Don't ask if you don't want the answer

[susandennis]

The homeowners board has a communications committee. The board has a guy who volunteered to lead the committee. He moved in down the hall at the very end of last year.

Every Friday, the building manager sends out a newsletter. It sucks in nearly every way possible. The format is as bad as it could be. The content is only marginally better. Every Friday it pisses me off.

I wrote to Matt (the communications committee board member) this last Friday with one simple suggestion for improvement of the content of the newsletter. I purposefully kept it to one topic, short sentences, and phrased it in the form of 'if you are looking at changes to the newsletter, you might consider...'

I got back a reply that basically told me to pound sand and did I want to be a member of his committee? I replied that I was already on one committee* so thanks but no thanks. And I totally understood his take on my suggestion and was fine with it.

Today I got another reply, this time a little nicer and flat out asking me for newsletter suggestions. Specifically asking what I liked, didn't like, would change, wouldn't change, etc.

So I just spend 90 minutes crafting a careful reply. It was not long. It covered the content and the format with some suggestions and reasons for those suggestions. It will come to no end but it was cathartic to get on my soapbox. And, now that I have, I think Friday's won't piss me off so much.

*The board president asked me to be on the security committee. She sent one email asking a question about 3 months ago, I answered. Thus endeth my committee duties. I don't think his communications committee will be as much work but I'm done with committees.

Oh and then I spend another 30 minutes writing up a tutorial on how to use an aspect of Tiller (the financial spreadsheet program I use) on their forums.

I've done my bit for the world today already.

A few weeks ago, I noticed hard scaly spots forming on the knuckles of my left hand. It was weird. I started putting dermatitis cream on the spots. Then I discovered some stains on the couch - white stains. And I figured out it was from where I put my knuckles to balance myself when I sat down. I got the stains out the couch and quit using my hand that way and the damn crusty spots started clearing up immediately!! It turned out to be a case of couch knuckles!!

Oh and the other time waster this morning was thejigsawpuzzles.com - I'd love to do a true puzzle on a table like real people but no way in hell would Biggie allow that. So online it is. Once I start, I get a really bad case of One More Piece and I can't stop. Such a ridiculous waste of time when I still haven't even done my Sudoku Of The Day.

I did make a very delicious omelette. Another apple and cheese only this time with the correct proportions. Photo for letmesaythis. Not quite as nice looking as the one she posted last week which was the inspiration.



It needed tomatoes on the side but, alas, none in the house. Also only 3 eggs left. I have a grocery order ready for pickup on Tuesday. It includes eggs and tomatoes. And lettuce because I saw a picture of a BLT the other day that I cannot get out of my head.

Last night, they broadcast an intersquad Mariners game that was close to what the home games will be like. The away games are going to be broadcast from Seattle with the broadcasters watching the game on video. All in all, I think I'm going to hate the whole damn thing. I can't see it's being worth the $80 a month I pay for cable TV to watch the games. I might be wrong and I plan to give it a go before I cancel but I think I'm resetting my hopes that Spring Training 2021 gets the green light.

I still have the morning paper to finish, the sodoku to do, the jigsaw to do, the litter box to clean and TV to watch. No time to fritter here!

Comments

[chocolate-frapp.livejournal.com]

My apt bldg used to send out this really stupid newsletter. 90% of the articles were irrelevant bullshit and not even interesting and the spelling and grammar errors were not to be believed. Eventually they gave up.

[carriea31.livejournal.com]

I find it beyond frustrating to get responses like the initial one he sent you. If people never want anything to change and don't want suggestions, why do they sign up to be in these positions? Ugh.

[susandennis]

Or, on the other hand, if the newsletter means so much to me, why don't I get myself on the board and fix it? At least he's going to the effort. I'm just sending whiny emails.

[carriea31.livejournal.com]

Fair point! Haha

[restoman.livejournal.com]

I have been exploring the rabbit hole of online puzzles myself lately. I tried your site, but still prefer mine: https://www.jigsawplanet.com/

Jigsaw planet allows you to change the number of pieces in a puzzle if you click on the "play as" button. It has some great images, from all over the world, but frustratingly, they are not all labeled as to where the picture was taken.

Which Sudoku site do you use?

[susandennis]

Looks like they are both very similar but I like mine because you can do more than 300 pieces. All the pictures can be done, like yours, in different numbers and shapes of pieces.

Different strokes for different...

The Sudoku I do is on the phone:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.easybrain.sudoku.android

I've tried bunches of different ones. My brother, bill_schubert got me going on this one and now I'm kind of addicted to the Daily Challenge.

[opakele.livejournal.com]

Couch knuckles and BLTs...

Life is good.

[susandennis]

it really is. :)

[zoefruitcake.livejournal.com]

I am almost disappointed that my three cats show zero interest in my jigsaws unlike their predecessors

[letmesaythis.livejournal.com]

Your omelette looks delicious and I remain very appreciative of the food photos! What kind of bread did you toast to go with? It looks like there are seeds and now I want to make myself some toast.

If only you were not so averse to working on the board you would be a perfect fit for penning that newsletter. I wouldn't be surprised if in the future you started getting requests to edit them before they're distributed.

[susandennis]

Russian Rye - Orowheat. Yum.

I used to edit the newsletter but then they had a board member do it instead and she got tired of doing it so quit. They don't give a shit about the newsletter or really communications of any kind so I'm not holding my breath that it will change one bit.