Polite Paradise

Sorry about the layoff, Boeun. Glad you’re still managing ok, regardless. Toilet paper shortages seems to be a common thread in the lockdown experience.

It’s become a little better here in my part of Oz, with tp turning up more reliably on the shelves. Still not back to normal. Because a relo dropped off a 24 pack he’d scored and, the very next day, a grocery delivery arrived with tp for once (instead if the usual out of stock disappointment), i now have an embarrassment of riches. All to the good - i can now spare plenty of rolls if others run out without worrying whether we’ll still have enough.

Hand sanitiser was another item in short supply but seems to be improving, in part because we have two local distilleries who turned their hand (pun intended) to making it. Some of the compounding pharmacies also started making their own and offering refills.

Although i spent a lot of time at home before all, I miss being able to get out and spend a little time - in a cafe, at the beach, meeting up with relos, and just exploring. Had been planning to try to join some groups and start making some local friends but that’s going to be off the table for a while. Did slip out the other day to pick up some take-away. Local cafe does a wonderful Easter egg latte - could not resist. Do drive through service (well you park out the front). Was lovely.

They’ve just had a run of fresh local prawns (shrimp in US) and I’d love to go into the fishermen’s coop to pick some up (on special too) but even mum (who adores prawns) says nope, too risky.

lowspark, hehe wondered if anyone would spot that. 

Hadn’t read Dear Polly before. Her response to this letter writer whose in-laws deliberately serve her a life-threatening allergen (mushrooms) at every meal is hilarious. The in-laws are the champignons of sociopathic level passive aggression.

https://www.thecut.com/amp/2019/08/ask-polly-my-in-laws-are-careless-about-my-food-allergy.html

Someone posted a joke on twitter about shopping rules. Made me wonder what are your rules for shopping?

Like the other day someone moved my trolley without asking while i was still holding onto it and to me, that’s a big no no (exception - safety reasons, e.g. I’m about to run over any part of you). Since it was the trolley from hell, and they pulled on it without warning, i had to wrestle with it and my back was not happy (so there’s kind of a reason beyond politeness not to do this). Anyway, the joke was:

ME: You didn’t put the divider down so you have to pay for my groceries.

GUY BEHIND ME IN LINE: What?

CASHIER: I’m sorry, he’s right.

ME: Also I get to keep any 4 things from your stuff.

GUY: That’s insane!

CASHIER: No it’s a lesser used rule but if he calls it he gets to.

https://twitter.com/andrewnadeau0/status/1133382078958067712?s=21

Agree the hotel won’t care whether you eat breakfast or have food in your room (durian being a possible exception). I would want to get something from their breakfast but that’s more about me getting my money’s worth than anything else.

Can’t comment on tipping culture in UK and i come from a non-tipping culture. As a traveller there, i mostly tipped cabs and one lot of tour guides who did a great job. We might’ve tipped at some restaurants but not sure if a percentage or Oz style rounding up the bill (memory is fuzzy now). Didn’t tip any hotel staff (no one was carrying bags or anything extra-ish).

Didn’t get any bad vibes about it. Though maybe the Brits were being polite while mentally consigning us to the level of hell assigned to oblivious non-tippers.

Did a lot of decluttering over the last year in prep for some moves (back to mum’s, then hopefully to a new house that’s better for both of  us). Had not read/watched Kondo but did get help from a professional organiser so heard a bit about her. I got rid of heaps of stuff. Still probably have a bit too much but it’s way better organised now so I can access it more easily. Only regretted a few things later - mostly chucking out electrical cords and discovering that - oops - those actually go with something useful that I’m keeping.

It’s fine to ask her if she wants to take on extra work for you. Deep cleaning can be hard to fit into the regular round of things though, even with an extra hour tacked on. How often does she work for you (once a week/fortnight/month)? If it’s fairly frequent, is it possible to allocate the whole time to deep cleaning once a month? Some things, like steam cleaning carpets, seem a bit challenging to do within an extra hour. Maybe your cleaner has some ideas about how to organise the time allocated to get it done?

It’s also ok to revisit what you want done in regular hours. That’s not confrontational (and i say that as someone who avoids it with a passion). Youkre allowed to change your priorities/renegotiate and it doesn’t reflect on the quality of the job she’s been doing to date. And especially so if it’s been a long time since you set them and circumstances have changed (like your dad no longer needing checking up on).

You might also take the opportunity to tell her how much/what you value about the job she’s been doing, if you haven’t had much conversation about that already.

That a bird i grew up calling a Jabiru is, in fact, more correctly known as a black-necked stork. Not earth-shattering but still a surprise. Someone on a FB bird photography page posted some lovely pics and used the correct name.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black-necked_stork