Is it just me?

[Bruno]

Maybe, this one time, they thought something wasn't going to be hard, but it was, Nigel. It was very hard, and now they have PTSD because of it and you triggered a flashback by saying that you didn't think something was going to be hard.

It was really quite insensitive of you when you really think about it.

[navkat]

Sometimes unsolicited advice is merely someone trying to be helpful, not necessarily being a jackass.  Or maybe feeling like they just need to add to the conversation and that was all they could come up with. 

I just tend to ignore that stuff.  Like when your wife is expecting.  YOu get all kinds of unsolicited advice then, but, more often than not, it's just people, in their way, trying to be helpful.

My favorite is parenting advice from childless people.  That always goes over well with the Doktor.   

My favourite is any sort of attitude of "superiority" when it comes to parenting, period. You don't have MY life, you don't have MY child and you don't have MY set of circumstances or beliefs. He's healthy, happy, fed, warm, loved, educated and goes to bed with kisses and hugs in a clean bed full of stuffed animals. Who cares if he wants a basketball in there too? Who cares if he wants the pink one? Who cares if he wants to spend a year wearing knee pads to dinner? He's MY kid and I'm gonna let him.

[Triple Zero]

Maybe, this one time, they thought something wasn't going to be hard, but it was, Nigel. It was very hard, and now they have PTSD because of it and you triggered a flashback by saying that you didn't think something was going to be hard.

It was really quite insensitive of you when you really think about it.

Yes. Obviously some dear and beloved family member of theirs died because they thought their Spanish homework wouldn't be too hard.



Say, do your friends hate people quoting Monty Python as much as you do? Because you could also take revenge by turning it into a shaggy dog story that ends with NOBODY EXPECTS THE SPANISH INQUISITION!!

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Maybe, this one time, they thought something wasn't going to be hard, but it was, Nigel. It was very hard, and now they have PTSD because of it and you triggered a flashback by saying that you didn't think something was going to be hard.

It was really quite insensitive of you when you really think about it.

Yes. Obviously some dear and beloved family member of theirs died because they thought their Spanish homework wouldn't be too hard.



Say, do your friends hate people quoting Monty Python as much as you do? Because you could also take revenge by turning it into a shaggy dog story that ends with NOBODY EXPECTS THE SPANISH INQUISITION!!

Both of you.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Nigel, could you please explain what "FBF" means? I'm afraid my E-lingo is shoddy at best.

Female Best Friend, I think, is the common expansion.

Yep.

I also have an MBF, but he (used to) post here so I just call him EOT.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Hey, but you wanna know what's funny? After all that? It turns out I CAN'T take Spanish after all because it's a four-credit class with a one-credit conversational section and puts me too close to the credits-per-term maximum, so it would conflict with the free lecture credits from my bridges class. I can only take it if I drop either Sociology (I'm thinking about it) or Anthropology (which would be regrettable, but not  the worst thing ever as it's really inconveniently timed).



ALL THAT. AND I CAN'T EVEN TAKE THE DAMN CLASS.

[Triple Zero]

Hey, but you wanna know what's funny? After all that? It turns out I CAN'T take Spanish after all because it's a four-credit class with a one-credit conversational section and puts me too close to the credits-per-term maximum, so it would conflict with the free lecture credits from my bridges class. I can only take it if I drop either Sociology (I'm thinking about it) or Anthropology (which would be regrettable, but not  the worst thing ever as it's really inconveniently timed).



ALL THAT. AND I CAN'T EVEN TAKE THE DAMN CLASS.

well if you haven't told them yet, this means the perfect opportunity for wildly making shit up and turning it into a horrible horrible Spanish Inquisition shaggy dog story.

AND I WOULD HAVE GOTTEN AWAY WITH IT, IF ONLY I HADN'T BROUGHT MY IPAD TO CLASS

[Luna]

Hey, but you wanna know what's funny? After all that? It turns out I CAN'T take Spanish after all because it's a four-credit class with a one-credit conversational section and puts me too close to the credits-per-term maximum, so it would conflict with the free lecture credits from my bridges class. I can only take it if I drop either Sociology (I'm thinking about it) or Anthropology (which would be regrettable, but not  the worst thing ever as it's really inconveniently timed).



ALL THAT. AND I CAN'T EVEN TAKE THE DAMN CLASS.

Heh.  Or...  "I would have my degree, but it took a whole extra semester because I listened to you assholes...  And my friend took the class, and there WAS NO HOMEWORK!"

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

 

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

My friends are being dicks again. This time, believe it or not, because I bought a messenger bag instead of a backpack and one of them was all:

Based on ~16 years of using a messenger bag to carry school/work stuff, with chronic back pain as a result, I would strongly urge you to reconsider. Not to mention digging around in the things for books. If I could go back and do it again (or if I was starting again knowing what I've learned), I'd either get one a messenger-bag-company backpack or something the right size made by one of the big-name outdoor equipment companies. Since the former are much more durable and waterproof, the latter are more ergonomic and much less expensive, I'd probably go for the latter.

(Yes I know this is unsolicited advice. Yes I know you know understand how backpacks work and you've researched and thought a lot about what you want to get and are not stupid. On this issue, I care more about your comfort than I do about your feelings.)

I was fine with his anti-messenger-bag screed up until the last line, which is so "I'm saying this for your own good".

And then FBF chimed in with how she used a messenger bag for years and her back is fucked up too.

And friend #1 went on about how bad they are for your back again for a bit.

and I said

It's terrible that you guys messed up your backs.

However, at almost 41 years old with many many years of experience with transporting heavy things on my body, I am pretty sure I have a good handle on my carrying things needs.

If you're interested in my methods and reasoning, I'd be happy to go into detail.

And lo, there was great butthurt and defensiveness.

Currently FBF is telling me that people haven't been second-guessing me. I asked her is she was finding the same humor in the ironically recursive nature of the conversation that I am.


The funniest thing about it is that I had already bought a water-resistant backpack for days that I walk to school... I just needed a good waterproof bag for biking, and found an awesome orange Chrome one on sale.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

I do not understand this sudden need to micromanage my life.

"Hey, guys, I'm looking for those one raincoats that come in various colors and have plaid flannel on the inside, do you know anywhere around town that carries them?"

"You don't want one of those, you would be much happier with this other kind of raincoat that is completely not at all what you're looking for."

It's like, every fucking thing I say lately.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Oh, and the latest is that I should take my time with my undergrad degree and take a lot of different classes and not set myself on a specific academic track just yet.  So I should turn down awesome academic opportunities and fuck around taking my time to figure out who I am? What am I, 18?

[Don Coyote]

I can say as a person who used to use a messenger bag to bike to college, that your friends are full of bollocks. And I am sad that your friends are being that way.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Thanks... I'm pretty frustrated.

I am especially frustrated because now at least two of my friends are saying that I'm imagining things or overreacting. I feel incredibly frustrated and dismissed.

Also, the super funny thing is that I also bought a nice water-resistant backpack for days when I'm walking, but for very rainy days on my bike I wanted something that would really keep my books safe and dry. I like the waterproof backpacks, but I didn't want to deal with a rolldown top every day, so I bought the messenger bag too.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

I just didn't mention the backpack because it wasn't as exciting as scoring the last bright orange waterproof messenger bag, on sale.

It looks like this: