I just want to state the obvious here that being with someone shouldn't require repeating it.

Plei, I threw my hands up in the air, with a big smile on my face. EXACTLY right. I just haven't been stumbled upon by that person yet.

I've stumbled upon them, but they were with someone else!

I have no stress about not wanting kids. My parents might have stress.

It's very likely that much of the reason that I never had stress about it was that my mother never pushed the idea to me, indeed I don't recall her ever mentioning it. Though she certainly loved us and was proud of us and did her best as a parent, I'm sure she knew how much easier her life would have been without kids. Well, at least without me -- my big sister helped her survive her marriage to my (putative) father; my existence only made her life harder. (This is not whinging; it's simply fact. I don't blame myself, or her.) I think she always knew that I wouldn't be happy as a parent, and understanding that, left me to decide for myself. Besides, by the time I was in college, my sister had already had a baby girl, and four years later, she did it again; we used to joke that she'd replaced both of us, so I didn't have to have one. My mom was happy and satisfied with her two beautiful granddaughters, and I with my nieces.

My god, I'm wordy today. You should see what a tome I've cut out of this!

I have no stress about not wanting kids. My parents might have stress.

My Mom was a little sad that I didn't want kids, but she got over it, and really got over it once my friends started having babies. It turns out that Mom wasn't that invested in the idea of grandchildren, she just liked babies.

Semi-related tangent: You guys! My Dad has started going contra dancing at the local community center, and is apparently quite the sought-after partner! There is a very nice lady who has pretty much claimed him as her usual partner; when they were taking a break and getting some water, another lady asked my Dad if he would like to dance, and the nice lady with him immediately said "He's resting!" Hee!

I'm really, really happy that he is doing this. My Dad is an extremely social person, so I completely support him going out dancing and meeting people.

Jilli, that's great! A friend of mine has been contradancing for many years (not continuously), and it looks like such fun! It's a great way to meet folks, too.

Jilli, that's wonderful. I'm glad to hear your dad is doing well.

I just got reprimanded in a multi-recipient email for being unprepared for a document review today. Bitch, please. I asked numerous times if the document review was today, and when we were going to do the pre-review tasks, and I was told not to worry. The person reprimanding me was on that email chain.

So I reply back to him and tell him there's nothing I can do about false information, and he says back he wants to eliminate the confusion and make sure "we" are doing the right things.

How about not telling me bad info? That wasn't confusion, that was flat out contradiction. I am mad.

And I'm also mad because I can't work out how to frame this particular bit of the requirements document as a requirement. Gah.

I hope you cc'ed the known world with the relevant e-mails, ita.

Thing is, the guy reprimanding me said "Oh, I saw that."

Then how about you reprimand the guy who gave me the bad info? And reprimand him in front of everyone, like you did me? Jesus. There are too many cooks trying to stir this pot, I swear. And they just look at me and say they're unhappy and want me to read their minds, and get condescending when I ask them what they're on about.

And I have to go roleplay in ten minutes.

::pets Perkins. Offers alcohol::

::does not pet ita, but offers to bap her idiot coworkers with something hard::

I'm not going to pet ita ! ... but I'd be happy to offer you the blunt instrument of choice so you can bap your cow-irkers yourself. Or hold your coat while you do it bare-handed.