you I know. Get out there and have some fun it keeps you young. Imbibe responsibly

Webhick knows that there is a long line of eagerly waiting suitors on Quatloos....Which is why she has to pretend not to be interested in a social life.

[webhick]

Are you serious? girl that is not healthy for you I know. Get out there and have some fun it keeps you young. Imbibe responsibly

"Fun" requires three things I do not have: Friends, money, and time.

[Prof]

Are you serious? girl that is not healthy for you I know. Get out there and have some fun it keeps you young. Imbibe responsibly

"Fun" requires three things I do not have: Friends, money, and time.

You have friends here -- and if this bunch finds you interesting and fun, most normal people would certainly find your company to be enjoyable. As to the time -- just make the time. As to money, visiting over a cup of coffee or Coke is not very expensive, unless you're at Starbucks. Good luck.

Just my opinion, of course.

[Famspear]

You have lots of friends here, Webhick!

[mutter]

Are you serious? girl that is not healthy for you I know. Get out there and have some fun it keeps you young. Imbibe responsibly

"Fun" requires three things I do not have: Friends, money, and time.

Deeeee deeee deeee deee hear that its my BS detector.
Money? no you can have without that
time is an illusion created by carbon based life forms to monitor their decay. Thunderclease said that.

[webhick]

Deeeee deeee deeee deee hear that its my BS detector.
Money? no you can have without that
time is an illusion created by carbon based life forms to monitor their decay. Thunderclease said that.

You're kidding, right? Between the job and running the food pantry, I work two full-time jobs. My crappy one bedroom apartment is on emergency energy usage (no lights, no tv, no fridge, heat as low as the elderly ferret can stand it). There is no fun. Only work at work, work at pantry, and work at home by light of laptop.

[Prof]

Deeeee deeee deeee deee hear that its my BS detector.
Money? no you can have without that
time is an illusion created by carbon based life forms to monitor their decay. Thunderclease said that.

You're kidding, right? Between the job and running the food pantry, I work two full-time jobs. My crappy one bedroom apartment is on emergency energy usage (no lights, no tv, no fridge, heat as low as the elderly ferret can stand it). There is no fun. Only work at work, work at pantry, and work at home by light of laptop.

You are stretched thin, personally and financially. Could you transfer some of the pantry work to a third party? I worry that you may wear yourself out with the second, charitable job, get burned out, etc. Would it not be better to try to find someone to share the load on the pantry now?

Warning: Free advice is worth about what you pay for it -- so just look at this as an expression of concern and sympathy, and, if nothing else, admiration for your commitment to the pantry.

[mutter]

Deeeee deeee deeee deee hear that its my BS detector.
Money? no you can have without that
time is an illusion created by carbon based life forms to monitor their decay. Thunderclease said that.

You're kidding, right? Between the job and running the food pantry, I work two full-time jobs. My crappy one bedroom apartment is on emergency energy usage (no lights, no tv, no fridge, heat as low as the elderly ferret can stand it). There is no fun. Only work at work, work at pantry, and work at home by light of laptop.

Wow. I sysmpathise Ive been there. emergency energy use and all.
But why are you in that situation? Thats a rhetorical question so you do some introspection.
If youre not where you want to be then do something to change it.
In the mean time what can I do to help?

[Gregg]

Are you serious? girl that is not healthy for you I know. Get out there and have some fun it keeps you young. Imbibe responsibly

"Fun" requires three things I do not have: Friends, money, and time.

You'll always find a welcome place set aside for you here at the well armed bunker complex.

[webhick]

You are stretched thin, personally and financially. Could you transfer some of the pantry work to a third party? I worry that you may wear yourself out with the second, charitable job, get burned out, etc. Would it not be better to try to find someone to share the load on the pantry now?

I have two other board of directors who are there to help run things. One putts around and does whatever (mostly hiding food he wants to one day claim as a discard so he can try to take it home) and the other promises to do things, only half does them, claims it's finished, and then wonders why I'm out straight finishing her job. They're supposed to run the stock room and the volunteers so I can catch up to the monumental administrative work and program the POS system (to cut back on the admin so I can help them more), but I spend a lot of time helping them out and fixing volunteer mess-ups. After the busy season was over, the volunteers pretty much deserted, so we're down to two or three steady ones. One is 80 years old and can't mentally handle much more than marking out UPC codes and folding clothes in the clothing room. Another cannot read or write, so there isn't a whole lot he can do. The third is, I think, a little touched in the head because she almost never stops laughing, but she can operate the inventory gun and her handwriting is legible. Each person can only put in one or two hours one or twice a week.

Warning: Free advice is worth about what you pay for it -- so just look at this as an expression of concern and sympathy, and, if nothing else, admiration for your commitment to the pantry.

Thank you.

But why are you in that situation? Thats a rhetorical question so you do some introspection. If youre not where you want to be then do something to change it. In the mean time what can I do to help?

Look, already I know its my fault I'm in this mess, so there's no introspection necessary. Dropped out of high school due to medical problems, unable to afford college or qualify for scholarship or student loans, trying to financially assist my grandparents when they can't afford their pills, rescuing four ferrets who would have otherwise been put to sleep, taking on a food pantry that supports five towns - which everyone else was going to let close, etc. This situation is just the culmination of those actions. It's what happens when you stretch everything too thin and people still want more. You're out of your mind if you think it's a good idea to help someone like me.

[Duke2Earl]

I am not sure what to say other than you sound to me like exactly the sort of person that deserves some help.

[ASITStands]

I am not sure what to say other than you sound to me like exactly the sort of person that deserves some help.

Exactly right. Can Catholic Charities or Goodwill help with the pantry? Are there any other religious groups in town that would care to volunteer or even administer?

And, I though you ran a bookkeeping service? Do you prepare returns as well?

[webhick]

I am not sure what to say other than you sound to me like exactly the sort of person that deserves some help.

As SteveSy has pointed out to me, no one deserves help and if I can't cut it without help, then I'm just a drain on the system.

[webhick]

Exactly right. Can Catholic Charities or Goodwill help with the pantry? Are there any other religious groups in town that would care to volunteer or even administer?

And, I though you ran a bookkeeping service? Do you prepare returns as well?

NH Food Bank is run by NH Catholic Charities, so they're already helping - in a way. One or two churches in the area run drives for us, but the members are too busy doing charitable work for the church itself. We have managed to get a few members of one church in to volunteer, but when they started trying to recruit patrons and other volunteers for their religion I had to tell them to knock it off. And when they wouldn't, I had to ask them to leave. We are a non-denominational pantry, and it's against our rules for the same reason that it's against the USDA and Food Bank's rules - you shouldn't have to pray or change religion to eat. We've also had issues with volunteers thinking that they have a right to take food home (or get more than they're allotted, if they also come for food) - just because they help out. There's definitely a sense of entitlement with volunteers that I don't quite understand.

Other churches in the area have been muscling in on donations allotted to us, as well, but are operating tiny pantries that are only open to their members. They also have no problem trying to demand that we give them food, even though it would violate USDA and Food Bank rules (because it's limited to their members). I'm developing a strong hatred for the local churches. In addition to that, a local retirement home is also pulling a "gimme gimme gimme" when, considering that they're a 501, they should be calling the Food Bank and not sending their crotchety old codgers over here to harass me into distributing food to the home - which, again, I can't do due to the rules.

I don't run a bookkeeping service, but I do work for one. Right now, I'm doing all the prep work for the tax returns (whether my boss does them in-house or they go out to a CPA). It's a busy time of year.

[webhick]

Actually, I was thinking she might be able to secure a similar position with Goodwill, or Salvation Army. Pay might be a bit better and they might be a bit more professionally run.

Does Salvation Army hire atheists?

Goodwill is a crock. They charge more for their used, stained clothes than Walmart does for brand new ones.

[Gregg]

I am not sure what to say other than you sound to me like exactly the sort of person that deserves some help.

As SteveSy has pointed out to me, no one deserves help and if I can't cut it without help, then I'm just a drain on the system.

You're too smart a person to start listening to Steve for advice, aren't you? Based on that quote I gather Stevie knows almost as much about life as he does about taxes.

Everyone deserves some help sometimes, societies where that isn't a maxim are called zoos. And someone holding down a job and running a food bank on the side is hardly a drain on the system. Especially rich coming from a pseudo tax denier who only lacks the courage of his convictions in being a societal leech himself.

[LPC]

It's what happens when you stretch everything too thin and people still want more.

It sounds as though you have an opportunity to experience one of two different things:

1. What it's like to stretch yourself too thin and burn out, melt down, or break down; or

2. What it's like to say "no" to people who still want more.

I'll hold you in the Light. (A Quaker phrase roughly equivalent to saying that you'll pray for someone, but without making any judgment about what is the "right" outcome.)