The Ultimate Incentive to have an amazing 2010.

Dinah93

Unspecific and superficial fit the gap nicely, thank you.

Tesco_points_addict

Thorough??

Birdie85

Sounds like nice weekends have been had! Like I said, we went to other people’s gardens for a lot of it. I was made really cross by my friend on Saturday though, we were invited round for a BBQ so we turned up with loads of burgers and sausages and they were totally unprepared so she dragged me to Morrisons to get charcoal and beer. She got carried away buying other stuff and spent something like £28 on unnecessary food (I was hungover from Friday so was in no fit state to argue with her and tell her to put it all back). She whinged all afternoon to her boyfriend and was in a sulk so we all left quite early (it was rubbish anyway and he’d burnt everything!) then I got a text later saying ‘I don’t want to fall out but I’m annoyed that I spent all that money with no contribution from you’ Errrr…. We provided nearly all the meat! Do they expect us to provide the food and the beer because surely that’s the host’s job? We only had 4 little bottles between us! I told her as much (well not the bit about them wanting us to bring everything, just that we’d brought £10’s worth of food) and asked how much she wanted to make it ‘right’ and she replied, ‘Fine’. I couldn’t believe it, the number of times we’ve entertained and they’ve turned up with nothing but it’s never even occurred to us to ask for money from them… Yesterday we told our other friends who weren’t there (whilst we were sat in their garden, drinking their beer and eating their food which they were perfectly happy to provide because they know we do the same for them) and they couldn’t believe it either! I’ve been so cross ever since then, I’m not happy about being made to feel like a leech! Grrrrr.

Where are you going on holiday Wendz? I’m not jealous at all….

Dinah, are you doing what I do when I type a letter of complaint and hitting the keyboards whilst waggling your head indignantly?!

Dinah93

Writing it is getting me angry. I'm sort of having a bi-polar moment where in places I come across as pathetic and begging for them to give us money, and in others irrationally angry. I whitter on something fierce. I hate writing these types of letter! I'm trying to work out if I can report them to RICS or something!

Kittikins

Hi Dinah - re: utility companies, I thought that the current provider's info would be on the HIP or in some of the many questionnaires that the solicitors play around with, so hopefully you will be able to find out by wading through those who you're with.

Good luck with it!

Cinny91

lulu984 wrote: »

At the end of the day its your decision and different things suit different people. Dont need to explain yourself to anyone...you're not tattooing their skin! :rotfl:

I know I don't, but I was just explaining to Dinah what I'm going for I like a bit of other input anyways!

Hope the letter is going okay Dinah! I felt like a total dunce when you asked Tete for the words and I couldn't think of a thing then Tete comes out with about 70! :rotfl:

Tete_en_l'Air

Sounds like you had a fab night Birdie I thought the done thing with BBQs was the host provides food, everyone brings booze and if there's something specific you want eg veggie burgers, bring it yourself. You certainly shouldn't be expected to contribute to the charcoal! And if they didn't specifiy 'bring a bottle' or 'bring a burger/banger' then they shouldn't be upset if you HAD turned up empty handed. IMHO.

I'm a word geek Cinny, what can I say? I love 'em!

lulu984

I agree with Tete, Birdie.
It was polite of you to turn up with meat, which is always the expensive part anyway!
They invited you to the bbq, so you shouldn't of been expected to help provide charcoal to light it! At the end of the day, you didnt say "can we come round for a bbq" and they didnt say "can you go halves on the food with us?".

Maybe she took it out on you, after being sulky with her OH? Still doesnt excuse being that rude though! But for the record, it doesnt sound like you did anything wrong

Dinah93

I agree, that sounds really shabby Birdie. If I invited my friends around I'd expect my vegan friend to bring something but I'd have veggie kebabs on the go, and if anyone else brought anything I'd be appreciative, most of them would probably bring booze but I'd have some anyway in case. The only circumstance this would be different was if I had everyone over every time, and no one ever returned the hospitality. Although if that was the case I'd probably stop inviting them!

Birdie85

Thank you, I thought we were in the right! OH was so mad he said that next time we have them round for food and drink we'll give them a menu and they can pay us per item consumed! What was really annoying was that another friend came with us and he didn't get a text asking for money, just me! I had less to eat and drink than everyone else but I'm the one who is expected to pay for it! Grrrrr. We're at another friend's next week and with any luck they won't ask them to come, if they do I'll expect everyone to get drunk and start making jokes about giving her a bill for the evening, which is just mean (but funny!). I helped her paint her garden bench too, so surely I'd earned my 2 little beers!