It was a really hard adjustment for my folks moving from Manhattan to Milwaukee. In NY, you would invite people for 7 and be reasonably sure no one would arrive before 7:45. The first time my parents had a dinner party in Milwaukee they said 7, and when the first guest showed up a 6:50 my mom was in her bathrobe about to get in the shower.

What time are we leaving, Mom?

Oh, not too early.

OK. Good. What time.

Well, we don't have to be there until four... so just whenever you wake up come over.

We need to be there at four. How long is the drive?

Oh, I think two hours, two and a half.

OK. Let's leave your house by 1:00

Oh, I don't think we'll need THAT much time...

Let's leave by one in case we get held up. [Note: we will]

(With any luck we won't walk in after the bride)

Trudy, exactly! "Whenever you wake up just come over." OMG.

Brenda, that is funny. I love it.

Someone told me a story at dinner tonight that included the words "and I made a commitment that if I woke up in time I would ...." And the point was about how he did fulfill the commitment but all I could think was if I could add that clause and still call it a commitment, well. I'll agree to damn near anything if those are the terms.

le nubian, that and my father getting ticketed by the police for jaywalking were how they realized they'd basically left the planet.

Trudy, exactly! "Whenever you wake up just come over." OMG.

Dude, I'm an insomniac. When I finally fall asleep? "Whenever you wake up" could be a loooong time later.

Dude, I'm an insomniac. When I finally fall asleep? "Whenever you wake up" could be a loooong time later.

Exactly. "Oh just come over whenever you wake up in the morning." No, you chose one. Whenever I wake up or morning. They aren't always the same thing.

I figured out that after twenty five years of teasing my sister in law for never being on time, it's at least partially my brother. How can a lawyer be this lax about timeliness?

I'm not naturally prompt or a morning person but I make a tremendous effort. And then wait for them.

Or my sister on Christmas morning. And no one will let me lie to her about the time. I swear, tell everyone 9 and I'll be happy when they are actually there by 10. They choose the time but never make it. Drives me batshit every Christmas.

Ah, family.

I prefer to be on time and make every effort but accept that I am often alone in that desire. It is pretty laid back in this area, as in no one would expect you to leave on time if it was raining. My family includes early and late arriving types. For Easter I told them I don't care when they arrive, but I am eating at 4.

I was raised in the Midwest by very time-aware parents. Then I moved to the south. I stopped wearing a watch because I wanted to keep my friends. And looking at the watch at 7:15 when they said they'd meet me at 6:30 was sending me into rage spirals. It still bothers me. If I agree to do something with a person at a specific time and they don't show up until that time + 30 minutes, that's 30 minutes of my life they've wasted. And time's the one thing I can't replace. Food can be rebought or remade. Clothes and books can be replaced. Money can even be earned again. Wasting my time is worse than picking my pocket. But I know others see things differently and, generally, aren't doing it to piss me off. So I fume, look for my zen, and move on.

At work people are often 5-15 minutes late for things. It seems tremendously unprofessional to me. But at least I'm getting paid to sit there in a meeting room, waiting for the stragglers.