Polite Paradise

AliciaLynette, thanks! Can you give an example of when you might use the auto-options instead of typing something?

I remember a few years ago, "read receipts" were in vogue for emails. Like you'd open the email and this thing would pop up and say, "The sender has requested a read receipt. Please click yes or no to indicate you've read the email." Or something like that. I think the few times I encountered one, I was a bit freaked out, and I would click no--like, no, don't be spyin' on me, computer! But, remembering that the read receipt had been asked for, I would usually reply to the email in my own words, so the sender would indeed know I'd read it. It was never a big thing in my line of work, so I never had to develop a "sensible protocol" for them or anything.

But it does seem like, as AliciaLynette says, somebody somewhere wasn't getting replies they needed--enough people that the email companies keep coming up with different tools to prompt people to reply. It would probably be difficult to figure out which was the bigger problem--too many replies, or not enough--and it would be very specific to different companies, industries, and jobs. But really, it's no wonder individuals get confused trying to decide what to do, with "anti-thanks" articles on the one hand, and your email prompting you to reply on the other.

Mostly I used it during our house search/house move, because we dealt with the council as well as lettings agencies so sometimes we'd get emails that came in as we were rushing off to do something with the move, so having an option to just click a button that said 'Thanks', or 'I will get back to you' rather than writing/sending an email right that second was useful!

My DD is almost 10, and when she started asking about Father Christmas/Santa Claus a couple years ago, I explained that it's different stories in different cultures (and possibly at some point in history there was a real person that the legend came from) but that the important thing is the showing of love and appreciation to family and friends not who gives the actual gifts.  I do re-iterate every so often that she shouldn't spoil it for people who still believe, which she assures me she doesn't.

The bickering between her and her Daddy on whether Father Christmas exists is highly amusing though!

The most amusing thing about that letter Amara, as someone who grew up growing our own veg/with house cows etc, is that he expects to be able to grow all the food he needs without tilling the land!  That's impossible, unless he means doing it by hand without using machinery!!  We spent hours every time, digging the soil/mixing in fertiliser (cow or chicken muck) in order to prep the land for veg!

Essentials: 3 bedrooms, shower and tub (preferably tub in bathroom and ensuite in master bedroom), room in the kitchen for a table to eat at, on a bus route. Tumble drier and dishwasher! (I loathe washing dishes! And UK weather means a drier would be so handy)  Or at least the space/hook-ups for them. A decent sized garden for Child to play in.

No real dealbreakers for me, that I've found yet anyway! 

Monday is my sleeping between school runs days, as I work Sun/Mon night shifts.  So, for the school runs I'm wearing: light blue tee as described earlier, long royal blue floor-length skirt, black jewelled slip -on toe-post sandals, and because of the sun, black cats-eye sunnies and a straw hat with a black band!  Simple, comfy and easy to take off/put on for sleeping!

Struggling with Barkingham Palace right now, sooo annoying!

Mid-blue skinny jeans, and white top (fresh out of the wash) identical to the light blue top I was wearing last time I posted!  Dark blue pumps with white flower embroidery pattern.

The last couple of days, my right leg appears to be having a 'lazy day'!  No injuries, no pain, just not moving as fast/far as usual, foot dragging a little or coming down heavier on the ground.  Yesterday I managed to trip on the school run and skin my left knee, because my foot didn't lift as high off the ground so I caught the toe of the shoe (not a particularly bumpy area either!) and went over.  Today I've noticed I'm moving slower than usual, and it's almost like I'm walking with a limp, as if that leg hasn't woken up yet!  I'm doing things like dragging that foot along the ground, or catching the toe area on the stairs as I go up, and it's really annoying me!  Considering taking a walking stick on the school run this afternoon, in hopes I'll at least not fall over again.

I do have joint issues (I frequently have pain in ankles or wrists as if I've twisted them but no other symptoms) but I've not experienced anything like this before!